Scarlet: Mamoru Hosoda’s Bold Anime Experiment Falls Short of Its Grand Ambition

Mamoru Hosoda, the visionary behind anime gems like Mirai, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Belle, returns with Scarlet, a visually stunning but thematically overstuffed epic that attempts to fuse Hamlet with isekai fantasy. While the film dazzles with breathtaking animation, its convoluted narrative and uneven execution leave it feeling more like a missed opportunity than a masterpiece.

A Revenge Story in a Desert Purgatory

Scarlet follows the titular princess (voiced by Mana Ashida), who awakens in the Land of the Dead—a sun-scorched, Caelid-esque desert where time folds in on itself. Her mission is clear: avenge her father’s murder and slay the uncle who usurped the throne. Along the way, she encounters Hijiri (Masaki Okada), a modern-day Japanese medic inexplicably dropped into this wasteland, who becomes both her guide and emotional anchor.

From the outset, Scarlet diverges from Hosoda’s usual fare. Gone are the gentle, introspective tones of his earlier works; instead, the film plunges into brutal, visceral battles. Scarlet’s journey is a relentless gauntlet of violence, with her battered body caked in dirt and bruises as she fights through hordes of raiders and knights. The Land of the Dead, with its collapsing time and space, serves as a haunting metaphor for purgatory, where the already departed wander endlessly, doomed to crumble into ash if slain again.

A Visual Marvel That Steals the Show

If there’s one thing Scarlet nails, it’s its visuals. Studio Chizu’s animation is nothing short of breathtaking, blending 2D and 3D character designs with crisp, picturesque 3DCG environments. The desert landscapes feel alive, with skies rendered like raging oceans and the warm glow of the sun practically emanating from the screen. The film’s action sequences are ferocious, with Scarlet carving through enemies with a steely ferocity that belies her delicate exterior. The way perished wanderers crumble into ash and dead leaves is both devastating and poetically final, reminiscent of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s gommage mechanic.

The film’s artistic talents are on par with Studio Orange and Ne Zha II, making Scarlet an undeniable visual feast. Whether it’s the shadow of a colossal dragon looming overhead or an insurmountable crowd flocking toward an erupting volcano, every frame is a work of art.

A Plot That Stumbles Under Its Own Weight

Unfortunately, Scarlet’s narrative struggles to match its visual splendor. The film’s central message—a familiar “do better” moral—is delivered in such a roundabout, self-consciously subversive way that it risks feeling trite. The plot, while predictable, tries too hard to circumvent expectations, leaving viewers more exasperated than enlightened.

A major culprit is Hijiri, who serves as Scarlet’s window character but feels more like a walking theme than a fully realized person. His tacked-on romance with Scarlet feels stale, and his inert presence slows the film’s momentum. The isekai framing, meant to bridge the modern and medieval worlds, ends up feeling more like a distraction than a meaningful lens for reimagining Hamlet.

The film’s reliance on the audience’s familiarity with Hamlet also becomes a double-edged sword. While it provides context for the ensemble and their relationships, it also makes the story feel inaccessible to those unfamiliar with the revenge tragedy. By the time the film reaches its climax, its message feels less profound than it does corny, leaving a sense of unfulfilled potential.

A Beautiful Mess

Scarlet is a film that unironically insists upon itself and its depth, piling flourish upon flourish until its once-clear ideas turn murky. While its animation is undeniably stunning, its shaky message and uneven execution leave it feeling like a beautiful mess. As a hybrid reimagining of one of the most famous revenge tales, filtered through already oversaturated anime genres, Scarlet is a film that will likely divide audiences.

For fans of Hosoda’s earlier works, Scarlet may feel like a departure too far. But for those willing to overlook its narrative flaws, it remains a visually arresting experience that showcases Studio Chizu’s unparalleled artistry.

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