Bottom of the sea: Why Over a Drink is a weirdly good time

Is this for you?

If you have any patience for early animation or just want something that feels like it fell out of a dusty trunk in an attic, you’ll probably get a kick out of Over a Drink. It’s short, it’s bizarre, and it doesn't try to explain itself too much.

But if you need your movies to make sense or have high-def polish, stay away. This isn't for the people who want a tight, logical plot. It’s for the people who like their cinema to feel a little bit like a fever dream.

The whole premise is honestly hilarious. Our lead is so broke he can't even afford a cheap drink, yet he’s staring at a flyer asking for investors to salvage a shipwreck. Talk about bad timing.

Then, the movie just goes for it. He drinks too much, passes out, and wakes up underwater. No explanation. No submarine. Just, hey, you’re on the sea floor now. I kinda love that efficiency.

Meeting the samurai feels like an odd turn, but it works in that weird, old-school way. They have this instant, grumpy bond that reminded me a bit of the bickering you see in Kings Up. It’s that same energy of two people who probably shouldn't be working together but have no other choice.

The animation style is… well, it’s definitely not Pixar. It’s got this jerky, stop-motion charm that makes every movement feel slightly off. It’s actually refreshing. Modern movies try so hard to make everything flow perfectly that it gets boring. Here, the characters stumble around like they’re still getting used to being under the ocean.

• The bubbles look like little white dots that just appear and disappear.
• The samurai’s armor is drawn with way more detail than it has any right to have.
• The transition from the bar to the ocean floor is so abrupt it’s almost funny.

There’s this moment where they find the Mononai-go ship, and the scale of the thing is just completely nonsensical. It’s like the ship is the size of a toy, but then it’s a massive wreck in the next frame. I stopped trying to track the geography after that. It didn't matter.

It’s honestly a nice break from the polished stuff. It doesn't pretend to be The Toll of the Sea or some big, dramatic epic. It’s just a weird little story about a drunk guy and a samurai hunting for treasure.

I think I liked the samurai better than the main guy, honestly. He’s just there, suspicious of everything, holding his sword like he’s ready to fight a fish. Who wouldn't be?

Anyway, don't overthink it. Just watch it, enjoy the weirdness, and appreciate that someone actually spent the time to animate a guy waking up at the bottom of the ocean. That’s good enough for me. 🌊