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Mirai

Play trailer 0:30 Poster for Mirai PG Released Nov 29, 2018 1h 38m Kids & Family Fantasy Adventure Anime Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 84 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A young boy named Kun feels forgotten by his family when his little sister Mirai arrives. Running away from home, Kun stumbles upon a magical garden that serves as a time-traveling gateway where he encounters his mother as a little girl and has a series of adventures with his baby sister who is all grown up, opening a new perspective on his world.
Mirai

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Critics Consensus

The simplicity and colorful warmth of Mirai's animation is underscored by a story with surprising - and deeply affecting - depth and emotional resonance.

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Critics Reviews

View All (84) Critics Reviews
Emily St. James Vox This is a movie for patient viewers, but trust that you will be richly rewarded. Feb 20, 2019 Full Review Bruce DeMara Toronto Star There's enough wisdom to be found in this engaging tale for a trip to the theatre. Whether to take the whole family is up to parents to decide. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 20, 2018 Full Review Carlos Aguilar TheWrap Merits comparison to works of similar relevance and poetic ambitions, like Shoplifters and Roma, masterworks that share its inquiries about familial ties, parental insecurities, and the inescapable pull of the past. Nov 30, 2018 Full Review Calum Cooper Source (Scotland) Mirai is a charming, stunningly animated, and deeply rich tale on the importance of family and inner fears. Rated: 4/5 Jul 14, 2024 Full Review Josh Parham Next Best Picture The dazzling animation does lift up an endearing story about finding the core connectivity one must find in family, and witnessing that journey in such a unique way was quite enjoyable. Rated: 7/10 May 29, 2022 Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia Beautifully animated and cleverly written, Kun's story will resonate with many. Jan 29, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jay W Of all Hosoda's work I am surprised that this is the first one that received an Oscar nomination. Well sure, it makes sense that his Digimon movies didn't get that critical acclaim. Of Hosoda's work, I love "A Boy and his Beast" and especially "Wolf Children". "Belle" and "Girl who Leapt through Time" are also fine, and this one falls more into his lesser quality work. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he is getting the Academy's attention, but this may have been retroactively nominated him for "Wolf Children" Anyways, enough about the director, what about the movie? Well similar to this review, it is all over the place, it lacks any flow and puts events all out of order. Sometimes this way of storytelling works for the film, other times it feels like style over substance. The main kid is super annoying. And yes, I know that kids that age can be annoying. It is accurate, but that doesn't make it pleasant. There are ways to make a character childish but still endearing. This film does not do that. Setting up a character like that, you would hope to see them go on an emotional journey and change for the better. There is a difference between making a character flawed and making them annoying. This movie has a great imagination and stellar animation. Both help this film stand out as a unique spectacle. The downside to this is that the story will often take a backseat and the movie will just sort of wander around. The movie goes off the rails and often loses focus. It may sound like I am being harsh on this film, and maybe I am. It does have some good emotional beats, and I feel at its heart it has a good timeless message. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/26/24 Full Review Ben D Kun (Jaden Waldman) is a 4-year-old brat who lives in a ridiculously cool house — designed by his architect father (John Cho) — in Yokohama and has a support staff that includes family members, both past and present, that aid him at this tumultuous, emotional age. Kun is an unlikable kid who throws grating temper tantrums for the most minor inconveniences. When his baby sister, Mirai (Victoria Grace), comes home from the hospital, Kun lashes out at the lack of control and attention. The plot explores modern parenting (mother exec, father working from home), manhood, overcoming fear, but most importantly, just being a good family member. Its most touching aspect concerns the serendipitous nature of “the family tree,” symbolic and literal here. How one decision can change where a branch begins and where one ends. With these visions, Kun understands that he is not the center of the universe and that everyone in his family has made sacrifices, some large and some small — even the dog, Yukko (Crispin Freeman), has to leave his mother to become the family pet. The animation is top-notch and even the “scary” parts are portrayed in a way that would be scary to a child. The ending makes the top lip quiver. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review James M So bad I couldn't finish it. Why should I care about this little brat when there is nothing likeable about him? Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/24 Full Review Alec B Very few movies can say that they legitimately offer a child's perspective of the world. "Mirai" offers that and so much more. A beautiful little movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/08/24 Full Review Taylor L It's a tough sell to suggest that Mirai redefines its genre (Japanese animated family movies with a bit of a supernatural twist) or anything, because most Ghibli films fit in the same mold. But this Mamoru Hosoda story about a four-year-old boy (Kun) that discovers an ability to speak to other members of his family, including a human personification of his own dog, at different points in their lives is still very wholesome and cute. It's not very hard-hitting (most of the motivation comes from Kun's dislike of his new infant sister, mostly because he doesn't get the same level of attention that he did before; there's very little in the way of big stakes but there's a lot of charm in the way the plot is able to bridge the generational gaps that often keep family members from relating to one another too closely. Definitely a few Satoshi Kon influences later in the runtime, when Kun's imagination and love of trains manages to manifest a supernatural version of a Tokyo railway station. A fun bit of imagination that will work particularly well if you've got a sibling. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Hasani W Mirai was not a perfect film but it was close to it. It depicts the process of a 4-year-old boy transitioning into his role as big brother. The animation was fantastic and the music emotional. It made me think about my past and relationships with the members of my family. I was even tearing up. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mirai

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A young boy named Kun feels forgotten by his family when his little sister Mirai arrives. Running away from home, Kun stumbles upon a magical garden that serves as a time-traveling gateway where he encounters his mother as a little girl and has a series of adventures with his baby sister who is all grown up, opening a new perspective on his world.
Director
Mamoru Hosoda
Producer
Yuichiro Saito
Screenwriter
Mamoru Hosoda
Distributor
GKIDS
Production Co
Toho Animation, Dentsu, Nippon Television Network, Kadokawa
Rating
PG (Thematic Elements|Some Scary Images)
Genre
Kids & Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Anime
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 29, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 9, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$682.2K
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)