Belle: The Dragon and the Freckled Princess

I have reservations about the story, it also didn't have to go on so long, and there could have been more logic to the characters’ actions. And yet a whole day has passed since I saw it, and for me the nice feeling I had after watching it has settled into an even nicer one, the theme song is ringing in my head, I keep replaying some of the scenes over and over again, and I'm actually realizing that seeing anime in the cinema is priceless in its own way. That's why, in the end, I'm bumping my rating up to four stars. (04/18/2022)

I think Mamoru Hosoda's new movie is interesting. It is very accomplished audio-visually as it is very colorful, charming, and strange. It alternates between 3D and 2D animation, which makes the online world look different from the regular real world, and the whole thing looks quite odd, though quite original at the same time. If you have read this far, then, believe me, I recommend you watch it and do not read any further, because there is a good chance there will be SPOILERS in the rest of this review! However, what about the supposedly shallow narrative? I have to say that it spoke to me. It was not just some Beauty and the Beast-style romance as I had originally thought, but rather it is about some much deeper and more serious social issues that I think are presented in a fairly understandable way, and in a way that is appealing to audiences. Yes, it may have faltered at some points, and there were moments where I found some things a little unbelievable, nevertheless, I enjoyed the overall message of it all, I found it was gripping and it won me over. The narrative is about understanding why sometimes some people just have to do something, why it is the right thing to do and why we should never be indifferent. It shows that heroes are those who choose to take risks even when they know it might not work out. It also subtly touches on other topics and issues, such as virtual reality, where it is again shown that people in real life are not what they present themselves to be in the anonymous environment of the internet. It is also a demonstration of how differently the grief of loss can affect a person, and in some cases a demonstration of how badly it can turn out, although I think all the bad things here are actually just the result of very ordinary and quite understandably being afraid. However, the show also points out where strength can be found in difficult situations and what the strength of the human spirit actually is. Another interesting character was that of the self-appointed vigilante, or the main female protagonist's rival in the online world, who has very little screen time, although there is a lot to be discovered through her subplot. In other words, it was a movie that once again had a lot to say to me, and I think I understood the main contingencies, and even though it was long and dragged at times, I enjoyed it and would happily watch it again at some point because certain moments managed to infuse me with some healthy optimism. In conclusion, I think the narrative is very well written and has something to say, although as always I will mention that I may be wrong because sometimes I see things that others say are not there. 8.1/10. (10/08/2021)