Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Mirai Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 27, 2019

The family unit is the most fundamental social component of human life on Earth, but it's also, sometimes (very often...always) one of the most difficult to understand. Director Mamoru Hosoda's (The Boy and the Beast, Summer Wars) Studio Chizu film Mirai looks at one growing family and the struggles the eldest, yet still very small, child experiences when a new baby is introduced into the family. The film builds a heartfelt and all-too-familiar story with some fantastical elements that ultimately open the young boy's eyes to the realities of family and of the world and the responsibilities he must accept and embrace rather than simply continue to insist that the world revolve around his wants and needs (mostly wants). It's a terrific little film, very much in the Ghibli tradition, that takes a chance on building a movie through the eyes of a developing adolescent who ultimately gains great insight into who he is, where he comes from, and how his life choices will impact the futures of everyone who loves him, even if he doesn't quite yet know that he in turn truly loves them, too.

Kun (voiced by Jaden Waldman/Moka Kamishiraishi) is a fairly normal little four-year-old boy. His world is turned upside down when his parents (John Cho/Gen Hoshino, Rebecca Hall/Kumiko Aso) bring home a brand new baby girl, Mirai. “You must always be nice to her...you have to protect her no matter what...always” they tell him. Things get a little crazy around the house. Mom is exhausted. Dad is trying to step up. And all of their attention is on Mirai. It's almost like Kun doesn't exist, unless his mother, whom he begins to call "The Witch," is chastising him for not picking up his toys, throwing temper tantrums, or beating up his little sister, whom he most certainly does not want in his life. After a particularly nasty spat with his parents, Kun retreats outside where he encounters the first of many individuals who are in some way connected to his present-day life but who are appearing to him out of time. As he gets to know his family in various past and future forms, he slowly comes to understand the responsibilities on him to behave as a proper older brother to Mirai and as an oldest child to his mother and father.

Mirai's story sees Kun's evolution from a happy, content little boy, who is at the center of his own world and, seemingly, at the center of his parents' world, to a jealous, raging little boy who suddenly finds that his parents don't have the sort of time for him that they once did. It's not that they don't love him anymore, or that they love his sister Mirai more, it's that her stage of life, compared to his, is at a much more needy place. He's old enough to look after himself, not entirely but enough that he should be able to give his parents the time and space they need to care for little Mirai. But he's also too young to truly understand concepts like responsibility, patience, and priorities. He demands that his parents focus on him again. He grows to dislike Mirai and even calls his mother "The Witch." His is a selfish and loveless response to a new sibling, not selfless and loving. But even his parents struggle with the balancing act. Not as he does, but in their own way. The film carefully reveals how they, too, must pick up one another's slack and still find some time for Kun (and hopefully for one another), who is arguably putting more strain on the parents than is baby Mirai.

Kun's only recourse is to not only learn to live with his new reality but to embrace it as an essential part of his life's journey. But he's going to need some help. He's too angry to listen to his parents' reasoning, so in steps the fantastical to help him puzzle through life. However it happens is a mystery, but Kun's adventures with older and younger versions of various family members -- some he recognizes and personally knows, some he does not -- sets him on the road to inner (and outer) peace. His adventures with his sister as a teenager, his mother as a child, even the family dog transformed into a human help him to nurture a new outlook on life. Changes do not come instantly. His incremental understanding is vital, but it's not until the end, when the film takes him to a surprisingly dark place, when he is finally left on his own to make a choice and understand who he is and who he must become, that his story comes full circle.

Mirai Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's not a flaw to be found with Mirai's 1080p Blu-ray presentation. The film's crisp and clean animation is a natural fit on the high definition format. Lines are sharp and clean, static environmental details are precise, and character models are revealed with precision. Image clarity and stability are terrific, and there are no source or encode issues to report. The presentation shines in its reveal of the abundant color palette. Contrast is perfectly attuned to the material, and there's no shortage of springy, joyful colors to see in abundance. Bold primaries pop, more earthy and warm and reserved shades inside the house and in a few other locations are stable, and the film's fairly dark finale dials down brightness and adds black depth to compliment that increasingly terrifying sense of isolation that is critical to Kun's growth. Universal couldn't have done better.

Mirai Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mirai's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack compliments the film's audio needs remarkably well. Much of the picture is of a sonically reserved nature, with dialogue taking command and presenting with flawless clarity, firm front-center positioning, and consistently strong prioritization. Light musical supports and ambient effects chime in from time to time, the former largely remaining in the front left and right channels while the latter drizzles into the rears. No complaints in terms of detail for either. The track does offer several prodigious moments later in the film. A scene halfway through sees Kun underwater in one of his real or imagined fantastical encounters. Rushing water fills the stage and offers substantial power and fully realized surround integration. Rainfall in chapter nine, a few minutes later, also creates a powerfully realized feel for the rain that is coming down in sharp, driving sheets, with gusty winds in accompaniment, both powering through the entire listening area. A whirring engine powers on with great might in chapter 11 when Kun meets one of his ancestors. Strong environmental din at a train station in chapter 13 produces one of the busier, but not fundamentally dynamic, examples of the track's ability to create high yield environmental sounds.

Mirai Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mirai contains a number of featurettes and a couple of other goodies. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Interview with Director Mamoru Hosoda (1080p, 37:39): The director sits down for a lengthy piece that covers the film in detail, including characters, perspectives, themes, and animation. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Japanese Cast Interviews (1080p, 46:52): Host Hiroyuki Amano speaks with Moka Kamishiraishi, Haru Kuroki, Kumiko Aso, and Gen Hoshino. Moka Kamishiraishi and Haru Kuroki later appear in a separate interview together. Gen Hoshino, separately, offers a few additional thoughts, and Kumiko Aso appears by herself towards the end to close the supplement. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Mirai at Cannes Film Festival (1080p, 7:39): Moka Kamishiraishi and Director Mamoru Hosoda appear at the film's world premiere on May 16, 2018. They discuss the film and their appearance at the festival. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• The New World of Mamoru Hosoda (1080p, 21:05): A detailed look into the working life of the film's director and much of the work that went into making Mirai. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Mirai in Japan (1080p, 34:41): Mamoru Hosoda, Haru Kuroki, Moka Kamishiraishi, Gen Hoshino, and Kumiko Aso appear at several different screenings of the film. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Visiting Studio Chizu (1080p, 5:51): Gen Hoshino tours the studio as the film is being made. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Mamoru Hosoda Visits Toyama Prefecture (1080i, 17:58): Hiroyuki Amano and Moka Kamishiraishi join the film's director for a tour through places that are important in his life and in his films. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• "My Future" by Hosoda and Voice Cast (1080p, 3:12): Several individuals share their dreams for the future. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Trailers & TV Spots (1080p, 12:32): Eight English teasers and trailers and two Japanese language trailers with English subtitles.
• More from GKids (1080p): Trailers for Song of the Sea, Mary and the Witch's Flower, My Life as a Zucchini, and Only Yesterday.

Mirai Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mirai is unsurprisingly deep. But it's also unsurprisingly accessible. It's only as complex as the viewer makes it out be. The film's structure is such that Kun's development is steady but it's not until the end that he is able to piece together all of the lessons he's learned from past and future versions of various family members. The film leaves room for interpretation as to how and why Kun is able to visit with these individuals: are they real or are they a part of his own expanding imagination, a coping mechanism, essentially? Whatever answer the audience draws, the film is a fun and emotionally rewarding experience. Universal's Blu-ray is terrific. Great video and audio presentations are supported by a nicely complimentary array of bonus features. Very highly recommended.