Some of us had imaginary friends in our childhood. We named them, spoke to them, and had lots of fun. Ironically, having imaginary friends as an adult isn’t fun, and one would immediately be diagnosed as schizophrenic.
Now, imagine if these imaginary friends created by thought had a life! This is precisely the plot of Imaginary. Sounds interesting. Let’s have a look into the details of this anime film.
Studio Ponoc released a trailer for its anime film adaptation of A.F. Harrold and Emily Gravett’s The Imaginary novel. The film will open in Japan on December 15.
The official trailer shows the story of Rudger, an imaginary friend created by Amanda, a girl who lost love. The animation is breathtaking, and the voice cast is excellent. The trailer looks promising, and we might be in for a treat this December.
The main cast of the anime film was announced with the trailer, and here’s the list.
| Character | Cast | Other Works |
| Rudger | Kokoro Terada | Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Kanketsu-hen (Selim Bradley) |
| Amanda | Rio Suzuki | Dororo (Dororo) |
| Lizzie | Sakura Ando | N/A |
| Emily | Riisa Naka | Girl Who Lept Through Time(Makoto Konno) |
| Jinzan | Takayuki Yamada | Bakuman(Akira Hattori) |
| Downbeat Grandma | Atsuko Takahata | X (Kanoe) |
| Mr. Bunting | Issey Ogata | Phoenix: Eden17 (Sudarban) |
The novel this movie is based on was incredibly successful. Generally, stories based on books tend to be better and more enjoyable. The storyline has novelty, and the animation has a magical feel.
This is a must-try movie for all anime fans, regardless of its genre.
About The Imaginary
The Imaginary is a 2014 British children’s novel written by A. F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett. It is about a small girl, Amanda, and her imaginary friend, Rudger. An anime film adaptation by Studio Ponoc has been announced. Initially set for a Q3 2022 release, it was later delayed to December 15, 2023 due to production issues.
The publisher describes the novel:
Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup’s imaginary friend. Nobody else can see Rudger–until the evil Mr. Bunting arrives at Amanda’s door. Mr. Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumor has it that he even eats them. And now he’s found Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. He needs to find Amanda before Mr. Bunting catches him–and before Amanda forgets him and he fades away to nothing. But how can an unreal boy stand alone in the real world?
Source: Studio Ponoc
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