Extraordinary sci-fi fantasy with a traumatic twist

There are some films that first pretend to be something other than what they actually are. Then all the more for one to hit right in the heartwhen the true core of the story, what it all ends in, finally reveals itself.

Belle by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda is one such example and will finally be available in German cinemas from June 9, 2022. We explain to you what the Mixture of Sci-Fi and Fantasy so worth seeing – and why a visit to the cinema is not only worthwhile for anime fans.

From sci-fi fairy tale to dark drama, Belle tells a complex story

Belle begins as a sensitively staged coming-of-age story. Ever since she lost her mother in a tragic accident when she was a little girl, Suzu has struggled to find her place in the world. The relationship with her father is difficult. Her childhood crush doesn’t seem to return her feelings. She can’t even sing anymore! So she creates a character in “U”, a complex online worldin which people can interact with each other and be who or what they want via avatars.

Watch the German trailer for Belle here:

Here Suzu finds her voice again and through her music rises to become the biggest pop star in the virtual world. But when she meets the “Beast”, everything changes. Driven by pain, the mysterious, gloomy character fights his way through the online world, which only seems intact at first glance. Suzu wants to help him and defends him against angry “U” users – one futuristic reinterpretation of Beauty and the Beast.

But then Belle takes another step and shows what the sci-fi anime is really about. Because there are many different reasons to create a new self with an avatar. One of them is escaping your own reality. Suzu finds that her beast’s real life is a real nightmare. But in order to be able to help her online friend, she has to jump over her biggest shadow.

Belle is beautiful, heartbreaking, and one of the most intriguing theatrical releases of the year

Last year, Belle ran in the USA, among other places, and took care of it there Enthusiasm among audiences and critics. Rightly so: the anime gently yet profoundly dissects how we see ourselves and how we would like to be seen by others in times of social media and online personalities, what we hide behind our avatars and how this can help us with the unbearable nature of being.

While Belle is equal parts narratively touching and entertaining, it is visually and musically stunning. The online world of “U” consists of the right mix of believable and unspecific – which is important in order not to immediately appear outdated again. The emotionally charged staging gives you goosebumps without ever becoming kitschy.

No matter how colorful and cute the movie may seem in the trailer, it gets really, really dark. But in the end it says in Belle hope and faith in the good above everything. And releases you with wet eyes and a warm feeling in your stomach to the reality outside the cinema, where everything is a little less colorful than in “U”. Too bad actually.

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