The Boy and the Beast

A young boy in modern-day Tokyo stumbles into an alternate dimension and becomes the apprentice to a bearlike warrior, in this stunning animated fantasy from writer-director Mamoru Hosoda.On the run after the death of his mother, lonely nine-year-old Kyuta heads down an alley and stumbles into Jutenkai, an alternate dimension ruled by beasts. Kyuta becomes apprentice to the bearlike warrior Kumatetsu; their relationship, though complicated, grows stronger every day as they train. Years pass, until Kyuta returns to the human dimension and meets Kaede, a smart girl who offers to teach him to read. But being back among humans also leaves Kyuta questioning which world he truly belongs in. Conflicted by his commitment to Kumatetsu, and with a battle approaching, he returns to Jutenkai unprepared for what will happen next. As the worlds of humans and beasts collide, it's clear that life will never be the same for either.