Mamoru Hosada is one of the best anime creators of recent years. In the last decade he’s made multiple classics – “The Girl that Leaped through time”, “Summer Wars”, “the Boy and the Beast” all combining fantasy elements with touching stories of human connection. “Mirai” is on a much smaller scale, from the perspective of a somewhat moody four year old whose desire to be pandered to by his parents is thwarted when a baby sister shows up. And as he plans to get their attention back, he starts to encounter other members of his family in the garden, from different times of their lives – including a teenage version of his brand new baby sister.
Mostly taking place inside one house, this is not my favourite of Hosada’s work – I missed the more outlandish elements that things like “Summer Wars” and “boy and the beast” brought into it, and the four year old protagonist is age-suitably self-centred and whiny for much of the running time in ways that don’t make him easy to take to. But it’s still full of beauty and wonder and gentle soulfulness, and if you like the softer side of anime, this might very well appeal.
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