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I just watched a new anime kid's movie on Netflix called The Imaginary. It's about a little girl and her imaginary friend who are threatened by someone who has lived for hundreds of years by devouring children's imaginary friends. I think kid's movies can be broken into two types. There are Miyazaki's films, which are the best. They were made because they had to be made. They were a compulsive expression of the artistic mind behind them and are not restricted to a juvenile viewing public. Then there are kid's movies that were made simply to be a kid's movie and make a buck from the kid audience. They range from utter trash like The Goonies to okay movies like The Imaginary. It has some good ideas in it and I guess it is worth a watch.

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

Kids' movies about imaginary friends might be a dime a dozen, but The Imaginary has several characteristics that make it special.

Artwork

The animation and artwork are exemplary and gorgeous. Both urban and rural environments are rendered using beautiful drawings and traditional techniques, even when rapidly evolving fantastical events are being portrayed. Remember the parade scene in Paprika? Be prepared for some similar imagery.

Story

The story in this PG rated film starts out feeling recognizable. A young girl in a troubled home with an overactive imagination not only has an imaginary friend, but she also constructs amazingly illustrated worlds into which she and her friend escape. But soon we see a darker side of her imaginary world.

Characters

We eventually see that the problems she experiences in her imaginary world must be addressed by her imaginary friend and his newfound allies. The number of characters rapidly expands including-remember this is a Japanese film-a talking cat.

Crossover

While the crossover between real and imaginary worlds is handled initially via a fairly standard Alice In Wonderland style portal, eventually the relationship between the two worlds becomes complicated as danger emerges into the real world and an accident occurs that has repercussions in the imaginary world.

Rating

This is a PG rated film. I would think carefully about how very young children will handle it. The death of a parent is referenced early on but that is a standard Disney plot point. There are some scary scenes that will frighten really young kids accustomed only to formulaic manufactured animated TV series.

My six-year-old granddaughter, already an experienced Miyazaki fan and lover of films like Bubble, Suzume, and My Oni Girl, liked it very much.

Someone with a preference for a Minions-style humor might not appreciate it. The dialogue is very well written. English voice acting is solid. Plot points are revealed in ways that assume the viewer is paying close attention.

Review copyright 2024 by Dennis D. McDonald, www ddmcd com.

Studio Ponoc is a studio that have some of the staff from Ghibli studio. The films that they made prior to "The Imaginary" have the essence of the magic that encapsulate the spirit of Ghibli. It's like a love child of Ghibli, growing up and make their own steps. The Imaginary is a testament of that fact. The ratings doesn't do justice to the quality this film exudes: Top tier animation, beautiful sceneries, touching story, and magical sentiment throughout. I watched from start to finish and I cannot think of one thing to complain about this film. Granted, i wasn't expecting anything to top the masterpiece Ghibli delivers over the years prior to watching this, but trust me, just turn off your judgmental brain, let the imagination runs wild, and have fun watching this beautiful film.

The Imaginary is proof that animation is by far the best medium to tell a story like this. Everything runs on imagination and childlike wonder here and the film has more than enough visual beauty, inventive character designs and wonderful adventures to be worthy of its title. It's colourful, emotional and briefly disturbing in ways that all greatest animated films achieve, even if it's not at their level.

Rio Suzuki and Kokoro Terada have all the required energy and childlike innocence, mixed with determination and affecting sadness to lead this with ease. Issey Ogata is surprisingly creepy with an uncomfortable presence that easily matches his character's most disturbing actions and on the other end of the spectrum, everyone else does a great job of being as adorable as the imaginary friends they voice.

Yoshiyuki Momose's direction is endlessly inventive from the very beginning and can handle the bigger tonal shifts in a way that prevents them from feeling jarring. The animation in general is absolutely breathtaking, relishing the opportunity to deliver so much exciting, colourful spectacle. Kenji Tamai's score has the sweeping emotion required to really tug at the heartstrings when necessary.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

New film from Studio Ponic, which is and adaptation of an english fantasy novel. This film covers ground that has been stepped on by 'Imaginary Friends', which is still out in the cinema, so you can do this as a double bill if you want, both films are very good and quite dream like, but this more so as it's animated, giggling it a very different feel, the story is different, but the themes is both films are the same.

In this film, the power of the mind is very well explored into dark territory, as the evil in this, is evil, and is quite scary, and you will go-'what the hell is this',, and the film has these comments in it, and some quite joyful scenes, and the characters, real or not, a very well defined and worth sicking with.

I managed to see this in the cinema, and as always, this is the best way for an very well crafted animation, you will get the most out of it.