Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Suzu is a 17-year-old high-school student living in a rural town with her father. Wounded by the loss of her mother at a young age, Suzu one day discovers the massive online world "U" and dives into this alternate reality as her avatar, Belle. Before long, all of U's eyes are fixed on Belle, when, suddenly, a mysterious, dragon-like figure appears before her.
Belle is a visually spectacular anime from Mamoru Hosoda that reimagines Beauty and the Beast through the lens of social media and virtual identity. Its cinematography and visual design are genuinely outstanding — the contrast between the hand-drawn rural Japan and the lush, maximalist digital world of 'U' is breathtaking and among the most distinctive animation work of its era. Novelty is high because the film synthesizes its influences (Hosoda's own Summer Wars, classic fairy tale) into something with a genuinely singular visual and emotional voice. The musical sequences are especially memorable. However, the plot loses some coherence in its second half, with the real-world reveal feeling rushed and emotionally undercooked relative to the setup. Acting (voice performances) is solid but not extraordinary. The ending is emotionally resonant but slightly abrupt given the complexity of threads it tries to close.