Bubble is now streaming on Netflix.
When it comes to post-apocalyptic storytelling, a common thread is, obviously, how bleak humanity's future is. Whether the end has come by way of nuclear war or ravenous zombies, the doom and gloom factor that accompanies these stories is off the charts. With the wildly imaginative Bubble, a film from a four-way dream team of anime writers and directors, the bizarre threat Earth has fallen under is mind-bending and dangerous, sure. But it's also the key to opening one Tokyo youth's closed-off heart and the secret to understanding the mysteries behind the continuous destruction and rebirth of life. It all makes for a captivating and gorgeous piece of sci-fi that should earn a permanent spot in any anime fan’s collection.
Set in a strange reality where mysterious bubbles descend on the entire world out of the blue, the film explores the influence these spherical abnormalities have enacted on the human population. The Bubble Fall, as it's known, caused a series of dangerous explosions, with the epicenter of the blasts emanating from Tokyo Tower. What's left of the Earth has begun healing after the bubbles eventually dissipated, but Japan was hit harder than the rest, with Tokyo trapped beneath a giant dome.
With the city now sequestered from the rest of the world, teenagers flock back to the once bustling urban area despite evacuation orders to explore and take in some hardcore parkour. They compete for basic supplies and food in what they call Tokyo Battlekour, which involves zipping across rooftops, jumping from remaining bubble to bubble, and avoiding massive black hole-like anomalies known as "antlion pits." Loner Hibiki (Zach Aguilar in the English dub) is a parkour savant, who forms an unlikely connection with the strange yet beautiful Uta (Xanthe Huynh in the English dub), and we soon learn there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye.
The juxtaposition of humanity's darkest moment with a group of teens having a good time with the hand they've been dealt is one of Bubble’s most interesting aspects. Not only does it let the dire nature of the situation set in with more dramatic effect, but it feels a lot more natural than the belief that spunky youths would sit around and avoid dangerous, restricted areas. They'd make TikToks and post to Instagram. Bubble's kids are the same, only they practice sci-fi parkour.
The Bubble Fall, as humanity calls it, is endlessly intriguing, especially as the film introduces an entire cast of supporting characters to analyze it and make sense of such a strange occurrence. It's not too fantastical to think that enormous, volatile soap bubbles could appear one day and begin exploding, after all. We've seen much stranger things. It's a relatable kind of fear, and the idea that it could happen tomorrow – that’s what initially glues you to your seat. And Bubble is aware of this, giving you a reason to commit to a film that could otherwise be a heartfelt love letter to growing up like so many Studio Ghibli films end up becoming.
Bubble isn't afraid to throw true tragedy into the mix, however, with a mix of characters that don't adhere to familiar archetypes and a central problem that can't just be wished away or reverted. Humanity has to rebuild from its brush with disaster. And while Uta holds the key to unlocking the ultimate understanding of the Bubble Fall and why Hibiki has a connection to her, she never feels like the deus ex machina savior character so many anime films tend to lean on for a clean-cut resolution.
Though learning more about the disaster that's plagued what's left of humanity is entertaining all on its own, the romance that slowly blossoms between Hibiki and Uta is one of the less frustratingly saccharine examples of anime love in more recent films. Hibiki is an introvert with hypersensitive hearing, an issue he can't share with just anyone. Watching him spend time with Uta organically without forced flirting and will-they-or-won't-they scenes is comforting and refreshing, a reminder that love can develop where you least expect it… even if you're worried about a bubble literally exploding in your face.
Watching the remainder of humanity come to terms with an end to the way life once was is oddly relatable now that we've lived through a global pandemic that continues to claim lives. But there's plenty of hope nestled throughout Bubble that elevates it from simple post-apocalyptic sludge into a romantic endeavor with bright undertones. Hibiki and Uta, as we discover, were destined to come together. But humanity, despite its hardships, is also fated to bounce back from whatever plagues it. So even if what two individuals -- or the entire human race -- goes through may be fleeting, there's always a reason to face tomorrow, especially if it’s as enjoyable and as comfortably fizzy in its efforts to inspire as Bubble is.
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/mZjibaF
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