Summary
Anime on Netflix continues to thrive, and with this latest project by formerStudio Ghiblimembers,The Imaginary, viewers will get their most magical glimpse yet. Netflix recently released the English dub trailer for the Studio Ponoc production, set for a June 05, 2025 release date while featuring the same Studio Ghibli-style visuals from previous projects.
Thanks to a trailer from Netflix, not only isThe Imaginary’sJuly 5 release date confirmed, but the English voice cast is revealed with impressive screen talent featured, alongside a preview of the film’s plot.
It features Yoshiyuki Momose, longtime Ghibli and Ponoc key animator, in the director’s chair asAmanda and her imaginary friend, Rudger, navigate a fabricated world threatened by evil forces.
Netflix Anime Film The Imaginary Looks Positively Magical
Studio Ghibli’s Influence is Immediately Apparent in Upcoming Summer Release
Along with an endearing adventure into the fantastical worlds and endearing themes fans have come to expect of Studio Ghibli and Ponoc,impressive English voices will feature among the cast including Hayley Atwell, LeVar Burton, and Kal Penn. Ponoc also features previous works, directed by Momose, like 2018’sModest Heroes.According toAnime News Network,The Imaginarywas originally slated for a 2022 release until a significant delay occurred.
The Imaginary’sEnglish voice cast includes the following:
The tradition of bringing on popular screen actors alongside established voiceover presences like Roger Craig Smith carries over from Studio Ghibli, who have long used well-known Hollywood talent, including the voices of Christian Bale, Uma Thurman, Cary Elwes, and many more.
Production issues caused by the global pandemic causedThe Imaginaryto be moved to a later release date, now hitting the Netflix streaming service on July 10, 2025. Thankfully, this has not halted the story from coming out entirely. Even in cases likeJohn Krasinski’sIFfilm,the concept of imaginary friends as they relate to childhood crosses generations, being accessible to all audiences in the case ofThe Imaginary’sanime film.
The Imaginary Shows a Mix of Existentialism and Childhood Wonder
Fantasy Escapism is Prevalent Across All Ages
As the trailer quickly reveals, Rudger is Amanda’s imaginary friend, yet he’s also fully aware of the world around her, including other “invisible” creatures that soon appear. This leads them to a world of other fantastical creatures and humanoids whose dependency on imagination resembles the real world’s creatures needing air to live. The themes of children eventually growing up and forgetting their imaginary friends are present inThe Imaginary,just as in other popular films likeInside Out.Still, Rudger is not about to let himself be forgotten without a fight.
The themes of children eventually growing up and forgetting their imaginary friends are present inThe Imaginary, just as in other popular films likeInside Out.Still, Rudger is not about to let himself be forgotten.
Despite reality being an existential threat to characters inThe Imaginary, the intense and phantasmagorical clashing concepts of imagination create a visual journey that’ll be unforgettable in this Netflix anime film. It explores various themes, including the realities individuals create for themselves and how they can be comforting and metaphysically real.The Imaginarywill be the latest colorful anime adventure for all ages to adore when it hits Netflix on August 10, 2025.
