By KAITLYN HENSON
Staff Writer
Social media has always been seen as an easy yet controversial way of connecting with others across the world and embracing your talents, but with so much drama and toxicity clouding the platform, it’s been long forgotten what wonders the Internet can potentially have for those who need a voice, especially those who’ve lost theirs in the real world.
“Belle” is an anime movie that came out on January 14th, 2022 in the US and was directed by Mamoru Hosoda (who also directed Wolf Children and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time). The story is about a high school girl named Suzu who, after the death of her mother, lost her talent for singing because of the close connection she and her mother had with it. But when she discovers the virtual reality world of U, she creates an avatar and is suddenly able to sing again after a long time. Going by her online alias “Belle”, she quickly gains traction as a globally loved singer and performer, before meeting another user named “The Beast” who she senses is under a lot of emotional pain. Throughout the movie, Suzu tries to uncover the true identity of “The Beast” to try and help him while discovering her own self-worth and the reason why her mother passed away in the first place.
I remember seeing the trailer for “Belle” in my recommendation and instantly being drawn to it. It’s unlike any other movie I’d ever seen, and the visuals are so conceptually creative and mesmerizing I couldn’t look away. One thing that really fascinates me about this movie is its use of blending 2d animation and 3d animation together, using 2d for the real world and 3d for the virtual one. It’s a great way to show the visual differences between both realities and how drastically different the characters are in both.
Another thing I want to commend “Belle” on is its music. My gosh, I felt like I was listening to a Disney soundtrack when I heard the music, Suzu’s singing in this is the most gorgeous singing I think I’ve ever heard! Gales of Song is the first song she sings when first going into the world of U, and it’s so full of emotion and love and desperately longing for her mother back, and the orchestra in the background makes everything feel so enchanted and magical.
But the big thing that I love the most about this movie is the story. It’s the story of a girl who’s felt so broken for so long because she believed her mother didn’t care to stay with her. In a flashback when Suzu was younger she sees her mom saving a little girl from drowning, but the mother never makes it back. She could never understand why her own mother would sacrifice herself to leave her behind, and it made her sick whenever she thought about it.
But when she went into the world of U and saw “The Beast” for the first time, she felt drawn to help him. She saw the scars on his back, the innocence of a child in his eyes, and Suzu, for the first time, finally understood why her mother did what she did. And with the help of her friends in the real world, she tries desperately to search for him, even willing to reveal her true identity to the entire world to prove to him that it was her.
There’s a scene in this movie that brought me to tears – and it’s very rare for me to cry watching anything. When Suzu’s true self is revealed, she starts singing a deep, emotional ballad to try and reach out to “The Beast”. She struggles, being in her own skin and singing as herself, but her audience begs her to continue. She keeps going, and eventually, the audience starts singing with her as well. They all understand her. They all understand her suffering and want to help her. They want her to heal. They all heal together, and that scene broke me to tears as everyone sang unanimously. It was the most beautiful scene I’d ever seen in a movie.
At the end of the movie, Belle discovers that the user was a teenage boy, trying to protect his younger brother from their abusive dad. She makes it all the way to their neighborhood and stands in between the sons and the father. It’s a very emotional scene and Suzu was finally strong enough to stand up for not just herself, but for the people, she loved as well. It’s a bittersweet ending, and a very passionate message as well.
Overall, “Belle” is absolutely one of my favorite anime movies ever. The story, the visuals, the music, everything about it is so enchantingly beautiful and meaningful. It’s such an eye-opening experience from the other movies about virtual reality, and it’s a story unlike any other. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, it does not get talked about enough and the soundtrack is so heavenly and warm to listen to. This movie has a special place in my heart, for being so emotional and so loving.