Belle: The Art of Frustration

Controversial Opinion: I Couldn’t Bring Myself to Enjoy Belle

For those who have heard of it, the release of this animated film generated a great deal of buzz back in 2021, thanks to its animation, visuals, and story. To be completely honest, after watching the trailer, I was eager to see it myself.

Unfortunately, the impression I was left with was very different from what I had hoped for.

Summary

Suzu can no longer sing after a family tragedy. Withdrawn and isolated, she discovers a new virtual reality platform called « U. » After some hesitation, she decides to sign up.

In this digital world, she finds her voice again and eventually becomes an international sensation, performing concerts that sell out in no time. It is there that she meets the Beast—or the Dragon, depending on the version—a mysterious figure being pursued by self-appointed authorities within the world of « U. »

Intrigued, she becomes interested in the secrets hidden within the Beast’s castle, unaware that the virtual world is not as far removed from reality as it seems.

Now that the summary is out of the way, let’s get to the rest.

Point of view

First of all, I have to admit that I enjoyed the visuals and animation, which are absolutely stunning. The few songs included in the film, as well as the rest of the soundtrack, are beautiful. However…

I found myself frustrated on more than one occasion and, for once, I am going to discuss spoilers to support my argument. Consider yourselves warned.

I have several complaints, one of the main ones being the lack of development given to certain story arcs. You cannot ask me to support a character simply by introducing them, then show me the conclusion of their journey without spending any time on the journey itself.

Suzu struggles to sing in the real world. Once she enters « U, » she starts singing, attracting a few curious glances—and then nothing. Cut. Next scene: Suzu, now known as Belle, is performing in front of thousands of people. She is adored, celebrated, and that’s it.

Where did her growth go? What happened to her shyness? Her first steps toward recognition? Her gradual rise to fame? An entire section of the protagonist’s development was simply taken away from me, and everyone seems perfectly fine with it.

I’ll spare you my thoughts on some of the romantic subplots and the process of overcoming trauma, because those were also swept away by time skips. I probably sound a little irritated, and yet I’m writing this article more than a year after watching the film.

Another issue I have is what I consider a broken promise.

I was sold a reinterpretation of Beauty and the Beast. At least, that’s what was heavily implied. In that case, I expect certain elements: mystery, deceptive appearances, a romance that gradually develops despite differences…

And I got none of that. Or rather, I got the appearances and the mystery, but not the central element: the romance. Maximum frustration achieved.

I understand why the two protagonists do not develop a romantic relationship. But if that’s the case, don’t present me with a story modeled after Beauty and the Beast as a way to draw me in.

I later learned that the number of songs was limited because the film ultimately could not become the musical it was originally intended to be. That certainly explains some creative decisions, but it also raises questions about parts of the screenplay in my eyes.

If you’re telling me about a singer, I want songs. If you were telling me about a dancer, I would expect choreography, training sessions, performances, and so on. Instead, because of this artistic limitation, we end up with even more time skips. It’s enough to make you want to bang your head against a wall.

Conclusion

From my perspective, the film format is simply too short to give this story the room it needs to breathe.

As a result, the character arcs feel compressed, some conclusions arrive far too quickly, and in the end, I never felt emotionally connected to any of the characters.

The film is beautiful, certainly, but I can’t recommend it unless you’re curious and want to see for yourself what I’m talking about.

If any of you have a different opinion, I would be delighted to discuss it. Perhaps my frustration has overshadowed my objectivity, and I would be more than happy to change my mind if given the opportunity.

In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful day—with a bitter cookie on the menu.