Of all Hosoda's work I am surprised that this is the first one that received an Oscar nomination. Well sure, it makes sense that his Digimon movies didn't get that critical acclaim. Of Hosoda's work, I love "A Boy and his Beast" and especially "Wolf Children". "Belle" and "Girl who Leapt through Time" are also fine, and this one falls more into his lesser quality work. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he is getting the Academy's attention, but this may have been retroactively nominated him for "Wolf Children" Anyways, enough about the director, what about the movie? Well similar to this review, it is all over the place, it lacks any flow and puts events all out of order. Sometimes this way of storytelling works for the film, other times it feels like style over substance. The main kid is super annoying. And yes, I know that kids that age can be annoying. It is accurate, but that doesn't make it pleasant. There are ways to make a character childish but still endearing. This film does not do that. Setting up a character like that, you would hope to see them go on an emotional journey and change for the better. There is a difference between making a character flawed and making them annoying. This movie has a great imagination and stellar animation. Both help this film stand out as a unique spectacle. The downside to this is that the story will often take a backseat and the movie will just sort of wander around. The movie goes off the rails and often loses focus. It may sound like I am being harsh on this film, and maybe I am. It does have some good emotional beats, and I feel at its heart it has a good timeless message.

Kun (Jaden Waldman) is a 4-year-old brat who lives in a ridiculously cool house — designed by his architect father (John Cho) — in Yokohama and has a support staff that includes family members, both past and present, that aid him at this tumultuous, emotional age. Kun is an unlikable kid who throws grating temper tantrums for the most minor inconveniences. When his baby sister, Mirai (Victoria Grace), comes home from the hospital, Kun lashes out at the lack of control and attention. The plot explores modern parenting (mother exec, father working from home), manhood, overcoming fear, but most importantly, just being a good family member. Its most touching aspect concerns the serendipitous nature of “the family tree,” symbolic and literal here. How one decision can change where a branch begins and where one ends. With these visions, Kun understands that he is not the center of the universe and that everyone in his family has made sacrifices, some large and some small — even the dog, Yukko (Crispin Freeman), has to leave his mother to become the family pet. The animation is top-notch and even the “scary” parts are portrayed in a way that would be scary to a child. The ending makes the top lip quiver.

So bad I couldn't finish it. Why should I care about this little brat when there is nothing likeable about him?

Very few movies can say that they legitimately offer a child's perspective of the world. "Mirai" offers that and so much more. A beautiful little movie.

It's a tough sell to suggest that Mirai redefines its genre (Japanese animated family movies with a bit of a supernatural twist) or anything, because most Ghibli films fit in the same mold. But this Mamoru Hosoda story about a four-year-old boy (Kun) that discovers an ability to speak to other members of his family, including a human personification of his own dog, at different points in their lives is still very wholesome and cute. It's not very hard-hitting (most of the motivation comes from Kun's dislike of his new infant sister, mostly because he doesn't get the same level of attention that he did before; there's very little in the way of big stakes but there's a lot of charm in the way the plot is able to bridge the generational gaps that often keep family members from relating to one another too closely. Definitely a few Satoshi Kon influences later in the runtime, when Kun's imagination and love of trains manages to manifest a supernatural version of a Tokyo railway station. A fun bit of imagination that will work particularly well if you've got a sibling. (3.5/5)

Mirai was not a perfect film but it was close to it. It depicts the process of a 4-year-old boy transitioning into his role as big brother. The animation was fantastic and the music emotional. It made me think about my past and relationships with the members of my family. I was even tearing up.

This is a quite endearing anime film, with some lovely fantasy scenes, as are often present in anime films. I enjoyed the use and timing of piano music to accompany the main character rushing around at times. The colours used in the animation are quite light and cheery - it has a dreamy feel to it, which is common when it comes to anime films. The plot is one that I imagine the vast majority of children with siblings would be able to relate to, which is good. I also particularly liked the scenes towards the end, which feature decent integration between what appeared to be 2D and 3D/CGI animation. I certainly enjoyed this film and I would recommend it to others.

Mirai is definitely not going to be a movie for everyone. For starters, the main character of this film is a very bratty 4-year-old. The child can be extremely irritating to watch to the point of being unlikeable. It's worsen when everyone else is so nice and likeable, including the new baby sister. However, that is the intention of the film. The whole focus of Mirai is seeing this bratty kid learn important life lessons and growing into a more capable individual and a better brother for the new sister. Fantasy elements such as seeing an anthropomorphic dog or a middle school age version of his sister are there to give him these lessons in more interesting ways. This leads to some amazing visuals and animation with some stellar sequences. Additionally, the music is great and elevates the scenes. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. It's not a movie with high-end stakes but it is a meaningful story that has a wonderful ending. I highly recommend giving Mirai a watch because it has a very beautiful message.

A cute story about a very young boy who learn to overcome his small everyday troubles (how to ride a bike, understanding his mother, accepting his little sister) by travelling through the past and future and meeting his family.

Mirai is a film with beautiful animation and a lackluster story. The repetitive nature of the vignettes and the lack of any real stakes drag the film down despite the Herculean efforts of the animators.

A sweet and inventive animated journey full of empathy and good vibes that looks at modern family mechanics through the curious and dissatisfied eyes of a young child. Hosoda is, without a doubt, one of the great names in animation that still has a lot of joy to give.

Incredibly personal movie, on the topic Hosoda likes the most. Family. Struggles of the family, the meaning of it, importance of ancestry and understanding within the family. Those are all heartfelt and genuine bits sprinkled in this film. Unfortunately, I just can not help but point out, that Mamoru Hosoda had done this better. The repetitive nature of the narrative and prevalence of the magic realism, leave really no room for investment outside of seeing, what exactly any given time vignette is trying to teach Kun about how to be a better brother or son, only for it to be reset for the next conflict. Not to mention, visually it doesn't stand out, it is still the same minimalism, that he always used. But there is nothing interesting or compelling about it. Except maybe distracting CGI dog and house architecture.

Absolutely beautiful and profound kids movie that adults may shed a tear. Speaks to the experience of childhood and all of its big emotions

There were some serious shrooms in that garden, I tell you! This movie makes being a kid look amazing, like it should.

This was beautiful! Creative and heartwarming, and absolutely must see.

Simply beautiful. -Alex Brockovich (Mundo Cine LA)

Uma análise profunda do relacionamento entre irmãos, a partir de suas memórias e imaginários.

Ślicznie wykonane anime ze standardową historią o odpowiedzialności i akceptacji w rodzinie. Fajnie przedstawienie codziennego życia oraz połączenie świata fantastycznego też spoko wypada

kids eyes stayed glued the whole movie, a good change from the usual kiddie movies, fun and imaginative for sure, Gsquad😜

What I like about this movie is that it tells us about our history of our family and friends in the future.