The Boy and the Beast
As you may or may not know, Mamoru Hosoda's new film has been released in Japanese theaters. As you'd expect, it's a good film. On first impression, I don't think it's as good as his best works like Wolf Children and TGWLTT, but a good film nonetheless. As usual, Hosoda directs fully confident in his own technique and style, even when attempting shots that other directors wouldn't. He's still peerless in the anime industry in his use of montage, tracking shots, mise en scene, etc. And duckroll will be happy to know that Hosoda is using more CGI than ever!
The story is basically a coming-of-age story with a fantastic setting. The world building through the art direction is quite wonderful, and the furry world is believable in its variety and detail. That said, I didn't find the story quite as emotionally involving as his best works. And the last act takes a turn that, while not completely out of left field, feels a bit off to me. The only way I can describe it is that it turns into somewhat of a Hollywood action movie's third act. And one final thing, despite my poor Japanese I felt I understood most of the film, but one important plot point in the climax escaped my comprehension.