Mirai (2018)

This 2018 Best Animated Feature nominee, the final one I've viewed, must have received the least attention of the five, at least in the West. After all, the director is Mamoru Hosoda, not Hayao Miyazaki, and the production company is Studio Chizu, not Studio Ghibli. But the fanciful poster drew me in.

Kun, age 4, initially welcomes newborn sister Mirai (whose name means "future") but becomes irritable as his parents pay less attention to him and as Mirai proves too limited in abilities to offer fun. When neither parent watches, however, Kun meets people he shouldn't be able to meet. It begins with the household dog turning into a man with a tail. Then Mirai appears as a 14-year-old, incongruously calling him "big brother." Other strange encounters and travels ensue from there, giving Kun new perspectives on his family and himself.

It's hard to tell whether Kun actually witnesses magic or imagines it all, bringing to mind My Neighbor Totoro. On one hand, when provoked, these older people tend to act as immature as he does; and when he believes himself to have transformed, his parents see no difference. OTOH, they can teach him mature lessons -- not to mention factual information that he confirms only later. Some changes in the situation leave his parents scratching their heads.

Trust me: Kun is not precocious like Sosuke in Ponyo. He may know a lot about train models, but he's designed to reflect the reality of someone barely more than a toddler, such as Hosoda's own son. I sympathize with the unreasoning brat's parents, who find him insufferable at times and already have their hands full balancing jobs, infant care, and domestic chores.

That said, I simultaneously sympathize with Kun. I too was an oldest child by a few years, and while I might not have been quite as much of a jerk about it, I understand the temptation. Kinda wish I'd had similar paranormal experiences to help me grow up faster.

This is not the type of movie I'd expect a U.S. studio to make. Japan is relatively fond of stories with warped realities that lead to insights into feelings and identities. It's also bigger on flicks that make me wonder who exactly the target audience is. A kid Kun's age would have trouble appreciating many aspects, but that didn't stop me from liking An American Tail around Fievel's age.

The animation is handsomely done, even if the artists kinda overdo the pallor and reddening of certain characters. Some of the wilder-looking segments remind me that Hosoda did The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars.

I can tell why Mirai hasn't captured the public's hearts as much as some animes, but I like it. It delivers a fitting formula of realism and escapism. For all the Japanese trappings, anyone who has known early sibling rivalry, whether as a participant or as a caretaker, should relate.