Belle by Mamoru Hosoda - Movie Review
The 2021 Japanese animated science fantasy film Belle, (竜とそばかすの姫, Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime, literally "The Dragon and the Freckled Princess") was written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda and was made by Studio Chizu.
Synopsis
After entering a fantastic virtual world, a high school student becomes a globally adored singer. She soon finds herself on an emotional and epic quest to discover the identity of a mysterious beast fleeing ruthless vigilantes.
Review
Inspired by the 1756 French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Belle: The Dragon and the Freckled Princess was definitely written with music at the heart of the story. Pairing music, melody and song into the story as if it was written to be a musical (which it indeed was, confirmed by Mamoru Hosoda later)
Following the very coherent merge of genres from slice of life to science fiction fantasy, the plot of the movie is sometimes difficult or too heavy for the average viewers.
The characters and the world created by Mamoru Hosoda, as always carry a lot of emotion and life, along with a pinch of melancholy and sadness.
As the movie brings us in and opens us up into its world, with its unique pace it gives us information about the characters as well as the underlying plot.
The music and the animation make up for the slight lack of balance in the story telling.
In conclusion, along with the awe-inspiring visuals, amazing characters and world building, Mamoru Hosoda did not fail to deliver us an amazing movie ever so unique from it's original inspiration. We would definitely recommend giving this movie a watch.