Title: The Imaginary
Author: Mark Hobin
Category: Adventure
Content:
Rating 6/10
Stories about imaginary friends are nothing new. Movies from
Harvey to
Drop Dead Fred have captured the whimsical bond between the real and the unreal. However this theme has seen a resurgence lately, with May's release of
IF starring Ryan Reynolds. Now, two months later, Netflix presents
The Imaginary, a Japanese anime. Fanciful companions continue to enchant audiences. Is this a trend? Rudger (not Roger) is a boy fabricated by a young girl named Amanda. He faces the threat of disappearing if she forgets him. Their adventures come to a halt when Mr. Bunting, a vile man who literally feeds on imaginary individuals, accosts them in a lot. He waits until Amandas's mother has stepped away to pay for parking. In the chaos, Amanda ends up in the hospital, leaving Rudger to fend for himself. Forced to flee, Rudger ends up in a library of Imaginaries, a hidden sanctuary where friends who are make-believe thrive. In this mysterious space, Rudger must navigate new digs. His determination to preserve the cherished bond with his creator does not waver. Rudger must find a way back to Amanda before being sucked into the vortex of Mr. Bunting's hideous jaws. The account is a competent, if somewhat overcomplicated, film with intricate rules about how imaginary beings are allowed to exist and behave. The Japanese animated fantasy from Studio Ponoc is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose. Adapted by Yoshiaki Nishimura, it is based on the 2014 book by English writer A.F. Harrold. Hand-drawn animation will always score points with me in this era of computerized product. While the overall story feels pedestrian, the villain is most definitely not. Mr. Bunting is a predatory middle-aged man in a Hawaiian shirt who eats Imaginaries. This dude looks precisely like the stereotypical weirdo you'd tell your toddlers not to talk to -- a menacing personality that makes this scarier than most entertainment aimed at kids. The darker aspects inform some potent visuals that are hard to forget. Mr. Bunting is accompanied by a ghostly, long-haired little girl with pale skin and hollow eye sockets. His fictional associate seems to have been inspired by
The Ring or
The Grudge. An odious element, more intense than typical for kids' entertainment, elevates the saga with a layer of menace. Children's entertainment gets more interesting when frightening ideas are explored. These sinister themes can engage youngsters without crossing the line, acknowledging that they can comprehend and appreciate the gravity of such evil forces just as much as adults. This approach enriches the narrative, providing a depth that resonates across all ages, and
The Imaginary deftly achieves this balance. 07-10-24
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