Mirai

A sweet little story about families with kids, Mirai goes on to become profound the moment the magical realism elements kick in even as this story about siblings and sibling rivalry takes you into your own childhood lives through the lens of Kun, the central character who is worried the newcomer in his family is going to wreck his life apart but that's now how it is as he soon finds out. Mirai has its heart at the right place and I was gobsmacked to follow the proceedings, also managing to avoid a teary eye towards the end. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at the 3rd Japanese Film Festival of India in Mumbai.)

'Mirai (2018)' is a bit of an odd mix of straight-up realism and surrealist fantasy, with its time-travelling interludes feeling sort of out of place amongst the otherwise almost 'kitchen sink' aesthetic. It's never made clear whether or not the time-hopping is real or imagined; though the hero seems to travel to accurately presented time periods he can't possibly have knowledge of, his trips also don't have tangible consequences outside of his own character arc (aside from, perhaps, on one occasion). Because the thing is told entirely from the perspective of a four-year-old boy (a relatively unique protagonist for a feature film to have), the blending of fantasy and reality is actually rather pertinent. Whether or not it's real is irrelevant, as its mechanics are far less important than its thematic resonance. The movie's final movement, which makes full use of its otherworldly elements, is genuinely rather beautiful. It's by far the best segment of the film, hitting a raw emotional nerve in a rather poignant way. The rest of the picture is pretty inconsistent, though it's always generally enjoyable. There are a number of strange stylistic choices and the plot is a bit uneven. However, it's typically charming. Plus, the animation is generally pleasing, even if some 3D models are more obvious than they ought to be, and the voice acting is pitch perfect. The piece does an excellent job of portraying the realities of temper tantrums, attention seeking and the otherwise far-too-loud actions that come with small children; at times, it's almost as stressful to watch as it must be to experience. It's really realistic, though. It's strange that one of the best representations of what it's like to have two small children comes in a film in which one of those kids can seemingly travel through time. Though the protagonist is sometimes stubborn and, in all honestly, incredibly annoying (not to mention loud), the flick does a good job of reminding you of his age. He doesn't feel emotionally mature, which is appropriate, and the movie ultimately does a good job of making you care about him - perhaps precisely because he isn't portrayed as a perfect kid (which, as we all know, doesn't really exist). The film is rather endearing overall. It's a distinct and enjoyable experience despite its few flaws. Its ending is genuinely touching, too. 7/10.

A wise crafted animation about family, parenthood, childhood in its precise and lovely ideas , maybe, to realistic . A charming - seductive fairy tale. So, just seductive and useful and profound poetic.

I saw this movie last night and having never seen any anime films before I was a little skeptical, but in the end was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The opening of this film was beautiful and a treat for the eyes. The birds eye view of the city we receive was so realistic that on first thought, I was sure that it was real and not animated. Other highlights for me were a sequence with trains running along the train line that I thought was done well and I liked the use of colours that helped define different times of the day.

The characters in this film are very well crafted. I cannot begin to say which is my favourite as each was so good. Kun definitely stands out as being I think the main character, although this film is named after his sister, the story did revolve more around Kun and how he felt about his new baby sister and his feelings towards his parents after her birth. I believe the director has well captured the typical behaviour and emotions of children and adults throughout this film.

I laughed a lot during the movie. The comedy in "Mirai" was well written and played out often quite naturally but also with bit of the melodramatic.

I would recommend this movie for anyone who is an anime fan, who likes to laugh and who enjoys a heartwarming, thought-provoking movie

My compliments to all who worked on the making of "Mirai". It is a job well done. I give it 4 and a half stars (or 9/10).

A few short days after watching Ambiguous Places and feeling that I don't get Japanese humor, I got a chance to mend things between me and the Japanese sense of humor. This is a very Japanese family story, that manages to be universal at the same time.

Charming witty and fun, all the way through. Superb animation of nature, nature's phenomanons (think of the falling snow) and city surroundings. The people as always with Japanese anima, are secondery. but it doesn't hurt the overall result. One of the best real life fantasies I've seen from Japan or anywhere else in a very long while. Kids will love it and will identify with the four years old hero and his lovely family. Adults will love its wit and wisdom.