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Parents' Guide to

Mirai

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Sweet, magical family adventure is best for older kids.

Movie PG 2018 98 minutes
Mirai Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 13 parent reviews

age 8+
age 11+

More instense than it seems

This movie is more ambitious and serious than it seems. A story told through the four year-old kid as he learns to accept and love his newly born baby sister. Along the way he sees the future and his sister as a teenager while he remains the same four year-old. He sees his dog a person who he can play with and who works with his future teenage sister. He slowly learns he is no longer the center of attention with his parents. The movie moves along nicely, but there are a few intense and surprise moments. His mother’s face suddenly turns into a large mean angry face, just like that, surprise! This happens twice. Another time, there’s a sudden loud engine noise of the War plane his grandfather flew. Again, surprise! Most intense is the scene near the end of the film where the 4-year old deals with be alone in the world. He’s in a subway station and eventually it builds up to where he’s inside the train car. He’s looking at the backs of the seats and then “bam” they turn around with skeletons in every chair! My eight year-old kid loves all of the age-appropriate older Studio Ghibli films and I think his trust of those plot lines was broken by unnecessary shock points here. He did not want to watch the subway scene, and luckily we turned it off before the skeletons. I skipped it ahead while he was out of the room and resumed it to watch the last 10-20 minutes. I’m not sure I would recommend this movie for kids under 11. I saw this director’s other films are for young teens, and I should’ve clued into that! It’s a good film overall, but one should know what they are getting into.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13 ):
Kids say (9 ):

The type of animated film parents might enjoy more than kids, this magical sibling adventure is a dreamy, touching look at the importance of family ties and knowing your personal history. Kun is a believably upset new big brother who, however misguidedly, feels replaced in his parents' affections. Director Mamoru Hosoda beautifully captures the emotional turmoil of introducing a newborn to an already established family of three -- from the realistically exhausted (and occasionally bickering) parents to the no-nonsense grandparents and, of course, the skeptical, downright angry older child, who in this case can't control his emotions.

The trippy time-defying moments in Mirai are funny and heartfelt. Even the dog is turned into an older human man who recalls being upset by Kun's birth. A particularly touching sequence has Kun meeting his great-grandfather, a motorcycle-driving mechanic injured in World War II. The older man (who doesn't really know what's going on) teaches Kun about confidence and courage, and little Kun brings that message back into his current life. The dreamy sequences all change Kun for the better, making him a more empathetic son, dog owner, and, finally, big brother.

Movie Details

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