Bubble (Japanese: バブル, Hepburn: Baburu) is a 2022 Japanese animated post-
apocalyptic film produced by Wit Studio. It is directed by Tetsurō Araki and written
by Gen Urobuchi with character designs by Takeshi Obata and music composed
by Hiroyuki Sawano. The film had early screenings at the Berlin International Film
Festival on February 10, 2022.[2] It was followed by its worldwide release on Netflix on
April 28, 2022, before it was released theatrically in Japan in May.[3][4]
[5]
A manga adaptation of the film by Erubo Hijihara was serialized in Shōnen
Jump+ from April 22 to May 23, 2022.[6][7]
Plot
[edit]
In the near future, the world is overcome by bubbles that break the laws of reality. An
explosion at Tokyo Tower concentrates all the bubbles in Tokyo, but makes the city
uninhabitable. Various young folk defy the restrictions, and live there anyway,
using parkour tournaments as a means to barter and trade supplies. In one parkour
team, the Blue Blazes, 18-year-old Hibiki is an exceptional parkour talent, but he avoids
others due to a hearing ultrasensitivity. Tokyo Tower continues to be an impossible
location to get to because of gravity anomalies.
One day, Hibiki attempts to climb the tower because he hears a woman's song, and
believes he sees a boy there. He almost makes it, but ends up falling into the ocean,
where his final exhale combines with some of the bubbles to make a young girl. She is
clearly new to being a human, but learns quickly from others. Hibiki names her "Uta"
("Song") because she knows the song he hears in his head. Uta and Hibiki train parkour
together, beating a team called the Morticians/Undertakers, however, in one final catch,
when Uta touches Hibiki, her arm fades away into bubbles. Bubble activity starts up
again, so the Tokyo residents need to flee. Uta goes to Tokyo Tower to stop it. Hibiki
goes to save her.
In the final scene they save each other, but Uta fades into bubbles as in the
original fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen: "The Little Mermaid." In her final
breath, she tells Hibiki that he made it worth it for her to be human. With the bubbles
gone, the citizens of Tokyo return and start to rebuild. The parkour teams continue their
lives too. Whether real or imagined, in the end credits Hibiki is still continuing to do
parkour and there is a bubble following him which could imply it is Uta.
Voice cast
[edit]
Character Japanese voice English voice[8]
Hibiki Jun Shison[3][9] Zach Aguilar
Hibiki (young) Jeannie Tirado
Uta Riria[10] Emi Lo
Makoto Alice Hirose[2][9] Erica Lindbeck
Shin Mamoru Miyano[2][9] Keith Silverstein
Kai Yuki Kaji[2][9] Robbie Daymond
Usagi Sayaka Senbongi[2][9] Laura Stahl
Denki Ninja Tasuku Hatanaka[2][9] Kyle McCarley
Undertaker Leader Marina Inoue[2][9] Cristina Vee
Kantō Mad
Shin-ichiro Miki[9] Chris Jai Alex
Lobster
Music
[edit]
The film's score is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano. The opening theme song is "Bubble
feat. Uta" performed by Eve, while the ending theme song is "Jaa ne, Mata ne" (じゃあね、ま
たね。, "See You, Catch You Later") performed by Riria, who voices Uta in the film.[10]
Bubble (Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Hiroyuki Sawano
Released May 11, 2022
Genre Soundtrack
Length 73:28
Label Toy's Factory
Producer Hiroyuki Sawano
Track listing
[edit]
All music is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano
Bubble (Original Motion Picture Sound
