BELLE’s dragon gets a monument in the real town where the movie is set

Mamoru Hosoda’s animated film BEAUTIFUL would take place in Ochi, a small Japanese town in Kochi prefecture. Because of this connection, a Dragon monument was placed in a local museum called the Yokogurayama Natural Forest Museum.

The monument is over 2 meters tall, or approximately six and a half feet. It was created by Kaiyodo Co., a major figure manufacturer. It cost 8.4 million yen (about $62,100) to have the monument built and placed. Unlike some otaku landmarks that are only here for a limited time, this one is here to stay.

No doubt the monument is meant to be a boost in attracting tourists. As it stands, more than 13,000 people have visited the local bridge in the four months since BEAUTIFUL was released in Japan.

“We hope that people who visit the city after seeing the film think that the nature of Ochi is important and that their experiences serve as a catalyst to pass it on to future generations,” remarked Yasuyuki Koda, Mayor of Ochi. .

There was an unveiling ceremony for the monument, and of course Hosoda himself was there. “When I visited Ochi three years ago, I felt like I had stumbled across the location for my movie,” he said.

GKIDS authorized BEAUTIFULand gave this description for the movie:

“From acclaimed Oscar®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, creators of Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Warsand more, comes a fantastic and heartfelt story of growing up in the age of social media.

Suzu is a shy and ordinary high school girl who lives in a rural village. For years, she was only a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a huge virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and world-famous singer. One day, his concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature pursued by vigilantes. As their hunt intensifies, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious “beast” and uncover its true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Source: The Asahi Shimbun

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Danica Davidson is the bestselling author manga art for beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus her suite, Manga art for everyoneand the first manga chalk book of its kind Manga Art Chalk, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out his other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.