The Boy and the Beast
2015 · Movie · PG-13 · 119 min · ★ 7.9 · 78% critics
A runaway boy from Tokyo slips into a hidden realm of beasts and is taken in by a rough, lonely warrior who needs a student. As they train and clash, their unlikely bond grows into something like family, pulling them into lively adventures across both worlds.
Where to watch
Streaming on Crunchyroll and HBO Max.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- バケモノの子
- Years
- 2015
- Release date
- 2015-07-11
- Language
- Japanese
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Max quality
- UHD
- Critic score
- 78/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.9/10 (1,606 votes)
About
If you enjoy coming-of-age fantasy with humor, heartfelt found-family themes, and bursts of action, this should land well; Not for you if you dislike anime tropes, late tonal shifts, or rushed third acts like some noted here, and you loved The Girl Who Leapt Through Time for its steadier flow.
Pros: heartfelt mentor bond; imaginative beast world; energetic training fights | Cons: uneven pacing later; rushed plot turns; finale feels forced
Themes
- japan
- parent child relationship
- runaway
- homelessness
- training
- portal
- coming of age
- tokyo, japan
- orphan
- beast
- adult animation
- surrogate father
- +9 more
Awards & recognition
- Japan Academy Prize — Animation of the Year · 2016
Cast & crew
Koji Yakusho
as Kumatetsu (voice)
Aoi Miyazaki
as Young Kyuta (voice)
Shota Sometani
as Teenage Kyuta (voice)
Suzu Hirose
as Kaede (voice)
Lily Franky
as Hyakushūbō (voice)
Yo Oizumi
as Tatara (voice)
Kazuhiro Yamaji
as Iozen (voice)
Mamoru Miyano
as Teenage Ichirohiko (voice)
Kappei Yamaguchi
as Teenage Jiromaru (voice)
Haru Kuroki
as Young Ichirohiko (voice)
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda