This Anime Has A Serious Issue No One is Addressing...

There is one thing that people tend to overlook when reviewing Studio Chizu’s BELLE. Despite being directed by legendary filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda (Wolf Children, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and providing an optimistic take on technology and the internet, the film falls short when it attempts to portray how people should safely help victims of abuse.
Resources:
Child Help Hotline:
childhelphotline.org/
phone: [phone]
The Hotline:
www.thehotline.org/
phone: [phone]
Child Welfare Information:
www.childwelfare.gov/topics/r...
List of Crisis Hotlines:
www.apa.org/topics/crisis-hot...
SOCIAL MEDIA
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
2:16 Suzu's Grief & Rebirth
7:17 Belle & The Beast
10:55 An Overly Simplistic Approach To Abuse
23:43 Final Thoughts
RESOURCES
Anime Mentioned:
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time | 2008
Wolf Children | 2013
Belle | 2021
Sources & References:
pastebin.com/ZvAjXGAD
Similar Videos:
Why I Didn't Love Belle: • Why I Didn't Love Belle.
Belle is Like No Anime You've Ever Seen: • Belle Is Like No Anime...
Belle Review: • Belle Review
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PURPOSE
My name is Phoenix and I dive into the world of visual storytelling in anime and sometimes manga on a weekly basis.
LEGAL INFO
I do not own any of the animated content in this video.
The Anime Tea is owned and operated by On Cash Flow LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in the state of Tennessee, USA. This content is for informational purposes only. Some links provided may be part of an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means of compensation for referring traffic and business to other companies.

[@TheAnimeTea]

RESOURCES + A Special Message below: Child Help Hotline: childhelphotline.org/ Phone: [phone]) The Hotline: www.thehotline.org/ Phone [phone]) Child Welfare Information: www.childwelfare.gov/topics/responding/reporting/how/ List of Crisis Hotlines: www.apa.org/topics/crisis-hotlines Hey all, I know this is a heavy video, I’m working on a much lighter video about bishonen sports anime coming soon. I want to clarify in case my point wasn’t clear enough, that I understand Belle is an animated movie so it is prone to being overly dramatic, optimistic, and simplistic. But since it took the time to bring up DV, which happens to real people and children on a daily basis, I think it’s problematic not to address how to actually handle confronting abusers and helping victims. Also I may have cut it out accidentally but many reviewers on MAL also brought up this point so check the sources link to read up on other people’s opinions about this topic as well and feel free to, respectfully, share your own. Let’s chat. Thank you for watching!

[@rochellerodriguez6431]

I feel like anime in general has a weird aversion to showing teens interacting with adult caregivers in a positive way. I am also bothered when media engages with realistic depictions of serious issues but then the author doesn't bother resolving them in realistic way.

[@TheAnimeTea]

True, there are few series geared towards younger audiences that actually depict adults in a positive way in general. I think its sad that they didn't chose to end Belle on as serious an issue as they set it up to be when we found out who the beast was and what they were going through. Thanks for leaving your thoughts Rochelle!

[@sassydebbie]

Thank you

[@ainsliemarie]

I think this is one of the reasons March Comes in Like a Lion is so special to me, because when dealing with bullying we see multiple different adults/caregivers realistic reactions and attempts to resolve the issue. Its so rare to see.

[@sassydebbie]

@@ainsliemarie need to catch up then

[@semekiizuio]

Reminds me of Silent Voice, very early in the movie the aunt?mother? Catches the protagonist actions as suicidal! Although the adult interactions are small each time they are on screen, they bring something of value. Even the little girl is cute

[@AobaKuronuma]

I was so frustrated with the end of the movie and how it just didn't tie up the storyline with how the kids were taken care of. Or her relationship to keep in contact. It just makes me think earlier in the movie when he was like "People say they are going to do something and then it gets better for a little while and then goes back to how it was."

[@Black.Spades]

Even worse if you consider that after the abusive dad ran away Kei said that after watching Suzu take a stand, he should too. And that he will fight. What does that even mean? That the kids should keep fighting (the dad) if they want a better life? Did the two brothers go back home after hugging it out?

[@AobaKuronuma]

@@Black.Spades It's very hard to say, and sadly I doubt it ever got better. Especially since it was never really made public therefore I doubt real adults or children advocates could help them.

[@henloworld514]

fr, I was so confused.

[@fulanadetal6099]

This was tied up in the novel. Justin it turns out was a police officer. Because of how the justice system worked he felt powerless to help bring justice in real life (which is why he did what he did in the world of U). But after this whole situation with the Beast actually being a child who was being abused at home came to light, Justin actually looked into this case personally and saw it as an opportunity to bring justice in real life and actually help someone and he did. The father was arrested and the kids taken away from that horrible home. Beast and Belle stayed in contact and became a couple.

[@lilblkrose]

@@fulanadetal6099 Hold up, everything sounded really good till the last part 😨 wtf, I know their age aren't far apart but she obviously had a thing going for her childhood friend who she was running her feelings from insecurity. You sure it's not a fan fiction or do you know the name of said novel/source.

[@brendagomez8656]

I wanted to love this movie, I really did, the visuales are breathtaking and Belle Is just gorgeous. But the story Is lacking in a lot of Places for It to be memorable.

[@mirroredhour]

Yeah this movie was a downgrade in comparison to hosoda's other films.

[@sassydebbie]

Same I thought I was alone 😭

[@enbi5440]

I felt the same way, I thought the visuals were great but the plot was really meh to me. It was popular on its release so I thought I was the only who didn't like it 🤧

[@allared9008]

For an entire month I pondered what was missing/weak about the film. It angered me how much I wanted to love it. I like hearing how people would have changed it and find so many ideas that would have been more satisfying than what got.

[@melz4766]

Honestly just watch summer wars its the exact story besides the music and tbh 🫡

[@vertigale2845]

The ending sent a dangerous message, absolutely. But what was just as dangerous to me was this viewpoint that was pushed in this movie that you have to reveal your real authentic identity ONLINE!!! That is such a terrible message to send to kids on the internet. DON'T DOX YOURSELF, PLEASE.

[@sircasino614]

Ugh... for HER, it works for her, not necessarily sending the message that everyone should.

[@Glorlyg]

​@@sircasino614 but yes. Lacking neccesity and logic do their ways to do the same.

[@kiriki4558]

Doxing isn't giving away the all the addreses, contact and personal information of the target?

[@winster32]

@@kiriki4558yes.

[@Rosemont104]

Thanks for this. Japanese reviewers on generic review sites and some even blogs had spoken about this issue when this film first came out, and I wish more reviewers over here had taken off their "prestigious at Cannes Film Festival/15-min standing ovation" rose-tinted glasses off when the film tackled this topic.

[@TheAnimeTea]

Thanks for bringing up that there are more people talking about that aspect! I also want to say that many people reviewing on MAL brought this up as well. I think sometimes as outsiders, people like to give Japan a pass on certain topics because they think things are too different to criticize but there are certain things that are (unfortunately) fairly common place throughout the world that should be addressed respectfully. Thanks for leaving your thoughts Stephanie!

[@starsantheoriginal]

I know three people that fought me so hard on the points I have against this film. They were too busy pointing out the "symbolism" to admit that the way they tried to show that symbolism was trash and completely unbelievable

[@amandabartels7751]

Oh... The anime style reminds me of... WOLF GIRL? That movie actually made me cry 😢 a bit.

[@starsantheoriginal]

@@amandabartels7751 same creator I think

[@cyncynshop]

Thabk god for soemone mention it has similar receptions in Japan too. Japanese viewers: This has troubling implications Weebos coming out from the wood work when I mention underage: YOUR NOT RESPECTING JAPANESE CULTURE

[@MillyKKitty]

I felt pretty awkward watching the "romantic-vibe" scenes with Belle and the Beast while they were still thinking he was some adult man or woman 🗿

[@hikawagetsbitches]

right, it was so weird 👁

[@noface17244]

Right, i can not be the one that believes they hinted many times at it being a romantic relationship. There was a whole scene about them and right after the choir ladies pointed that Suzu was in love. Like bro

[@baesoora2037]

it had a really weird tone, though it was nice that when Bell wanted to kiss the Beast, he kinda cowered away because eww girl kisses or something - but the vibe was still off 😬

[@lordsock420]

i straight up tought the movie was about romance/ a romantic relationship, like i tought the beast was actually belle's crush/friend (dont remember wich one it was), even got me hyped up like "oh heck they will fall in love in vr and find out irl it was them all along!" and that the movie was goin to end with the message that not everyone is perfect (wich they did takle) uuuntil the movie started going in another direction and show the beast turning out to be something completly different-

[@pinkmoonrabbit2072]

@@lordsock420 agHH i thoight the same exact thing! I was so disappointed when it turned out to not be that cus i love romance stories but ah

[@jeffbaskin6851]

Before I begin, I want to state that I agree with you about what should have happened towards the end of the story. Suzu shouldn't have been alone on the train. She shouldn't have confronted the abusive father by herself. The film should have showed how they made the brothers lives better. (It's very easy to see Suzu as another person who promises to help, but doesn't really change anything. The brothers are still with their father at the end of the movie.) I believe the ending became what it was because the writers wrote themselves into a corner. The climax of the film had to be a moment where Suzu, like her mother, jumped into the dangerous river to save someone. It's the moment she truly comes to terms with and understands why her mother died. I believe that is why the writers chose to make sure that she was alone. Suzu's stakes had to be as high as her mother's. She had to be in mortal danger. I do believe that they should have handled the ending in a better way, but the real world concerns were trumped by story telling convenience. Hopefully, concerns like this will get back to the creators, and this will make future projects better. I honestly believe that the writers should have done better, but I can see why they wrote that ending. It was Suzu's journey, not the brothers.

[@user-eu3xh6tl1h]

Honestly I wish that everyone had gone together but just split up, maybe then Suzu could have confronted the dad but when she was in actual danger the people that she had with her helped her out, maybe as a way of showing that if someone had helped the mother save the child it would have been different. (Since earlier it’s shown that the mother was ridiculed by a bunch of bystanders earlier) Or if you wanted a more optimistic message that she can finally move on from her mother’s death with her friends.

[@singoflovesongs]

i guess for me i also think that suzu already had her defining character growth when she doxxed herself to gain the boys' trust. yes, it wasn't as life-threatening but it's nearly as scary to expose her identity to the entire world. it's a life-changing thing and it's not something you can ever take back, especially as an influencer as notable as bell. the internet can be seriously scary too even without the whole social anxiety thing she has going on though that's a whole other discussion. the point is, she already risked and sacrificed her own interests and comfort for the sake of helping someone else... so the whole bit of her confronting the dad all alone wasn't necessary imo, some realism wouldn't have hurted things xP

[@jeffbaskin6851]

@@user-eu3xh6tl1h I like the idea of several of them going, and then spreading themselves to thin as they try to find the location of the the house. It would have been a natural, understandable setup for having Suzu getting separated from the group. The rest of it boils down to the writer's intentions. The scene showing the mother entering the river was done after she calmed Suzu down, and donned a life jacket. My interpretation had been that she went into the river because no one else would. Someone had to rescue the child, and no one else was trying. Therefore Suzu would have to purposely step into harms way to complete the story. At least this is how I see the main story arc.

[@GrandKaiserBahamut]

Omg so much this!!! I was so mad with the ending and everything that happened. Like I wanted to love this film but it just got so bad in the end. For example, seeing suzu revelaing herself, and for what? for the kids not being able to tell her adress??? like they used csi stuff, then suzu didnt need to reveal herself! Instead if the kids would been able to tell her the adress, nothing would changed and it wouldnt feel like revealing herself was for nothing. And then everyone letting suzu go by herself??? what the fuck, she could been killed! she could get lost, so much things could happened. Instead it would been a perfect moment to say, your mom jumped to danger by herself, because nobody else would- BUT suzu, you are not alone like your mom in that moment, you have us all and BAM Also what infuriated me the most was the dad stopping herself, like that doesnt happen, i really wish it did, but people when angered like that would definitely punched suzu, so getting the police involved or someone stopping the guy would been much accurate. And gosh i was expecting the kids to come with suzu, but she was alone? like what happened to them? everything went back to how it was???

[@jeffbaskin6851]

@@singoflovesongs Reminder: what I am saying is about is about the tools used in telling the story. This means I have made a lot of assumptions about the writer's intentions using only what was contained in the movie. I also have a problem with the ending of this film, but I have assumed the writer had good intentions, and was looking at why the writer might have made those choices. Following along with the assumptions that I've already made, I don't think that the Internet reveal would be enough to end the story. The virtual world, by definition, is not real. There is a buffer between the worlds because the virtual world is always on the other side of the monitor. Suzu will not immediately die or get hurt because of something that happened there. The internet reveal is important to the story because it's her first time she risks something for someone else. It's the first time she is trying to save someone. It's important, but to me the story doesn't feel like it completes the story. It feels more like a step in the journey. That is why I think the writer chose to have Suzu confront the abusive father directly and alone. The threat to Suzu had to match the her mother's. It bothers me that the writer choose to have a group of adults let a child go by herself to confront a man known for beating up children. That is reckless endangerment of a minor. No one, including her friends, should have let her go. They had video footage, and multiple witnesses. It would have been easy to get the kids into protective custody. Instead they end like a typical Marvel Movie. The hero swoops in, destroys a lot of stuff, and walks away triumphantly while someone else cleans up the mess. I'm not defending the choices made. I'm just trying to understand why they were made in the first place.

[@rapana6926]

Apparently (and according to a friend who is not watching anime much, but studied the Japanese culture/had first hand experience of living there for a while - with not just positive experience at all) - the mere fact that such a big name as this director adressed the CV/DV situation in Japan so openly, was really really positive and "brave", since Japan tends to be very shush hush about anything that could either damage the reputation or stirr up commotion... Not defending on how it was handled in the film though, it made me feel same uneasy as you and your points are very valid. But wanted to provide cultural context comment... -what seems to us as shocking and kind of a dangerous solution, might be something a person living there sees as a "miraculous" "brave" step forward that would in reality possibly not happen.. So him just showing that a girl would go that far to save the abused kids and giving some "hope" in saving kids irl might be quite eyeopening or inspirational to Japanese audience... who have 6-10 year olds commune by train alone to school or being left behind by workaholic parents, as part of actual culture... It is exactly because the issue is not being properly adressed and CV not properly fought against in Japan, that a film like this from an acclaimed director might be just the very first step needed for the closed up culture to face the ugly stuff... because they are so afraid to do any radical changes. So in the end, I do hope what people take away from the film will not be "go face an abuser all alone", but rather "go stand up against CV/DV if you can... "do not close your eyes", "do not be hush". Thanks for the video though, and it is very nice of you to pin the help hotlines for those who might need it!

[@XantaliX]

Exactly, I feel a lot of people that make these reviews forget they are analyzing the work of an entire different culture, so a lot of things that are unthinkable in some places are totally plausible in other countries. If this same premise happened here in South America for example, things would transpire VERY differently. I also thought about the fact that in Japan they are very comfortable with the idea of letting a child comune alone since a very young age, cause crime is different too, so the fact that the adults are totally ok with letting her go alone is not that strange keeping in mind the context. Here you litt can't let your eyes off a kid EVER. Heck not even an adult. Also tbh I think this ending was super realistic. You can't expect a teen to miraculously change the entire living reality of a pair of abused kids, cause mostly adults just don't listen to kids and they are the ones making the decitions, so what you can do at most, is show empathy and tell them from the perspective of a peer, to hang in there and that at some point they'll be able to leave. It happens to a lot of kids, sadly, where leaving the abusive family member house is not an option. And falling into child services might be even a worse fate (in my country it is, some kids litt say they are better off in the streets starving than in those hell holes). So yeah, it wasn't about the girl saving the boy's life situation, but mostly saving their "souls" and letting them know that even if injustice is being cast upon them to never forget there are good people outthere that cares for them, and that you can give others hope and a reason to keep going through your art, and that you can turn your hurt into something constructive and creative instead of something destructive and turning into the same thing that abuses you (which I think is an even more important lesson for the boy who was being abused, who was taking his rage unto others). And the ending feeling of "but what will happen to the boys" is totally on purpose from the director. He wanted to raise awareness on people. If things could have gone smoothly then people wouldn't be questioning and wondering later.

[@cloudstrife4534]

Both of you have put it wonderfully, couldn’t have said it better myself!

[@Animefreak242]

This is so true. DV wasn't a crime in Japan until 1997 and it's still seen as something that happens to bad girls and is overall an issue people still don't talk about

[@sugasweet435]

Thank you guys for explaining this in such a wonderful and nuanced way. I really appreciate it ❤

[@atropabelladonna3120]

Best comment on here, cultural context is important

[@TindraSan]

I feel like the natural reaction most abusive adult men would have to a young girl staring them down, taking some of their power from them, would be to double down on the violence to reassert their own position of power rather than cowering away like some 8yr old bully realizing his own mortality for the first time. Violent people express all negative feelings through violence, fear included (fear especially).

[@CHICAGOTICA44]

THIS I hate when they show this ✨magical✨ powering down of the abuser when confronted by a teen girl, when in reality she would have get her ass habded to her, smh

[@snugglyduck6534]

Yeah I always hated that if you stare or confront the abuser, it will shock them into realizing their ways are abusive and wrong. What it really does is escalates it when they are faced with it. I remember leaving the hair brush that my mother beat me with next to a report card that had a couple of unsatisfactory marks on it in grade school, so when she came home, she saw it and proceeded to beat me harder than ever and broke the brush on me. It wasn't until I grew stronger than her in maturity that she had no way to abuse me physically anymore, just emotionally.

[@vksof]

You never deserved that. As a survivor too, we felt the exact same way. This movie does not portray what its really like or even give hope to other survivors.

[@thedanespeaks]

I feel like this is such an important comment. You can't DO anything about abuse, it is ALL on the abuser. It reeks of the " stand up for yourself " mentality used towards bullies in school. There is no way to " stand up for yourself " in a relationship with such a huge difference in power.

[@figgytablet2021]

Thank you! I actually was exasperated with this movie. I guess it was sooo hyped up that I went to the theater to see it then I wonder why? It's good but not great and the resolution was soo unrealistic with her only going by herself to rescue the kids then nothing. I agree with you whole heartedly for addressing it.

[@TheAnimeTea]

Thanks for watching Figgy! I'm thankful I'm not the only person who was worried about this. Also it upsets me that I thoroughly enjoyed Suzu's character and her freedom of expression in the world of U, it makes me sad that the ending just felt so disparate from the first half of the film and the message it could have gone for.

[@jaycee3177]

I really wanted the beast to be her dad in U. He joined the AR to try to get close to his daughter when nothing else seems to work, and he knows that she’ll probably join eventually (maybe he’s the one that recommends it instead of her friend). His own grief shapes him into a beast-like creature in U, though. He ends up growing closer to his daughter and helping her with her grief while she helps him without knowing it. Happy endings with no weird abuse side-plot from left field.

[@genevievev5104]

Me too! I remember sitting in the theater and about half-way through when her dad mentions something to her (it's been so long but I think he says something along the lines of "take your time, I'll always be here for you") and I sat there and was like "OH THE BEAST IS HER GRIEVING FATHER." I was really disappointed it didn't end up going that way, I thought her reconnecting with her dad and healing from their grief together would have been nice.

[@rileybear836]

My issue with the Beast/Belle is the movie acts so effing dramatic when he bests up the other players. Like if they die in the vr they die in real life. Which….they don’t right ? My thing was like, “why y’all acting like he murdered your kid in front of you?”

[@SirisLayer]

Belle made me so angry! The movie starts of good and just grows weak and then disastrous dissonant and tone deaf to the subject of domestic violence and abuse. Thank you for making a video about this, I was considering making a kind of vent video about it but my scripts always end up being way to messy and angry. :')

[@spnl432]

Me too, I agree with you. When I saw the posters and the trailers, I really wanted to love this movie. Then I saw it, and nothing made sense to me, like there were good scenes, but the bad ones were so bad, it made me really angry. Like the message of confrontation with a violent person is so dangerous, it should never be.

[@maomi1852]

Me too. Should have been just about her dealing with grief and finding confidence and self-esteem.

[@itoo4884]

I was so hype for this movie. I saved all the songs. Belle (both versions) is literally my wallpaper on my phone. BUT, girl that 3rd act of the movie was not it. We could have had it all :(((

[@jessip8654]

This movie feels like the first draft of a potentially good script, that needed at least two more drafts worth of rewrites in the writing room. I get the feeling that Mamoru Hosoda had minimal outside opinions on his script before they went to production, which is why it feels so underbaked and in its own head. Personally I thought the Beast reveal would be her popular friend. I mean they kept going on and on about how awesome and popular the popular girl was so I thought that would mean something. Someone putting on a happy face while hiding scars of abuse and trauma. The Beast sought her out in the VR because she was wondering why this random girl had her face. Then the story could've been about the community coming together to protect her, maybe it could be a queer romance even, yada yada, but then the beast ended up being some random kid with that crappy ending tacked on. Ugh.

[@ririchi6062]

I was hoping the beast was the popular girl omg

[@IsoraBEinfinity]

I thought the beast could be her dad, hiding away his anger into the VR world and i was curious how her and the dad would learn to rely on each other and become a family again because the story is mainly about her and family relationships, i was thinking

[@aerrrrrr]

oh honestly i wouldve loved that skdjskd

[@holo-star7097]

as i was watching this, i fully thought it was implied belle and the beast would be romantically involved. The dude who was the actual love interest didnt really feel right. I was actually shocked when the beast was like- 12. Made me feel very weird finishing the movie

[@zeldamarkedlink]

While I like this movie personally, I agree with you in this opinion. The age gap or such didn't really sit well with me either. And like the guy that was the actual romantic interest felt...bland actually.

[@Mai-df8sv]

i dont think the movie confirms who is suzu love interest is, but im not gonna deny that they repeatedly hinted age gap couples throughout the movie which is honestly is just weird. there def an intention of why the beast is so young erk. they should either age him up or just leave them platonicly without all those hints

[@DarkSeraph]

They get together in the book apparently

[@Mikazukimai]

Well, I think it`s okay since he`s actually 14 and she`s 17. It`s not such of a huge age gap.

[@AsecasJavi]

U hollywooding too hard

[@shamilevergreen6200]

With letting Suzu go help the kids on her own, I feel like they were using the "baton pass" trope you might see in other anime where the side characters help, but it's ultimately up to the protagonist to save the day, so that the spotlight is on them. (Not sure if there's another name for this trope but I'd love to know it) Great for climax scenes, not so great for delicate topics like CA like you said. It seemed to say "hey everything's OK now because Suzu simply confronted the problem! :)" It is genuinely sad because I love other Hosoda works too, and what Wolf Children and The Girl Who Leapt through Time had to tell us. Even though there are fantastical elements, you can believe what you're seeing because the characters feel real. But I couldn't accept that things were OK by the end as Belle seemed to suggest.

[@alexandrajohn2378]

I didn’t even realize this was a problem with the movie O-O Growing up I was the go to person for a lot of people in very very toxic households to put light, and being young against adults with no resources there’s only so much that can be done so I enjoyed seeing a depiction of what was essentially my experiences on screen I knew a lot of people I knew would feel that way too because that’s kinda what it was or felt like, but I never knew or thought that it could send a bad message (not that I agree with everything depicted) it’s just an interesting thing to learn and consider Because that was the last thing on my mind watching this coming from my background

[@shamilevergreen6200]

@@alexandrajohn2378 That makes sense you would find the movie reaffirming and your perspective is valid. The problem with how it's handled for me is that, if I remember right, nothing was done either by the police or other adults to get the kids into a safer living situation despite there being video evidence of the parents' behavior. When I hear stories of loved ones experiences with CA all I can think is, "I wish you never experienced that" (not saying you don't feel this way, that's just my view). I wished for the movie to show us the kids were safe, not just temporarily but moving forward. Yes it's ideal, but I don't think that in this movie it should just be left to Suzu or any other kid to stand up to the adult and hope things get better.

[@diamondngocplayer1740]

man belle has such good animation but the story was so rushed when it tried connecting with the beast

[@koolkel00]

The way I read the scene of Belle showing up and protecting the boys from their father, when she turned around and stared at him in the eyes, with the blood from the mark he made on her, rolling down her cheek. I read it as it dawning on the father that when he beats his boys, it's parenting. But when he beats this stranger, it's assault. And sadly I think he realized this in a "there's no way I can cover my ass and keep from getting arrested for this," way, rather than him realizing what a piece of shit he is for beating and assaulting his children. Which yes, Belle getting hurt is what probably will get his ass finally thrown in jail, and the boys removed from the home, but it's still incredibly reckless judgement on the choir ladies or just the writers for not at least trying to make the adults seem responsible in this situation.

[@frap4506]

That whole scene pissed me off a lot. The movie tried to portray her as brave and heroic, but I can only think of the MC as stupid, just like her mother

[@TheAnimeTea]

What's sad is I thought the moment of her singing in front of everyone right before the end was the bravest thing she did but it was undermined by the ending.

[@frap4506]

@@TheAnimeTea i find the whole film corny tbh but the songs are beautiful still

[@spnl432]

I would loved the movie if in that scene where she sing her heart out, she would post about the kids to be saved by authorities

[@fresh8462]

@@frap4506 agreed the movie is beautiful but it tried to be so many iconic things n managed to be none

[@firebreathingmoonbeam3961]

@@spnl432 why? Most kids don't get help. That's realistic.

[@lizarr7176]

While I do totally agree that realistically, a random individual, ESPECIALLY a minor, should never endanger themselves by confronting an abuser in real life, I think there was a lot of narrative purpose for having Suzu do this in the movie. I never understood there to be a negative light given to the mother sacrificing herself for a random child. Suzu saw it negatively, that was clear. And of course she did, it was very understandable for her to feel that way. But the sense I got was that the story was actually trying to say that despite what everyone said about it, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and by the end of the movie, I think having Suzu do what she did was supposed to be showing us that she had finally made peace with her mother'

[@CountessD]

Thank you for making this video. I actually watched this next to a DA victim. I had to feel them freeze next to me bc I had no idea what this movie contained. Nobody talked about it; they just praised the colors and the music and the beauty. Thank you for talking about this, so that more ppl may know like I didn’t.

[@allyvollheim3575]

Thank you so much for making this video! My friend recommended this movie to me and as someone who is extremly sensitive to the abuse of children due to my upbringing and line of work, I was devastated by the ending. When I expressed to my friend how devastated I was by the end message of this movie she grew quite irritated and said I was being over dramatic and it was "just a movie", but I was more concerned about the distressing real world implications that the movie conveyed. The implied message that what the main girl did for the boys was enough to ensure their safety is terrifying, the idea that the abused child feels like "he just needs to be stronger" and that's the solution to his abuse is heartbreaking! He has had to been "strong enough" for far too long already! Someone needs to get them away from their father! Children in those scenarios should NEVER have to feel like it all depends on them to "endure" and "be stronger" to get through such abuse. For the movie to tell children suffering from abuse that they just need to tough it out and that they should be satisfied with a hug is crushing and monsterious. The fact that none of the adults went with her is horrific, as well as how the boys were just left once again with their father as always by the end with no update on their wellbeing while everyone stands around patting eachother on the back for doing NOTHING and thinking they SAVED them. I worry for any child who watches this movie and might so poorly mishandle such a dangerous situation due to any influence from this movie should they ever encounter it in the real world. "My friend trusted me enough to tell me that their parent hurts them, but hey, I gave them a hug so that fixes everything, right?" Shame on this movie for implying abanding children to their abusive homelife is something to be celebrated when already in reality so little is often done to protect the children who need it in far too many cases that these children end up dead. This movie just tells us with a smile to keep doing as little or less and be proud for it. The movie did not HAVE to have a happy ending if the directors did not want it to, but don't show me a knife and tell me it's a flower.

[@jennifermanning8282]

I agree it was weird that Suzu went alone and would've made more sense with anyone else going with her. My interpretation of that was that she understood her mother's past actions and is just like her. When previously she had been been angered by her mother's actions and selflessness.

[@Lew8891]

This was also my take away. Her going alone was her jumping into the river. Didn't catch the problematic nature of this all on my two watches due to my anime blinders to avoid the strange things you encounter in most anime but I thought that catharsis was what it was building to and it was effective for me.

[@gretah.8924]

finally, someone put into words what I was feeling after watching the film. The credits rolled and I was sitting in the cinema like "I hope these children are okay!"

[@zeldamarkedlink]

That was me too actually. I wanted to know if Kai and his brother were ok..

[@user-oy4vu3ck3u]

Thank you, I remember being pretty disgusted in the cinema. For abuse to be so janky and for one teen girl to stare down a man those kids probably returned home to was such a slap in the face. Abuse is on going, you often love your abusers (especially when they are your parents) despite what happens and it is never ever just magicked away at the end. The ending felt like abuse was being fetishized almost as a cool edgy angle and the idea of the avatar getting bruises was such an interesting one to run with, even just thematically it was a waste.

[@presumablyaury7965]

I was so mad- as someone who’s been through a different kind and degree of abuse myself the ending just does not work. You know they went home and he took out his humiliation on those boys. Nothing got better; if anything it got worse. And they were basically doxed on top of it??? What a joke. Ruined the whole film for me.

[@deaddog7611]

I’ve seen pretty terrible portrayals of bullying and abuse in the media too. It’s always simplified and it doesn’t portray how physical and mental abuse can effect the victim’s mental health in the long run. The abuse is just there as motivation for revenge or for the audience to feel bad for the character. And it’s always very ‘cookie cutter’ portrayals of abuse. It’s typically physical and the bullying is too. It’s invalidating to people who have experienced abuse differently if only one way is portrayed in the media. I don’t say this to invalidate anyone who suffers from physical abuse or bullying. I just think the media needs to explore more experiences in order to validate abuse victims and spread awareness. Because most often victims don’t get revenge, they don’t get sympathy. They don’t get to have a confrontation that leaves them with closure. I wish anyone who is being abused or who is dealing the aftermath of said abuse safe healing and self love. I know it’s dificult.

[@alysssabear]

What really made me done with that ending was that the abusive dad just… ran off in fear?? Now I am not defending him or encouraging him or anything but why did he run like that? Suzu wasn’t even intimidating, all she did was just stand there…

[@alexandrajohn2378]

Wow I never even considered that, not that I agree with everything that was depicted but coming from my background and what my life was the ending was essentially what it felt like or what a version of my “job” when I was younger dealing with certain situation, so for me it felt refreshing to see a version of something I felt and dealt with when I was younger but I never considered that it might be a completely awful depiction for someone else, like I didn’t even think there was a problem with what was shown because of my background. It’s just eye opening and I feel really terrible it did more harm then good for a lot of people.

[@pikabiga]

Agreed entirely. It’s like talking about something without knowing firsthand the consequences and reality of DV, especially between parent and children. It is very upsetting how this situation was handled. I could not even be happy for what happened, there was just a pit in my stomach. It’s just a storyline, but a poorly written one with an awful anime solution. It felt entirely out of touch. Like writing yourself as a hero very ignorantly

[@Firefaerie81]

Thank you for articulating all of that. Watching Belle was such a strange experience. It was gorgeous and emotional and really powerful. And then those last five minutes or so hit and soured my experience so much. I think the worst part to me is that there isn’t even a throwaway line about what happened to the kids after that moment. Without any indication of what’s going on there, we’re left to assume that Suzu left the boys with their abusive father but it’s okay because that one stern look magically cured him of being abusive and/or Kei learned how to stand up for himself by watching Suzu and therefore no more abuse. Kei went on a rant about how people say they want to help but don’t do anything substantive, but we’re given little to no reason to believe that what Suzu did was substantive. Just one little line at the end saying the boys are somewhere safe away from their father. That’s all it would take. It would still be incredibly oversimplified and dangerous, but at least we could be confident in a happy outcome for the story .

[@vksof]

Agreed. As a victim of parental violence, those charaters deserved better. Not to be used in that way and discarded without real change or hope for them.

[@starsantheoriginal]

I have SO MANY issues with this movie First off, I don't care what anyone says, the main character is an absolute jerk. She is horrendous to her father for zero reason. She didn't deserve such a loving dad. Let's then look at them blatantly ripping off beauty in the beast in a frame by frame way, but so much cringier. Then not explaining how the kid who portrays the beast has all these special places and special treatment inside the VR game. Then the whole thing where her friends and family actually just... Send her off ON HER OWN to fight off a full grown ass man, knowing he is a abusive person. And the protective men and older women in her life and even her father are just like "yup, go on, totally okay. Have fun" Then the absolute insanity of her actually somehow finding the kids... And then the most laughable part of all..... When she stands up to the dad and he doesn't beat her to a bloody pulp. Instead he.... He falls down crying and peeing himself!? I literally held back laughing in the theater. The entire movie is a hot mess and makes zero sense. Sloppy writing, sloppy structure, poor character writing, lackluster relationships between the characters. The only good parts of the movie are the songs and animation And the purposely cringe parts are try hard as hell. Like I just wanted it to end every time they did those cliche awkward anime moments. I genuinely wanted this movie to be good. I was excited for it. I am someone who lost her mother. I am someone who should be able to relate to the main character. Instead I wanted to see her fail cause she is such an unlikeable and ungrateful character

[@LilLadyAy]

This, plus the mothers death pzzd me off. If you check out this film just to make AMVs than it's a 10/10.

[@rawdasalmataman7908]

Well This is one of the many problems in this movie When I watched this movie I was surprised that the adults didn't go with suzu. Like why? Also they should have called child services? Why the cops aren't going to help these kids except after 2 days like why?? The realionship between the beast and belle is forced but they had potential I was really disappointed with this movie since I really liked the girl who leapt through time It became one of my favourite movies ever.

[@thewinterhawksfan]

I went with a few friends to see this in theaters, totally going in blind (I hadn’t seen any other works from the studio or director at the time). The trailer, which I stumbled across on KZbin, intrigued me with its art and music, and those definitely did not disappoint when I saw the movie itself (still listening to the soundtrack)! But I must agree with everything you pointed out; I remember my friends and I leaving the theater stuck with feelings of concern for the two boys. I remember getting into the car and was still like “But will those kids be okay??” I wouldn’t think that that would be the intended last thoughts the writers/director wanted viewers to walk away with… While I praise Belle for its wonderful art and music, I found the story to be the most lacking (sometimes the pacing felt off too). Maybe it’s just the result of having to make cuts (as you mentioned) while trying to keep the story coherent, which I imagine can be very difficult to coordinate and decide on. But yeah.. if only the climatic ending happened around A Million Miles Away. Maybe the audience would still be left thinking “What will happen to the kids??” But it’s probably better than the audience still thinking that after a whole scene where the issue is presumably being resolved (unsatisfactorily).

[@sakurabiskuit]

This movie is a complete mess. It starts with the story of this girl becoming a virtual singer after years of repressing her passion for music due to her mother's tragic passing. But then this plot is completely thrown out the window the moment she sees the beast, because for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON she wants to find out who he is and what's his deal, and the movie starts focusing on that. There's also all these nods to Beauty and the Beast with them too, which is very inappropriate considering that the movie later reveals that the beast is a KID. And then out of nowhere it's revealed that the kid is being abused by his father, the protagonist sings to "earn his trust"(?) and then she goes to his house and angrily stares at his father until he leaves his son alone. The End!

[@ChiWillett]

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ALL OF THIS UP. Super valid criticisms, especially about the end. I immediately googled reviews after I left the theater, and was completely flabbergasted that no one decided to address how the ending transpired - at all (and still haven't found any). i was so irate with how the movie ended, like.... who decided it was ok to just let the kids go and confront someone who is clearly unafraid to be violent on their own?? i was so mad with what was happening in front of me that i totally forgot they were in the middle of the street. regardless, i get the film wanted the ending to focus on Suzu, for the reasons you mentioned, and lest we forget she's the main character - because what do main characters do? Save the day right? Right? There is nothing wrong turning the ending into something that allows other characters to take part in because in no way, for exactly the reasons you mentioned - thank you for assuring me i'm not insane. Watching all of that transpire in front of me in the theater was so infuriating. I get anime will be anime most of the time but this was just... I'm not here to watch anime/media to watch traumatic situations ultimately be undermined just so the story/character has something "interesting" added to them. absolutely subbing to this channel and looking forward to more great content

[@Claire-bz8mq]

I felt really bad for constantly comparing Belle to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast while watching it the first time, but I feel like a strength of Disney’s is it’s simplicity, while I feel like Belle is bogged down by just having too much going on (in the program the director compared the two though so maybe it is alright) I really thought the beast was going to be Shinobu, and I wish he was, having the beast be a preexisting character would really tie the plot together in my opinion while Suzu is someone who is very obviously struggling, Shinobu could have been someone who struggles behind closed doors and tries to keep it together in public having the beast be a preexisting character would also work better for the final act, like helping a character we are already close with just feels so much more tangible I don’t like “rewriting” other peoples stories like this cause it feels kinda pretentious but I feel like this would have made the final act more complete

[@maomi1852]

Well said, i completely agree

[@AsecasJavi]

Nah beauty and the beast teaches women to endure abuse till the guy changes for love

[@aino-kaisav5504]

@@AsecasJavi The most famous version of the story was written by a woman and the original message was intended to be "It is better to be in a relationship with an ugly person rather than a person with unlikable personality". While their relationship wasn't the healthiest one, I wouldn't call it abusive. Wasn't it more that the beast had to learn to give Belle the freedom she needs and deserves?

[@AsecasJavi]

@@aino-kaisav5504 it was violent as f***

[@persidie]

I thought the ending was trying to show a spotlight on bystander culture in Japan and how Japanese police can be so relaxed on certain issues. Like what about the digital harassment of beast and cyberstalking? I liked when she stared at him as the mirror almost finally looking back and it has been a window all along

[@rftg1793]

☝🏼 I agree

[@ohgodimlost421]

I went into this movie completely blind. I saw a few clips of belle singing on tiktok and thiught it looked like a great movie. And at first that idea was confirmed. The visuals were stunning, the music beautiful and I really resonated with the main character because I also often push away people i care about when i'm not doing well mentally. In the middle of the movie it started feeling a bit forced. I remeber wondering why belle suddenly had an interest in the beast and being a bit uncomfortable with their relationship, because at that time his age wasn't clear yet. when the smashed picture of (presumably) his mother showed up i was really curious who it was and what their relationship was, and i wish that they'd either done more with it or completely left it out because it feels like they started a new plot point and then forgot about it. when the beast's story was revealed i felt conflicted, because as a survivor of child abuse myself, i was hoping for a good representation of this serious topic, but was also scared that they wouldn't handle it with the care topics like these require. the way they were treated by their father and the way they coped with it really resonated with me and the boy (i'm horrible with names, sorry!) protecting his younger brother reminded me a lot of how my older sister used to protect me. at that point the movie started feeling very personal to me and my own experience, even though the kind of abuse i went through was different, and i was very invested and hoping that it would be resolved well. then the ending came and i wholeheartedly agree woth everything you said. i was horrified at the girl going there alone and it didn't make much to me how they figured out where the brothers were, it all felt very coincidental. at that point i still had some hope but then i saw the confrontation with their father and was completely let down. after watching this video i get what they were trying to do but they should've done it differently in my opinion. as i mentioned earlier my sister used to stand up for me when we were still in an unsafe situation and while i wish soso badly that someone had seen the signs and helped us another child coming up and trying to defend us to this violent adult man would've not just put THEM in danger but also us! i'm not sure how obvious this is to people who have never been in this kind of situation, but if someone, especially a child, is being abused by their parent and they reach out for help one of two things generally happen 1. they get help! this is obviously the outcome that's best, but for this to happen the plan for how they'll get help generally has to be kept secret 2. they don't get help/their plan is revealed and/or doesn't work out. this is indredibly dangerous and why so many victims don't reach out for help. if they don't get ignored there's always a chance that the plan will go wrong and if that happens and the abuser finds out what they were trying to do it usually paves way to gaslighting and/or more abuse as punishment what happened in this movie was the second option. and while i think that a sad ending where they don't receive help could have been handled well that isn't what happens! they dont get help and probably get put in more danger and the movie acts like they were saved. there's no clarification for if she goes back or goes to get help. after i finished watching i was left with a deep sense of uncertainty. what happened to the boys? will they be ok? what's she going to do next? because one girl he's never met before looking him in the eyes for a few seconds definitely isn't going to stop an abuser from continuing the abuse. if she was a police officer or an adult or someone he knew and was close to, like a sister or friend, it would still be unlikely, but at least more than with a young, complete stranger. i was watching with my mother and probably complained for 15 mins about the ending before checking the internet if anyone else had the same opinion. and after hundreds of positive comments i found ONE reddit thread that agreed with me, so i was glad to see that i'm not the only one to feel this way. i completely agree with everything said in this video and it was great to see some more things i missed and get insight on some stuff i didn't understand because i struggle with hidden meanings and social cues and while i really wanted to love the movie it just fell off after the first part. i also just want to say that i appreciate you putting help lines in the video and description. it might seem small but it can genuinely save someone's life

[@WorriorXD]

Seriously though I was thinking this when I saw the ending, who let's a kid go face an Abuser alone? That was a bad writing choice!🤔

[@mitchellbratton6617]

What a chill style of video and I agree with that frustration towards the end. I think Hosoda could have kept that standing up to the aggressor part but having one of the choir ladies accompany her and show up later to back her up and have scene just telling never to do that again because of the danger. I understand the powerful moment he was going for but seemed to rely a little much on movie magic to make it happen. AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KIDS ? XD

[@illizcit1]

This movie didn't do it for me. The bones were kinda there but nothing is dived into. Like that ending was written first and everything else around it.

[@mandarue5104]

I'm so grateful I stumbled across your video. I literally had the same thoughts as you when initially watching this film. It honestly upset me because so many people were raving about how great the movie is when in reality it lacked a lot of important elements for it to be the best possible movie it could be.

[@marcoolivier4836]

Omg just found this video and your channel, gonna be giving all your content a watch! You have a new sub, keep up the great work 😁

[@Kibo24601]

This encapsulates a lot of the issues I had with BELLE. Personally I thought Suzu should have went with the choir ladies and split up like you said and have the police intervene but also when Suzu reached out to her father on the ride there that he could ask about what she was going there to do or where she was and be the one to find her and the boys when the father confronted them. It would have given Suzu the moment to show her growth but also show that she can rely on the parent she had left and also show the dichotomy between the fathers and have an adult helping in the situation to show the boys there are some adults who would protect them.

[@wyattnorton9784]

Facing off against an abuser does work if you know what you yourself are capable of doing in that situation. Abusers are just people who can be dominated or removed like anyone else. The power they have is fake because it's exercised on those that are weaker and not equal to them. This is from experiencing abuse and the way out I took was showing the abuser what violence I was capable of. Violence doesn't always beget violence, it at times ceases it.

[@brendanmcnichols302]

I think Suzu going alone worked best for the story. Having a choir woman with her would have killed the tension of that scene. We as the audience are supposed to see the parallel with what happened with her mother and be afraid that Suzu will get severely injured or die. Suzu is deliberately making the same decision that her mother made, and it therefore represents Suzu overcoming her trauma. For years she’s bottled up anger towards her mother for acting recklessly and leaving her alone. Only by personally embodying her mother’s courage and compassion, could Suzu forgive her mother and make peace with her absence Yes, the recklessness is unrealistic and not how such a situation should be handled in real life. But it’s a necessary culmination of the story’s themes. When Suzu created Belle, Belle was able to become a personification of Suzu’s latent potential, and achieved an almost superhuman status within a transcendent realm. Suzu, however, was dissociated from this part of herself and could not integrate it to become part of her former personality. Only by doing something heroic in real life, as Suzu, could Suzu and Belle be brought together as an integrated whole. The result of this was powerful enough to break down a violent, angry man twice her size. The entire point of the scene was that Suzu was not safe. She held steadfast in raw compassion, accepting that severe injury would likely come down upon her. This was a compassion that the man did not possess, it was something more powerful than him. It was a light that allowed him to see his own darkness, and he cowered away in fear of her and in fear of himself. I think something modern society is missing is that it’s essential to allow young people to act independently. The only way to develop admirable character traits is to experience the full consequences of your own actions in order to learn and grow. That cannot happen within the context of institutions and authority figures that hem you in and claim to always know more than you. Heroism unavoidably involves confrontation with danger.

[@rftg1793]

Thank you for this. For what I can see in the comments, this movie is not for everyone especially for those who don’t know Japan culture. I loved the movie even though I would’ve liked to see what happened to the kids. But I can see why Hosoda made those decisions.

[@towel1636]

I'm so glad i found your channel

[@ImaniVersus]

I just did a video on this and you explained what I was feeling but so much better! Thank you!!!!

[@Arturelia]

Recently found your channel. This was an interesting view point of the film. :)

[@lord_kimkichi]

Just to add. The metaverse is not something new. Vrchat has existed for over a decade or smt. And I actually met several singers, youtubers, streamers in there. The internet has already done what this movie shows xd

[@rachelcurtisb5639]

I was on board with the CA plot line UNTIL the end. I went from crying tears of joy to frustration and screaming at the screen for her to not leave them. As a a victim of CA I can’t tell you how many times I wished someone close to me would come and take me away from my situation. I wanted her to take them both away, to get some sort of custody and have them all heal together. Because that’s what I wanted so desperately and I can’t even describe the pit in my stomach that was left after the credits rolled. It hurt it hurt me a lot, I wasn’t triggered but it effected me more than I think I should have.

[@levipulsipher8221]

as a teen with a license and a car, i was still scolded by my mom for going 30 mins away to the next town to go to spirit halloween with my friend. if she heard from adults in a club i was in that i took and several hour train to a big city to help kids in that situation alone she would be furious. it really bugs me that the dad was like "yea itll be fine i understand" like no, its not fine, shes not even in her own vehicle but public transportation!

[@bogwitchburke]

THANK YOU! This is the hot take I've been searching for to articulate my disappointment in this film. Catharsis at last!!

[@fanaticaH]

The ending it was so weird an dissonant. I didn't understand why her father would have allow her to visit random people she knew on the internet, let alone going to supposedly save some kids who lived on one of the most dangerous places in Japan from their abusive family. Because it had been realistic until that point, the kids saying reporting did nothing because child services sometimes would just come and give warning and then the parent would get even angrier. But she just went there and their father instantly became ashamed.

[@Carrottastic]

This movie felt like they started 3 or 4 different movies, but only chose to finish one of them. There are many interesting observations in the film that I would've liked the movie to elaborate on, but they were too busy moving in to something completely different and it made a good chunk of it feel like dead weight. Which is sad because I would have loved to see those three different movies. And the end honestly ruined the whole experience for me. I'm very relieved you made this video, because all the other reviews I saw just completly ignored that part.

[@seekittycat]

Honestly I can't rewatch this movie because of this it just makes me too upset. Also how the movie try to make "the metaverse" this super cool thing but all I got is that it's a total nightmare with stalkers who don't respect boundaries and witch hunts now complete with other users trying to stab your character. I just can't with this movie

[@alexandrajohn2378]

This movie made me feel like what I went threw when I was younger was depicted on the screen in a way and I was really happy about it So it hurts to know what i thought was a depiction of what it’s like trying to deal with situations like that being young, and not having resources or any ability to really change your stop situation Because coming from my background That’s what I took from it and i didn’t even realize it could a bad pictures of some thing else completely, and hurt a lot of people It’s just something to take away and take to heart

[@thelastwish558]

Thank you for talking about this. I was also bothered about the same things that you pointed out

[@LilLadyAy]

I honestly believe this was just made for aesthetics. AMV and edgy little tiktok material, merch, memes, gifs etc, letting the audience take the wheel to upkeep promotion. All the pretty visuals were well promoted a long time prior to this coming out, the story could easily have been an afterthought.

[@cassidymav]

For me it was slightly obvious that Belle’s fascination with the dragon was because she recognized something of herself in him, name it grief, pain, anger or loneliness. I think that fascination is not necessarily romantic, it’s part of her process of forgiving and understanding her mother, of coming to terms with herself. In a way, as many have addressed here in the comments, many things may seem off, but it’s important to investigate the context and the culture the movie is coming from, some things may have a different meaning if you take another point of view, 🙈

[@zeldamarkedlink]

Ah I can get behind this comment. Because it took me watching the movie in English to understand at some point, Suzu understands why her mother did what she did.

[@rftg1793]

Exactly!! Thank you for this! Of course it’s cultural shock because we’re talking about Japan so it’s always to keep that in mind afterwards

[@gcmastrl8349]

I'm GLAD I'm not the only one! Everything was great but there was something lacking. Huge, even. Thank you so much for bringing up this topic!

[@stephyart]

Amazing advice. I had some cousins living in abusive conditions. I never handled the situation alone, when it came to dealing with the parents

[@imogenmangle]

Thank you so much for making this! My lived experience with CA/DV was uncomfortably similar to what was depicted in this movie, so I really couldn't believe how unrealistic the plot of this film got in "resolving" it. I really got the impression that the writers lost confidence in the ability of Suzu's own inner personal journey to carry the film, which is soooo unfortunate because I'm sure the film would have been WAY better if they'd just stuck to that focus. I'm glad you mentioned the shattered portrait of the mother in the beast's castle too - clearly there had been some idea at some point that Suzu and these kids would bond over that shared grief, so for the life of me I really can't fathom why that plot thread was switched out with the abusive father, which was so tonally and thematically random and yes, handled so poorly and potentially dangerously as you said. There was a lot to like in this film - the friends' love confession scene as you mentioned was just golden! - but I don't think I'll be going back to it any time soon. That climax really flopped in a way that's just jarring. For me, I've been living safely and away from my abusive parent for many years now, so I was bothered by this film but not too badly affected by it - but for someone who's gone through this more recently or is still experiencing it, the insensitivity in this reckless and incomplete storytelling could certainly do a lot more harm than good.

[@vksof]

Same experience here! Also so sorry for your suffering, no child deserves that.

[@izariez]

You did an amazing job with this! And I agree with you. You know, for a moment I thought "well, it's probably japanese culture enforcing independence on kids" but I've seen way better examples of "HOW to deal with CA victims while being a minor yourself" in anime, so it's really frustrating. Like, I get it, they wanted to do a parallel with her mother leaving everything behind to help someone just because it's the right thing to do, but... her mom was an adult. Suzu is a kid/teen. It doesn't feel as an equivalent. And even ignoring the age thing- There was no logic reason to leave her alone to deal with that mess. Her mother's situation was different: no one could help that child because of the risk of dying. With Suzu... If the movie had pulled a situation in which NO ONE but Suzu could/wanted go, I'd understand, but there wasn't really such thing so it felt forced. To compare, a good example of "children saving a CA victim" can be seen in Higurashi Kai (Minagoroshi arc), they got the whole town (adults) helping because the characters knew they're kids and need adults' help. It's very realistic about WHY it's so hard to save vulnerable children in those situations (specially the legal aspects), the author clearly did his research. So why this movie was like that at the end? It kind of ruined Suzu's singing scene to me. In the end, I think my favorite thing about this movie is... the Soundtrack lol

[@Ahsoka_Hyrule]

Holy cow thank you SO much for addressing this. I loved every aspect of Belle except for how the CA/DA storyline was executed, especially the ending. I thought I was going nuts because no one else brought it up 😂😅

[@paladan4597]

i remember walking away from this movie loving the music and nothing else. the singers are so talented

[@savorycity2252]

The ending really fustraited me too. I watch this with my husband and kids , and immedietly after the movie ended I had explained to our kids why the way the situation was handled was not good and was dangerous. The kids did not receive the help they needed. Leaving them to handle the situation on their own could leave them in a much worse predicament. I originally thought the power hungry justice league dude was gonna be the kids dad and it was gonna come out that he was a bad guy and his repuation ruined. Cps would have gotten involved etc..

[@claresimon]

I feel like for a while it was setting up for her crush to be the beast but made it another kid for shock value. And since he didn't end up being the beast, it felt like his character had no real peropse after that point. It really bothered me. It felt like characters were added purely for shock value and then discarded.

[@jacobneale5844]

!!!!! Instant subbed

[@muchachx8067]

I think it's just gross how much people use CA survivors' stories to develop other characters. So much of our voice is taken away since childhood that to do so for the sake of someone else's story just feels like an extra punch.

[@MidoriGaleart]

Japanese storytelling says stuff without saying. The silence tells. Suzu is cautive by the beast not only by his fierce appearance. She recognizes in his attitude his pain and anger, the suffering. Not concious, but she feels. Tomo, Tenshi, must have some level of autism by his attitude, making him easy to remember. The deux machina technology is something the director loves, the reaches we as people + technology can achieve. For us fans is common trope. Suzu going alone to Tokio is not strange taking into account the japanese culture, where Kids at 5 go alone to childcare. Independance and respect of space and decisions is something intrinsic that goes far away that we occidental are used to. I'm convinced Justine and Keis father are the same, so he recognizes Suzu as Belle and it stuns him. Also, Police and familiar violence work different in Japan than USA. Its better to dissappear, ran away from an abusive husband than call the Police, divorce, anything else. Someone who disrupt the comunity status quo, who becomes a problem even asking for help, it's bullied and push away. Is harsh. I missed to see the graphic violence, but it kept the family frind tone. Great commentary

[@Figgy5119]

I live in Japan and let me just say that a teenager living where she did and traveling to Tokyo alone is very much cause for alarm. Kids riding their local train to their own school is not at all the same thing.

[@MidoriGaleart]

@@Figgy5119 oh, even when she's like 17? Interesting to know. That makes her travel a parallel to her mom saving the kid in the river. Not the same stake, but still a risk

[@cmmas16]

THANK you for making these points. When my friends showed me this movie I adored how it started out but was left wondering, "Are we really not going to address that they sent a child... to confront the perpetrator of CA?" The way they handled it bothered me immensely, and I'm so happy I'm not alone in that!

[@melindawolfUS]

I felt like the script needed more time. It didn't feel polished, clear or intentional. The music was generally awesome and I agree there were moments there that tugged my heartstrings... but I wasn't sure the story/character arc had fully earned them: I felt a little manipulated by the combo of emotional imagery and song. I too kept trying to understand how Suzu's mom and her desire to sing had anything to do with the beast but I was disappointed there never was an explanation past her curiosity. I would have liked to see the beast be someone she knew, maybe even switch it around and have it be her father suffering after losing is wife? Would have been an easy switch since they didn't take the romance route.

[@thedanespeaks]

TBH her "defeating" the dad kinda sends the message " You kids were just to cowardly. If YOU had stood up to him he wouldn't have been violent. " Which is kind of a bad message to send to kids who tend to blame themselves for abusive parents.

[@josefagomezschmeisser8356]

I just saw the movie today with a friend that suffered what those characters suffer, my friend is also the older brother, and I didn’t knew that the movie would tackle that theme and so badly, it was frustrating just like real life but the fact that in the movie was portrait as “she saved them, they will be fine now, ok, moving on, she lived happily” that was the most infuriating thing. That kind of “parents” don’t change after being scolded, and the kids being “braver” and “standing up to them “ is a dangerous message that would only make the domestic ab continue in doors.

[@RavenAveira]

I can understand how staring him down worked because hear me out, as you explained in the video abusers, specifically child/women abusers, they like having POWER and CONTROL which is why they choose victims they know are weaker than them, now hear me out because although it may seem unrealistic I have real life experience that this DOES work. My mom was in an abusive relationship for years until one day she had enough and bashed him over the head with a glass bottle, the man was in utter shock and fear and left and never bothered her again after that. My sisters boyfriend put his hands on her and she told my mom and she cussed him out and threatened him, daring him to come over here so she can kick his ass, he hid across the street the whole time and never touched my sister again. So although it seems unrealistic for something like that to work, with alot of abusers they are COWARDS, thats not to say all abusers are that way so it is very important to make that distinction starting with seeing how they act with other men, if hes afraid to stand up to a man then you know you have a coward, but an abuser who fears no one you need to run FAR away from because they do NOT care and will 100% seriously hurt you if you dared to try the same method with them. So yes its very important to not assume this type of thing will work with all abusers, but it does work with cowards because they'll only abuse you if they have power over you, but the second you take that power away from them they get scared and back off and this movie showcased that pretty well even though it wasnt written the best way, it is a very real thing that happens. But again I implore everyone to not think this works with every abuser, it does not, it only works on cowardly abusers who are afraid to beat on anyone stronger or brave enough to stand up to them, they WILL back down if you show strength, but not every abuser is a coward and those ones WILL hurt you so always be aware of that before you try anything like this. Theres a time to run and theres a time to fight back, be sure you know what time it is before you do either one.

[@ellebarron7112]

I felt like it was more her realizing why her mother did what she did and understanding sometimes you just care to help someone so much risking your life doesn't matter anymore. Doesn't excuse the adults letting her go alone thou....

[@sawsanalh2802]

I felt that it was more about suzus transition from child to adult and thus understanding the responsibility adults have towards children. Her mother didn't choose the other kid over her, her mother fulfilled the responsibility adult's have towards children in a society.

[@thedanespeaks]

@@sawsanalh2802 Tbh as a childless person, I do think the mother was in the wrong. I would never risk my own life to save a child, nor should I. I would call an ambulance, rescue, etc etc. I have zero responsibility for children that I don't have for adults. If the choice is between risking my life and having to be saved myself( A huge problem with amateur rescue) and letting a child drown, I'm letting the child drown. Doesn't make me a bad person.

[@sawsanalh2802]

@anne m I'm childless myself, and I disagree. We are social animals. As adults of our species we share a responsibility for the young, even if they aren't directly our children. If a dog attacks a kid, then you too wouldn't just stand by and call an ambulance, you would try to get the dog off the child, even if it might attack you instead. Because you know as an adult you are stronger and have a better chance at survival. Her mom was a good swimmer and thought her chances of rescuing the kid and surviving the swim were high enough. She did the right thing, even if she didn't make it.

[@lewa3910]

Great review. Still need to watch this and Boy and His Beast. Wolf Children is still the last Mamoru Hosoda film i've seen

[@semekiizuio]

Boy and the beast is very good actually

[@kelsieswain7187]

This!! I haven’t heard anyone else talk about how unsettling the ending is. Like, I had question after question pop into my head while I was watching it. She just goes by herself? A minor just gets beat up by this abusive adult? And then when it’s all said and done… She just leaves? The kids don’t go with her? We don’t know what happens to the boys?! My brother-in-law said “well, it’s assumed that their situation is investigated” but like, why do we have to assume that? How hard would it be to shove that information into the closing dialogue? The ending really kept me from liking the movie as much as I wanted to.

[@cacamoto5395]

Seeing this in the theaters was probably on of the best thing I’ve ever experienced

[@foxx121]

I always got the impression belle was curious at first but also suspected the spots on him were signs of pain. And knowing pain of lose she wanted to help him.

[@yugoxgc]

Do you think ppl would talk about the problem presented in the movie more if it got properly resolved? Cause I wonder if not presenting a clear "they're saved & ok now" makes ppl talk more about the issue with most ppl not knowing calling the Police gets you a "call again in 24h if its still happening"

[@merefinl6914]

My friend and I were cheering when we saw adults helping these kids with serious issues beyond their maturity level, and we were shocked to see them send Suzu off by herself. It really ruined the film for us. It really felt like they had multiple script drafts that got mashed together without properly bridging the gaps.

[@flyingcatmei6613]

I love the movie's everything except the plot. I also didn't understand the point until the end, it didn't help anything with how it was going, like Suzu being curious about a total stranger and going after him then to her trying to find him herself. the oddest thing to me isn't the fact that she found them so fast or that her wanted to help them even if she has only herself, it was the adults there, no one gone with her. I couldn't understand their mindset. like dude, they literally send her out to fight a abusive man who is physically stronger then her. and none of them had the brain to go with her. the ending confuse me so much I pretty much think it does't exist. but I do love the song and animation!

[@tbotaku]

I agree with this so much. I went to see it in theaters bc I LOVE Mamoru Hosuda movies and I was gonna take that opportunity since my city doesn't show anime much, but omg it felt like it draggedddd compared to his other works. And the story just confused me on how they all handled the DV and everything else you mentioned. My favorite part of the movie was just how the beautiful the songs were and how they reminded me of Kingdom Hearts music, but beyond that I have a hard time thinking about rewatching this one.

[@valeriegonzalez3117]

Thank you Ms. There was something about the movie that was bothering me after I watched it. I figured it was either I didn't connect with the English Version of the Millienuim Parade Song, probably because I listen to the Japanese version a lot, or I was bitter at HBO Max for getting rid of some of my favorite shows and not having English Dubs for their entire anime collection (it can be hard for me to sit down and enjoy shows. It being in English helps me to know what's going on). But I think without a doubt it was the whole Father and the two boys segment that may be the breaker for me. I mean, shows and media should show this, not because it can make for a good story, but because it can reach the ones who are in that situation and will show others, who may not know that it exists, to know the warning signs and what to do. The very real situation of a dude (male but not a man if you know what I mean) "showing dominance" by beating his kids mixed with how crazy the earlier segments of U, definitely could have been mixed better.

[@OpalSpring]

I enjoyed the movie enough. My friend and I were already frustrated at the beginning with the mother. On one hand, you get it. You get why someone would risk their life to save a child. But at the same time, the mother risked her life to keep another family whole while tearing her own apart. As well as leaving her daughter traumatized by witnessing her death. I kind of expected that to come back, too. Like maybe she'd have some resentment toward the kid her mother saved and it would be points of tension. We didn't get that, but I still enjoyed the middle of the movie. I enjoyed the setup for it and was more interested in Belle and the Beast's story than the real friends. And of course the ending. I don't think there's much really left to say about that. xD

[@kylamarie9432]

Belle has scenes that has moved me but i do think that it lacks something especially on the ending part. After watching your video, i was enlightened about the things that this movie has missed and i'm glad that you talked about it on this video

[@melindawolfUS]

There were SO MANY side characters that the movie should have been a series if it wanted me to care about everyone. It was way too much for 2 hours. Her friends confessing was super cute but also a distraction from the A AND B plots. Suzu and her dad barely speak and magically Suzu fixes everything in seconds. The choir ladies played a small part in the plot, but they were awfully convenient exposition and plot devices instead of fleshed out characters, and Suzu's school crush barely talks to her before they just click together at the end. The bullies/rivals AND the villains are more like pesky flies than serious threats. They were like cardboard cutout placeholders in the story but lacking any emotional weight. The abused kids got the same shallow treatment because they were shoved into a story that was already overflowing with people that were lacking connection/parallels in their stories. About 2/3rds of the cast needed to be cut or they needed to give the characters more compelling reasons to show up in this story. I also agree with your viewpoint on how the sensitive topics were addressed. Didn't seem logical at all to me that the adults would not be involved. And whether or not it let Suzu repeat what her mom did, I don't think that was a good message. Being reckless in helping others shouldn't be encouraged at any age, but especially for children.

[@Black.Spades]

Aside from the confusion and annoyance around the CA situation, there was one more thing at the end. Kei said to Suzu/Belle that he likes/loves her. If I heard it correctly, it was "Daisuki da yo"(?). And then Suzu answered with thank you (lmao girl). I think Kei was 14 and few years younger than Suzu. Then Suzu went back and was still blushing to Shinobu (btw I have a feeling they don't really interact in their free time and the crush is just based on the kindergarten moment). Shinobu said he was happy that he wasn't her guardian anymore and now they could be friends, for which I was unsure if she was friendzoned. Would be a parallel with Shinobu being a guardian and Suzu having a crush. And again with Suzu being a guardian and Kei having a crush? But not sure where they were going with all of this.

[@moonbox0929]

0:00 WOLF CHILDREN WAS SO FRICKIN GOOD. I remember checking it out of my school library DVD collection and watching it on my old laptop on an airplane. (This is one of the laptops with the direct ports that you can just slide the disc in and open the player program.

[@Pomstan]

4:44 I was just wondering why it has the uncanny resemblance of that one tiktok star that had constant news headlines on her

[@user-xy3kc6ng1j]

i never noticed that there's a Pet the Cat book in the background, my fave

[@catd5307]

I’ve never seen the full movie but when I saw the clip of when Suzu ran to Kai at the end, I couldn’t help but wonder y they didn’t just report the father to cps 😑 And seeing it again, I now wonder how she didn’t flinch being screamed at like that. Wouldn’t it be a natural reaction to at least flinch a little?

[@drewm6119]

One thing that made me really mad about this movie was the total lack of trigger warning or any hints that the movie could touch on abuse - I went into the movie so excited by the art style only to end up getting totally triggered and panicking at the movie theatre because I am a survivor of CA. I looked into the movie a lot and don't remember seeing anything with a warning about DV. I also found the ending super unrealistic and it felt a little patronising. Suzu got to have a hero moment but there was no real resolution for Kei and his little brother. Also, looking an abuser in the eye and standing up to them can literally just get you killed. Like, I am shocked that whoever wrote this movie thought it was a legit solution.

[@user-rs1wc9qs3n]

Her going out to find the boys was her understanding why her mother did what she did and embodying the same strength that her mother did and showing complete selflessness.

[@rftg1793]

Exactly ☝🏼

[@MsSumoon]

Just came across your video, and when Suzu went ALONE to confront the boys' father, I was SO pissed. Like NONE of the ladies could have gone with her? Or you know-someone from U, they clearly showed that a police officer has an account there, it would have been so easy to have a bunch of U folk showing up to back her up. I don't know if it's a cultural difference, but it was a major goof up, and it has left a bad taste in the mouth, the movie was doing fine. A minor saving 2 minors alone, against a full-grown adult, she could have died.

[@angelaa3617]

THANK YOUUUU! Thank you, thank you, thank you. The ending for this film was just so unsettling, upsetting and super problematic to me. SO many of my peers just wrote it off as "well that's anime!" or "Japan just has a different culture!". But this film was not solely developed in Japan nor would I be apt to believe that this is how they typically treat their youth. Those reasonings to me, just do not hold water. I had even submitted said concerns in a question to Mamoru during a live Q and A with his team in hopes to find the reasoning behind such a conclusion and was ignored out right. So I truly have to thank you for this closure you have given in addressing the issues this film has. Means a lot

[@Hencid]

helloooo, good luck with your channeel

[@laurenwasinger9436]

I am so glad I’m not the only one who was completely put off by the end of this movie. It ended and all I could think was “so, now what? Did they call the cops? Did she press charges against him? What happened to those kids?” It just pushed me too far in terms of credibility, and checked me out of the connection I had with the movie.

[@Silly_Sulky_Seli]

yeah I liked this movie but I also wondered why they did not let her bond with Kei over their mother's deaths and being alone I was even gonna think (not like it's needed) that she had died in the same accident because she saved Tomo or something just anything I also wished that when Kei bursted into the concert as Dragon it was because he was fighting Justin, their fights would be perfect to be cast as just Kei releasing his anger on this man that acts like his dad and we find out their first fight was also caused by Justin or because when Kei was playing the game with his brother they got attacked in real life and that caused players to think he attacked Tomo or something like that but no Kai just, flies around beating up anyone (because anger) and never really gets to spend time with Tomo? alright

[@t.r.s.5129]

Thank you!! I was loving the film up until the ending. I'm work with kids, and I was appalled at how there was no resolution for the children's conflict. For all we know, the father came back righr after Suzu left because she was alone with no one to back her up or to take the children to a safe place and finished what he started. It left a bad taste in my mouth.