Mirai (2018)

Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Stars: Moka Kamishiraishi, Haru Kuroki, Gen Hoshino 
Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: A young boy encounters a magical garden which enables him to travel through time and meet his relatives from different eras, with guidance by his younger sister from the future.

Animation: 6/10
Performances: 6/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Editing: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10

Verdict: Directed by Mamoru Hosoda and distributed by Studio Chizu, "Mirai" is the first Anime nominated for an Oscar that wasn't produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli.

About a young boy's magical journey of discovering his family's past, there's certainly a lot to enjoy about the film's concept. On paper, it had all the ingredients to become one of last year's better animated features. And while it does contain a few heartwarming moments especially towards the end, I was for the most part disappointed by the film's lack of charm. The story was presented in a very chaotic way that was overwhelmed with its extreme goofiness, annoying characters, and an animation style that never quite grabbed me. The young boy's journey never even remotely achieved the fantastical element as effectively as "Spirited Away" or "My Neighbor Totoro" for example, and never even struck me as integral to that journey's development.

Unfortunately ruined by its poor execution, "Mirai" might still spark some people's interest for its concept alone. There's definitely a good movie hidden somewhere in it, but I sadly only saw small parts of it in the final product.   

FINAL GRADE: 5/10