Did you know that if you are careless with your possessions and ignore them, they will be stolen by foxes? True! At least it is true in the world of Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror.
Haruka is a 16-year-old girl who lost her mother at a young aged. She is being raised by her single father, and there are some issues. But skip all that and let’s get to the gist. The foxes get their hands on a mirror Haruka received from her mother just before her death, and Haruka wants the mirror back. She travels to the world below where foxes and other creatures live, assisted by Tao, who I think is actually some sort of pig, and by her old stuffed bear Cotton. Together the three take on the evil Baron who not only has Haruka’s mirror, but also all the mirrors in the land. Mirrors are magic, and the Baron is evil, so. . . . You get the picture.
Oblivion Island is not your standard anime. CGI animation is used giving an illusion of realism to this fantasy. Overall, the animation is superb, especially the action scenes. There are no stiff figures here, and no motionless crowd scenes.
The characterizations are also excellent. You feel their emotions, which is pretty impressive for animated characters. The Japanese dub actors provide voices which instill life into the various personalities.
There is no profanity, nudity or sexual situations. The violence is bloodless. So this is pretty much a family film, although there are some moments which may be a bit intense for younger children. Overall, Oblivion Island is a film which all should enjoy.
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