Good morning. It’s time for a new Rising Sun, and today’s film is a wonder from some of Japan’s most creative minds.

The film of discussion today is Expelled from Paradise, written by Gen Urobuchi of NitroPlus, who wrote Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Saya’s Song and Fate/Zero. Also of note is the fact that it is Toei Company Ltd.’s first original animated film in 20 years.

In the film, most likely Urobuchi’s first science fiction work since Psycho-Pass, the Earth is nothing but desert and 98% of humanity has left it behind for DEVA, a virtual space that can be viewed as paradise. But when DEVA is hacked by a mysterious figure called Frontier Setter, the higher-ups grow concerned and send their ambitious agent Angela to Earth in a physical body to investigate.

It’s a typical plotline for Urobuchi, a call to action followed by a series of unexpected twists leads to a exploration on what it means to be human. This is especially prevalent in Expelled from Paradise since Angela has to get used to the limitations of a physical human body. This storyline is backed up by CGI animation so much like 2D anime that the difference is indistinguishable at times, similar to how SquareSoft’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within could be mistaken for a live-action film. The two elements come together for a climax that’ll make mecha anime fans squeal with joy. On the downside however, the fashion choices of DEVA agents, Angela included, are a bit questionable.

It’s clear that the positives outweigh the negatives however, and since Japan is a nation that has tried to avoid CGI animation for as long as possible, Expelled from Paradise on Netflix can be seen as a Japanese Toy Story. It’s a film I can recommend to fans of science fiction, as well as fans of Gen Urobuchi’s more well known works.