The Imaginary

From the Creators of Mary and the Witches Flower, Studio Ponoc once again has exceeded expectations for those that are too impatient to wait for another Studio Ghibli classic or have been underwhelmed by Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, The Boy and the Heron (also known as How Do You Live? In Japanese)

Founded by a former lead producer of Studio Ghibli Yoshiyuki Nishimura, his Ponoc sets out to showcase the magic some feel is currently missing at Studio Ghibli. So far, they have released Mary and The Witches Flower (2016), Modest Heroes (2018) and now The Imaginary (2023), all of which have received positive acclaim.

Originally set to be released in 2022, the endless production delays of the film meant that it was not released in Japanese cinemas until 15th December 2023, with an international release achieved via a Netflix-exclusive deal on 5th July 2024.

Based on the novel of the same name by A.F Harrold which was originally published in 2014, it’s set in a British-like village, where the two main  protagonists reside. Amanda Shuffleup, a girl who has been dealing with the sudden loss of her father, creates an imaginary friend named Rudger, who is a young boy roughly the same age as Amanda to cope with the loneliness following her bereavement.

They often go on adventures with Amanda’s mother, Elizabeth Shuffleup, whether it's travelling is to school, car outings or even to the shops, they are always together. However, because Rudger cannot be seen by others besides Amanda, Elizabeth often gets very annoyed over Rudger’s presence. Despite this, Rudger plays a huge part in Amanda’s life and her life circumstances later on in the film.

However, one day, Amanda and Rudger, get approached by Mr. Bunting, a human figure who eats “Imaginaries” just so he is able to live. He  almost eats Rudger, but is saved by Amanda who runs as quickly as she can back to her mother to tell her about the incident, but whilst they were on they way, Amanda then gets run over by a car, after which Amanda loses consciousness, leading to her being hospitalised.

With Rudger at risk of being forgotten due to Amanda no longer being conscious and able to keep his spirit alive, Rudger must learn to accept his fate and help save Amanda, even at the risk of his own existence.

Overall, this film has many elements of the Ghibli spirit, especially with the discussion of childhood innocence and the major importance of keeping optimistic dreams alive even during the darkest moments of our lives, to maintain our own mental well-being and spirituality within ourselves.

Whilst, it does not have the classical Ghibli-style animation like we saw on Mary’s and the Witches’ Flower, I am super pleased that the film and the studio has taken it’s own unique spin on their work whilst not being a copy-cat of Studio Ghibli’s previous efforts and trying to not be Studio Ghibli 2.0.

Although I am extremely disappointed that this did not follow an international cinematic release, at the same time, with the convenience of being able to watch it anytime on Netflix, this does not change the fact that it is certainly a worthwhile watch.

A truly long awaited follow-up, I highly recommend you go watch it if you are currently missing the Ghibli sparkle in your life.