Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Brooklynn There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

sirwillisiv People continuously praise Studio Ghibli, but meanwhile there's other anime films that deserve spotlight, and The Boy and the Beast is one of them. Although the two lead characters share a familiar and repetitive chemistry, the film has affective storytelling and superb animation to back it up. A dazzling blend of coming-of-age and fantasy. If you enjoy Hayao Miyazaki's films, do consider viewing Mamoru Hosoda's work: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast.

dee.reid No, this isn't "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), though this story also involves beasts - in animated form. This is "The Boy and the Beast," the most recent Japanese animation (Anime') offering from director/writer/producer Mamoru Hosoda, who is very quickly becoming one of the greats in Anime' - after such revered Japanese Anime' directors like Mamoru Oshii ("Ghost in the Shell," the "Patlabor" series), Yoshiaki Kawajiri ("Ninja Scroll," "Wicked City," "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust"), Katsuhiro Otomo ("Akira," "Steamboy") and of course, the now-retired Anime' legend Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," "Ponyo," etc.)Hosoda has come a long way from his debut "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" (2006) and my personal favorite of his, 2009's "Summer Wars." It was the latter film of his that convinced me of Hosoda's true worth as an inspired director.Hosoda's films are not easily categorized, in that they often combine genres ranging from comedy, to science fiction, to fantasy, to heartfelt character-driven dramas. It is this skillful blending of different genres that set his "Summer Wars" apart from a lot of Anime' features produced nowadays (most films, period), and why I considered it one of the best animated films so far this millennium.And now we're at his most recent, 2015's "The Boy and the Beast." While not as strong as his previous entries, it is by no means a wasted effort. True to his form, "The Boy and the Beast" combines different storytelling genres to tell an inspired fantasy tale that while not completely original, does seem fresh and unique given the interesting scenario that the film's events take place in.In Japan's Shibuya district, Ren is a nine-year-old orphan struggling to get by on the streets by any means necessary. One night, he accidentally stumbles upon the so-called "Beast Realm," a world inhabited by, well, beasts, who take on many characteristics shared by those living in the human world. He is taken in by the gruff, unkempt bear-like warrior-beast Kumatetsu (who appears to be based on late Japanese film legend Toshiro Mifune's "Kikuchiyo" character from "Seven Samurai"), who needs an apprentice, as he is competing to become the new lord of the Beast Realm.The two bicker constantly, but over time an unconventional teacher-student/father-son relationship develops between the two, and Ren, who Kumatetsu unceremoniously renamed "Kyuta," becomes a master student who eventually earns the begrudging love and respect of his teacher."The Boy and the Beast" delivers much of what it promises: stunning animation (complemented by helpful CGI in more than a few places), a sincere and heartfelt story, well-timed humor, and stunning action sequences. "The Boy and the Beast" is not "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" or even "Summer Wars," but this is nonetheless a strong and entertaining entry in a distinguished director's catalog who can only keep going up.8/10

WolfTheLycan I'm going to say that this is my favorite anime movie to date. Let me tell you why: the whole movie isn't just about training for the tournament--rather, it's a very touching story about friendship and how the two main characters slowly connect to one another. It also has a laced theme of parenthood which is probably my favorite part of the whole movie. I do have some nitpicks, but none of that really matters because I enjoyed every second of this masterpiece; not a single scene stands out as either boring or forgettable. I love this movie, and I hope to see more from this director!

akosi-galileo I hope Mamoru-san can read this :)I'm a huge fan of your works. Wolf Children is my 2nd most favorite movie (not just animated, all movies) the first is How to Train your Dragon 1.The Boy and the Beast ReviewGood The pacing is perfect. You are never too fast or too slow. Always perfect The characters are great. The setting is absolute brilliant, So is the animation.The movie is great during the early parts. (SPOILER-Alert) Until the main antagonist is reveal (darkness). It not well establish, a bit rushed. The ending felt a little cheesy. Overall, it left me with a nice smile after watching. But compared to your previous works, it don't have that 'Its great to be alive' feelingMy Opinion (HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD) If I rank all your movies, The Boy and the Beast is in the last place. I observe your at your best when a strong female character is involve. For wolf children and Girl leap through time, it was the protagonist. For summer wars, it was the Head of the clan. Also, as a fellow storyteller, I think the way started (which is great) makes the ending a bit hard to execute. This is a boy/beast or father/son relationship. In a typical boy/beast story, the beast is either accepted by the society (How to Train you Dragon) or not accepted (Iron giant). This cannot be done in Kumatetsu because doesn't live in the human world.For a Father/Son story, it usually ends with the son making his father proud and they continue their life but with better relationship. In that kind old ending, Kyuuta will have to stay in Shibuten. But the most conclusive ending is Kyuuta leaving Shibuten (which means also leaving Kumatetsu) and return to the Human World. So your left with a Son-leaves-father ending. Those kind of ending are very hard to execute. It requires a lot of building up. But your left with very little time because you used a lot of it in World Introduction and creating a clear distinction between Human and Beast realm.I conclude that the plot of The Boy and the Beast requires more than 2 hrs to be executed properly. There is too little time for a Son-leaving-Father ending. So you decided Kumatetsu being in Kyuuta's heart as the ending (which I think felt a bit cheesy). Overall, The Boy and the Beast is great. 8 out of 10. It has its moments. The story is just to much for a 2hr movie