Such a frustrating disappointment

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

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

"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.

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!

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.