Over the weekend I watched Belle (2021), directed by Mamoru Hosoda. It is a Japanese animated film that looks at digital identities and the power they hold in escaping the problems of life. It follows a teenager with anxiety around singing in front of others in person due to past family traumas. She is however able to amass an unprecedented level of popularity by singing through her virtual avatar into the “U”(-niverse), a virtual reality that creates one’s avatar based on their “true” self.

The expansiveness of the “U” digital landscape reminded me of “World of Tomorrow”, specifically with the “outernet” and how one can get lost in that setting as well.

There are interesting taglines from the film’s digital universe, like “Live Your Other Life”. It made me wonder how many of us right now are living online personas that are completely different from how we present in face-to-face interactions. We already have the technology to enter virtual reality, but it’d be interesting to imagine if we’d ever get to the point where we could have a total sensory experience within the digital landscape as is presented in Belle.

It is a heartfelt exploration of the different identities we take on around others, and whether we’re strong enough to reveal our “real” self to the ones we cherish most. Belle investigates the line between virtual and physical reality, and definitely is something I would recommend to watch in your spare time! The animation is breathtaking and the soundtrack is spectacular!

Here is the trailer for the movie if you’re interested!