About Belle

Belle is an animated feature film released in 2021, written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda. The film is a unique take on the classic tale Beauty and the Beast, where it transplants its narrative into a contemporary digital society.

The film story revolves around Suzu, a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. After entering U, a global virtual world, she becomes Belle, a world-famous singer. The film shows how she navigates through her virtual and physical realities after meeting a mysterious creature in this virtual world.

Making / Production

The director, Mamoru Hosoda, brings a modern twist to the timeless tale with a keen sense of digital era consciousness that reflects on the nature of selves and the boundaries between the digital world and reality.

The animation production took place at Studio Chizu, known for their previous works like "Wolf Children," "The Boy and the Beast," and "Mirai."

Actors

• Kaho Nakamura as Suzu/Belle: She delivered an amazing performance that encapsulates the duality of a shy girl and a famed virtual idol.
• Tōru Uchikado as Dragon / Muitarō Mitsuki: He gave life to the enigmatic and complex dragon avatar with a brilliant performance.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This film is Mamoru Hosoda's ninth feature film as director.
• The virtual world "U" in the film has over 5 billion registered users, showing the vast scale of the digital world in the movie.

Awards

Belle has won the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature - Independent and the Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature.

Quotes

• "I sing with all my heart. Is there something wrong with that?" - Belle
• "In this infinite universe, do thoughts and feelings also infinitely expand?" - Suzu

Music, Soundtrack

• The film score is composed by Taisei Iwasaki, with the theme song "U" sung by Kaho Nakamura.
• There are also many insert songs performed by the protagonist during the film.