The Boy and the Beast (2015)

I loved this movie so much! I have the sad feeling when you've just read a great book, and then it is over and you wonder what to do with your life. So that is the only this bad about it.

It was incredible,very cute, beautifully animated and a good story! It was exactly what I was looking for when I thought I had seen every great anime there was!

It is now one of my favorites. If you have seen Wolf Children that is the other anime I have found from studio Chizu, The Boy and The Beast has the same mood! I hope there will be more movies like these! I can never get enough!

watch this movie!

Fmovies: Based on his wonderful films Wolf Children, The Girl Who Stepped Through Time, and Summer Wars, I've been thinking of Mamoru Hosoda as the heir apparent to Hayao Miyazaki, not because they're that stylistically similar but because both make beautiful, very human movies that give me joy. But The Boy and the Beast isn't anywhere near the level of his previous films.

In premise alone, this film is far less interesting, falling into the clichéd reluctant-master-rebellious-student rut. Teacher teaches student, student teaches teacher, helpful sidekicks comment on the action, and it's all leading to the big fight.

None of which is particularly bad, and the movie is perfectly enjoyable, but towards the end things go off the rails as a new storyline is awkwardly tossed in and a lot of new information is offered far too late in the game. It feels like two or three bits of movies were poorly welded together.

Whether the reviews on IMDb are positive or negative, reviewers declare this beautifully animated, but while the animation is fine, there was little in it that was exceptional.

Since Hosada's One Piece debut, every movie he has made was more wonderful than the one that preceded it. I can only hope that this is a stumble, not a fall, and that his next movie will be a return to his earlier brilliance.

This movie from Mamoru Hosoda continues the great tradition of extremely impressive Japanese animation evident in the exemplary work of Hayao Miyazaki and others. The story is full, complex, entertaining and engaging. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The English-language dubbing cast did a very nice and credible job with the dialog and the emotional content of the movie.

Mamoru Hosada has an artistic style full of contrast and energy, very different from that of Hayao Miyazaki but impressive in its own way.

The themes in the movie are universal: the darkness that can be present within us and how we can transcend it, the love and support offered by and between both people we can feel comfortable with, and those we learn to understand and appreciate despite differences (and sometimes, despite similarities). The movie, at almost 2 hours, does not feel abbreviated but instead adequately explores and presents all of its major themes and plot elements.

Highly recommended.

The Boy and the Beast fmovies. Although I wouldn't place it up there with Wolf Children or even Summer Wars, The Boy and The Beast is another great film by Mamoru Hosada. The plot revolves around a beast who is on his way to becoming the grandmaster. He needs to beat one opponent to be crowned, but in order to do that he must also take in a protégé. This leads him to finding an orphan who has recently run away from home and is looking for a place to stay.

The relationship between these two becomes pretty standard, as it's reminiscent of 'Leon: The Professional'. Nevertheless, their rambunctious relationship is lovable. The film doesn't focus too much on 'the unconventional master' growing a heart and changing his ways, and I give it points for that.

The boy spends years living with the beast in the world of the beasts, so he doesn't have any human interaction while being trained until he ventures back out into the world where he befriends a human girl. This new found friend puts a strain on his relationship with the beast. But they are still there to support each other when it matters.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this movie. There wasn't anything that I found special in it, but if you like to see a pair of people missing something from themselves and finding it within, by learning from each other, then I would recommend this anime.

Love anime, especially the best of Studio Ghibli (particularly the likes of 'Spirited Away' and 'Princess Mononoke'), and love animation in general.

Having loved Mamoru Hoshoda's previous three films, it was inevitable that his latest film 'The Boy and the Beast' was highly anticipated. Was not let down, it may be Hoshoda's weakest film but that is just testament to how wonderful 'The Girl Who Leapt in Time' (my favourite), 'Summer Wars' and 'Wolf Children' are, though picking a favourite between them was difficult. Because 'The Boy and the Beast' is still a very good film, two thirds of it even being great. Is it the most original anime there is? No, there are some familiar tropes here though in no way is this a bad thing. Have these tropes been executed a little more imaginatively elsewhere? Sure. Does 'The Boy and the Beast' still do a good job with these tropes and the storytelling? Absolutely.

It is somewhat a shame that the final third is not as good as the first two acts. The pacing does lose its excitement while the storytelling itself becomes rushed (especially the main villain's reveal that comes rather suddenly and doesn't feel explored enough) and jumpy, meaning that the film loses some of its cohesiveness.

On the other hand, the animation is amazing. The way it's designed is almost realistically photographic, while there are some inventive shots, very natural character designs and gorgeously detailed and real-looking background art with a great contrast between the vibrant pastel colours of Jutengai and the drabness of Shibuya. The music score is a mix of rousing and melancholic, always easy on the ears and at times dream-like.

'The Boy and the Beast' was clearly written with a lot of thought and insight, and balances the funny and poignant moments beautifully. The story has familiar but universal tropes and very relevant and relatable themes (love, friendship and peace being the big ones), executing them very intelligently and inventively gripping. It's nearly always entertaining and it's touching too, with something for everyone of any age and gender.

Characters are very well-written and interesting, never being too black and white, too perfect or stereotypical. These are characters with flaws but also with enough to make one want to identify with them. The conflicts, in individual characterisation and with how the characters interact, are very believable and delivered with tension. More could have been done with the main villain perhaps but this didn't bother me.

Voice acting is very dynamic and fit the characters very well.

Overall, very good film that may be Hosoda's weakest out of a very strong filmography but is more a beauty than it is a beast. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Funny how I wanted to watch this movie for months, but I couldn't find any theater in my country where it's released. Then, I found one viewing happening tonight three days ago by complete luck. I didn't hesitate once and bought my ticket with my mother which has been ill these past months (fortunately, she's doing better).

I never went to see a Japanese animated movie before at the exception of Pokemon and Digimon back in the days, though I've watched all of Mamoru Hosada, Hayao Miyazaki, Yoshifumi Kondo and Satoshi Kon. I don't know why, but this movie and its title attracted my soul from the beginning. It has the premise of classic tales, but the execution is unique and flawless in what the director tries to do.

I'm glad I gave this movie its chance and even though it has some moments of exposition, it's one of those movies where it can cheer you up no matter what's happening to you in real life. The Beast has wits. The kid, even more and as a tale of love, friendship, parenthood and peace will it stay in your memory for long enough for you to remember it decades later.

On a side note, the music is beautifully crafted, the art is great and I believe it will become a classic in a few years, if people are willing to accept it. :)