Belle (New anime from Mamoru Hosoda - Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time etc)

I saw it a few months ago and it's pretty solid - I don't think it reaches the peaks of Summer Wars or Wolf Children, but it's a step up from Mirai IMO. It's very similar to Summer Wars in terms of basic setup though.

It's all a bit messy and some of its concepts incoherent, but it's big, warm and beautifully animated in the way Hosoda's films are. There's also an extended scene in a train station that's an absolute masterclass in animated comedy.

Girl Who Leapt Through Time was one I couldn’t quite warm to, although haven’t seen it in quite a while now. I’m excited that the original live action film seems to be coming out on Blu Ray later in the year - one I’ve been wanting to watch for years (it’s from the director of Hausu), and it’ll be a good excuse to revisit Hosoda’s take.

Summer Wars in contrast m has only grown on me as the years have gone on. It’s definitely that Ozu-style family drama that keeps it focused alongside all the wild sci-fi stuff. And it was the game that convinced me to learn to actually play Koi-koi :)

Wolf Children is his definite masterpiece for me, and one of the great animated films of the new century. Boy & The Beast is pretty great too, although the two subsequent films haven’t quite hit in the same way for me despite there being lots to like.