Kun is a boy and only child of a young couple in modern Japan. One day, the mother returns after giving birth to his little sister Mirai. Kun grows angry and jealous as the parents direct most of their attention to the new baby. After throwing a tantrum, he finds an adult who has dog's tail who turns out to be the spirit of the family dog Yukko. He continues to be frustrated with life and finds comfort from time-hopping visits.
The bratty Kun can be off-putting but the character feels plenty real. He's a selfish, whiney kid and that's a truth. The intrigue comes from the time jumping visits. Here's the thing. The time jumping is real because the doll was put away. It's not imaginary. It's supernatural. While the bike is interesting, it doesn't wrap up the central aspect of the conflict. This movie is wrapped up in Kun's anger, fears, jealousy, and his relationship with his mother. That's why meeting his mother is so powerful and that's why this movie needs to end with meeting himself as long as that's allowed by its movie logic. The brat can be hard to take but it's a compelling family drama.
The bratty Kun can be off-putting but the character feels plenty real. He's a selfish, whiney kid and that's a truth. The intrigue comes from the time jumping visits. Here's the thing. The time jumping is real because the doll was put away. It's not imaginary. It's supernatural. While the bike is interesting, it doesn't wrap up the central aspect of the conflict. This movie is wrapped up in Kun's anger, fears, jealousy, and his relationship with his mother. That's why meeting his mother is so powerful and that's why this movie needs to end with meeting himself as long as that's allowed by its movie logic. The brat can be hard to take but it's a compelling family drama.