The Imaginary

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The Imaginary

PG,

2024,

1h 48m,

Fantasy/

Adventure/

Anime

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91%

82 Reviews

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Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

82 Reviews

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Rudger is a boy no one can see, imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger, suddenly alone, arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where forgotten Imaginaries live and find work, he faces a mysterious threat.

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Critics Consensus

A visually splendid and emotionally resonant anime film that appeals to the child in everyone, The Imaginary is a flight of fancy that audiences won't mind getting swept up in.

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Alex Dudok de Wit

Sight & Sound

Dec 22, 2025

The Imaginary is more classical: it is designed and animated in a Miyazaki-esque mode to match the story, notwithstanding the pronounced use of CGI and small innovations like the dimensional shading on the characters.

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Philip De Semlyen

Time Out

Jul 11, 2024

3/5

With no Ghibli film in the offing, The Imaginary is an often delightful way to fill the anime gap.

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Brandon Yu

New York Times

Jul 8, 2024

The movie falters periodically under the weight of its own dream logic, which can be hard to follow or flimsily constructed as the story gains momentum. But it’s mostly easy to move past those flaws in a work of such rich magical realism and heart.

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Tom Spoors

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jan 7, 2025

4.5/5

The Imaginary may wear its influences on its sleeve, but its gut-wrenching emotional moments and gorgeous animation more than make up for it.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Jul 24, 2024

8/10

The Imaginary is a fantastic new addition to a long-running tradition of exceptional Japanese fantasies.

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Jenna Busch

VitalThrills.com

Jul 23, 2024

8.5/10

"... it completely taps into the feel of how detailed and rich a kid’s imagination can be, but the simplicity of the stories they tell themselves because they have only lived so much."

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Yoshiyuki Momose

Director

Louie Rudge-Buchanan

Rudger

Evie Kiszel

Amanda

Hayley Atwell

Lizzie

Sky Katz

Emily

Jeremy Swift

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The Imaginary: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Rudger is a boy no one can see, imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger, suddenly alone, arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where forgotten Imaginaries live and find work, he faces a mysterious threat.

Director: Yoshiyuki Momose
Producer: Yoshiaki Nishimura
Screenwriter: Yoshiaki Nishimura
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Studio Ponoc
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Peril|Some Violence|Scary Images)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 28, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 5, 2024
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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