Aesthetic Analysis of All About Lily Chou-Chou

Yuke Zhu

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2025.LC26677

Communications in Humanities ResearchOpen access

Aesthetic Analysis of All About Lily Chou-Chou

Research Article

Open Access

Aesthetic Analysis of All About Lily Chou-Chou

Yuke Zhu ^1*

¹ CATS Academy Boston

^*Corresponding author: zykzyz@icloud.com

Published on 9 September 2025

CHR Vol.76

ISSN (Print): 2753-7072

ISSN (Online): 2753-7064

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-146-4

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-284-3

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Abstract

All About Lily Chou-Chou, shown in 2001 and directed by Japanese filmmaker Shunji Iwai, is widely recognized for its fragmented narrative, poetic visual style, and unconventional cinematography, which have made it a subject of extensive analysis in film and cultural studies. While existing research has primarily focused on themes of adolescent alienation and the early 2000s internet culture, few have systematically examined the film’s aesthetic construction through cinematography, lighting, and color. In particular, the motif of “Ether,” often viewed symbolically, remains underexplored in visual and semiotic terms. This study addresses that gap by analyzing the film’s cinematographic techniques and the philosophical and symbolic dimensions of “Ether,” a concept reinterpreted as a utopian projection of adolescent spirituality. Through a literature review and aesthetic analysis, the research reveals how the film captures the existential tensions of youth, the conflict between good and evil, and the cultural shifts brought by the rise of the internet age, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of Iwai’s cinematic aesthetics.

Keywords:

All About Lily Chou-Chou, Subtitle Garbled Characters, Lighting, Camera Angle, Ether

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References

[1]. Lanik, M. (2013). School System, Classroom Bullying and the Subsequent Trauma – a Strong Theme in Contemporary Cinema. Derived from: https: //fipresci.org/report/school-system-classroom-bullying-and-the-subsequent-trauma-a-strong-theme-in-contemporary-cinema/

[2]. Miyao, D. (2013). The Aesthetics of Shadow. Duke University Press

[3]. Metz, C. (2011). Language and cinema (Vol. 26). Walter de Gruyter.

[4]. Kracauer, S. (1997). Theory of film: The redemption of physical reality. Princeton University Press.

[5]. Agarwal, A. (2024). The effect of social media in identity formation in adolescence. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 23(03), 775-779

[6]. Qiu, Y. (2024). A Study of the Visual Aesthetics of Japanese Director Iwai Shunji’s Films. Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies. Vol. 1 No. 1: Issue 6

References

[2]. Miyao, D. (2013). The Aesthetics of Shadow. Duke University Press

[3]. Metz, C. (2011). Language and cinema (Vol. 26). Walter de Gruyter.

[4]. Kracauer, S. (1997). Theory of film: The redemption of physical reality. Princeton University Press.

[5]. Agarwal, A. (2024). The effect of social media in identity formation in adolescence. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 23(03), 775-779

[6]. Qiu, Y. (2024). A Study of the Visual Aesthetics of Japanese Director Iwai Shunji’s Films. Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies. Vol. 1 No. 1: Issue 6

Cite this article

Zhu,Y. (2025). Aesthetic Analysis of All About Lily Chou-Chou. Communications in Humanities Research,76,37-43.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Art, Identity, and Society: Interdisciplinary Dialogues

ISBN: 978-1-80590-146-4(Print) / 978-1-80590-284-3(Online)

Editor: Ioannis Panagiotou, Yanhua Qin

Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/Lincoln.html

Conference date: 22 August 2025

Series: Communications in Humanities Research

Volume number: Vol.76

ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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