Mirai (2018) User Reviews

Wonderfully enjoyable, but stutters in its early stages

[themadmovieman · 7/10 · 4 November 2018]

Director Mamoru Hosoda is up there as one of the brightest talents in modern anime, having brought us gems like Summer Wars, Wolf Children and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. For me, Mirai unfortunately isn't his greatest work, largely due to poor pacing throughout the first two acts, as well as the seeming lack of depth and introspection compared with his other films, which proves extremely frustrating up until the excellent final act, which eventually helps Mirai come good.

Before we get into that, however, I will say that Mirai is a fairly enjoyable film right the way through. Far more family-friendly than Hosoda's previous works, it has the quirky charm of some of the lightest Ghibli movies, and with that effortlessly beautiful animation throughout, it's hard not to find yourself smiling from time to time.

With a young boy as the film's main character, I'm sure that younger viewers will have a wonderful time with Mirai, as a lot of its central themes focus on those that those even as young as four or five years old can relate to, as we see Kun, the young boy, find himself frustrated and jealous as his parents turn their attention to his newborn baby sister.

It's a pleasant story throughout, and unless you're averse to hearing children screaming (because there is quite a lot of that here), it keeps you engaged and entertained right the way through. However, in comparison to Hosoda's previous works, there's nowhere near as much depth of emotion in Mirai, and its central themes come off as a little simplistic, which can be disappointing if you're expecting something a little bit more captivating.

Certainly, we've all been through that feeling of jealousy much like young Kun, but for older viewers, it's a theme that's a little too far back and simplistic to really provide a deep emotional impact. Of course, it's an enjoyable story nonetheless, but over the course of the film's first two acts, I found myself rather underwhelmed that the plot wasn't going anywhere beyond that simple line of focus.

What's more is that those first two acts move at a painfully jittery pace, as we flip between the present, and Kun's various adventures to eras past and future as he visits his relatives through time. In all truth, Mirai doesn't do a good enough job at tying those two parts of the story together, and although there are clear emotional parallels between the past, present and future, the way that the film transitions between those two main parts of the story is rather jagged and abrupt, which proves hugely frustrating as you look for some sort of flow in the film.

Fortunately, while I can't say I was all too impressed by the first two acts, the film's final vignette proves a stunning conclusion, finally bringing about the depth of emotion and sense of wonderment that everything before was so disappointingly lacking in.

For one, seeing a young boy effectively travelling through time should inspire an incredible sense of wonderment and awe, yet the first two acts seem strangely normal in their presentation of this. However, in that final act, we see Kun transported to a world filled with bizarre and dazzling things, and as he becomes more and more aware of his situation, the gravity and emotion of what he's going through finally hits home for you too.

As I said earlier, the film's central theme is a little simplistic compared to what Hosoda has brought in the past, however, come the finale, he finally crafts a scenario that allows the raw emotion and drama of what the story is about, and with an equal improvement in the screenplay's depth, Mirai comes to a stunning and moving conclusion.

Overall, then, I found Mirai a little bit of a mixed bag. Starting off in rather underwhelming fashion with a jittery and underwhelming first two acts, it does eventually come good with an exceptional finale that finally brings about some strong emotion and drama. It is still a pleasant and enjoyable film throughout, and it's undoubtedly more family-friendly than any of Hosoda's other films, so while it's not perfect, it's definitely still worth the watch.

Patience and perspective

[politic1983 · 7/10 · 8 January 2019]

Kon Ichikawa's 1962 film "Watashi wa nisai" was translated to "Being Two Isn't Easy" for English-speaking audiences. Without seeing it, you get a fair idea of what the film is about from the title alone. Mamoru Hosoda's "Mirai" (or "future") isn't quite such an obvious title, though naming it "Being Four and Becoming a Big Brother Isn't Easy" wouldn't quite give the game away either.

A semi-autobiographical work, Mamoru Hosoda's film tells of learning patience and perspective in a film that is both close to reality and fantastical. These switches can perhaps annoy, but anyone living with a toddler will be able to sympathise to some extent, but your overall reaction to "Mirai" might be dependent on your life situation, and indeed, like a two year-old, your current mood.

Four year-old Kun's parents have just had a second baby: daughter Mirai. This new addition angers Kun, no longer the sweet little one of the household, able to walk and talk, he is not given the attention he is used to. Fighting his parents, he also tries to fight his little sister.

Frequently left frustrated, whenever passing the oak tree in his architect father's quirkily-designed house, in true "Christmas Carol" tradition, he meets a spirit that gives him a life lesson. Their pet dog as a prince, felt abandoned since Kun was born; a teenage Mirai letting him know her feelings as to his behaviour towards her; his mother at his age - not the strict disciplinarian she has become; and his great grandfather who teaches him to be brave.

Switching between the household base and the various scenarios in time, Kun is not quick to learn from his family members' teachings. But, as for any toddler, it takes time and reinforcement for him to finally realise Mirai as his little sister and see himself as the big brother he is needed to be.

As the film's opening shows, this is a film of exquisite detail and has been carefully considered. The detail in the animation is rich, giving "Mirai" an almost 3D feel. The character movements and mannerisms are well thought-out and realistic and recall the opening moments of a Studio Ghibli film.

To some extent, the reality of the scenario also has this same level of due care and attention, reflecting Hosoda's own life experience as a father to an older son and younger daughter. One cannot help but relate to the mother and father's predicament: the father taking on the parenting while working from home while the mother goes back to work. This is designed so that each character can see the world from the perspective of the others. The father is now a "better dad" compared to his involvement in raising Kun, being at home all day and having to take on more responsibility. Kun is not the only one who has to see things from the viewpoint of another. And a few parents in the audience might agree.

However, as the parents do not get as much airtime as Kun, their scenario isn't fully developed enough to make this a film aimed at adults struggling to raise young children. While one can relate to the struggles, the realism is more in Kun's mannerisms and behaviour, rather than the film's story and conclusions. The parents' dialogue can perhaps be a little too open, direct and articulate to accurately reflect the struggle. And for some, the revelations may seem obvious for the amount of struggle to get there, but so much in life is, until taking a step back.

Like a toddler's mood and behaviour, the film switches continuously. The changes to the future and past selves can make this more a collection of life lessons for Kun, rather than a complete whole. But each day comes with its own challenges and having to start again from scratch. As such, "Mirai" doesn't drag on or bore.

The more fantastical elements might be a little difficult for some to take, myself included (and why I do not watch as much anime as I could - in fact, this is a film I might normally avoid). These can somewhat detract from the realism approach in the present day scenario, though his meeting with his younger mother leads to some of the strongest visual elements of the film.

The ending, however, feels a little too far into the fantastical. With the film's strengths more in the subtle nuances of Kun's behaviour, the ending feels a bit more blatant in its delivery of fear factor and can feel a little disappointing, and more in-line with more young adult-aimed anime. Having a hint of "Spirited Away" in its conclusion, the ending could have perhaps been more refined.

But with both good and bad elements, "Mirai" is very much like a child. Parents will be able to relate to Kun's difficult behaviour and frustration, and this may give it enough to overlook the weaker points, as they would their own children. Without this standpoint however, "Mirai" might not have the same effect and feel like a lot of bumpy emotion rather avoided.

Essentially, being four and becoming a big brother isn't easy, and watching it isn't either, and your response might be down to your level of patience and perspective.

Molecule Review: Mirai / Uplifting, Emotional Roller-Coaster / 8 Stars

[nairtejas · 8/10 · 29 January 2020]

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.)

about family

[Kirpianuscus · 10 March 2020]

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.

Some great visuals and lessons, a touching ending, held back by the lead

[alonewesignup · 6/10 · 4 May 2019]

Mirai no Mirai is essentially a story about how family shapes us, even family we're too young to remember meeting or family we have yet to meet. Through our actions, the actions of our ancestors, our present and futures are formed. Dream-like visuals that capture the imagination and mind of a child ensure the movie's entertainment. However, every time the main character opens his mouth you just want him to shut up. They seemingly went out of their way to find the voice actor who could whine in the most annoying, grating-to-the-ears way, and then filled half of the movie's runtime with those scenes.

If you are miraculously unperturbed by this child, you might find this movie to be pure joy. I wish they'd just made him too young to speak at all.

Realistic fantasy.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 10 December 2021]

'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.

Great animation, ost. Not so great anything else.

[gonthedon · 6/10 · 16 April 2019]

The Good:

This movie has really good animation and soundtrack. It's beautiful all around, simply put it's a joy to look at.

The bad:

They main character, for me, was likeable. A lot of reviewers here hate him and to them I say: please refrain from having kids. He's just a young boy who is trying to adapt to life after his sister was born. He gets less attention and love from his parents and that's the main plot point of the movie. Because of this, he misbehaves and throws tantrums to get his parents' attention. His parents don't give a **** and so it gets worse. It's kinda painful to see a kid in this position, he is pretty much being ignored and vilified the entire movie.

The story then takes a supernatural turn, with time travel and other surreal aspects. The boy goes on journeys through time that are completely unexplained, his dog acquires a human form and all this to teach him a lesson and make him behave again. He gradually becomes a good kid throughout the movie for no apparent reason and learns to love his sister. This character development was poorly done and the supernatural parts were just confusing as hell, there's no explanation or exposition for ANYTHING, he goes on a travel through time then comes back and learns a lesson, rinse and repeat.

Overall the story was meh, but the animation was great. Also the voice actor (and dialogue writing) for the protagonist was beyond annoying.

The Japanese family concept manifested in a fun and clever film

[ayoreinf · 9/10 · 3 August 2018]

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.

Uneven, but with some really great flashes of brilliance

[Vartiainen · 7/10 · 8 October 2018]

Mirai is the story of Kun, the eldest child of a pair of young professionals. He, at the start of the movie, ends up becoming a big brother. The new addition to the household of course creates some new tensions, and the way Kun ends up dealing with the divided attention of his parents is by travelling through time to meet his family members in different points in time. Like you do.

Mamoru Hosoda, the director, is a real up-and-coming name in the anime industry, with some true gems under his name. Wolf Children and Summer Wars to name a few. His second to last film, The Boy and the Beast, did not impress me all that much, but fortunately Mirai is a slight uptick from that. And I've always liked his animation style, and I still do. The almost too simplistic character designs set against elaborate backgrounds are a joy to watch and there's a really great sense of movement in everything he does.

I like the idea of Mirai, on paper. A young boy, settled with new responsibilities, turns to make-belief and fantasy in order to grow as a human being and as a big brother. Unfortunately the focus of the film is on his temper tantrums and his difficulties in accepting that he is not the sole focus of his parents' love. The problem with that being that almost the entirety of the film is him acting like a total brat. And it's hard to get behind a character like that. This film sorely needs a bit more sugar to make the medicine go down, if you know what I mean.

I would also have liked for the movie to confirm that he is in fact imagining all these things. Now it's a weird "is it or is it not" that pleases no one.

Then again, some of the individual segments are really great. I especially liked the bit about his great-grandfather with its post-war aesthetics and its focus on looking ahead and not giving up no matter what the circumstances.

Is it the best movie Mamoru Hosoda has ever done? No, not by a long shot, but it's still a very well animated movie with some truly inspired pieces. The main character is a bit hard to swallow, but then again he's a four-year-old boy. None of them are angels to begin with.

A Delight

[Heshvan · 9/10 · 26 August 2018]

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).

Mirai

[frostyfrog · 7/10 · 27 August 2020]

Mirai is a film not just about a young kid learning to accept his sister and learn to understand others but also a film in which every character learns to as well. It is the perfect picture of the modern family featuring modern day kids who are spoiled and entitled making life hell for their parents, who are harsh on them and feel bad for doing such because they were scolded as kids. Not just these elements but also sibling rivalry and the mother and father learning to accept one another's flaws and move on as well. The characters have a lot of dimension to them as well. The film begins with Kun being an entitled brat but as you follow him you see him do various favors for other characters involving food and comfort to show that he is in fact a good kid just stubborn in terms of refusing to stop demanding love and attention. However this issue and the many others I spoke about are addressed in the form of Kun interacting with and learning from family members of both the past and the present directly and learning a thing or two. However a plot event doesn't always trigger a memory directly related to it but often brilliantly animated sequences like the sequence in the ocean, on the bike on the road by the bay, and the sneaking through the house sequence. This type of storytelling allows the story to be slowly told over time as we see Kun develop as a character and in some cases it works well. Not in all cases though as a time jump in the second act jarred the film a little bit after a slow building first half lead into a faster second half with an ending sequence that had a rocky start but a glorious conclusion. The pacing of the film was definitely a bit off as the first act dragged because of the difference in speed between the two halves of the film. The story within this pacing was very well told, through a decent frame of using future and past characters to help steer Kun in the right direction and past events to help steer the adults back in the right direction as well. In fact, I only have two complaints with the storytelling. The first being that the first half of the third act in a bizarrely animated train station that didn't connect to the previous acts very well. The second being that Kun's grandparents didn't seem too involved in the plot aside from being there when needed. In a film about familial issues and learning from the past to make a better future it would've been a bit nicer to see more from their perspective. Aside from that though, a rock solid story. The animation in this film was realistic when the film didn't jump in time but when it did, I mean, my god. The film wasn't afraid to do 180 degree turns to fully showcase the work that went into creating all of these unique times in the bay area. Whether it was the jungle, cliffside, ocean, temple area or train station the film was never afraid to show the details to the viewer in all their glory. I can't blame them either as I found myself clapping during the transition from present to past and future. It isn't just limited in 2D animation either as one of the crown jewel sequences is the ocean sequence in which the camera spins around to match what is going on inside Kun's head and you get to see schools of colorful fish with light creating a rainbow on their scales. Safe to say, the animation was great here like in most G Kids films. I also appreciated the music, especially during those transition sequences but even more so in the first act. When Kun touches the snowflakes for the first time or meets his sister Mirai for the first time, the music pulses with child like wonder. It actually made me remember what it was like to see snow and meet my sister Al for the first time. This film was great at showing just how much fun (or unfair) life is from a child's perspective. Lastly, I felt the script nailed people in the real world perfectly. In life, people work on their flaws to the best of their ability and often times have to compromise as well. There's often no storybook ending, just life going on into the future with constant work on flaws. As human beings we accept each others flaws, laugh, cry, love, hate and move swiftly towards the future and even the script had characters acknowledge their own flaws and each others but talk it out. The film's title "Mirai" means future and that's ultimately what the past helps us in the present gear up for. Was this movie perfect? Obviously not but it was still pretty good and I'm okay with that. I'm gonna give Mirai a 7 out of 10. F-F-FUUUTURRRREEE!!!!

Charming movie about childhood imagination

[cherold · 8/10 · 14 October 2019]

After the mediocre mistep of The Boy and the Beast, the brilliant Mamoru Hosoda returns reasonably to form with Mirai.

While Hosoda's previous movies all fell solidly in the fantasy genre, this one is somewhat different. The fantastical elements are all in a young boy's mind, and the movie charts the way he processes the real world through wildly imaginative interludes.

Episodic and slight, Hosoda hasn't quite reached the heights of Wolf Children or Summer Wars, but he has made an absolutely lovely, beautifully animated, funny and touching movie.

supernatural brat

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 17 November 2019]

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.

An honest in depth review (Before you judge, read my review)

[EasternZZ · 2/10 · 30 November 2018]

I love anime. I love classics like Ghost in The Shell, Akira, Ninja Scroll, Grave of the Fireflies, and much more. I was expecting something amazing like Spirited Away, but this movie is seriously the worst animated movie I have ever seen. I'll explain why.

This movie is pretty much the exact same story as The Simpsons' episode, "Lisa's First Word." Young boy gets a new baby sister, he becomes jealous because everything "was" about him, he treats the sister badly, and in the end he (kinda) learns a lessons.The only difference is that The Simpsons' episode is only 25 minutes, while this movie is stretch to 90 minutes. I have never fell asleep in a movie theater before, and I came so close to sleeping while watching this movie.

Ok, so the story is not very original, that is fine. It is all about the execution. Spirited Away is very similar to Alice in Wonderland, but the magic of Miyazaki made it very special. The worst thing about this movie is the main boy character, Kun. I asked myself while watching this, "Did the director really needed to make the main boy character the most annoying brat ever put in an animated movie?" 20 minutes in the movie I was actually telling myself, "I hope this kid doesn't act like this throughout the movie." Sad thing is he acts like a total unlikable brat for 85 minutes, and then the final 5 minutes we are suddenly supposed to accept the fact that this boy suddenly cares about his baby sister, who he often smacks on the head with a toy train out of anger. There is absolutely nothing to like about the main character, and there is NO STORY ARC. He complains about everything, yells at his parents, and throws toys everywhere just to make his parents angry. Ok, he wants attention, we get it! Geez.

Things in this movie just happens, there is no reason behind it. There is no reason why suddenly the dog that Kun's family has had for years can now just transform into an adult male and talk to Kun in his backyard. There is no reason why Kun suddenly meets his adult sister from the future. She just appears out of nowhere, without any explanation. At first I thought they were just a figure of Kun's imagination, but they are actually there. They walk around the house and hide from the father. There is no real story with them, it just suddenly ends. The movie just suddenly ends without finishing any story arcs.

There is no narrative structure with this movie at all. The best I can say is that things just randomly happen for no reason. This movie doesn't build up to anything, it is just scene 1, then scene 2, then scene 3, without having any real link between them.

Example~Kun hits baby sister, then a few days later his dog suddenly turns into a man, then Kun takes the tail and turns into a dog running around the house ~ then Kun suddenly meets his adult sister and she tells him to remove a statue ~ then suddenly Kun wants to learn to ride bike and complains ~ then suddenly he becomes a brat and wants to run away because he wanted to wear yellow instead of blue.

There is zero story structure with this horrible film. It all builds up to a short 2-3 minute where basically Kun is told that "Everything happens for a reason and that he needs to stop being a brat." Kun suddenly then makes a 180 degree character turn and becomes a good boy. What a cheap, lazy, lame, and horrible way to "try" to make the audience care about this character.

Another horrible thing about this movie that "almost" made me walk out of the theater was the voice acting for Kun. I saw the Japanese version. All he does is say "Otosan!!!! Okasan!!! Otosan!!! Okasan!!! (Father, Mother)" throughout this entire movie. I was pulling my hair out and had NEVER EVER had a theater experience like this in MY ENTIRE LIFE. I was tossing and turning on my chair, trying to hold my anger in. He complains and whines for the majority of his dialogue, and this Kun character is hands down the worst thing ever created from a Japanese studio. I rather listen to Navi from Zelda go "Hey Listen, Hey Listen, Hey Listen, Stop, Watch out," for 90 minutes than watch this movie again.

I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS MOVIE GOT SUCH HIGH REVIEWS FROM CRITICS! I get that this director is legendary and did some great movies, but we have to judge things not from their line of work, but from what is in front of us. He might have made some of the greatest anime movies of all time, and now he has just made the very worst anime movie ever.

The only good thing about this movie is that the animation is superb, and there is a very cool looking "stop motion" creature at the tail end of the movie. There is no memorable music, and the characters are not interesting at all.

I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW BAD THIS MOVIE IS, and I give it a 2/10 just because of the nice animation. Honestly, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life.

Effective and not suffocating

[Gordon-11 · 1 September 2019]

This film tells the story of a young child who experiences sibling rivalry, after the arrival of his little baby sister.

The emotions of all family members, especially the child's, are conveyed effectively. The Oriental concept of family is presented without being too preachy or suffocating. I enjoyed it.

Childhood Development through Metaphorical Storytelling

[elicopperman · 7/10 · 29 November 2020]

Here's a really fascinating story. Many years ago, film director Mamoru Hosoda noticed how badly his little son reacted to his then infant sister, thus inspiring him to create a film called Mirai. Released in 2018, the film was a critical hit to the point of being nominated for a Best Animated Feature oscar in 2019, despite losing to the superior Into the Spiderverse. Despite that, it has been ranked pretty high amongst the other works from Hosoda such as The Girl Who Leapt through Time and Wolf Children. Perhaps the main reasoning for its appeal lies in its themes of childhood growth over emotional reactions.

Centered around the life of a young boy named Kun who feels forgotten by his family when his little sister Mirai arrives, the film is structured in a somewhat repetitive nature. Essentially, Kun's tantrums cause him to nearly run away from home until he stumbles upon a magical garden that showcases where he encounters an alternate perspective on his world. These include seeing his pet dog Yukko as a human, Mirai in the future as a teenager, and his mother as a little girl. From that premise alone, Hosoda depicts the philosophies of consequences during youth as cautionary tales for what could lead into the future and how one's family can help you in the long run. Considering how little Kun knows about the world at age four, whatever happens around his family concerning Mirai is so foreign to him that even the simplest of hurdles feel detrimental to the little guy. Any parent who has struggled with their jobs and kids simultaneously can relate to Kun and Mirai's parents, but actually seeing how much Kun learns from his family history makes his struggles through childhood even more understandable.

Given that the film is brought to life through the art of animation, it would almost seem like the film's down to earth nature wouldn't really feel necessary in the medium. However, Hosoda and the team at Studio Chizu elevated the film's narrative through colorful visuals that metaphorically express Kun's imagination. Depending on the individual sequence, the film recaps past events in Kun's family tree through clever editing, painterly backgrounds and lighting tricks to give off the illusion that we're in a creative landscape interpretation of reality. Even the down to earth moments feel like contrasts compared to the occasional magical moments between Kun and the characters he interacts with, all of which range from soaring heights to transforming into bizarre creatures. With how much the film shows the lessons Kun learns in the end as opposed to merely explaining them, the viewers are able to comprehend Kun's inner emotions through what happens in his time travelling gateway. And how funny that it all started because of his reluctance to being a big brother?

There are only a handful of movies that explore childhood development as imaginatively as Mirai. As unconventional as its narrative may be, since it might as well be a five act movie instead of three, that makes it all the more unique as a story of maturity through past actions. We've all been there as trouble makers at our youth, but those past mistakes help us improve further down the road until we've eventually gotten to a better state in our later years. Give this film a viewing if you yourself would like to gain the experience of childhood wonderment and lessons in more ways than one.

Good enough

[PennyReviews · 6/10 · 5 February 2019]

I was kind of expecting more out of this movie. Story wise, it didn't offer much, though the fantasy element was eventually explained. However, the length of the movie was kind of too short and therefore the ending was left open and it actually felt a bit like it was cut short. Overall, the story was slice of life, packed with emotions and fantasy elements. The art, moreover, was stunning, and it almost looked like it was an actual live action movie at times and not an anime.

Kind of film that I'll recommend to my lil sister

[pindyleliany · 7/10 · 2 March 2019]

I like the animations! The characters share us many family values. Oh, I also like the design of their home 💛

A wonderful movie about a child

[rashiramwhite · 8/10 · 6 August 2018]

Mirai tells the story of Kun, the first child of a young married couple who lives in Japan. Kun gets all the love from his parents until one day, they return home with their newborn daughter. Not getting the same attention as he used to, Kun becomes jealous with her sister and starts doing naughty things just to get his parents to notice him. However, they are so busy with work and the new baby that Kun feels like he was abandoned. Until one day, he finds his dog turned into a grown-up man and is greeted by none other than his sister, Mirai, who comes from the future and is now a teenage girl. From that day on, Kun experiences different events that happen both in the future and the past and are some how related to his family from generation to generation. Kun is the main character of the movie and director Mamoru Hosoda has shown that he understands children really well through the emotions and the mind, specifically the imagination of Kun. The movie is simply the story of a family's daily life that is told through the eyes of a 4 years old child and the process of how that child can become a loving son and a loving brother. The narrative of the movie is just like the way Mirai Mirai (Mirai is the name of his sister which means future in Japanese) told his brother about how their family came to be through those little things that happen every day in our lives. Mirai is a film that shows you how wonderful a child can be, and although Kun is very jealous with his newborn sister, deep down inside he loves her very much.

A good film about family basically!

[Irishchatter · 7/10 · 18 April 2020]

So basically I just watched this since I haven't watched an anime movie for a very long time as well as having a dub included. I have heard of this movie being mentioned from anitubers but i didn't actually investigate properly if I wanted to see it or not.

Anyways here we are 2 years later, unfortunately forced to be stuck indoors til this pandemic gets sorted to God knows when! Right so let us get my opinion shall we?!

I gotta say folks, this anime film will certainly put you off being a parent at all like hearing the large amount of cries or tantrums from children, really really drives you up the walls. Definitely Jaden Waldman did a good job on voicing Kun and making me go crazy lol!

I really liked the art in this and how Kun was transported to meet his other family from that magical tree. I also liked how the doggo was in human form and acting daft like seriously Crispin Freeman did a great job on that! Although this film has lost a score from me because it was rather quick from me and the doggo as a human didn't get enough screentime.

However regardless of that hurdle, it is a pretty good film but just be prepared for children just acting as children, it's not to everyone's taste so you've been warned lads....

lovely and amazing just like some parts of life

[yushhkh · 9/10 · 10 February 2019]

As a 18 yo boy which have a little brother who is five year younger than me, I can truly feel closeness with the story although I have never hit my parents or screamed at them like what KUN does in the anime. but I think all the people with little sister or brother can feel the same as the boy in this anime . the other lovely aspect that this anime shows is that parents were childs too which we forget when we are kid or teen. the story is lovely and funny but some will said we have seen same foundation in the boss baby and they are right but the way this anime looks at this issue is totally different and it's more lovable and magical there is only one problem with the story and that's that it won't explain about why magical things take place in the first place but you can find this out if you think on these magical happenings and their results in this anime. directing is great you can see how kids act like kids and adults like adult people so you will recognize that director had worked on this anime very well. the attention to the details is great you can see this in the way things move or when unexpected things like falling happens during anime & music mixed by anime is good too. this anime won't look so deep but it has some normal moments which are answers to some of the deepest problems between kids or even teens with parents. this is not the best anime in the history but it's one of the best family shows ever.

Very warm, very charming, and very different.

[punch87 · 6/10 · 27 September 2020]

A gentle family comedy of manners, which really takes off at the film's final reels. Without being groundbreaking, it still provides a wormhole to look further away than your own courtyard.

A gorgeously animated film that's true to life

[belxx · 9/10 · 26 August 2018]

From the eyes of a four year old boy, Mirai captures the sweet innocence and wild imagination of a child that will sweep away adults and children alike. If you're a fan of Hosoda's previous films, this is something you won't want to miss!

Well crafted, with a questionable voice casting decision.

[Tamasaburo · 7/10 · 6 October 2018]

As with all Hosoda-movies, this one is very well crafted as well. Beautiful animation and backgrounds, perfect image composition and a somewhat arthouse story. It was a pleasure to watch. While I watched it I thought it had some lenghty passages, but after I went out of the film I had no regrets whatsoever, the movie grows on you and it shows once again, who is, imho, the new hope of japanese animation. Way better than "Your Name" in my opinion. That one was somehow cold and manipulating. Hosoda, on the other side, manages to always have a warm, friendly baseline and doesn´t have to hammer in the emotional points he wants to show, they come naturally, a fine understatement-way of filmmaking. Truly beautiful. The only thing that really annoyed me was the japanese voice actress who played Kun, the main character. This voice was a complete miscast. I get it that you can´t (or at least would have to make a giant effort) cast a real child for a part as demanding as this one, but the voice was simply bad and took very much from the experience. Especially incomprehensible with Japan´s giant stock of good voice actresses specialised on playing child-characters (not that I could name any...). More than a mild annoyance. But overall, very well again, Hosoda!

Characters whom you can't like

[claudineharper · 2/10 · 29 September 2019]

It was not about Mirai, it was about a really awfully behaved boy whom shouts his mum and dad, hits his baby sister, craves attention rudely, and yells all the time.

The animation is amazing, but the story is not funny, not interesting, not thought-provoking, not moving. It drags and the imagination of the boy is confusing, interrupts the pacing and because the boy is so clueless that his behaviour is wrong, him being told the reality of things through imagination of his relatives is not enough to feel any sympathy for him. His parents let him act how he likes and it's tiresome to watch. The only character I liked was the father, as the mother acted selfish and rude, especially to her husband.

Such a shame because it could have been cute, with the idea, the soundtrack and animation, but the story and lack of redeeming characters fails this entirely. It was a chore to watch, I only got through it because I wanted to see if it got better. But it didn't really. The end at the station was well made but not enough to save the film.