Belle (2021) Full Synopsis & Explaining the Story to the End (Spoilers)

Belle(Official) is a theatrical animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda, released on July 16, 2021.

This film tells the story of Suzu, a 17-year-old high school girl living with her father in a rural town in Kochi, who gains worldwide popularity as the singer “Belle” in the massive internet space known as <U>. Using Beauty and the Beast as a motif, it is a moving work that depicts slander and anonymity in modern internet society, as well as the preciousness of “singing for someone else.”

This article provides a “spoiler-free synopsis” for those who haven’t seen the movie yet, followed by a “synopsis with spoilers” that touches on the core of the story, as well as an explanation and analysis of the narrative. First, let’s review the basic information about the film.

*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “「竜とそばかすの姫」のあらすじ(ネタバレあり)-結末までのストーリーを解説・考察-”.

Basic Information about Belle

Film Overview

Main Characters and Voice Cast List

Character Map

Glossary: Virtual World <U> and the Key Term “Unveil”

<U>, the setting of the story, is the ultimate virtual space registered by over 5 billion people worldwide. With the tagline “Come, live another you. Come, start a new life. Come, change the world,” it is depicted as a place where one can walk a life different from reality.

Users participate as avatars called “As,” which are automatically generated by scanning biometric information, thus heavily reflecting the person’s appearance and hidden inner self. The biggest feature is that through the latest “body sharing” technology, the physical sensations and physical abilities of the real world are linked to the As. This allows even people who lack confidence in reality to unleash their potential and live in “another reality.”

Also, a key element in the story is the function called “Unveil.” This refers to the act of forcibly removing the guise of an As and exposing the appearance of the “Origin” (the real person) to the entire world. Anonymity in <U> is an absolute right, and Unveiling, which strips that away, is feared as the ultimate sanction that could mean social death for the target. Originally, it is a punitive authority that only the creators of U and Justin, the leader of the vigilante group Justice, can exercise, but in the story, the meaning of this act changes dramatically.

Belle Synopsis (No Spoilers)

Suzu Naito, a 17-year-old living in a nature-rich village in Kochi Prefecture. When she was young, she lost her mother right before her eyes when her mother tried to save a strange child stranded in a swollen river. Her mother gave her own life jacket to the child and was swallowed by the muddy stream in exchange.

Furthermore, the public fiercely bashed her mother’s action of saving a total stranger while leaving her own young daughter (Suzu) behind, calling it “reckless” and “self-responsibility.” This event became a deep trauma, and Suzu became unable to sing the songs she loved so much. She distanced herself from her father and lived with a lid on her heart.

One day, invited by her best friend Hiro, she joins the virtual world “U” on the internet, where over 5 billion people gather from all over the world.

In <U>, one can live as an avatar called “As.” Suzu participates with an avatar named “Belle,” and strangely enough, she finds she can sing naturally in the world of <U>, even though she cannot sing in reality.

Belle’s singing voice instantly becomes a topic worldwide, and she becomes a charismatic diva overnight. However, on the day of her massive concert, a violent avatar known as “The Dragon” suddenly appears and ruins the concert. The “Dragon” has countless bruises on his back, and his eyes look somewhat lonely.

Hated by the world and chased by the vigilante group “Justice” that upholds righteousness, the “Dragon.” For some reason, Suzu cannot get him out of her mind and attempts to find his true identity and touch his heart—

Belle Synopsis (Spoilers Ahead)

[Introduction] The Birth of Diva Bell and the Encounter with “The Dragon”

Suzu Naito, a 17-year-old high school girl living in a rural town in Kochi, lost her mother in an accident during her childhood. Her mother lost her life to save a strange girl stranded in a swollen river, but the public cast a cold bash on that action, asking, “Was it necessary to save a stranger even if it meant leaving her own daughter behind?” Suzu also suffered from her mother’s choice to choose a stranger’s life over life with her, became unable to sing the songs she loved, and spent her days acting like a stranger to her father.

At that time, her best friend Hiro (Hiroka Betsuyaku) introduces her to the virtual space <U>. When Suzu joins as the As (avatar) “Belle,” she strangely finds she can sing in that world. Initially, the reaction was not great, but only a small angel As liked her song. Eventually, Belle’s song became a hot topic in the blink of an eye, and partly because <U>’s body sharing technology drew out Suzu’s potential, she became popular enough for people to get excited about finding her true identity.

Then, on the day of Belle’s first concert, a black beast As called “The Dragon” barges in along with the vigilante group “Justice.” “The Dragon” is a strong fighter who has continued to break winning records since appearing 7 months ago, but he is loathed for his violent and selfish style and was in combat with “Justice,” who protects order. “The Dragon” overwhelms members other than Justice and leaves the scene, leaving only the leader Justin behind. Due to this turmoil, “The Dragon” begins to be hailed as a hero among children around the world, and a movement to find his whereabouts, called the “Castle,” spreads.

[Development] Interaction at the Dragon’s Castle and Flaming in the Real World

Suzu and Hiro also identify the location of the “Dragon’s” castle, but since Hiro had to attend supplementary lessons, Suzu decides to storm the castle alone. The one who guided Suzu as she searched for the castle was that small angel As who first listened to her song. Encountering “The Dragon” inside the castle, he threatens Suzu, saying, “Get out or I’ll crush you,” but shows deep kindness to the angel As. In the end, the Dragon shuts himself deep in the castle, and she couldn’t learn his true identity, but Suzu senses that he is not just a violent beast.

Meanwhile, at school in the real world, a flaming incident occurs centering on Suzu. Her childhood friend Shinobu (Shinobu Hisatake) boasts abnormal popularity among female students in the school, and his every move attracts attention. It started when other students saw Suzu accidentally having her hand held by him. Suzu was misunderstood regarding her relationship with Shinobu and became the target of severe bashing from jealous female students.

Thanks to Hiro’s efforts, the turmoil subsides, but this time, Ruka, a classmate with model-level beauty who is also popular with female students, approaches her for “consultation.” Suzu assumes that the person Ruka has feelings for is Shinobu and falls deeply into depression, thinking her own love will not bear fruit.

Heartbroken, Suzu visits the “Dragon’s” castle again but is strongly rejected once more. On her way back, Suzu (Belle) is questioned by Justice. They suspected that Belle knew the Dragon’s whereabouts. Just as the leader Justin is about to take forceful measures, “The Dragon” appears and rescues Belle. Through this incident, the distance between them shrinks a little, and Belle notices that the countless bruises on the Dragon’s back are a manifestation of emotional wounds, and she sings a song for him.

However, the search for the Dragon’s identity heats up in the world, and Belle is also abducted by Justice. Saved from a desperate pinch by Hiro and the AI bots managing the Dragon’s castle, Suzu senses that danger is approaching the Dragon and strongly resolves to be his ally.

[Twist] Crossed Loves and the Reality of Abuse

In the real world, it turns out that the person Ruka has feelings for is not Shinobu, but Suzu’s friend Kamishin (Shinjiro Chikami). And, by chance meeting at the station, Ruka’s feelings are magnificently conveyed to Kamishin (Happy ending!). Shinobu appears before Suzu, who watched over the situation, and says, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to say.” It seemed like a confession, but what came out of his mouth was the accusation, “You are Belle, aren’t you, Suzu?”

Suzu manages to escape the scene, but she receives contact from Hiro that the “Dragon’s” castle has been exposed by Justice and is under attack. To save the Dragon, Suzu and Hiro begin searching for his Origin (true identity) and discover a live stream of a boy humming the song she dedicated to the Dragon.

The video showed a boy being abused by his father and his older brother, Kei, desperately trying to protect his younger brother. Suzu intuitively feels that this brother is the “Dragon.” Suzu attempts an online call and tells him, “I am Belle,” but Kei does not believe her and cuts the call, venting his distrust and hostility toward the world.

How can she gain their trust? Shinobu suggests she expose her own self in <U> and sing. Suzu makes up her mind, performs an “Unveil (identity reveal)” while hundreds of millions of people around the world watch, and begins to sing not as Belle, but as “Suzu Naito.” That singing voice moved the world and reached Kei’s closed heart.

[Conclusion] Confrontation in Rainy Musashi-Kosugi and Reconciliation with Father

Kei and his brother, moved by Suzu’s song, try to make contact, but their father finds them, and the connection is cut. Suzu and her friends analyze the environmental sounds in the recorded video and pinpoint their location to Musashi-Kosugi, Kanagawa Prefecture (an area in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to Ota Ward, Tokyo). They immediately report it to the child consultation center, but fearing a delay in response, Suzu decides to go to them herself.

On her way to Tokyo via train and night bus, Suzu contacts her father. Her father, who had already been informed of the situation, did not stop his daughter but sent her off warmly, saying, “Be kind to that child.”

Arriving in Tokyo’s Musashi-Kosugi in the rain, Suzu finds the two boys who had run out of their house. Their father chases after them and appears, but Suzu shields the two and stands in his way. Overwhelmed by the spirit of Suzu, who stands in his way without fear of being hurt, the father exposes his pathetic state and flees. Seeing her powerful figure, Kei solidifies his resolve to fight, rather than just enduring the abuse.

Suzu returns to Kochi and is warmly welcomed by her father and friends. Released from the curse of her mother’s death and having completed a major task, Suzu has become able to interact with her father a little more naturally. Just as her mother impulsively saved a stranger’s child in the past, she herself moved without reason to save them. Through that experience, Suzu was finally able to realize the depth of her mother’s love and the feelings of the people who supported her.

Analysis and Important Points of Belle

1: Why Only “Song” Could Change the World and Connect Two Hearts

At the root of this work is the “power of song” that transcends words and logic (it seems that depicting “music” as imagery was one of the themes in visual expression). Suzu, who lost her singing voice due to her mother’s death, simultaneously lost her “means of connecting with the world.” That she regained her voice as Belle in <U> is simply because donning the mask of anonymity liberated her from fear and self-consciousness. Initially, her singing might have been for healing herself or seeking approval.

However, the core of the story lies in the transformation of the song’s purpose from “for oneself” to “for someone else.” When she met the wounded Dragon (Kei) and wished to save him, Suzu’s song sublimated into a prayer. However, no matter how beautiful the words she used to scream “I want to help,” as long as she remained the avatar “Belle,” it only resonated as “hypocritical nonsense” in Kei’s closed heart. Words can lie as much as one wants, but even in a virtual world, a figure singing while whittling down their soul cannot lie.

That is why the “Unveil (identity reveal)” at the climax was indispensable. To cast off the armor of the beautiful and perfect “Belle” while hundreds of millions watched, and to sing as the life-sized “Suzu,” full of freckles and trembling. That was an act of exposing her own weakness and wounds, and the only way to stand on equal ground with Kei, who was also wounded.

As a result, her singing voice became a light in the virtual space <U> and illuminated Kei’s despair in the real world. Just as her mother jumped into the river without logic, Suzu also sang without logic and ran toward Tokyo. This work depicts the hope that even in an internet society rampant with anonymous malice, when a person sings thinking of someone else in earnest, that singing voice can transcend physical distance and emotional walls to become a power that changes the world.

This story can be said to depict the power “song” possesses maximized to the utmost limit, and perhaps because it truly can hold such power, humanity has never discarded “song” or “music.” And, just as Suzu was in the beginning, this work asserts that losing “song” is as serious as losing “language.”

2: The Sin and Hope of Virtual Space — A Story That Rather Attacks Superficial Goodwill

In this work, words on the net are depicted extremely clearly as “shitty things.” And because it is depicted so explicitly, it feels a bit preachy. When it is depicted that clearly, a feeling of wanting to say “I know, I know” sprouts in me.

However, such explicit parts are actually not the essence of this story; rather than such anonymous malice, this work (through Kei’s words) expresses that superficial goodwill is far worse.

In the first place, the anonymity of the virtual space is not depicted only negatively. The protagonist Suzu was able to take a new step forward precisely because the virtual space <U> existed. The same goes for Kei and his brother.

This work depicts the malice and sin of virtual space and anonymity in an overly wicked way, but I think it can be considered that this was rather to balance the work. If it only depicted the valuable experiences Suzu and others gained through the virtual space, it wouldn’t end there; people would point out that it’s not all good.

It seems natural to view that the “malice of anonymity” depicted in this work was a precaution to allow the work to exist.

Also, the fact that the internet played a role in the production stage of this movie is evident from Director Mamoru Hosoda’s statement in the following Anime Hack interview article “‘Belle’ Director Mamoru Hosoda’s Internet-like Creation Method and the Future of Animation”:

“This movie is set inside the internet, and isn’t it a story about nameless talents blossoming there? So, dragged along by the content, we decided to look for people to design that world on the internet. For example, there is a university student in Texas named Eric; we found him on the internet, reached out to him, and had him participate in the work.”

(Original Text in Japanese)
「今回の映画はインターネットのなかを舞台にして、そこで無名の才能が花開くという話じゃないですか。そうすると内容に引きずられて、その世界をデザインする人もインターネットのなかで探してみようとなったんです。例えば、エマニュエルというテキサス州の大学生がいるんですけど、彼はインターネットで探しあてて声をかけて作品に参加してもらいました。」

The person named Eric (mentioned as Emmanuel in the quote, likely referring to Eric Wong or a similar contributor found online; the quote mentions “Emmanuel” but context usually refers to Eric Wong for the U world design and Jin Kim for characters. *Note: Eric Wong is the architect who designed U. The text says Emmanuel, perhaps referring to another staff or a slip of tongue, but the point remains about internet recruitment.*) handled concept art or character design for non-Japanese characters. Also, the design of the world of <U> was handled by an architect named Eric Wong, who was found using the internet.

From this perspective as well, it seems reasonable to think that the “Internet” in this work is basically depicted as something positive.

3: The Mystery of the Characters with Excessively Long Limbs — Victims of CG Emotional Expression

Lastly, I’d like to think about the oddly long-limbed character designs, which is more of a “speculation” or “accusation” than an “explanation.”

I don’t think I’m the only one who thought, “Legs are sooo long, arms are sooo long, how many heads tall are they?” the moment I saw the scene where Suzu’s father appeared after the movie started.

One could criticize this saying, “It’s a weird character design. It doesn’t depict Japanese people. What kind of complex is that?” but… I believe there was a compelling reason for that design.

The hint lies in the interview from Anime Hack titled “‘Belle’ Director Mamoru Hosoda’s Internet-like Creation Method and the Future of Animation” cited above. In it, Director Hosoda states the following:

“We have tried various things regarding how to express animation movies using CG, such as moving natural objects or crowds, but this time, we finally challenged the highest hurdle: letting characters act and express emotions, which should be called the main keep.”

(Original Text in Japanese)
「CGを使ってアニメーション映画をどのように表現できるか、自然物や群衆を動かしてみたり、さまざまな試みをしてきましたが、今回ついに本丸とも言うべきキャラクターにお芝居をさせて感情表現をするという、もっともハードルの高いことにチャレンジしました。」

In other words, in my opinion, in order to make characters express rich emotions using CG, arms, legs, and height needed to be as long as they are in the film. And since it would be strange if only the characters in the world of <U> had such physical characteristics, the living humans in the real world also had similar characteristics.

Wouldn’t that be the case?

It’s a bit of a cynical view, but if we think this way, doesn’t it explain those mysterious proportions? It is nothing more than a personal “speculation,” though.

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That concludes my personal summary, explanation, and analysis of “Belle.”

I think Director Hosoda has been depicting “family” ever since Summer Wars, and this time too, the heavy issue of “abuse” was depicted. Even so, thanks in part to the modern technology of the “Internet,” it managed to have a positive ending.

Overall, I think it was a good movie, but what kind of movie was “Belle” for all of you?