Bubble

Visually stunning from start to finish. They made sure that even if most people don't like this film, the animation will make everyone captivated. The plot is just a post-apocalyptic Little Mermaid from the opposite perspective which they remind us again and again in an attempt to make sure no one, I mean absolutely no one misses the reasoning behind their choices. Even with such attention to detail in animation and sound effects, the film manages to be bland a lot. Despite its blandness, they did manage to make the animation itself work in the narrative a lot to make it worthwhile too. It's really a mixed bag where if you like the animation you may like it.

Coming into 2022, this anime was one of my most anticipated movies. We have the director of Attack on Titan Season 1-3 and Death Note, WIT studio, writer of Fate/Zero, and the composer of Attack on Titan coming together to make this sci-fi action thriller.

Let's get the obvious out of the way. The animation was breathtakingly gorgeous. There was never a boring shot. Every single frame and motion was jaw-droppingly beautiful. WIT studio poured their heart out to make this masterpiece of animation. Just like in other anime from WIT like Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song, the close-up animation of character's face was distinctly angelic. Those moments were special, and I'm still in awe.

However, sadly the story did not deserve such godlike animation. There's a blend of Little Mermaid, spiral, bubbles, and parkour. Unfortunately these elements did not work out very well. The first half of the movie felt like it was going nowhere. The characters were mostly uninteresting, which made the emotional scenes less impactful. The encompassing theme of this movie just did not land.

Overall, I don't think it's bad, as I still had a good time, but with this much power dedicated to make this supposedly masterpiece, Bubble was still a disappointment. 7-7.5/10.

The graphics, visuals and "choreography" are interesting and fun to watch and keep your attention all the way through, but in the end the story is a letdown. No rhyme, reason, or point to this movie. The characters are semi-interesting but not deeply developed.

This is just basic action / adventure anime with a pseudo-romantic story thrown in. It seems the writers / directors were trying to say something, but it never really comes across as being very important. Basically it's just a fairy tale without a lesson to be learned.

I give it 6 stars for being interesting to watch, but it came very close to receiving a "mediocre 5". But had to give it an extra point for good graphics.

This film is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. It has some of the best animation and music I have ever witnessed. The physics-defying scenery, parkour races and flashbacks create a very colourful and dynamic atmosphere.

However, it barely had any story. The characters are just stand-ins for typical anime tropes, the romance is forced and there seems to be no overall "point". The entire plot could be described in two sentences without any loss of detail.

The animation is nice and the parkour scenes, while not instructive or realistic in any way, are fluid and nicely done. However the characters and the plot are so derivative!! And not of The Little Mermaid, which a character has to read and then incessantly quote from, just in case we're really dumb and don't get it, but of every Japanese anime ever. Lovely innocent child-like magical girl? Check. Kind, shy, weird and skillful boy? Check. Group of diverse (in the Japanese way) nakamas that will help the hero reach the goal? Check. Magical unexplained phenomena that people treat by leaving and eventually using it as a parkour course where no one seems to actually die? Check. Old mentor-san to guide the energy of youth? Check. Overly cautious (which in this case would have been reasonable) adult woman to contrast the power of youthful feeling? Check. World changing events that somehow have to have the main characters as the main cause and center? Check.

Bottom line: felt like a money grab, rather than an anime. Not that anime is not made for money, and not like most of them are not utterly crap, but it was like a toilet scrubber made of gold. So much potential wasted on an opaque and pointless story.