Netflix Dystopian Future Anime Makes The Apocalypse Look Fun
When most films or shows cast the world as a dystopian landscape, the reality of those who survive the apocalyptic events that got them there aren’t living their best lives. Whether fighting off zombie hoards or using guerilla warfare tactics to battle machines, the day-to-day of any post-society world leaves a lot to be desired. But the 2022 anime Bubble, set in a time after an event leaves Tokyo virtually unlivable, creates a world that is a playground for the teens that have been left behind there.
Bubbles All Over The Globe
Set at some point in the near future, Bubble imagines a world where mysterious bubbles take over the globe. These are no ordinary bubbles. The seemingly tame objects rained from the sky one day, changing Tokyo into a city that has the laws of gravity bend to the point of nearly breaking.
The gravitational pull has been significantly impacted, making way for throngs of teenagers in Tokyo (a city allegedly made uninhabitable by the bubbles) to compete as parkour players.
Parkour Tournaments
The sport involves a mishmash of urban track-and-field and lots of jumping from building to building.
Bubble follows the teams that compete in parkour tournaments as a way to barter for supplies and food, but seem to be living their best lives.
One parkour player, Hibiki, falls from Tokyo Tower and into the ocean. He is saved by a young girl that seems to come to life from one of the bubbles.
Serious Consequences
The two immediately bond, and the sudden arrival of Uta leads to the mysterious girl becoming part of Hibiki’s parkour team.
Bubble shows that Hibiki and Uta’s relationship has some serious consequences, however. Their closeness seems to anger the bubbles and throw Tokyo’s teens’ lives into further chaos. Hibiki and Uta race to save the city from the destructive course that was unwittingly set in motion by the two young friends.
Book And Film
Bubble was written by Gen Urobuchi, the pen behind the massively successful Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
The 2022 film debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival in February of that year, before its worldwide release on the Netflix streaming library that April.
A theatrical release in Japan followed that May, with the anime feature making more than $500,000 in box office receipts during its limited run.
Critical Response To Bubble
Though the anime feature has received mixed reviews from critics, it has a growing number of fans that might pave the way for Bubble to one day become a cult classic. Despite the so-so 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 5.5/10 on Metacritic, the film is drawing in new viewers as the expansion of anime on Netflix has drawn attention to many titles that were formerly unfamiliar to audiences
Streaming Bubble On Netflix
Bubble is available to stream on Netflix. The streaming giant has recently added a massive collection of anime in the last few months in an offering that spans the decades.
Inuyasha, Overlord, My Hero Academia, and dozens of other anime films and shows are now part of a growing Netflix streaming library dedicated to the genre.
