The Imaginary

With no Ghibli film in the offing, The Imaginary is an often delightful way to fill the anime gap.

The movie falters periodically under the weight of its own dream logic, which can be hard to follow or flimsily constructed as the story gains momentum. But it’s mostly easy to move past those flaws in a work of such rich magical realism and heart.

A single frame of “The Imaginary” can outshine the mass-produced, visually uninspired animation in some of the American offerings targeting the same demographic.

At a time when digital animation is breaking radical new ground, it can be tempting to view the hand-drawn sort as its old-fashioned forebear... But Momose’s film elegantly proves otherwise: it has the artistry, but also the visionary spark.

The Imaginary may not be a standout in the rich and wide-ranging oeuvre of its makers, but it is a moving and charming testament to the delights of dreaming.

It should be no surprised that a movie called The Imaginary all but erupts with whimsical ideas, and on that front, this fanciful offering works. But it falls short in other fundamental ways.

The Imaginary may wear its influences on its sleeve, but its gut-wrenching emotional moments and gorgeous animation more than make up for it.



The Imaginary is a fantastic new addition to a long-running tradition of exceptional Japanese fantasies.

"... it completely taps into the feel of how detailed and rich a kid’s imagination can be, but the simplicity of the stories they tell themselves because they have only lived so much."

Some of its more mature themes may go over kids heads, and the pacing isn’t perfect, but the gorgeous visuals and fun characters will engage those who think this is their cup of tea. The animation is truly sunning.