The Boy and the Beast [Blu-ray]

As in my other rating for 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'... I'm a definite fan of Hosoda Mamoru anime works, and that includes this one, Bakemono no Ko (The Boy and the Beast)...Having not seen Mirai yet, can't comment on whether this movie is the sole outlier of a string of critically- and popularly-acclaimed hits. But it lacks something those movies before it (TGWLTT, Summer Wars, and Wolf Children, esp'y) had in spades -- investment in the characters, and a plot that builds to a satisfying and emotional crescendo...Which is weird, since this whole movie builds just such a structure relentlessly, at first glance. However, while all the ingredients of the movie seem present enough to be as involving as its predecessors... there are beats that seems to be slightly 'off-tune', if that's in any way helpful (which proofreading this, it's not... but I stand behind it :P ). And like baking... you can have the best ingredients in the world, but shite technique = shite productOne thing I really, really walk away impressed with seeing Summer Wars (and Kon Satoshi's masterpiece Tokyo Godfathers)... is that everything, every circumstance, every action of every character, seems to be for a reason, and such is expressed verbally (and more challengingly, non-verbally thru imagery and good ol' storytelling) with CLARITY (early Stephen Spielberg comes to mind), while not dumbing down to the viewer. This is what invests me in the chars and story, takes me on a ride as all movies are supposed to.**SPOILERS TO FOLLOW***::That seems to hit a few potholes in TB&TB, an example being the kujira (whale) significance... Ichirouhiko had been isolated from human society longer than Kyuta/Ren... yet he was able to glean the gravity of the Whale from Moby Dick in a few seconds of holding the book? Plus, the tension just isn't there at the final boss match. Then there's the stadium fight -- the entirety of rivalry between Iozen and Kumatetsu seemed just lightly brushed on (as opposed to Hyakushubou/Tatara, whose actions, lines, and scenes imprint far more profoundly on my mind than the prodigal's interactions).::This seems to be a pattern a lot of famous directors fall into (of movies too & in the West as well, but here specifically of anime) -- you put your heart and soul into your first couple of movies/series... get famous... then either market pressures or lack-of-drive/exhaustion or both... create a product that doesn't hit previous marks. All of my favorites, including Kon, Shinkai, and Miyazaki, have had their 'duds'... the truly great ones learn, recover, and drive through to prior brilliance and beyond. I feel this is Hosoda's one IF 'Mirai' turns out to be similar (or Lord forbid, worse).In summary, TB&TB had me invested, just nowhere near TGWLTT and not even the same ballpark as Summer Wars or Wolf Children (which tbh, had me *too* invested... such a intensely-sad, painfully-but-fiercely beautiful story and art). Four stars...Here's looking forward to seeing 'Mirai', in which Hosoda returns to his shoujo heroines once more. Can't wait! :)

Me and my nephews love watching this

Really disappointed this did not come with a slip cover as pictured….

It's insanely well animated and very creative, but poorly written. The dub was dreadful so that may have been part of my frustration. I kept shouting "SHOW. DON'T TELL." at all the unnecessary exposition. The little white poof mascot I adored (even though it was admittedly pretty pointless), the monkey, pig friend, rabbit lord, and the boar I liked too. I liked everyone except our main characters, who were stubborn, tropey, and brooding even after they had supposedly learned their lessons. The Beast character, when he was down in the big battle near the end, he very clearly was down for over the 10 second mark. More like 30. I know that time supposedly slows down in these moments but it sure took forever and everyone was still moving in real time, so he should have lost the match. The villian kid we didn't spend nearly enough time with to establish his hatred for humans (he went from chill to jerk so suddenly, it was very out of character). The "darkness" is incredibly vague in its logic depending on the character its being used by (it's pure evil, but also... good? If you use it to kick someone's butt?). The Moby Dick thing, I think they were trying to force meaning into a story that didn't know where it was going or what it was trying to say. The lead matured a bit in the middle of the story, but reverted and got so unnecessarily angsty near the end, it came off as melodramatic and silly. He even killed the villian kid in the end, which is his first murder, even in self defense. He didn't even feel bad for the villian. The Deus Ex Machina at the end was a power fantasy with nothing to say other than "you too can achieve The Ridiculous by being angry and having a girlfriend and a 'charming' sensei who encapsulates all the dumb 'craaazy sensei' tropes" which has zero practical use in real life. It's good to protect those you love, but in the end, he didn't face his anger. A yelling from a friend isn't going to just solve that so suddenly. The final battle didn't address the change of heart in our main character, not when it came to anger or stubbornness. None of this is even accurate to the Moral of the Story in Moby Dick. Not even close!He did not face any of his inner demons in the end. He just stopped himself from killing the villian kid... at first. Only to kill him in the next scene anyway, but it's okay though because there was glitter this time and an orchestra. I really wanted to like this film, and there's a lot I do like visually, but the bad stuff was pretty frustrating. Also was pretty ridiculous with the furry-bara aspects. It was clear they were really trying to sell the Beast as a "hot badboy" and it was terribly annoying. Really? The dumb dramatic hair floof? Moustache stubble on an already HAIRY face? Whyyyy? If you want a fun manly punch-out scene, look no further than Castle in the Sky where a buff miner and a grunt have a funny and manly brawl that gets out of hand. The shirts even explode! But it was lighthearted and knowingly ridiculous. Didn't take itself so seriously. Or if they were taking themselves seriously, there's no need for the shirtless silliness and melodrama, just needed good raw action and some purposeful (not melodramatic) acting or dialogue that keeps the story moving. I dunno, maybe I just don't get this movie.

The Boy and the Beast is the story of an orphan boy named Ren who stumbles into 'Jutengai', the mystical world inhabited by beasts. He soon undergoes training from Kumatestu, a surly and sloppy but strong beast warrior who is in competition with another warrior, Ioza, for the title of lord following the retiring of the current lord. Despite getting off to a rough start, over the next few years Ren (renamed Kyuta by Kumatestu) trains under Kumatestu and both form a unique bond as they learn how to conquer each other's negative qualities and learn about true strength and love.This movie was stunning visual feast. It reminded me of Studio Ghibli's works in the sense that this movie is reminiscent of some of Ghibli's finest like Spirited Away and The Cat Returns. The sense of magical realism is in play as Ren crosses between the world of beasts and Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan. This movie, like some of Studio Ghibli's output, has a lot of heart and you will love the characters. The story is well told, as Ren goes through the struggle to overcome the darkness and hate he experienced as a boy and with the help of the beasts and people in his life, he is able to emerge victorious. As the film states, we are all capable of feeling darkness, and the fact that you can overcome the darkness and come out better because of the hardships life throws at you shows that there is always hope, and where we find strength. This was a fantastic movie, and one you should recommend to friends and family!!

The family and I loves this movie.

Probably my favorite anime movie. It’s so good. The animation is really beautiful especially at the end and the story is touching and fun.

If like me, you're in the UK and wondering just where in the world is this film, well look no further and buy this one. For whatever reason it's not getting a UK release and this one is the Australian release but i can confirm 100% that it works on UK Blu Ray players and Playstation 4. What you're getting is the 5.1 Sound English Dub, Japanese Dub, and English subtitles, the same version released uncut the rest of the world.I am a massive fan of Mamoru Hosoda and think his work is better than Ghibli and this one doesn't disappoint. The tale of a runaway boy who gets lost in the world of the beasts, a world that runs parallel to our own. He becomes adopted and trained as an apprentice by a good for nothing beast but who also happens to excel at fighting. Can the boy grow to love and learn by this slob and does the curiosity of the human world come calling back?I certainly wouldn't say that it's better than Wolf Children but the animation is fantastic with a strong sense of passing time and character development. Excellent english voice over provided by Funimation. There is humour throughout with some conflict in between both on a personal level and to each other. It falls a little short in the ending with the heroic flair but i was happy with the overall result.Enjoy!

The Boy and the Beast is the latest film directed by Mamoru Hosoda and what a delight it is! It's full of energy, character, heart, comedy, action, drama, tension, emotion and has beautiful animation to top it all off. It's one of my new favourite Anime films and if you're a fan of Hosoda's previous works (or someone who wants try out Anime films not made by Studio Ghibli or Hayao Miyazaki), then I definitely recommend this! I can't wait for his next work!

Watched this film in dub rather than sub.....subsequent viewing of the sub indicates that with the original Japanese audio the music soundtrack (very atmospheric) is a lot, a LOT more forward and noticeable.Heartwarming story. Great characters, coming of age in an alien environment.Loved it. absolutely LOVED it

Beautiful and poignant, it’s maybe not as good as a few of the more recent high profile anime movies that have been released but it still warrants a place in every anime collection. It’s a bit of a slow burner but you never feel bored by it, and it definitely has the tear factor that the Japanese market have perfected so well.

A lovely coming of age story that shows how paternal figures don't need to be blood related or even the same species. Hard work does bear fruit and the support of loved ones is more important than one can think. It has really beautiful animation and its a very imaginative setting.