Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.
The characterizations and conflicts here are strictly generic.
– Andy Webster,
New York Times,
3 Mar 2016
fresh:
A brilliant, funny morality tale that examines the transformative effects of martial-arts training.
– Tirdad Derakhshani,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
4 Mar 2016
fresh:
What sets this film apart from its generic predecessors is writer/director Hosoda's knack for playful set pieces, and unsentimental love of surrogate familial communities.
– Simon Abrams,
RogerEbert.com,
4 Mar 2016
fresh:
Questions may linger about what's real and what's projected from Ren's turbulent feelings, but the film creates such vivid worlds on both sides of the alley, you'll root for their coexistence.
– Nancy Churnin,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar 2016
fresh:
The soundscape is rich, and the beast-battles well executed. But the characters never develop beyond their two-word descriptors: Conflicted Boy, Lonely Girl, Angry Son, etc.