Bubble

Bubble feels way too derivative from far better told anime stories. It seems oddly random the mix of Parkour with the little mermaid tale using a post-apocalyptic-ish Tokyo, definitely it was what stuck to the wall and the creators just scrapped the very bottom to come up with something.

The visuals are good, the dynamic action set pieces are jaw dropping at some points but the action alone it's no a redeeming quality for a movie that had lots of potential wasted in a nonsensical story that has been told way too many times and barely becomes interesting. Paper thin and stereotypical characters, non-developed background stories, logic that just don't make sense(even in its own universe), and a resolution that was predictable within the first 5 minutes makes Bubble a disappointing experience.

This latest Netflix original anime by WIT Studio, having ensemble big names involved is brilliant with regards to its animation, however felt short in terms of storyline.

Tetsuro Araki, the renowed director behing Shingeki no Kyojin directs this dystopain sci-fi version of 'A Littler mermaid'. The characters felt a little underdeveloped, given the screentime of mere 100 minutes. While the movie bears influences of the classic fairy tale, they are rather loose, and at some parts, do seem to be shoehorned into the plot.

The animated feature, helmed by Studio WIT, is a breathtaking sight to behold, with its striking, vibrant colours breathing life into the desolated, forgotten city of Tokyo. The visual design also changes nicely to reflect the atmosphere of specific scenarios: action scenes get louder, bolder hues, domestic moments feature softer lighting, and intense sequences welcome ominous, darker colour mixing. Meanwhile, the landscape boasts details that allude to real-world Tokyo, such as Animate stores, Japanese ferries, and the star of the show, the Tokyo Tower.

The soundtrack gets a mention as well, as it was unique and melodious in its own way. The cinematography was amazing, capturing the parkour sport effectively. It's unfortunate that Bubble couldn't reach its narrative potential, because it excels everywhere else.

At the core of it, Bubble is a visually-gripping anime movie that presents an innovative and interesting premise, but couldn't deliver the best to its potential. I would recommend Bubble for a one time watch, due to its outstanding animation and cinematography

My Rating : 7/10.

To be honest, for most part of the movie, I didn't even understand what was happening but I was still latched on to the screen because it was that interesting to watch. The visuals and cinematography were amazing too. Watch it in the highest resolution possible for maximum enjoyment. It's not a ground breaking movie, but it was pretty good. For casual watching, this can be on top of your lists! It was mesmerizing. Unlike some of the reviews here which say animation was bad, it was the opposite for me. It was only the animation which kept me hooked to the screen else I might have dropped it pretty soon. This however doesn't mean the storyline was utter trash, it was okay but I expected a much better storyline though. Overall, it's pretty fun for a one time watch!! Not to mention the bgm was pretty nice too, indeed it will be as it was made by the G. O. A. T Hiroyuki Sawano who has worked on many successful projects. WIT studio also did an amazing job at animating this.

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.

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.