I'll be speaking about the movie and I'll be covering the content, so if you're spoiler sensitive at any degree I suggest coming back to my review after watching the movie :]
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I have been waiting for Belle to release since June 2021 when I saw a 30 second trailer for it. The visuals had me excited and the faint angelic voice latched me on. After seeing it pop up on social media, after forgetting about it for the time in-between I decided to watch it and see how it went. I watched the updated trailer that was dubbed in English and I could tell that this was going to be an emotional roller coaster.

I have yet to see another Studio Chizu movie other than this one, but I do plan on watching the others, so my review is going to be solely off of the movie alone.

The most obvious factor to tackle first are the visuals. I feel as though the movie showcases how far Studio Chizu has come from its production in the early 2000s. The mix of CGI, 2D animation, and several other mediums presents how much Studio Chizu has almost experimented with the film. The landscape of the virtual world, as overwhelming as it is, is so expansive. The colour choices set the mood, and show a big contrast as to what Suzu's ordinary life looks like - constant and a little mundane.

In terms of the music, I'm a very emotional listener. The passion in Belle's voice both in sub and dub are so clear and consistent. As quoted in the movie, "it really feels like she's singing for me." The instrumentals were fitting, and the vocals do play a big part in carrying the movie. The songs are memorable and hold so much weight to who Suzu is as a person, one that seems to be vocalizing the solutions to her own problems to other people.

Now to tackle the story, which really started turning people away. Firstly, The Dragon, or 'The Beast'. I was so excited to see how this character was expanded, and I was more than pleased to see how they contributed to Suzu as a character. The whole Beauty and the Beast trope felt more like a reference than it being the whole drive for the show. The Beast is another person who has closed themselves off from the world to shoulder a burden that not even their family is able to heal it, (given the father is the reason). But 'The Beast' brought out the healing that Suzu needed to direct to herself. She was there, encouraging him to talk about his struggles as he's never done that with anyone. He shuts people out by being distant, to the point aggressive. Suzu is not aggressive with people in her life, but she puts herself at arm's length even if people are willing to be there for her. I believe that this is a turning point for her character because chasing The Beast's identity almost seemed like she was chasing after her younger self that needed someone. That's why she went to Tokyo by herself, because even if everyone was supporting her, they were only supporting Belle in her journey to save Kei. Her resistance against Kei and Tomo's abusive father was heartwrenching. But Suzu's assertive stature felt so fulfilling to see. At the beginning of the movie we see her writing a letter to her mom asking her why she left her, asking her if the child was more important than Suzu. But defending Kei and Tomo put Suzu in her mother's shoes, which she came to realize during the end sequence. Even on the train ride to Tokyo her father steers her in the direction of an epiphany by pointing out that she needs to be there for her younger self, letting it heal, and realizing that she's become the person she is BECAUSE of her mother. She teaches Kei how to trust people again when they really want to help, and thus she learns through helping another person. When Kei confesses by saying I love you I was honestly relieved they didn't kiss. They set Suzu up to be with Shinobu so I'm glad they stayed true to that. I see Kei's professed love as a sign of him changing and letting someone into his life after the lack of change out of his abuse experience, and for thanking Suzu at a very emotional degree.

I also want to talk about Shinobu since I brought him up. I also love their development. I love how they didn't just become a couple right after coming back from Tokyo and being unveiled. That felt like such a big step into both of their lives. He grew up seeing Suzu so closed in from other people, protecting herself from everybody. I feel like Shinobu was a real world reminder to Suzu that she can confide in other people. Shinobu let go of a big obligation in their friendship so that they could move onto being proper friends. If they were to actually get together, Suzu still encased in her social distance and Shinobu being placed as the 'guardian' would've sprouted an unhealthy relationship. At least now that Suzu can properly walk forward while working on herself more, they could have the potential to get together.

The classmates felt like a breath of fresh air. I know the movie should be focused on her but I love how there's moments where we get to see pieces of them, and see how they influence Suzu by the end of the day. Luka is set up as the 'model' but in reality she still has that 'secret' that makes her human (Crushing on Chikami). A beauty with problems who had been opening up to Suzu about her love interest gives more encouragement for Suzu to start talking to people. She even opens up to her about Shinobu which I really appreciate. The girl-on-girl support is always great to see, especially with Peggie Sues' addition to this topic! A very minor but impactful detail, that ordinary people can still be as beautiful, just as beautiful people can still have the same problems as ordinary people do.

Belle is not a love story. It's about growth and self-actualization. Suzu finds parts of her throughout the movie, one of which is her voice again. I love that she felt comfortable singing again, and that the out-of-body experience brought her into this perspective, "This is what you're capable of Suzu. You can heal, and become this version of you in real life outside of U." That vision tied the film together when she was unveiled. Her performance is unforgettable visually, audibly, and how the movie built up to it.

I know a lot of people don't really like the 'reddit' mod character but I felt like he was necessary for story drive and weirdly enough, to remind us that the internet still has those people who try to make justice out of it. After all, we got haters, people who instigate, and supporters in the large crowds of comments in U.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on how they feel about Belle, as some of its aspects can't reach everybody. This review may come off a little biased as I've watched Belle at a point in my life where I can emotionally relate to the depth of this movie, or I could be looking into the movie too much HAHA. I think Belle did wonderfully with the amount of time it has. If I ever wanted to get to know the other characters and their outcomes more I feel like it'd be fitting to see them in short films or in OVAs. An ending that leaves the viewers wondering "What're they gonna do next?" felt fitting for the film. Suzu's growth starts as fast as it ends. I really recommend this movie to those who love music, heavy visuals, or those who are looking for a tear-jerking story that involves growth and healing :)