Tomohiko Ito's (Sword Art Online) romantic-sci-fi movie, featuring the voice of Takumi Kitamura (Let Me Eat Your Pancreas) and Minami Hamabe (Ajin: Demi-Human), is about a teenage boy who meets his older self.In 2047, all world's information is stored in a data management facility called Alltale. Inside the digital world lives a timid young boy named Naomi Katagaki (Kitamura). Until he magically meets his 10 year-older self (Tori Matsuzaka) who carries urgent news on what's about to happen soon. Naomi's soon-to-be girlfriend, his classmate Ruri Ichigyo (Hamabe), will die because of a lightning strike, and it's up to him to save her at all costs.
Netflix knows its anime as this paradisaical movie is another good addition to its growing animated movie catalog. Like the streaming platform's other recent addition such as "Your Name" and "Weathering with You", "Hello World" carries an equal amount of sentimentality and heart to work.
"Hello World" is not wholly original. Ito's 2019 movie also draws a lot of similarities from the hit anime "Sword Art Online" like its commentary on the pros and cons of technology to the coming-of-age slash romantic core.
There is a lot to uncover in Ito's third film. Through "Hello World", the director shares his many thoughts about technology and simulation while also juggling other ideas about memories and destiny. This makes the movie a little too convoluted to grasp.
Despite that, "Hello World" remains one of Japan's most beautifully animated films. It's a heartfelt romantic drama and also a thesis on digital simulation. It's difficult to understand at first, but the dedication of the people behind this film makes the experience worthwhile. It sure deserves a chance to be seen. Go and watch it on Netflix.
3.5/5
