The Imaginary (film)
The Imaginary | |||||
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Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | 屋根裏のラジャー | ||||
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Directed by | Yoshiyuki Momose | ||||
Screenplay by | Yoshiaki Nishimura | ||||
Based on | The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold | ||||
Produced by | Yoshiaki Nishimura | ||||
Starring | |||||
Cinematography | Susumu Fukushi | ||||
Edited by | Toshihiko Kojima | ||||
Music by |
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Production company | |||||
Distributed by | Toho | ||||
Release date |
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Running time | 105 minutes[1] | ||||
Country | Japan | ||||
Language | Japanese | ||||
Box office | $478,300[2] |
The Imaginary (Japanese: 屋根裏のラジャー, Hepburn: Yaneura no Rajā, lit. 'Rudger in the Attic') is a 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Yoshiyuki Momose from a screenplay written by Yoshiaki Nishimura, who also produced the film, and animated by Studio Ponoc. Based on A.F. Harrold's 2014 novel of the same name, it is Studio Ponoc's first full-length animated film since Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017).[3][4][5] The Japanese voice cast includes Kokoro Terada, Rio Suzuki, Sakura Ando, Riisa Naka, Takayuki Yamada, Atsuko Takahata and Issey Ogata. The narrative follows Rudger, an Imaginary. He and his creator, Amanda, spend their days delving into adventures crafted by her vibrant imagination, but after a terrible accident separates them, Rudger is forced to confront an inexorable fate to which all Imaginaries are subject: dissolution with human forgetfulness.
The Imaginary is produced with hand-drawn animation. It was originally scheduled to be released between June and August 2022,[6] but it was postponed due to production delays.[7][8][9][10] It was theatrically released in Japan on December 15, 2023,[6] and was released worldwide by Netflix on July 5, 2024.[11] It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its animation, themes, screenplay and visuals.
Plot
[edit]The film opens with Rudger, an invisible entity known as an Imaginary, in the midst of a colorful adventure conjured by his creator, Amanda Shuffleup. Their escapades are interrupted by Amanda's mother, Lizzie, who is exasperated by her daughter's aloof behavior and fixation on a friend who, as far as she can tell, does not exist.
While on a day trip with Lizzie, Amanda and Rudger encounter the menacing Mr. Bunting and his own Imaginary, a sullen girl in black. Revealing himself to be a hunter and devourer of exceptional Imaginaries, he decides Rudger is his next mark. As the two children flee from the man in a panic, Amanda is hit by a car, the accident appearing to be fatal.
Now alone, Rudger begins to disappear, since Imaginaries cease to exist once their creator forgets them. Zinzan, a mysterious cat, persuades the boy to follow him to a sanctuary for Imaginaries at risk of vanishing. The sanctuary is a real-life library, where Imaginaries are sustained by the creative energies of the books within. Among the dozens like himself, Rudger befriends the skeletal Cruncher-of-Bones, Snowflake the Hippo, and Emily, who is a leader among the library's inhabitants.
Over dinner that night, Rudger asks Emily about Mr. Bunting, and she explains that he was once a human man who was so desperate to preserve his Imaginary, he resorted to consuming other Imaginaries, which has sustained the both of them for hundreds of years. At the conclusion of her story, she insists Bunting is nothing but a myth, much to Rudger's frustration.
The following morning, Emily tasks Rudger with his new job: the role of a "one-day friend," where he'll spend the day with a child in need of imaginary playmates. He selects John, one of Amanda's classmates, as his first assignment. At the end of the day, he spots Bunting lurking outside of John's home, and confronts him about Amanda coming to harm. After asserting the blame actually lies with Rudger, Bunting attempts to consume the boy, who narrowly escapes and takes refuge at Amanda's house. There, he observes Lizzie as she discovers Amanda's momentos of her late father, and Rudger recalls that the man's death was the reason for his creation. He also learns that Amanda is alive in the hospital, though in critical condition.
After Bunting catches up with Rudger, Emily and Zinzan come to his rescue, but they all find themselves trapped in an imaginary world of Bunting's design. Though the party is able to track down an exit leading to the library, just before they cross the threshold, Bunting shoots Emily with a pretend gun, ending her life. Returning to the library, Rudger is horrified to discover everyone else has already forgotten about Emily.
Resolved to encourage Amanda to live, Rudger journeys to the hospital, but Bunting is already there waiting for him. Amanda is awoken from her coma by Rudger's voice and she engages Bunting in a battle of imagination. Lizzie arrives just as Bunting gains the upper hand by creating an enormous snake that slowly crushes Amanda. Unable to see the snake, Lizzie is initially powerless to stop it, but with Rudger and Amanda's help, she remembers her old Imaginary: a sheepdog named Fridge. After successfully calling Fridge, he incapacitates the snake and rescues Rudger from the vacuum of Bunting's maw. Bunting's Imaginary, apparently moved by Amanda and Rudger's bond, allows herself to be devoured instead. As she disappears, so too does Bunting, defeated for good. Safe at last, Rudger shares a tearful embrace with Lizzie and Fridge.
Sometime after Amanda is discharged from the hospital, Rudger is in the process of disappearing, but affirms that no matter where Amanda's life takes her, he'll always be a part of her. The two of them now ready to brave the future, they embark on one final adventure.
Voice cast
[edit]Character | Japanese voice[12] | English voice[12] |
---|---|---|
Rudger | Kokoro Terada | Louie Rudge-Buchanan |
Amanda Shuffleup | Rio Suzuki | Evie Kiszel |
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Shuffleup | Sakura Ando | Hayley Atwell |
Emily | Riisa Naka | Sky Katz |
Zinzan (Jinzan) | Takayuki Yamada | Kal Penn |
Downbeat Grandma | Atsuko Takahata | Jane Singer |
Mr. Bunting | Issey Ogata | Jeremy Swift |
Fridge (Reizōko)/The Old Dog | Akira Terao | LeVar Burton |
Aurora | Hana Sugisaki | Ruby Barnhill |
Snowflake (Koyuki) | Mitsuaki Kanuka | Roger Craig Smith |
Cruncher-of-Bones | Teiya Ichiryusai | Courtenay Taylor |
Release
[edit]Box office
[edit]The film grossed 68,169,730 yen (about US$478,300) in its first three days.[2]
Home media and streaming
[edit]Japan
[edit]The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on May 15, 2024, by Walt Disney Japan.[13]
Overseas
[edit]On January 25, 2024, Netflix announced that they had acquired worldwide streaming rights to the film, which was being added to the platform later in the year. The deal also included global streaming rights to the studio's future feature projects.[14] In April, Netflix announced that the film will premiere on July 5 on the platform.[15] The film received a limited theatrical run on June 28, 2024.[16]
Reception
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 80 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The consensus on the website states, "A visually splendid and emotionally resonant anime film that appeals to the child in everyone, The Imaginary is a flight of fancy that audiences won't mind getting swept up in."[16] Based on 18 critics on Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, indicating that it received generally positive reviews.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ "English Press Release" (PDF). STUDIO PONOC(スタジオポノック). Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "The Imaginary Anime Film Opens at #9". Anime News Network. December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "スタジオポノック新作「屋根裏のラジャー」夏に公開、主人公は誰にも見えない少年(動画あり)". 映画ナタリー (in Japanese). Natalie. December 8, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "スタジオポノック5年ぶり長編アニメ映画「屋根裏のラジャー」来夏公開 監督は百瀬義行". アニメハック (in Japanese). December 8, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "スタジオポノック最新作『屋根裏のラジャー』公開! 主人公は"誰にも見えない"少年". cinemacafe.net (in Japanese). December 8, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "News". The Imaginary. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Studio Ponoc Unveils The Imaginary Anime Film Based on A.F. Harrold's Novel". Anime News Network. December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Studio Ponoc's The Imaginary Film Delayed From Summer Release". Anime News Network. March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ "Studio Ponoc's The Imaginary Film Opens in Winter 2023". Anime News Network. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ "Studio Ponoc's The Imaginary Film Opens in Japan on December 15". Anime News Network. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ "The Imaginary Invites You Into a Fantastic New World". Netflix.
- ^ a b Loo, Egan (June 6, 2024). "Hayley Atwell, LeVar Burton, Kal Penn Star in English Dub for Ponoc's The Imaginary Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "屋根裏のラジャー|ディズニー公式".
- ^ Mateo, Alex (January 25, 2024). "Netflix Acquires Global Streaming Rights for Studio Ponoc's The Imaginary Anime Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (April 24, 2024). "Netflix Drops New Image, Release Date for Studio Ponoc's 'The Imaginary'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "The Imaginary". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ "The Imaginary". Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
External links
[edit]- The Imaginary on Netflix
- The Imaginary at IMDb
- The Imaginary (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- 2023 films
- 2023 anime films
- Animated films about friendship
- Anime films based on novels
- Anime postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Animated films about cats
- Animated films about talking animals
- Animated films based on British novels
- Films about imaginary friends
- Films based on children's books
- Films based on fantasy novels
- Japanese animated fantasy films
- Japanese animated speculative fiction films
- Japanese children's fantasy films
- Netflix original anime
- Studio Ponoc films
- Toho animated films