X
- 2022
- PG
- GKIDS
- 2 h 1 m
- 2022
- PG
- GKIDS
- 2 h 1 m
Summary Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. ...
Directed By: Mamoru Hosoda
Written By: Mamoru Hosoda
- 2022
- PG
- GKIDS
- 2 h 1 m
- 2022
- PG
- GKIDS
- 2 h 1 m
Belle
7.9
Where to Watch
Summary Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. ...
Directed By: Mamoru Hosoda
Written By: Mamoru Hosoda
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
83
90% Positive
28 Reviews
28 Reviews
10% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
83
90% Positive
28 Reviews
28 Reviews
10% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Between hidden depths and dazzling surfaces, home truths and virtual wonders, Hosoda’s tale of teenage anguish, connectivity and emotional salvation enraptures.
Colors and hearts explode in Belle, and your head might too while watching this gorgeous anime.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 111 User Ratings
7.9
80% Positive
89 Ratings
89 Ratings
14% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
5% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 111 User Ratings
7.9
80% Positive
89 Ratings
89 Ratings
14% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
5% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
Belle is a cute anime retelling of beauty and the beast. Overall, the movie had spectacular effects and visuals and the songs were beautiful. 10/10
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An outstanding movie! It is a parody on how much the internet has control of our daily lives.
Great for the entire family.
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Not only is it an intriguing retelling of Beauty and the Beast, it’s also a moving story about overcoming grief and seeking help when everything seems lost. Though it tackles a little too much, Belle is a triumph.
Belle is an exhilarating transformation of a classic tale, updating a story of alienation into something deeply resonant with our digital way of life. Though it misses a couple of notes in its final act, it’s an exhilarating sensory experience, with great emotional depths.
Despite the unwieldy narrative complications, Hosoda achieves an adroit, ultimately instructive balance of kinesis and stillness.
For all of the film’s visually striking action and musical set pieces, it’s the generosity of spirit with which it approaches the modern teenage experience that’s its most impressive attribute.
Belle is a gorgeously animated, futuristic interpretation of Beauty and the Beast that combines dazzling song and eye-popping visuals for a well-meaning yet meandering modern fairy tale. Unfortunately, its heartfelt message is muddled by perplexing plot holes, occasionally grating characters, and a bloated runtime.
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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What drew me to this film were definitely the visuals and soundtrack. After seeing little bits and pieces of it floating around on the internet, I was inspired to reserve a ticket and see for myself the spectacle that awaits me.
While watching the film, I was tickled at the little references to the original Disney's Beauty and Beast as well as the little references to pop culture and table top games that, while used sparingly, are a delight to see animated. The soundtrack was so addicting that they may as well be the highlight of the movie. The animation was definitely a sight to behold. Seeing a whimsical 2D animation get shown along with the 3D animation to feel the difference between the real and virtual world was such a delightful spectacle to see executed. There were some areas where in both 2D and 3D where there were some animations that were reused, but were done sparingly. There was a spot where you could think "Oh, the animators definitely took a break here", but that doesn't suggest a drop in quality.
What brought me down to earth were certainly the story and characters. While they were engaging and emotional, I felt that the points introduced in the story could've been explored further to enhance the engagement some more. There were definitely scenes that should bring up the tension, but I didn't feel it was to the edge of my seat because a lot of stakes or consequences weren't preset, so seeing high-octane action in the movie will get more confusion rather than tension out of me. I've watched the film in its English dub and it turned out amazing. The actors have definitely conveyed the emotions of their characters and then some. Though due to how the characters are written, there were a lot of characters, but not much to explore outside of their tropes or twists, if there are any, which are also pretty entertaining. This may have made actors feel a bit more limited in what they could convey on screen.
The commentary of the movie didn't seem push any conversation forward as this was more or less a representation of the virtual and real world blending together, much like what is starting to happen here in real life. The commentary stills stays with "The virtual world is a space where you can take a step out of your life and figure out how to solve your problems". However, there weren't too many conversations that offered a counterargument to that.
The story's concept also felt extremely interesting, but could have been expanded further to really capture me. Had there been an expansion of the rules of the world both in the real life and virtual side of the film, I'd certainly have been far more engaged. This concept of living in another world outside of real life has been explored to an extent in anime, but this idea of syncing the five senses through the phone and wireless earphones has me really interested. Here were some questions that I had when watching the movie: What happens to the human body as the person is entering the virtual world? Does the person retain awareness of the real world or do they fall into a sort of trance? Have there been any accidents that happened when someone is accessing the virtual world outside their home? What happens if the earphones were forcefully removed? Where's the line where privacy is drawn? What are the consequences should an avatar be physically beaten or injured? What are the limitations of flying in the virtual world? How were families concerned when their children started engaging with the virtual world? I have a feeling that had these questions been answered, we might've been able to see a more engaging storyline.
The main strength of the film is definitely in animation and the soundtrack with flying colors. It has pushed the boundaries of Japanese-style animation even further and probably have given the animators more tricks and tools to use for their next project. The performance of what the actors and animators have been given definitely carried the story to its finish line, but I felt that the story could have been expanded further. Given its runtime of a little over 2 hours, it's certainly a concept that could be explored with at least 2 full anime seasons and then some. I hope to see a similar concept pop up in the future, whether that is in a movie or in another anime season. It seems like a waste for it to disappear as further exploration could lead to something really big and open up commentary to the next generation of our time. I hope to see perhaps the writer of this movie here or another project with a writer who could be brave enough to take that next step forward in that conversation.
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Production Company
Studio Chizu,
BookWalker,
Dentsu,
Hakuhodo DY Media Partners,
Kadokawa,
Nippon Television Network (NTV),
Toho,
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV)
Release Date Jan 14, 2022
Duration 2 h 1 m
Rating PG
Tagline Who are you?
Awards
Annie Awards
• 5 Nominations
Awards of the Japanese Academy
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Austin Film Critics Association
• 2 Nominations
