The Boy and the Beast

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The Boy and the Beast

PG-13

Released Mar 4, 2016

1h 59m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

68 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Kyuta slips into an alternate universe where he is raised by a bear-man, Kumatetsu. Kyuta is eventually thrust into an adventure which spans both worlds.

Critics Consensus

The Boy and the Beast combines familiar parts to create a gripping, beautifully animated adventure with inventive storytelling to match its visual appeal.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

[Its] familiar beats cunningly coalesce into an elaborate plot, set to Takagi Masakatsu's bustling score.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 15, 2017

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Johanna Schneller

Globe and Mail

The soundscape is rich, and the beast-battles well executed. But the characters never develop beyond their two-word descriptors: Conflicted Boy, Lonely Girl, Angry Son, etc.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 27, 2016

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

The whole thing displays that combination of visual flair and wildly inventive storytelling that distinguishes Japanese animation from the rest of the field.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 10, 2016

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

... not only are there stories beyond our borders worth seeing, but that not all animation is strictly for young children. Sometimes they’re for mature audiences ready to go on a fantastical adventure that may just heal the hole in your heart.

Aug 18, 2025

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MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

A few instances of gorgeous and magical imagery cannot make up for the lack of genuine emotion or a fresh story.

Nov 30, 2020

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Rachel Wagner

Rotoscopers

The martial arts sequences look very bold and captivating, and all the animation is rendered beautifully.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 11, 2019

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Dave H

User reviews on this site, are useless. What do you think Stephen C’s deal is? Stick with the critic reviews!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/27/25

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Chief B

I read it too fast and thought it was The Boy And The Priest. I just started laughing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 59 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Some Violence and Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $446,100.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

Full Review

Audience Member

I expected more magic things from an anime like this with a director like that.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Mamoru Hosoda, one of the contemporary Japanese anime directors, frequently follows certain patterns in his feature-length anime films. Certain elements are usually linked to each other by bearing symbolic meanings. Different creatures become family members. An object, usually an image, takes us back and forth in time. Tradition plays an important role in shaping modern life. In this review, I will explain these recurring elements in five different anime films that Hosoda produced after the 2000s: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), Summer Wars (2009), Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (2012), The Boy and the Beast (2015), Mirai (2018). We will look at how Mamoru Hosoda reproduces the issues of family ties and childhood, creatures and strangers, traditions and roots, classical master-apprentice relations, country and city, time and space in his unique narrative style. Full review: https://guncesinema.com/en/from-aliens-to-family-from-family-to-roots/

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

lucca b

It mixes fantasy, coming of age and martial arts, and becomes a fantastic adventure with impressive action, beautiful animation, memorable characters and an emotionally affecting narrative.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Mamoru Hosoda

Director

Kumiko Asô

Kyuta's Mother

Rirî Furankî

Monk Momoaki

Suzu Hirose

Kaede

Haru Kuroki

Young Ichirohiko

Mamoru Miyano

Ichirohiko

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Synopsis

Kyuta slips into an alternate universe where he is raised by a bear-man, Kumatetsu. Kyuta is eventually thrust into an adventure which spans both worlds.

Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Producer: Atsushi Chiba, Takuya Itô, Genki Kawamura, Yuichiro Sato, Daisuke Kadoya
Screenwriter: Mamoru Hosoda
Distributor: Funimation
Production Co: Nippon Television Network, Studio Chizu, Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Language)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 4, 2016, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 18, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $446.1K
Runtime: 1h 59m