When it comes to anime, it is a common theme for them to dwell upon the bleak and disturbing future that could be behold for humanity. Whether this future is caused by war, zombies, or some other kind of doom we just haven’t noticed yet, anime likes to really push the boundaries with its storytelling. This also implies to Bubble, the newest anime film out right now, on Netflix.
In Bubble, we are brought to a new world, not too dissimilar to our own, yet the worst has happened. A strange threat has occurred, and Earth has now become a dangerous place to live. Yet, also this strange occurrence has allowed the youth of Tokyo to open up and discover the hidden truths behind the destruction of Earth and the secrets to understanding the rebirth of life. This makes for a really captivating story. While also, a beautiful sci-fi movie, that may now take a spot in a lot of anime fans' hearts.
Bubble is set in a really weird reality, where strange bubbles have mysteriously landed and appeared on Earth. They came out of nowhere, therefore, during the duration of the film, the characters try to explore and uncover why these bubbles were caused. In addition, to how it has affected the human race. This occurrence is named the Bubble Fall, which then caused a series of explosions, with the majority of them taking place at the Tokyo Tower. Then what is left after, the destruction the bubbles caused, is a broken world. With Japan suffering the worst. With Tokyo being trapped with a huge dome (which gives off huge Simpson movie vibes).
With Tokyo, separated from the rest of the world, due to the evacuation orders, teenagers have come back to the city and compete in hardcore parkour. They compete in competitions for food and basic supplies. This implies some great action sequences, where teenagers of Tokyo are running and flipping off rooftops and jumping from bubble to bubble. While avoiding the black hole anomalies, which are referred to as antlion pits.
This film focuses on Hibiki, a young man that likes to be alone, and who forms a strange connection with the beautiful yet mysterious Uta. It is obvious that there is a lot more to Uta than what we intentionally see. She is the classic anime girl that we all fall in love with, she is beautiful, and yet you want to learn more about her.
It is really interesting the juxtaposition that the film uses, as we watch a group of teenagers live a happy life with the world they have left, yet for the rest of humanity, this is a really dark time for them. This film allows us to see the real effect this disaster has had. It all feels very real, and the characters feel real feelings as well. These teenagers still post to Instagram or post Tiktok. The only thing that they do differently, is they also take part in sci-fi parkour.
A whole cast of characters are introduced in this film, and we see how they all make sense of this new world that they are living in. It is a strange thought, that suddenly one day a bunch of bubbles descends to earth and explode, causing ultimate destruction. The fear of these bubbles is a very relatable fear, that could easily happen tomorrow. This is how the film keeps your attention throughout.
Bubble is all-around a strong film and has been seen as a love letter for those anime fans that grew up watching Studio Ghibli films. What this film isn’t afraid to do is show the real tragedy that the characters are dealing with. These characters don’t follow the typical stereotypes that you would expect. Their problems can’t be wished away or magically solved, which makes it feel really real.
Humanity has to rebuild from this disaster, and even though Uta is the key for understanding the Bubbles. While she is the reason for the connection that Hibiki has to her, she never feels like the typical anime character that most films would lean on for a clean-cut resolution.
Even though learning about this disaster is an interesting storyline all by itself. Yet, the romance between Uta and Hibiki, also works quite well too. However, it doesn't take over the film either, which is a hard balance to find, that a lot of anime films struggle to find. The will they won’t they scenes, are pleasant to watch and the flirting doesn't feel forced either. Romance is a reminder that love can bloom when you least expect it. The romance was also really refreshing to watch as well.
Overall, Bubble is a really refreshing film to watch and gives the viewers a lot of hope, which takes this film onto another level. Especially, since the global pandemic, we have all lived through. Hibiki and Uta are really simple characters that are meant to be together. All the characters, in fact, show that humanity can always bounce back when things are tough. Therefore, there is always a reason to keep going and see what tomorrow will bring.
We cannot leave this review, without talking about the animation of this film. This film looks beautiful, and bright thanks to the amazing hand-drawn animation skills. Everything about this film works so well and it all feels natural. This is an anime film with a special romance and captivating story that most anime fans will want to add to their permanent anime collection.
Performance | 4.8/5 |
Enjoyment | 4.8/5 |
Overall Rating | 4.8/5 |