There’s a saying: it’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey. And yet, for most of the nearly two-hour runtime of Macross and Escaflowne creator Shoji Kawamori’s new film Labyrinth, I had no idea what roads this journey was taking me on. In some cases, that’s a good thing, as it can lead to unexpected twists and turns. However, regarding this film, the journey and its beats left me uttering one phrase the entire time: “Huh?”

Labyrinth follows Yokohama resident Shiori (Suzuka), a girl who has a lot of goals and dreams, but lacks the confidence to pursue them. After a failed attempt at making a viral dance video with her friend Kirara (Aoi Ito), Shiori finds herself in an alternate version of Yokohama. What’s more, a doppelgänger has taken over her life and has flipped it into a world of clout-chasing and chaos. With the aid of a rabbit-shaped sentient sticker named Komori (Taizo Harada) and her childhood friend Kento (Jun Saito), Shiori aims to return to the real world and take back her life before too much madness can take over.

There is a solid idea in Labyrinth revolved around the concept of holding back one’s true feelings and passions. And at first, it would seem like having a doppelgänger start doing the things Shiori might’ve been too cowardly to do would maybe lead to a lesson about taking chances and throwing fear through the nearest brick wall. But for the life of me, I cannot seem to figure out exactly what sort of message this movie is trying to convey. The addition of the app-making antagonist Tosaka (Tomokazu Sugita) only adds to the confusion of everything.

I know it’s an anime movie, but most of the time I was watching this, I couldn’t ignite my suspension of disbelief. Every moment involving Shiori’s doppelgänger and her quest for 100 million likes just made me raise my eyebrow. Like, how did she so quickly become a pop culture figure on the internet? How did she convince tens of thousands of people to come to a launch party and concert when she’s never sung online before? Just…what is this movie trying to push to its audience?

It’s a real shame, because outside of the weird script, the characters are pretty entertaining. Suzuka brings a terrific performance to the role of Shiori. She’s shy, lacks confidence, and has the inability to speak her mind, the complete polar opposite of the most out there member of Atarashii Gakko!. And while his true identity is saved for towards the end of the film, I saw Harada’s performance of Komori as very sympathetic and — at times — humorous.

As for the visuals, studio Sanzigen (D4DJ franchise, Rooster Fighter) delivers a mixed bag. When it has the feel of 2D animation, the look of the worlds and the emotions of the characters hit hard. However, when it’s painfully obvious that they’re using 3D animation, moments like dance sequences and a giant robot fight look clanky and lacking polish. On TV, I’m sure it’s passable; on the big screen, it’ll certainly be a distraction.

What isn’t lacking life is the soundtrack. Composer yonkey (frontman of the brilliant band Klang Ruler) somehow makes even the weirdest moments of Labyrinth have some substance to it. A real highlight is the big fight near the film’s climax, and while it’s a moment that feels out of place in the overall narrative, it nevertheless sounds great. With Suzuka in the lead, it should be obvious that Atarashii Gakko! would contribute a song. As you can guess, “Sailor, Sail On” slaps hard, thanks to its fantastic arrangement and lyrics that feel more uplifting than the film itself!

Again, there are a couple of good ideas in Labyrinth. However, the film’s narrative is very, very rough. Everything felt too random, and the destination it takes viewers will leave many scratching their heads rather than enlightened. If you find yourself lost in this Labyrinth, rest assured: you certainly won’t be alone.

English subtitled version observed for review. Promotional consideration provided by Rae D’Agnillo of GKIDS. In theaters May 10th & 11th. Click here for tickets!