Bubble
A 2022 Japanese animated post-apocalyptic science-fiction film produced by Wit Studio.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Bubble is a Japanese animated science-fiction and romance film produced by Wit Studio. Directed by Tetsurō Araki and written by Gen Urobuchi, the film combines a post-apocalyptic setting with parkour action, fairy-tale motifs, and a coming-of-age relationship between the parkour athlete Hibiki and the mysterious girl Uta. Character designs were created by Takeshi Obata, while Hiroyuki Sawano composed the score. The film was developed as a high-profile anime feature built around a visually distinctive version of Tokyo in which gravity and physical space have been disrupted by supernatural bubbles. The story takes place after an enormous bubble-related event centered on Tokyo Tower. The resulting anomalies make Tokyo dangerous and largely uninhabitable, but groups of young people remain in the city. They organize parkour competitions across the ruined urban landscape and use those contests as a way to exchange supplies and maintain social ties. Hibiki, an exceptionally skilled but socially isolated athlete whose hearing is unusually sensitive, becomes obsessed with a song apparently connected to Tokyo Tower. During an attempt to reach the tower, he falls into the sea. His breath combines with the bubbles, producing Uta, a girl who is initially unfamiliar with human life but rapidly learns through her contact with Hibiki and the other young survivors. Hibiki and Uta join the Blue Blazes parkour team and compete against the rival Morticians, also referred to as the Undertakers in some descriptions. Their relationship develops alongside the escalating bubble activity and the increasingly unstable environment. The film uses parkour not only as an action device but also as a visual language for trust, risk, communication, and freedom of movement. Its emotional framework draws on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, especially the idea of a nonhuman being gaining human experience at the cost of eventual transformation or disappearance. Bubble received early screenings at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2022. Netflix released it internationally on April 28, 2022, and Japan received a subsequent theatrical release in May. A manga adaptation illustrated by Erubo Hijihara ran on Shōnen Jump+ from April 22 to May 23, 2022. The film's promotional identity emphasized the combination of prominent anime creators, large-scale digital animation, action choreography, and music. Its opening theme, "Bubble feat. Uta," was performed by Eve, and its ending song, "Jaa ne, Mata ne," was performed by Riria, who also provided Uta's voice. Critical response was mixed. Reviewers commonly praised the animation, camera movement, parkour sequences, color design, and Sawano's score. Some critics also regarded the film as an emotionally sincere or visually poetic romance. More negative assessments focused on thin characterization, heavy exposition, predictable story elements, and a confusing or over-explained conclusion. The film was nevertheless notable as a globally distributed original anime feature with a strong creative and commercial partnership between Wit Studio and Netflix.
History
Bubble was developed as an original Japanese animated feature centered on an extraordinary visual premise: bubbles have altered the laws of reality, leaving Tokyo isolated by gravity anomalies and other physical distortions. Wit Studio produced the film, with Tetsurō Araki directing and Gen Urobuchi writing. The creative team also included Takeshi Obata as character designer and Hiroyuki Sawano as composer. Their involvement connected the project to several recognized areas of contemporary anime production, including large-scale action direction, science-fiction storytelling, distinctive character illustration, and orchestral or electronic film scoring. The film's fictional disaster begins with a major bubble event at Tokyo Tower. The concentration of bubbles transforms Tokyo into a hazardous zone that ordinary residents abandon. The surviving young inhabitants who remain behind create informal communities organized around parkour competitions. These events function as both entertainment and an economic system: teams navigate ruined buildings and altered gravity to compete while bartering for supplies. This setup gives the film a setting in which physical movement is central to survival and social identity. The protagonist, Hibiki, is a gifted parkour performer whose sensitivity to sound makes ordinary social interaction difficult. His attention is repeatedly drawn toward a song associated with Tokyo Tower. After an unsuccessful attempt to reach the tower, he falls into the ocean, where his final breath combines with the bubbles and generates Uta. She appears as a young woman with no ordinary human background, but quickly acquires language, social knowledge, and physical skill through her interactions with Hibiki and the Blue Blazes team. The central relationship develops while the team competes with the Morticians or Undertakers. Hibiki and Uta train together, and their partnership changes his previously isolated way of engaging with other people. At the same time, the bubbles become active again and threaten the remaining residents. Uta ultimately returns to Tokyo Tower in an attempt to stop the phenomenon, while Hibiki follows to rescue her. The conclusion deliberately echoes The Little Mermaid: Uta helps save Hibiki but dissolves into bubbles, leaving their relationship as a bittersweet transformation rather than a conventional romantic resolution. The restored city can then begin rebuilding, while the parkour communities continue their lives. Bubble's release strategy combined festival exposure, global streaming, and a Japanese theatrical run. It screened early at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2022. Netflix released it worldwide on April 28, and the film subsequently reached Japanese cinemas in May. The property was expanded through a manga adaptation by Erubo Hijihara, serialized on Shōnen Jump+ between April 22 and May 23, 2022. Music was also a prominent part of its identity: Eve performed the opening theme "Bubble feat. Uta," while Riria performed the ending song "Jaa ne, Mata ne" and voiced Uta. Reception reflected the film's division between visual achievement and narrative execution. Rotten Tomatoes listed 52 percent positive reviews from 22 critics, with an average rating of 5.6 out of 10, while Metacritic reported a score of 56 out of 100 from five critics. Positive reviews highlighted the fluid parkour animation, gravity-defying environments, emotional sincerity, vivid design, and Sawano's score. Less favorable reviews argued that the characterization was underdeveloped, the exposition was excessive, and the finale was difficult to follow. The film's reported box-office gross was approximately $509,309, although the available reference does not specify the reporting period or the markets included.
- 2022
Berlin International Film Festival screening
[1]Bubble received an early screening at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 10.
- 2022
Worldwide Netflix release
[1]Netflix released the film worldwide on April 28.
- 2022
Manga serialization begins
[1]The manga adaptation illustrated by Erubo Hijihara began serialization on Shōnen Jump+ on April 22.
- 2022
Japanese theatrical release
[1]Bubble received a theatrical release in Japan in May.
Products and positioning
A visually ambitious original anime feature positioned at the intersection of post-apocalyptic science fiction, romance, fairy-tale adaptation, and parkour-driven action.
Animated feature film · 2022
Bubble
The core property is a Japanese animated post-apocalyptic science-fiction film produced by Wit Studio. It follows Hibiki, a parkour athlete living in an abandoned Tokyo, and Uta, a mysterious girl created through the interaction of a human breath and supernatural bubbles. The film combines action choreography, romance, fairy-tale structure, and a digitally rendered urban environment shaped by gravity anomalies.
Manga · 2022
Bubble manga adaptation
Erubo Hijihara illustrated a manga adaptation of the film. It was serialized on the Shōnen Jump+ platform from April 22 to May 23, 2022, extending the film's story property into a print and digital comics format.
Film music · 2022
Bubble soundtrack and theme music
Hiroyuki Sawano composed the film's score. Eve performed the opening theme "Bubble feat. Uta," and Riria performed the ending song "Jaa ne, Mata ne." The music supports the film's high-energy parkour sequences and its more melancholic romantic passages.
Brand decisions
2022
Combined global streaming and Japanese theatrical releaseStrategyBackground
The film was positioned for international access through Netflix while also receiving a later theatrical release in Japan.
Action taken
Netflix launched the film worldwide on April 28, followed by a Japanese theatrical release in May.
Aftermath
The release strategy gave Bubble both a global streaming window and a domestic cinema presence, while its early festival screening provided additional international exposure.
Recent events
- 2022
Bubble receives an early screening at the Berlin International Film Festival[1]
Other
The film had an early screening at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2022, before its streaming and Japanese theatrical releases.
- 2022
Netflix releases Bubble worldwide[1]
Product launch
Netflix made Bubble available worldwide on April 28, 2022, giving the original Japanese animated feature an international streaming launch.
- 2022
Bubble receives a Japanese theatrical release[1]
Product launch
Following its Netflix debut, Bubble was released theatrically in Japan in May 2022.
- 2022
Bubble manga adaptation runs on Shōnen Jump+[1]
Product launch
A manga adaptation illustrated by Erubo Hijihara was serialized on Shōnen Jump+ from April 22 through May 23, 2022.
Sources2 sources
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