7.7
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Big Fish & Begonia (2016)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Viewer Rating
Rating: 7.7
Overview
Beyond the human realm, there is a magical race of beings who control the tides and the changing of the seasons. One of these beings, a young girl named Chun, seeks something more—she wants to experience the human world! At sixteen, she finally gets her chance and transforms into a dolphin in order to explore the world that has her fascinated. But she soon discovers that it's a dangerous place and nearly gets killed in a vortex. Luckily, her life is spared when a young boy sacrifices himself to save her. Moved by his kindness and courage, she uses magic to bring him back to life only to learn that this power comes at a serious price. On a new adventure, she’ll have to make her own sacrifices in order to protect his soul until it is ready to return to the human world.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Overview
Beyond the human realm, there is a magical race of beings who control the tides and the changing of the seasons. One of these beings, a young girl named Chun, seeks something more—she wants to experience the human world! At sixteen, she finally gets her chance and transforms into a dolphin in order to explore the world that has her fascinated. But she soon discovers that it's a dangerous place and nearly gets killed in a vortex. Luckily, her life is spared when a young boy sacrifices himself to save her. Moved by his kindness and courage, she uses magic to bring him back to life only to learn that this power comes at a serious price. On a new adventure, she’ll have to make her own sacrifices in order to protect his soul until it is ready to return to the human world.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
The film explores universal themes of love, sacrifice, and the tension between individual desire and collective well-being, without explicitly promoting a specific political ideology. It balances the critique of rigid rules with the emphasis on the severe repercussions of disrupting established order, leading to a neutral rating.
As a Chinese animated film, 'Big Fish & Begonia' naturally features a cast that is diverse from a global perspective, without engaging in explicit race or gender swaps of traditionally Western roles. The narrative focuses on universal themes of love and sacrifice within its fantasy setting, rather than critiquing traditional identities or making explicit DEI themes central to the story.
Secondary
The film features strong queer subtext, particularly through Qiu's intense and self-sacrificing love for Chun, which is widely interpreted as romantic. This devotion is depicted with dignity and complexity, affirming the worth of his feelings despite the tragic outcome, resulting in a net positive portrayal.
Big Fish & Begonia does not feature any discernible transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. The story primarily explores themes of sacrifice, destiny, and the balance between different realms, without engaging with transgender identity or experiences.
The film primarily features magical and elemental conflicts rather than direct physical combat. Female characters, such as Chun and her grandmother, possess significant powers but do not engage in or win close-quarters physical fights against male opponents.
Big Fish & Begonia is an original animated film. Its main characters and narrative were created for this production, not adapted from pre-existing source material where characters had established genders that were then changed.
Big Fish & Begonia is an original animated film, not an adaptation of pre-existing material with established characters or a depiction of historical figures. Therefore, no characters were canonically established as a different race prior to this film.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.0
7.4
Critic Ratings
9.4
7.2
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