User Reviews

Like a male version of "The Cat Returns" - full of beautiful animation, appealing characters and themes, speckled with a few moments of honesty, a lot of familiar anime tropes, and some spotty pacing/storytelling.

Fortunately, the film is sufficiently well made and intentioned that if you're able to accept the director's priorities and not get hung up by less-than-subtle exposition, it's a totally charming, indulgent time.

Movies like this fill a sweet spot: the kind of comforting sentimentality that makes you feel good on sick days.

If you're reading this, chances are you're familiar with the director's work ("Wolf Children," "Summer Wars," "Digimon," etc.). As the title of this review indicates, this movie delivers that content...more than any other film in existence. Enjoy.

Mamoru Hosoda has come a long way since his Digimon (1999-2003) days. He's been steadily rising through the ranks and in the hearts and minds of anime fans with his cult Samurai Champloo (2004-2005) series and three very memorable feature length movies over the last decade. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) made a lasting impression to be sure, but Wolf Children (2012) remains in this writer's mind one of the most insightful and sublime anime films ever. It rivals the delicate balancing of themes that make Ghibli Studios so popular yet instead of children's stories, Hosoda dabbles in adult themes making Hosoda more of a contemporary to the late Satochi Kon.

The Boy and the Beast continues the animator's winning streak providing a soulful coming-of-age tale through killer action sequences and clever thematic liberties. Ren (Sometani/Vale), a pre- teen with a bad attitude has run away from home after the death of his mother. Angry, spiteful and living on the streets of Shibuya, Japan, Ren discovers a portal to Jutengai: The Beast Kingdom where anthropomorphic creatures roam free. Inadvertently, he's entangled in a feud between two powerful warriors vying for Lord of Jutengai. The first is Iozen (Yamaji/Hennigan), a wise and popular swordsman who fathers two children and apprentices many talented disciples. The second is Kumatetsu (Yakusho/Swasey) a powerful but temperamental and lonely warrior followed only by Tatara (Oizumi/Sinclair) his wise-cracking buddy. Partially out of desperation and partially out of spite, Ren apprentices with Kumatetsu and slowly learns the martial art of Kendo.

The central conflict in Boy and the Beast ignites when Ren and Kumatetsu butt heads while training. Kumatetsu it should be noted, starts out as a very poor teacher angrily screeching "reach for the sword in your soul!" and other such nonsensical things. Kaede (Hirose/Apprill), the wise monk of the village informs Ren (nicknamed Kyuta) that his master had to learn everything himself without help. Thus he became independent yet unable to teach. It is only when Ren starts to mimic Kumatetsu and anticipate his moves, do they both start training in harmony.

The other central conflict is the internal struggle Ren battles with as he grows older. The citizens of Jutengai claim humans do not belong as they have an inner darkness. Ren's darkness manifests itself in a shadow with an open pit in his chest. This ghostly figure however is tempered by the arrival of Hyakushubo (Franky/Organ), a high-school girl who encourages him to focus on other things besides fighting. While venturing between the human and animal realm, Ren takes an interest in reading and is taught by Hyakushubo who shows patience in ways Kumatetsu never could. It is this connection as well as his re-connection with his father, that Ren is ultimately able to become whole.

Boy and the Beast features some incredibly detailed, almost photographic background art. One could watch this film on mute and still be enveloped by the beauty of the world surrounding Ren, Kumatetsu and Hyakushubo. Only Satochi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers (2003) has ever reached this level of mastery and all due credit should be given to the animators. Even little throw away habitats such as the montage of our plucky heroes meeting with "the wise masters," are awe-inspiring. Out of all the adornment however, the climax remains the most visually impressive part which more than makes-up for any narrative issues.

And yes there are some slight narrative issues. Elaborate swordplay and exciting, detailed animation aside, the third act tends to go on a tangent only loosely connected to the story at-large. We're made privy to a long festering rivalry that seems to come out of left field and are given certain rules a little too late in the game. The whole third act could have taken up the contents of a whole new movie; a sequel perhaps. Instead it's squeezed in like descriptors in a Herman Melville story.

Most people are blessed to have one person in their lives who inspires them to follow their dreams while arming them with the discipline to make those dreams a reality. Ren is given three over the course of Boy and the Beast. The first is Kumatetsu who despite his gruffness would sacrifice everything for Ren if given the chance. The second is Hyakushubo; a kind young girl who not only teaches Ren how to read but encourages him to reach for more and never be afraid of failure. The last is Ren himself; the only one who can reflect on the choices he's made and give him the motivation to learn from those choices. We may not always have a choice about what happens to us but we do have a choice on how we react, adapt and grow with each opportunity. With that Boy and the Beast illustrates it's most important lesson; you too can be your own hero.

This is the same person who made "Summer Wars", "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", & "Wolf Children" all of which I absolutely LOVED!, I can't even pick a favorite out of those 3. I can say this was my least favorite of all 4 of his movies, but thats not a bad thing. Its a great movie, I just found a little something more out of the others over this one. The story is about a 9yr old boy whos mother dies & is told he'll be living with his relatives, because of this he runs away & ends up traveling accidentally into the spirits world(very similar to "Spirit Away") & being taken in by one of the greatest warrior spirits to live there. The story is solid through & through, it'll tug your heart a little & has some awesome action as well. The artwork & character designs are amazing, every single character even minor characters are so unique. The backgrounds are beautiful as well. The music is amazing, everything is spot on. This is one of the better anime movies, check it out especially if you were a fan of any of the titles listed above, I can almost guarantee you'll really like this.

4/5 Why? Really well done, solid story. Amazing artwork & animation. Perfect matching music. Solid movie, if your looking for a good anime movie that your going to enjoy check it out.

Although I wouldn't place it up there with Wolf Children or even Summer Wars, The Boy and The Beast is another great film by Mamoru Hosada. The plot revolves around a beast who is on his way to becoming the grandmaster. He needs to beat one opponent to be crowned, but in order to do that he must also take in a protégé. This leads him to finding an orphan who has recently run away from home and is looking for a place to stay.

The relationship between these two becomes pretty standard, as it's reminiscent of 'Leon: The Professional'. Nevertheless, their rambunctious relationship is lovable. The film doesn't focus too much on 'the unconventional master' growing a heart and changing his ways, and I give it points for that.

The boy spends years living with the beast in the world of the beasts, so he doesn't have any human interaction while being trained until he ventures back out into the world where he befriends a human girl. This new found friend puts a strain on his relationship with the beast. But they are still there to support each other when it matters.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this movie. There wasn't anything that I found special in it, but if you like to see a pair of people missing something from themselves and finding it within, by learning from each other, then I would recommend this anime.

Now with this movie finally getting an official release of course it has to open the same weekend as Zootopia (haven't seen but will review soon) which is killing the box office, while the Boy and the Beast had a total of 4 people in the theatre, two of which were me and my friend, and although I'm sure Zootopia is great, there needs to be love for this movie too! Japan is currently kicking anyones but in the animation department, and this film is nothing short of that, it looks beautiful almost every scene. The story it self is a simple one but the characters were so intriguing that it helped the story so much, basically a quick sum of the plot is there is a beast world and a human wanders into it to train with one of the beast, and as I mentioned I'm sure you are thinking that this is such an unoriginal plot, which in a way it is nothing new, but again you care about the characters so much that it throughly enhances the story, and the story actually has a great side plot. If you need something to watch this weekend I'm sure Zootopia is great for the family, but The Boy in The Beast is great for anyone, as it isn't too "anime" for the average person. Mamoru Hosoda really has quite a talent and with Miyazaki retiring I think he is going to cement himself as the best in animated films for years to come.

So to sum things up definitely see the Boy and the Beast, it is a fantastic time age range: 10+ score: 10/10 would recommend to go watch

Based on his wonderful films Wolf Children, The Girl Who Stepped Through Time, and Summer Wars, I've been thinking of Mamoru Hosoda as the heir apparent to Hayao Miyazaki, not because they're that stylistically similar but because both make beautiful, very human movies that give me joy. But The Boy and the Beast isn't anywhere near the level of his previous films.

In premise alone, this film is far less interesting, falling into the clichéd reluctant-master-rebellious-student rut. Teacher teaches student, student teaches teacher, helpful sidekicks comment on the action, and it's all leading to the big fight.

None of which is particularly bad, and the movie is perfectly enjoyable, but towards the end things go off the rails as a new storyline is awkwardly tossed in and a lot of new information is offered far too late in the game. It feels like two or three bits of movies were poorly welded together.

Whether the reviews on IMDb are positive or negative, reviewers declare this beautifully animated, but while the animation is fine, there was little in it that was exceptional.

Since Hosada's One Piece debut, every movie he has made was more wonderful than the one that preceded it. I can only hope that this is a stumble, not a fall, and that his next movie will be a return to his earlier brilliance.

Funny how I wanted to watch this movie for months, but I couldn't find any theater in my country where it's released. Then, I found one viewing happening tonight three days ago by complete luck. I didn't hesitate once and bought my ticket with my mother which has been ill these past months (fortunately, she's doing better).

I never went to see a Japanese animated movie before at the exception of Pokemon and Digimon back in the days, though I've watched all of Mamoru Hosada, Hayao Miyazaki, Yoshifumi Kondo and Satoshi Kon. I don't know why, but this movie and its title attracted my soul from the beginning. It has the premise of classic tales, but the execution is unique and flawless in what the director tries to do.

I'm glad I gave this movie its chance and even though it has some moments of exposition, it's one of those movies where it can cheer you up no matter what's happening to you in real life. The Beast has wits. The kid, even more and as a tale of love, friendship, parenthood and peace will it stay in your memory for long enough for you to remember it decades later.

On a side note, the music is beautifully crafted, the art is great and I believe it will become a classic in a few years, if people are willing to accept it. :)

This movie from Mamoru Hosoda continues the great tradition of extremely impressive Japanese animation evident in the exemplary work of Hayao Miyazaki and others. The story is full, complex, entertaining and engaging. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The English-language dubbing cast did a very nice and credible job with the dialog and the emotional content of the movie.

Mamoru Hosada has an artistic style full of contrast and energy, very different from that of Hayao Miyazaki but impressive in its own way.

The themes in the movie are universal: the darkness that can be present within us and how we can transcend it, the love and support offered by and between both people we can feel comfortable with, and those we learn to understand and appreciate despite differences (and sometimes, despite similarities). The movie, at almost 2 hours, does not feel abbreviated but instead adequately explores and presents all of its major themes and plot elements.

Highly recommended.

Momaru Hosada's The Boy and the Beast (2015) crafts a world that is rich and exciting, offering an affirmation of the relationship's power to achieving self-actualization. Though the film is a vibrant addition to the world of anime, Hosada's tribute to familial bonds reaches beyond existing fans of that school of film. You don't need to know anything about Japanese animation to appreciate this film, just family.

The Boy and the Beast centers on a street urchin boy named Ren who stumbles upon a fantastical world of beasts, animal-like beings with the potential to become gods. He finds himself in the care of a brutish warrior beast known as Kumatetsu, a prime candidate to succeed the soon-to-retire lord of the realm. The two form a powerful, if turbulent, bond resembling father and son, and Ren makes his home in the world of the beasts under Kumatetsu's tutelage. But Ren's inevitable maturation threatens to lead him away from his Neverland, and Kumatetsu. As Ren is beckoned by the calls of adulthood, including college in the human world and the human father he thought he lost, the distance between him and Kumatetsu widens. But as an emerging conflict threatens to destroy both the human and beast world, Ren and Kumatetsu have to face the challenge together in a way that compels them to achieve a new level of union as both teacher and student and as father and son.

The surrogate parental relationship is the through-line of the film. When we first see Ren sulking through the city streets, the audience may be inclined to wonder what Jiminy Cricket figure is going to take Ren under his wing and nurture him into maturity. Kumatetsu in all his laziness and short-temperedness seems to exist primarily to thwart this archetype, and the audience learns that he is just as much in need of someone to show him the ways of adulthood as Ren is. The relationship between Kumatestu and Ren (whom he dubs Kyuta) is almost defined by its volatile nature from the start. The two spend quite a bit of time through the film yelling at (and sometimes chasing) one another. One might occasionally wonder if the two even like each other, and whether or not we should root for them.

Even so, their unusual relationship becomes a testament to the aching loneliness they both experience: Kumatetsu has known the same disregard and negligence that Ren has. In this way, the two are uniquely qualified to sympathize with one another, and the audience finds unexpected tenderness between Ren and Kumatetsu. Though they are often at each other's throats, Ren and Kumatetsu ultimately bring out the best in each other. For example, a pivotal scene in the film has Kumatetsu in the throws of a battle against another beast and sorely losing. Ren compels Kumatetsu out of his stupor of self-pity and on to victory by screaming at him "What are you doing, you chump!? Get up already!" It's scenes like this where the audience can peek into the understated sentiment they have for one another.

The backdrop of this relationship is a stunningly designed world. The world of the beasts is vibrant and steeped in lore and mythology that begs to be explored. Bright and colorful, and full of anthropomorphic animal creatures, the movie's design seems to dwell in some midground between Avatar the Last Airbender and Pokemon, and it takes the best of both. Though the coloring and detail isn't as picturesque as Makoto Shinkai's Your Name, the design of the world seems to come from a brand of mythology that predates the film. The animation here is cartoonish enough to be exciting yet painterly enough to feel transporting.

In the wake of Miyazaki's retirement, the world is searching for the next leading auteur of anime. Could Momaru Hosada be that figure? He has a definite shot. Hosada's monster world is at least as whimsical as what's seen in Spirited Away. He will definitely fill the need for those who grew up watching My Neighbor, Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service as kids and are now entering adolescence. Hosada's going to have a harder time finding that same support among the child audience Miyazaki is known for, at least for this movie. This film features more blood, punching, and (yes) impalement than most Miyazaki films. This film will please existing fans of anime but should not be used to initiate younger audiences into the genre.

The film definitely carries the torch of anime, but the film's audience is not limited exclusively to those already familiar with the genre. Ren's journey from an angry, lost child to an emotionally grounded adult is emotionally charged and cathartic. His relationship with the gruff but strangely endearing Kumatetsu provides comfort for anyone who knows what it's like to love someone who isn't easy to love. Watch the movie for a fantasy spin on Karate Kid, or in remembrance of someone you didn't know would be important to you.

The Boy and the Beast follows a young boy who gets raised and trained to fight in the world of beasts.

The animation is pretty great. It's noticeably smoother and more unique than other anime I've seen, and it's overall a very pretty movie to watch.

The fight scenes are also great. They're fast-paced, well choreographed, and just plain fun. I wish they lasted longer and didn't bend to the clichés of anime by often cutting away to less interesting things, but when the fights happened they were certainly a treat.

The characters are pretty interesting too. They're relatively well- developed and fun to watch interact with each other.

The writing ranges from pretty great to awful. In typical anime fashion characters will, from time to time, embark on lengthy, poetic explanations about things that don't mean a whole heck of a lot. While long monologues aren't bad things all the time, the way it happens in most anime is just kind of cringe-inducing because of how unrealistic it is, and this movie is no exception. They stand out even more because of how good the writing usually is.

The movie does bend to a handful other anime clichés that I think it tried to avoid most of the time, but still failed to at times. I don't know why, but it doesn't matter. That's just how it happened.

Overall The Boy and the Beast is a fun and interesting watch, with a few writing issues and other clichés that are shamelessly indulged in that ultimately affect the entire movie. In the end I'd recommend this movie.

Love anime, especially the best of Studio Ghibli (particularly the likes of 'Spirited Away' and 'Princess Mononoke'), and love animation in general.

Having loved Mamoru Hoshoda's previous three films, it was inevitable that his latest film 'The Boy and the Beast' was highly anticipated. Was not let down, it may be Hoshoda's weakest film but that is just testament to how wonderful 'The Girl Who Leapt in Time' (my favourite), 'Summer Wars' and 'Wolf Children' are, though picking a favourite between them was difficult. Because 'The Boy and the Beast' is still a very good film, two thirds of it even being great. Is it the most original anime there is? No, there are some familiar tropes here though in no way is this a bad thing. Have these tropes been executed a little more imaginatively elsewhere? Sure. Does 'The Boy and the Beast' still do a good job with these tropes and the storytelling? Absolutely.

It is somewhat a shame that the final third is not as good as the first two acts. The pacing does lose its excitement while the storytelling itself becomes rushed (especially the main villain's reveal that comes rather suddenly and doesn't feel explored enough) and jumpy, meaning that the film loses some of its cohesiveness.

On the other hand, the animation is amazing. The way it's designed is almost realistically photographic, while there are some inventive shots, very natural character designs and gorgeously detailed and real-looking background art with a great contrast between the vibrant pastel colours of Jutengai and the drabness of Shibuya. The music score is a mix of rousing and melancholic, always easy on the ears and at times dream-like.

'The Boy and the Beast' was clearly written with a lot of thought and insight, and balances the funny and poignant moments beautifully. The story has familiar but universal tropes and very relevant and relatable themes (love, friendship and peace being the big ones), executing them very intelligently and inventively gripping. It's nearly always entertaining and it's touching too, with something for everyone of any age and gender.

Characters are very well-written and interesting, never being too black and white, too perfect or stereotypical. These are characters with flaws but also with enough to make one want to identify with them. The conflicts, in individual characterisation and with how the characters interact, are very believable and delivered with tension. More could have been done with the main villain perhaps but this didn't bother me.

Voice acting is very dynamic and fit the characters very well.

Overall, very good film that may be Hosoda's weakest out of a very strong filmography but is more a beauty than it is a beast. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Like all of Mamoru Hosoda's films, The Boy and the Beast is beautifully animated. The backgrounds are richly detailed and the characters move naturally as well as fluidly. However, the story lacks the tight structure and cohesion of Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

The first act is quite exciting as we get introduced to a world of quirky Kung-Fu fighting anthropomorphs. Kyuta, the main character, has to adapt to this strange place as well as his new father/teacher who himself needs to grow up. It's kind of like The Karate Kid meets Spirited Away.

Unfortunately the film really meanders and drags in the second act when Kyuta goes back to the human world and decides to get a college education for some reason. The film takes a huge shift in tone and it never manages to bring it all together in the end.

It's worth watching if only to admire the craft put in to it, but I wouldn't consider The Boy and the Beast to be a classic.

Bakemono no ko, or The Boy and the Beast, is a gorgeous tapestry of teen angst, familial bonds, and fantastic beasts and magic. A young orphan runs away from home and is swept into an apprenticeship with a Master Swordsman Bear-Man (Kumatetsu) from an alternate world. The two navigate the pitfalls of sword fighting, adolescents, and the darkness that humans carry with them into the Beast World, while Kumatetsu attempts to become the next GrandMaster of the Beast World. With an elegant animation style, simple raw emotional dialogue, and a clear and concise plot, this Japanese film delicately presents a heart-wrenching tale of youthful emotion and the progression from boy to man. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda who is also known for the popular movie "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" (2006), which delivers an equally potent emotional punch, this movie showcases a lovely balance of violence and tender emotion.

It is a movie that is just awesome to look at.

The whole animation process is very impressive, and like how the 2D animation blended in with the computer generated layout.

It was also a well told story that featured some really good characterizations. Everyone was interesting and had a well flushed out personality.

Makes it easy to feel for the characters and in return it becomes a more sweet and touching story

It's the type of movie you can watch over and over again without getting tired of it.

I loved this movie so much! I have the sad feeling when you've just read a great book, and then it is over and you wonder what to do with your life. So that is the only this bad about it.

It was incredible,very cute, beautifully animated and a good story! It was exactly what I was looking for when I thought I had seen every great anime there was!

It is now one of my favorites. If you have seen Wolf Children that is the other anime I have found from studio Chizu, The Boy and The Beast has the same mood! I hope there will be more movies like these! I can never get enough!

watch this movie!

"Bakemono no ko" is a very interesting movie with a couple of very good ideas, well developed, with a nice direction and an engaging drawing style.

Ren's mother dies, and he has to go to live with some relatives. However, he is not very happy, all angst and desperation and decides to run away. Lost in Tokyo, a beast meets him and offers him to become his apprentice. Kumatetsu, the beast's name, is strong, and wants to become the next Grandmaster. However, he is also lazy and all his disciples end leaving him. Ren decides to follow him and ends in the 'beast world', a kind of parallel world, where he and Kumatetsu will be forced to understand each other.

Subtlety be damned, "Bakemono no ko" has its purpose on its face (and on its title, and in every corner of its running time). From "Moby Dick" allusions, to mirrors or the beast-human conundrum, Mamoru Hosoda and the plot don't care about being too obvious. However, the delivery is really good, the pace nice, the characters engaging and easy to relate to and the story sweet but also poignant. The biggest problem is the need to have characters fight as if this was another fighting anime (Dragon Ball or Yu Yu Hakusho style). The need to be strong becomes too much related to physical force and defeating the other, something that could have been developed in a smarter way.

Otherwise, a movie worth checking.

So, I finally watch this movie, and I never expected how good will be. The story can be very familiar, it has and been used before but, how is told in this movie and how the characters grows through it, really brings this anime in a different level. I got emotional during the movie and had this feeling of affection for this characters. The story develops really well, with great pace and giving time for the characters to grow. The animation is great and very well done with simplistic style but in a great way. At the end I was so glad that I just invested 2 hours of my time in this anime. Great movie, great story telling, great animation, what else you need? I really recommend this movie!!! So good!!! giving 10/10.

Mamoru Hosoda has become a rather distinguished director in my mind. His films feature a distinct animation style, story lines full of off-beat moments deeply grounded in reality and everyday life, characters you could expect to meet on the street, who are still very interesting to follow and from whom you can learn a lot. His films are a good combination of simple morals mixed with extraordinary settings and situations.

All of this holds true for The Boy and the Beast as well, but with this film I think that Hosoda falters a bit when it comes to storytelling. It almost feels like an adaptation which assumes that you already know the story and is only telling a stylized version of it. It skips over scenes that feel like they should be necessary for us to see, only briefly hints at lore, which is pretty integral to the workings of the plot, and the ending pulls some twists, which were never really alluded to us. For example, there's a training trip montage near the end of the first act, something which is usually the turning point of the story. But in this it's over in less than a minute and the main character's training continues long after it, throughout the whole second act. So, what was the point of the trip, other than to show off the Beast World, into which our human protagonist stumbles almost accidentally?

And yet, the film is charming. All the characters are interesting both visually and story-wise. The animation is very smooth and fluid, the music works and the message is a good one. And I can safely say that I very much enjoyed pretty much all of the scenes. They simply didn't connect all that well.

It's possible that this is based on an existing story or legend. At least it would explain why I as a Westerner feel like I'm missing something. Still, it's worth watching if you've liked Hosoda's earlier films.

Chris Stuckman recommend this one. Shame I forgot Stuckman can be such a trendy hipster sheep at times. Maybe Japanese animation is his kryptonite... or one of his few kryptonites. Anyway, overall this film is as pointless as it is pretentious and overrated. I did my homework on this one. If you think Summer Wars is a good film, you'll like this. I'm not a fan of Summer War and thought this was worse. But like I was saying, I did my homework on this one and figured out why the director is so bipolar when it comes to having great films and having lame films. Here is the reason, all the films he directs that are written by other people are great. The films he writes and directs usually su@k. Check for yourself. The man just can't write a good screenplay or story to save his life. So in conclusion; this film isn't worth your time. The script is convoluted, the action is lacking/meh and the animation style isn't going to take your breath away. At least Summer Wars had some great animation, I can't say the same for this snooze fest. Skip it.

This is a story about the bonds of a lonely human boy and a lonely monster. In this story, there is another world excepting a human world. The lonely boy loses his father by a divorce of his parent, and then loses his mother in a traffic accident. While he wanders aimlessly through the town of Shibuya, he meets a party of two monsters. After that encounter, he becomes stronger.

I'm moved by the relationship between the lonely boy and the lonely monster. They oppose each other whenever occasion arises. However, they trust each other intensely in the innermost recesses of their heart. So they want to help the companion with all his strength if he gets in a fix. Though they are not parent and child, they are bound by rigid ties as if they were real parent and child.

I think that the bond of parent and child is formed by not a blood relationship but the time which they have spent together for a long time.

My last anime movie was 'Giovanni Island' and I did not end up liking much. I thought that was a decent movie with an intense WWII story told through the Japanese children's perspective. Since then almost half a year passed and now I saw this from the director of 'Wolf Children'. That was his career best movie, so I think the director wanted to follow the same footstep. Thus he ended up making this one which was quite similar theme, except the sketches were not as cute as that.

Like one of the discussion topics on this title, it almost connects with the director's previous movie. Maybe something like Tarantino, who tried to connect 'The Hateful Eight' with 'Django Unchained', later dropped the idea for the characters that failed to merge. But here the reason might be the drawings which were somewhat different styles. And this one seems for teenagers and adults for having a little mature content when the narration reaches the second half.

It opened by a brief telling about the monsters and its world. Came back to the human society to focus on a 8-year-old runaway boy named Ren. While tailing a couple of strange creatures, he accidentally enters the monster world through a secret portal. Soon he meets a beast called Kumatetsu who is one of two candidates for 'the great master' title, decides to take him as his protégé.

So the quarrelling begins between them for having difference in everything, but as the time passes, they bond well. Then comes a time for Kumatetsu to compete in what he was preparing for, and the boy who finds his own path. But somewhere when they were getting apart, an evil force brings them together to fight against it.

"People who work hard sincerely will master it quickly."

Felt like I was watching a comedy, that was until the first half. All the character intros were kind of normal, nothing grand, but later found a strong connection to each other and each were very unique in nature to remember. This part is where that suits better for children and what comes next was kind of opposite. Feels fun parts are over, introduces a few new characters as the narration takes as big leap as 8 years forward.

This middle section was like a re-launch, like a new story to begin. As a child character turns into a teenager, the movie attempted to fit with adultish stuffs. So there was a semi romance, but feels like the quite friendship track. This is where you think the movie lets you down, a time kill section. Due to the theme that designed to take place between the two worlds, this is very important for moving forward to the 3rd act. I think shortening around 5 minutes would have done good for the pace of the movie.

The final act is even more unlike to the earlier episodes that adds a wonderful special effects to bring the action sequence. Sadly the stunts were not as dynamic as I hoped, I mean it was too short especially if you love fights. The kid and the beast combo were like from 'Ernest & Celestine'. Whenever these two are seen together, that bring so much fun.

Basically the movie outlines how humans are obsessed for power, who can go any lengths to clinch it and one of the ways is to let the darkness consume him. I already saw it twice. For the second time view it was even better and I liked it very much. Still, it is not the director's best work, as well as not a bad movie to just ignore.

After Miyazaki announced his retirement, many anime fans, including me were heartbroken. I never found anyone who can replace him, but a very few names came closer that includes this film director. He already gave some hits, but right now all he needs is to carry on his consistency, and definitely his name would appear beside that legend. I need not to tell you that anime movies are becoming rare these days, so when one make its way and people who watched it says it is a good movie, then must grab it.

8½/10