Many people out there who know anything about anime have heard of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s films (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke), but have you ever heard of Mamoru Hosoda?  This anime highlight is going to be about the acclaimed animator and director Mamoru Hosoda, whose most known for The Girl who Leapt through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children (my personal favorite), and, the most recent addition in his collection, the Boy and the Beast.

Wolf Children

I have seen all of the films by Mamoru Hosoda, aside from the newest, the Boy and the Beast, but my favorite, hands down, is the multi-award winning Wolf Children.  In fact, I would rank it as good or better with my favorites from Studio Ghibli.  Check out the awesome fan video below for the movie:

What I loved about this one is the heart in it.  I think it will really resonate with most people, especially those who have children or single parents.  The main story is that Hana fell in love with a unique man, who can turn into a wolf.  They have two children together, but after something tragic happens, Hana is left to raise her two “wolf children” on her own.

This movie had me crying and laughing.  It was heartbreaking and heartwarming.  The music was breathtaking and so was the animation.  It was just a beautiful coming of age story as the two children, Yuki and Ame, come to terms with their dual natures and decide which side they want to live as (the wolf or the human).

The characters are so well developed that you find yourself really invested in what is happening, like how Hana has such a strong spirit of perseverance, despite all the misfortune thrown her way.  I loved the themes and the overall story line. I may have said this earlier, but be warned, this one will bring a tear to your eyes, but it is so worth watching.

Summer Wars

This would be tied for second for my favorite Mamoru Hosoda films.  Check out the fan video below for it:

Now this story I liked because it was a cautionary tale of how much technology runs our lives, and how dangerous that can be.  The main story follows Kenji Koiso, a genius in mathematics, who helps moderate a virtual reality world of OZ.  OZ controls everything from shopping to street light grids.  Kenji is invited by the pretty girl named Natsuki to her grandmother’s birthday out in the countryside, and that is when things get started.  While there and because of Kenji (not intentionally), a very dangerous AI, named the Love Machine, takes over Kenji’s avatar, and is let loose in OZ, causing widespread damage.  I’m not going to say how it is let loose or what happens next.  You would have to watch the movie to find out.

What I liked about this movie was how it was not only a cautionary tale against the over dependence on technology, but it was also a very human story, especially in the blooming relationship between the two main characters, Natsuki and Kenji, as well as the dynamics in Natsuki’s family.  I liked the human drama as well as the almost surreal trip you take through OZ as Kenji and others fight off the destructive Love Machine.

The animation in this is stunning and intriguing.  I liked how it showed a possible way the internet would look like if we were in it.  I liked the story line and the ending as well as the characters.  Natsuki’s family is both familiar and endearing to the viewers.  This is definitely a movie to check out.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

I really liked this movie.  I would say that it would tie for second with Summer Wars as my favorite of his films.  The story focuses on the main character, Mokoto Kono, a high school student, and her two best friends, Chiaki Mamiya, and Kosuke Tsuda.  One day, Mokoto thinks she hears something in an empty classroom, and when she goes to investigate, she trips over a walnut shaped object, and is transported through time.  It turns out that the walnut shaped object, when activated, can allow people to travel a short amount of time into the past and future. Mokoto realizes she has a goldmine, and literally leaps through time for frivolous reasons, but soon comes to realize that this is a power that should not be taken lightly.

I love time travel stories (Doctor Who is one of my favorite shows), and I was immediately drawn to the premise.  I loved the fantastical side to time travel, as well as the looming what if questions.  I also liked how this was another coming of age story for a teen girl.  At one point in the movie, one of her friends, Chiaki, basically confesses that he loves her, and she is so unsure and nervous by this that she jumps back into time, and tries to avoid that encounter.  There is such a tense attraction between them, and you see that she begins to really like him.  I loved the interactions between the three main characters, and how the time travel played a factor.

Overall, the movie was clever and heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, especially the end.  I will have to say (SPOILERS AHEAD), that I wished a certain relationship had more of a satisfactory conclusion.  You are left wondering, will they ever meet again? Sadly, this movie is not easy to get a hold of to watch (I watched it on youtube), but if you do get a hold of it, watch it to the very end.  It is very worth the watch.

And that is it for this highlight.  I will leave you with the trailer for the newest Mamoru Hosoda film, the Boy and the Beast as seen below (which I can’t wait to see):

And here is the Mamoru Hosoda playlist of the videos in this article on our youtube channel:

BgeekyBlog playlist Mamoru Hosoda