The Wonderland

The Wonderland, known in Japan as Birthday Wonderland (Japanese: バースデー・ワンダーランド, Hepburn: Bāsudē Wandārando), is a 2019 Japanese animated coming-of-age fantasy adventure film directed by Keiichi Hara. Based on the 1988 children's story Chikashitru Kara no Fushigi na Tabi (Strange Journey from the Basement) by Sachiko Kashiwaba,[1][2] the film features a voice cast that includes Mayu Matsuoka, Anne Watanabe, Kumiko Asō, Nao Tōyama, Keiji Fujiwara and Akiko Yajima. The film also features character designs by Russian illustrator Ilya Kuvshinov.

The Wonderland
Theatrical release poster
Japaneseバースデー・ワンダーランド
HepburnBāsudē Wandārando
Directed byKeiichi Hara
Produced byNobuo Kawakami
Written byMiho Maruo
StarringMayu Matsuoka
Anne Watanabe
Kumiko Asō
Nao Tōyama
Keiji Fujiwara
Akiko Yajima
Music byHarumi Fūki
Production
company
Warner Bros. Japan
Aniplex
Fuji Television Network, Inc.
Release date
  • April 26, 2019 (2019-04-26) (Japan)
  • June 2019 (2019-06) (AIAFF)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

The Wonderland premiered in Japan on April 26, 2019, and was screened in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2019.[3][4]

Voice cast

Release and reception

Matt Schley of The Japan Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising the animation and visuals but suggesting it as being among a number of anime films "trying to recreate the charms of Miyazaki".[5] He concluded: "The Wonderland is not the first, and will almost definitely not be the last, to try to push the Miyazaki buttons — and while it succeeds on the surface, it lacks the deeper emotional core to make for something truly wondrous."[5] Allan Hunter of Screen Daily wrote that the "overly busy story provides countless opportunities to create imaginative worlds and strange characters, but it also tends to feel like a string of set pieces rather than something that builds dramatic tension or momentum", feeling that "a less elaborate approach might have achieved more of an emotional impact."[2] While noting the movie's shortcomings, Twwk of Beneath the Tangles also wrote, "I could appreciate the direction, which sometimes created an intensity and urgency that made me worry for the characters, and the abounding fantasy which reminded me that I, too, had an imagination once."[6]

References
  1. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (29 April 2019). "Keiichi Hara's The Wonderland Anime Film Reveals Video of Fantasy World". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  2. Hunter, Allan (13 June 2019). "'The Wonderland': Annecy Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  3. "4/26公開の「バースデー・ワンダーランド」が90秒で分かる特別映像". Ota-Suke.jp (in Japanese). 23 April 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  4. Sherman, Jennifer (6 December 2019). "The Wonderland Anime Film Screens in U.S., Canada on January 31". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  5. Schley, Matt (24 April 2019). "'The Wonderland': Surface-level charm, but no true wonder". The Japan Times. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  6. "Review: The Wonderland (Anime Movie)". Beneath the Tangles. 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
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