Oh, Lawdy! When-oh-when are we gonna wise up and finally start giving first born male children some attention? And an Asian first born male child at that! You just KNOW those kids are constantly taking a back seat.
I know you think my sarcasm is unfounded and yet here we are at biannual anime day watching a film sympathetic to the plight of a snotty four-year-old first-born Japanese son. Yes, life is rough when you get sibs. Sibs who will always be compared lacking no matter what you do. That’s awesome. No, no. Don’t ask a middle child how fair life is; ask a first born son: nobody knows the incongruities of attention, honor, and glory quite like your eldest male child.
But I digress, and I’m not actually bitter. In fact, I liked parts of Mirai. I just can’t get over the production team that saw fit to sympathize in this manner. Four year-old Kun (voice of Moka Kamishiraishi) isn’t comprehending much more than “I have to spend the day with grandma. Ugh.” Naturally, he’s a dick about it. His situation does not improve when mom and dad come home with Mirai (Haru Kuroki), his new baby sister. And don’t be fooled; while the title of the film is Mirai, the movie is about Kun.
Now you might ask, “This whole film isn’t really about Kun coming to terms with being a brother, is it?” Yes. Yes, it is. However, the fairly intolerable setup yields to better developments – Typically, brand new parents have about the same amount of patience for tantrums and shenanigans as President Trump has for investigating truth. Naturally, the needy little snot Kun becomes more and more frustrated until he wants to bash his baby sister’s head with a toy train. And when that doesn’t fly, he’s sent outside where his toddler tsunami is abated only by the magical – his dog turns into a man and starts talking to him.
The next day, his baby sister turns into the twenty-year-old version of his sister and pleads that Kun not brain the infant version of herself, and then Kun, Mirai, and dog-man attempt a Mission: Impossible type-task involving re-boxing decorations so that Mirai won’t die an old maid. Yeah, I’m not sure how there’s a connection between the two, either, but if we can believe that Kun is actually talking to 20-year-old Mirai, we can certainly leap to the assumption that leaving dolls out will hinder her future marriage opportunities.
Has anybody bothered asking if Kun is … schizophrenic? He’s clearly seeing things that only he can see. Are we happy about this?
I want to say this film attacks the very shallow end of human suffering. To be fair, sibling rivalry is a common issue in many, many households. Perhaps it is about time that it got some attention, especially in cartoon form where filmmakers can speak to children directly about familial support and responsibility. Here’s the thing – 1) While sibling rivalry is a common tale, it’s rarely a compelling one 2) It’s hard to feel sorry for Kun knowing that he is going to grow up being the first born and the first son in an Asian household. Having trouble at age four, Kun? Well, just wait until you’re literally any other age and you’ll see the tables tip in your favor. 3) The kid is a spoiled jerk. Mirai is enjoyable during the fantastical portions, but the film sure doesn’t sit well. Weeks later, Kun still strikes me as an indulged Veruca Salt; I doubt that’s going to change as time elapses.
♪If you wanna be my sister, you gotta live in the car
Mom and dad don’t need you, I’m their fav by far
If you wanna be my sister, you’ve got to be a ghost
Shut it, Hello Kitty. They need me the most♫
Rated PG, 98 Minutes
Director: Mamoru Hosada
Writer: Mamoru Hosada
Genre: Suck it up, kid
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Narcissistic first born boys
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Everybody else
♪ Parody Inspired by “Wannabe”
