If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Netflix's The Imaginary is the perfect anime movie for those of us who can't wait for Miyazaki's next final film
It's as Ghibli as you can be without Totoro showing up.
Popverse's top stories of the day
- Dune: Prophecy creators promise to bring the "complexity" and "grand scale" of Frank Herbert's books and Denis Villeneuve's movies to TV
- Marvel's TV head says there's "absolutely" a future for Jon Bernthal's Punisher after his Daredevil: Born Again appearance
- Meet the Grim Reaper of The Walking Dead TV show cast, and what goes into killing someone off in the show
We’ve all stopped even considering the idea that The Boy and The Heron will be Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, but that doesn’t mean we want to endure the long years ahead before he actually finishes it. For impatient Ghibli fans out there, Netflix has a solution with The Imaginary, a movie that looks and sounds so much like one of Ghibli’s works that you’ll keep expecting Totoro to pop up somewhere.
It shouldn’t be surprising that The Imaginary feels so much like a Ghibli movie, considering it is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, who was an animator on Spirited Away, and written by Yoshiaki Nishimura, who produced both The Tale of Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There. The Ghibli pedigree is obvious from the first moment you see in the trailer. Between the character designs to the way the film embraces and celebrates the joys of childhood wonder, this is the most Ghibli a movie can possibly be without actually being made by Studio Ghibli.
The Imaginary feels like an important moment for Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki has struggled for years with the idea of letting go and handing the keys to the legendary animation studio over to someone else. Instead, it may be the people that worked with Miyazaki, such as Momose and Nishimura, and moved on to other studios that keep the Ghibli spirit alive in animation. Because a world without that spark of imagination and wonder isn’t one we want to live in, frankly.
The Imaginary is out on Netflix on July 5, 2024.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
And if you're looking for specific franchises or genres, we've also got lists for the:
Finally, if you're a fan of superheroes and not specific to just Marvel or DC, we have overall guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.