Stories about a girl who could control time, an orphan who ended up in a parallel world, and a genius who got into big trouble.
Mamoru Hosoda is one of the leading anime directors of the 21st century. One of his films was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Feature category in 2019.
The topics of family relationships, growing up, finding one's self, and combining two realities run through all of his work.
1. The Boy and the Beast, 2015
There is a parallel universe inhabited by monsters. These monsters are anthropomorphic animals that practice martial arts. One of them, a large bear named Kumatetsu, is accidentally encountered on the streets of Tokyo by a nine-year-old orphan named Ren.
After his mother died, Ren ran away from home because he did not want to live with his relatives. Ren follows the unusual creature and ends up in his reality. There, a new life awaits him.
Kumatetsu is a talented warrior and one of the main candidates to become a Great Master. To become one, he needs a disciple – a role he offers to Ren.
2. Mirai, 2018
This anime was an Oscar nominee for 2019. In it, Hosoda explores family relationships, not between parents and children, but between a brother and sister.
The main character is a four-year-old boy named Kun. He recently got a younger sister, Mirai, and he is not happy about it. After all, his parents now pay all their attention to her.
Kun hates Mirai. One day, he brings her to tears and his parents take her side. Feeling the most miserable, he runs away to the backyard.
There, amazing things begin to happen – various guests appear under the family tree, including Mirai herself. No longer a little girl who whines all the time, Mirai is now a teenager.
3. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, 2006
Seventeen-year-old Makoto is capable of turning any event into a real disaster. Her life is a series of misfortunes. One day, on her way home from school, Makoto has an accident: she loses control of her bike and flies right under a train.
She even manages to say goodbye to life, but suddenly finds herself sitting on the ground a few seconds before the collision – time has miraculously rewound, and this new ability opens up so many possibilities.
But one must be careful when playing with time: even the smallest changes in the past can affect the lives of people in the present.
4. Belle, 2021
Suzu is an ordinary schoolgirl. She used to love singing, but after her mother died, she gave up her hobby. In the real world, Suzu feels small and insignificant.
But in virtual reality U, where anyone can create their own avatar and live a completely different life, Suzu is popular. She is a famous performer, nicknamed Belle, whom everyone admires.
One day, her concert is interrupted by a mysterious dragon. Someone is threatening to expose his identity, and Suzu decides to come to his aid in both the real and virtual worlds.
5. Summer Wars, 2009
In 2017, the Japanese Film Academy awarded this anime the title of the best animated film of the year. The action in the movie takes place in two realities: real and virtual. The virtual one is called Oz.
This is a place where everyone can create their own avatar and live a full life. High school student Kenji, a mathematical genius, is one of the moderators of this world.
The trouble in Kenji's life begins when his classmate Natsuki invites him to her grandmother's anniversary. There, in front of a crowd of relatives, she unexpectedly introduces him as her boyfriend and future husband.
And then, he turns out to be a real criminal – on TV, all over Japan, they announce that he hacked Oz.