Bubble anime review: Aesthetically captivating and offbeat rendition

The anime film ‘Bubble’ is a sci-fi anime spin on the tale of The Little Mermaid, revolving around Hibiki and Uta. It is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Tokyo has been engulfed by a huge bubble for 5 years, leading to a gravitational anomaly inside the city. This, coupled with more pouring down of small bubbles that burst and flooded the city, has left it uninhabitable.

Only orphans who lost their families during the bubble now reside there and take advantage of the unique surroundings to indulge in parkour battles, known as Tokyo Battlekour.

When Team Blue Blazes’ star player, Hibiki, finds himself drowning, he is saved by a mysterious bubble that transforms into a young girl.

How is she connected to the bubble phenomenon? And what is the mysterious melody that Hibiki keeps hearing?

Positives

By far the biggest strength of Bubble is the absolutely exquisite animation. Studio Wit, which made the first three seasons of Attack on Titan, has really outdone itself.

The colourful surroundings; the floating debris, bubbles and the red Tokyo Tower are a treat to the eyes. 

The action sequences are slick. Tetsurō Araki, the creator of Attack on Titan, handles the direction and the choreography of the sequences is riveting.

Central to the entire plot, the music adds intrigue to the sequences, as Hibiki tries to figure out what the melody he keeps hearing actually is.

The premise is unique. Using gravitational distortion to organise supernatural parkour battles is a clever thought.

Taking The Little Mermaid and putting such a drastic spin on the narrative is a brave and commendable choice.

Negatives

While it excels in many aspects, the single biggest downfall of Bubble is the convoluted plot. It tries to be too many things at once.

Is it a rendition of The Little Mermaid? Or is it a post-apocalyptic parkour battle narrative? There’s even a hint of the cycle of destruction and creation being at the centre of the premise.

If you don’t watch every scene with attention, you will definitely lose the direction of the plot and come out wondering what you just watched.

Uta’s origin should have been explained better. Simply telling the viewers that she’s a bubble that came out of nowhere isn’t enough.

Verdict

Bubble isn’t the best anime film that you will ever watch. However, it should still be on every anime lover’s list simply because of the groundbreaking animation.

Rating: 3/5


Also Read: Bubble anime summary and ending explained

More from The Envoy Web