Fridae

Adapted from a novel by Miyuki Miyabe, Brave Story is about how a young boy, Wataru, discovers the way into a fantasy kingdom known as Vision. If he manages to complete a number of trials in Vision, he will be given the right to ask a goddess to grant a single wish, which he plans to use to turn his problematic childhood into a normal one.

The storyline may not be very original, but Brave Story is nonetheless a visual spectacle. It does not have the emotional resonance that can be found in most Studio Ghibli animes, but there are scenes which are so well-animated that it will take your breath away. Director Koichi Chigira seems to understand that not all animes need a deep plot or complex characters to work, and has instead chosen the "easy way out" - by wowing the audience with aesthetics. The gambit has paid off, and this is one anime that will find a receptive mainstream audience aside from the core demographic that it's trying to woo.