There’s nothing that can prepare you for having children. Whilst a firstborn is a brand-new and exciting experience for everyone involved, the second child can prove to be a trickier proposition. For the parent(s), there’s the prospect of having to now juggle caring responsibilities for two young ones with everything else. Then there’s the elder sibling, who has been relegated from star of the show to playing second fiddle. This is the case in Mamoru Hosoda’s film Mirai.
Four-year-old Kun (Jaden Waldman) is at the centre of his own universe. Living with his executive mother (Rebecca Hall) and architect father (John Cho), every day holds the prospect of new and unexpected experiences. However, this all changes with the arrival of Mirai, his baby sister. He suddenly finds himself playing second fiddle for his parents’ attention. He’s not going to take it lying down.
Mirai is a wonderful fantasy anime which is deeply warm-hearted at its core. Hosoda, who has made such marvellous films as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and Wolf Children, once again strikes gold. Whilst it might not be as powerful as some of its predecessors, Mirai is a remarkably gentle and thoughtful take on the subject. Beautifully animated and cleverly written, Kun’s story will resonate with many.
Mirai is available on Screen Anime now.
