Belle

Aired: 2021

Belle is a theatrical anime film produced by Studio Chizu. Written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda as an original work, the film was released on July 16, 2021, distributed by Toho. Suzu Naito, a 17-year-old high school girl living in a rural town in Kochi Prefecture, lost her mother in a drowning accident as a child and has been unable to sing ever since. One day, at the suggestion of her best friend Hiro-chan (Hiroka Betsuyaku), Suzu joins "U," a massive virtual world with over 5 billion users. As her avatar "Belle," she regains her ability to sing and quickly becomes a global sensation. However, she encounters a mysterious figure known as "the Dragon" in U, and becomes embroiled in a controversy surrounding his true identity. With a runtime of 122 minutes, the voice cast includes Kaho Nakamura, Ryo Narita, Shota Sometani, Tina Tamashiro, Lilas Ikuta, Koji Yakusho, and Takeru Satoh. The music was composed by Taisei Iwasaki, Ludvig Forssell, and Yuta Bandoh, with the main theme "U" by millennium parade x Belle. The film was selected for the Cannes Premieres section at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation lasting approximately 14 minutes. It earned over 6.6 billion yen at the box office.