I’m encouraged by an anime take on Beauty and the Beast. It makes me curious as to how Japan might attack other classic Disney; somehow I can’t see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as magical street fighters, but I’ve certainly seen sillier. Today, the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast gets an almost unrecognizable makeover in venue, plot, pacing, story-arc, themes, and music. Even with the title “Belle,” it still took me a full 30 minutes to figure out this was a retelling of some sort.
Japanese schoolgirl Suzu (voice of Kaho Nakamura) is the bullied-into-submission type. The girl has a wonderful singing voice, but –thanks to an accident claiming her mother’s life a decade earlier- never uses it. Pushed by the kind of “friend” who pushes these kinds of things, Suzu joins the 5-billion-strong U network, where for some reason, 95% of humanity has chosen to represent themselves as a timid mock animal of some kind. In the U verse, apparently, one can just show up, start singing, and gather a crowd. I’m a little put off by the idea that millions of folks log into virtual reality just to check out random instances of “Japan’s Got Talent,” but I suppose we all go to the internet for entertainment in some form.
Within one song, Belle –Suzu’s online persona- becomes a star. Such is exaggerated by her look –stolen from a fetching classmate- and her PR, jacked up by Suzu’s “friend.” And before long, Suzu is staging concerts while others make money off her voice and image. (Suzu sees none of the profit; she’s just there to find herself). And then one concert is 
pre-empted for some sort of cage match. U’s fighting sensation “Beast” shows up prior to a Belle show and starts busting heads. Good for him.
Now for some reason, the people who showed up for a Belle concert weren’t altogether taken with Beast beating the tar out of the U authority and while most shun Beast for his look and behavior, Belle is strangely attracted. Cuz you’re never too young to think a man is fixable and you’re just the one to fix him.
Beauty and the Beast fans will start to recognize the tale in Act II when Beauty discovers Beast’s castle, flowers, and minions. There’s even a ballroom scene straight out of the Disney film in look and feel. This film, however, is a much different take. Belle isn’t a romance. While Suzu is clearly fascinated by the Beast and intent on discovering what makes him tick, there’s never a question of her being romantically linked to the mysterious dark sociopath. In fact, had this just been a Beauty and the Beast knockoff with anime figures and inferior music, I probably wouldn’t have given this film a pass. But there’s more to this story than two lost souls finding one another. This film is as much about bringing out the best parts of others and examining societal positivity as it is a pair of loners finding inner beauty. This is an odd take on Disney – or even the original French fairy tale for that matter – but a good one, nonetheless.
♪Right from the moment saw her heard her
Riding a dragon round so swell
Here is U there’s only she
Who can sing a verse on key
So I’m making plans to put up with this Hell ♫
Rated PG, 121 Minutes
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Writer: Mamoru Hosoda
Genre: Reinterpreting Disney
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Anime hounds
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who think cartoon ought to have a certain amount of whimsy
♪ Parody Inspired by “Belle”
