Belle

The director of Wolf Children and Mirai, Mamoru Hosada crafts elegant, visually resplendent fairy tales with a modern sensibility. Here, he draws on elements from Beauty and the Beast to create a rich, resonant musical about teen anguish, the internet and avatars.

Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village and still wounded by the death of her mother. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona, Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious “beast” and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Colors and hearts explode in Belle, and your head might too while watching this gorgeous anime.

Manohla Dargis, New York Times

Hosoda’s backdrops, with their soft colors and photorealist details, are always gorgeous enough to get lost in, but they also tell a deeper story of community and healing.

Justin Chang, LA Times

Hosoda imagines the internet as a glittering expanse of endless possible connections… The film’s message is a beautiful one: to integrate our real-life vulnerabilities with the persona we project is to become all the more powerful.

Simran Hans, The Observer

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