hello world movie review

REVIEW: 'Hello World' is a mind-boggling, sci-fi romance story

Hello world.

SINGAPORE — Set in futuristic Kyoto in 2027, anime film Hello World by director Tomohiko Itō is a complicated time travel love story. The story revolves around a guy named Naomi Katagaki, voiced by Takumi Kitamura — better known for his lead role in Japanese live-action film Let Me Eat Your Pancreas .

Hello World starts with an introduction of the quantum technology Alltale, which uses drones to document history. The official use of this technology is to allow the general public to toggle and see a particular place (think old castles in Kyoto) at any point of time in history in real life. But this magnificent technology secretly became the tool that Katagaki from ten years later in 2037, voiced by Toori Matsuzaka, uses to rewrite history.

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That being said, Hello World is actually unlike the usual time travel stories. Technically, Katagaki did not go back to the past. He merely accessed the data of the history stored in Alltale, which is billions of times more powerful than a supercomputer. After thousands of attempts to enter the world of Alltale, Katagaki finally met his old self, tasked with the mission to get him(self) a girlfriend. He is later called Sensei by young Katagaki, meaning “teacher” in Japanese, as he is ten years older.

In the world of Alltale, Sensei is merely an avatar who cannot touch anything. Alas, he could not even be seen by anyone except his younger self! Later in the story, Sensei reveals that he went back in time to save his girlfriend Ruri Ichigyo (voiced by Minami Hamabe) from getting struck by lightning during a fireworks festival. Unsuspecting Katagaki hopes to lend him a hand and agreed to make his dreams come true — to see Ichigyo smile again — even if this only changes the memories in Alltale and not reality.

What seems like a simple romance story turns out to be only the tip of an iceberg. Up until the fateful day of Ichigyo’s “death”, the narrative is relatively smooth (if you can accept the premise that the characters are basically bits of data inside a huge computer that somehow possess consciousness). But from the point where “history” is changed, the plot just goes spiralling into a black hole called confusion. To a certain extent, Hello World has some similarities to the oh-so-famous Inception , only a tad more complicated due to the existence of parallel worlds.

You have been warned: spoilers ahead!

Here’s an analysis of the worlds in the movie. First, there is the world of Katagaki in 2027, which is in Alltale and linked to the world of Katagaki or Sensei in 2037. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Sensei’s world also exists in Alltale. This means there is an external world known as the reality, which is probably the scene shown at the end where comatose Katagaki wakes up in the hospital with researcher-looking Ichigyo by his side. As the history is changed, Katagaki from 2027 returns to a parallel world where young Ichigyo is alive. Confused? Yeah, me too.

You are safe from spoilers now.

To sum it up, Hello World is a mind-boggling, sci-fi romance story, which is nothing like Your Name or Weathering with You. If you cannot take movies like Inception and Interstellar , this is definitely not your cup of tea. Otherwise, rejoice! This will be yet another puzzle to solve.

Running at 98 minutes and rated PG13 with some violence, Hello World opens in cinemas 24 October 2019.

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I am Yu Alexius. I talked about Chinese anime (donghua), Japanese animations; sharing anime reviews, updates, and recommendations.

“Hello World” Anime Film Review – Love Story that Transcends Space & Time

Imagine travelling back in time and in different space in order to save the person whom you treasured the most – this plot had been used several times in many movies and novels but it’s always refreshing to see it delivered in a heartfelt and astonishing experience and that is what we had in the 2019 sci-fi-romance anime film  Hello World . It’s a striking movie filled with emotional rollercoaster ride and mind-boggling plot twist which I seriously enjoyed and made me fall in love.

My first thought of it reminded me of  Makoto Shinkai ’s  Your Name , and other anime movies such as  Hal ,  The Girl Who Leapt Through Time , and  Orange  to name a few. And in this post I will share my  review about Hello World  and what are the lessons that I’ve learn from it. I felt like the whole experience of watching it was great and witnessing an accumulation of so many sci-fi and romance anime stories all weaved together to create a maelstrom of emotional ride.

Hello World Anime Overview

Hello World  is a 2019 anime film by director  Tomohiko Itou , screenplay by  Mado Nozaki , character designs by  Yukiko Horiguchi , and produced by  Graphinica . The movie was released on September 20, 2019 in Japan with  Takumi Kitamura ,  Tori Matsuzaka , and  Minami Hamabe  as its casts.  Hello World anime film has a total running time of 100 minutes with cinematography by  Yoshiki Obata , and music by  Official Hige Dandism ,  Nulbarich , and  Okamoto’s .

Hello World Synopsis

The year is 2027, and the city of Kyoto has undergone tremendous technological advancement. Within the city lives Naomi Katagaki, a socially awkward and introverted boy with a love for books, and Ruri Ichigyou, a girl with a cold personality who is often blunt with people, but shares his love for reading. Despite having similar interests, Naomi is afraid to approach Ruri due to her unfriendly nature. One day, as Naomi goes out for a walk, a crimson aurora pierces through the sky for a brief moment before vanishing. Shortly after, he sees a three-legged crow and a mysterious hooded man who reveals himself to be Naomi from 10 years in the future, explaining that he has come to change an imminent tragic event that happens to Ruri shortly after they start dating. Initially taking his words with a grain of salt, present-day Naomi follows his future self’s instructions and starts getting closer to Ruri, determined to save her. Hello World focuses on the present Naomi alongside himself from 10 years into the future. With the help of his future self, Naomi begins his preparations to save Ruri. Will he be able to change the future?

Story and Development

I have to admit this but the story had been quite confusing at some points. After watching the whole film, I really appreciate how amazing the whole ride was but some scenes left me hanging, what the hell actually happened there? And this is the point where I have to re-watch some scenes and also read some analysis of other viewers until I truly comprehend what actually took place.

Yes, the earlier part of the film is very crucial especially when Naomi’s adult self explain about ALLTALE Quantum technology – that’s the key point there and we could simply connect the dots then. While the story had some confusing moments, it is undeniable that the film offered a great cinematic journey of travelling in space and time, from future to present era, and returning back to the actual future which was revealed at the film’s end which gave me the feeling of remembering  Hal ’s dramatic plot twist.

The romance aspect is pretty generic, it’s your average romance story that we get from other anime out there. It’s a story of boy travelling to past to save her girl just to see her smile again, yes here’s the notorious line  I JUST WANTED TO SEE HER SMILE AGAIN . And this is where I felt a sense of de javu, that moment when I think that this movie could be another  Orange , or  The Girl Who Leapt Through Time , or  Your Name due to similarity in its plot and as well as those other  tearjerking anime movies  out there. While our main guy simply follows what his future self told him and I felt like this is kinda boring but it’s understandable since there’s the sci-fi genre plot armor.

Characters & Settings

The setting of the film was in a not faraway future, yes it’s 2027 Tokyo but also in 2037 as the latter part of the film had been in that era, though most of the time it is inside the 2027 record in ALLTALE.

Can we talk about how cute together the characters of Naomi and Ruri are? Yes,  Hello World  will not be perfect without the presence of anyone of them – although we barely see any character development on Ruri but her existence is essential for the whole story. Naomi’s world simply revolved around her and after watching the film, I am joining the bandwagon of anime fans who had been captivated by her.

Meanwhile adult Naomi is the one that I admired the most, he really did act like a mentor to his younger self and while we may hate him on what he did, his purpose is as genuine as ever as his feelings for Ruri.

Naomi in the contrary had shown great development throughout the film and we see how he exerted effort to learn what his adult self had taught him, and how much Ruri mean to him when he defied the odds by getting her back from the 2037 future timeline even if it means he will fight against the whole system of ALLTALE. Throughout this whole journey, we witnessed how he dedicates himself to achieve his goal, and that is to save Ruri no matter what – a reliable and independent protagonist that people can rely on.

Animation & Graphics

Hello World  is generally CG in animation style but is the computer-generated animation that we will always adore and appreciate. It’s well-made with consistent animation and stunningly beautiful visuals. The art seriously played vital roles in some scenes especially that one where Naomi and Ruri was in the bridge, it simply beautified that touching scene.4

Technically, the animation is simple but I think that’s where the movie had thrived and where the people could focus more on the emotional impact of the story. I actually enjoyed the gloomy ambiance of the film or it’s just my overall impression of the art style and color, it is calming and while there are multiple of colors used here, some people even said there’s a lot of rainbow here but I think it’s better compared to the color dynamics of Promare which almost had blinded my sight.

Image Stills & Screenshots

Here are some screenshots and image stills that we had seen from the movie:

Music/Sounds

Here comes one of the most striking features of  Hello World  and that is the soundtracks which were amazing and makes the mood of watching the story even more emotional and touching. I believed that the music were all used in the right places and right times within the film. It really correspond with the emotions that the characters felt in every given scenario and that’s what we as viewers had also experienced. It perfectly synced with the animation and scenes of the film.

Final Impression

My  final impression on Hello World  is actually surprisingly good. I have prepared myself watching it without expecting too much and that is why I was blown away when almost everything that happened in it had reverberate with my own standard and goes beyond my expectations in a good way. It’s very different from what you can think of based on watching the trailer and the surprises that followed had made my experienced of watching it an amazing one. While I am not a big sci-fi fan, I really appreciate the use sci-fi plot and intensified by romance elements to make this mind-blowing journey.

Moral Lessons

Bottom line of  Hello World  aside from its touching romance story and action-packed adventure is that, never mess up with time and space or else you’ll experience a paradox. While it feels great to see how Naomi and Ruri’s love transcended time and space, it also shown us that the boundary between different time and world is just as thin as a single thread where one simple changes or alteration could caused a gigantic paradox – a great contradiction in the flow of time.

This is where I will wrap up my  review of the anime film Hello World and I do hope that you’ll enjoy it or share the same thoughts as mine. Nonetheless, I am also excited to know what your thoughts about it are and what is your favorite scene from the movie? Please let us know by leaving a comment below and your own overall rating of experiencing it.

If you’re wanting to see more of heartfelt and touching romance anime movies, you may also enjoy to check our review on  I Want to Eat Your Pancreas  and  Ride Your Wave  – both had been a fantastic and emotional ride for me on a personal level and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Yu Alexius

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Hello world, common sense media reviewers.

Tech documentary gently tackles racial, gender inequality.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Examines racism and discrimination in the field of

Several of the people interviewed for the document

One use of the word "f--k."

A scene from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo shows

Scene from Jurassic Park shows Samuel L. Jackson's

Parents need to know that Hello World is a documentary written and directed by computer engineer Shawn Wildermuth. It explores the barriers to entry in his field for women and people of color -- barriers that reflect the racism and discrimination in society at large. There's one use of "f--k," but, as a whole…

Positive Messages

Examines racism and discrimination in the field of computer engineering, giving viewers more perspective and empathy for coders from marginalized communities. Lessons about unlearning prejudice and advocating against stigma teach viewers the importance of inclusion in society.

Positive Role Models

Several of the people interviewed for the documentary can be seen as role models for younger coders from marginalized communities: They tell of their experiences with racism and provide suggestions on how to change the computing industry. Shawn Wildermuth's curiosity regarding his industry gives way to lessons about unlearning prejudice. He and other White male coders featured in the film are arole models for White coders who want to learn how to break out of an insular worldview.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A scene from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo shows Rooney Mara's character Lisbeth Salander drinking a Coca-Cola.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Scene from Jurassic Park shows Samuel L. Jackson's character smoking a cigarette.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Hello World is a documentary written and directed by computer engineer Shawn Wildermuth. It explores the barriers to entry in his field for women and people of color -- barriers that reflect the racism and discrimination in society at large. There's one use of "f--k," but, as a whole, Hello World is a gentle way for audiences to learn more about the inequalities in the computing industry and how addressing those inequalities can help everyone become more empathetic and inclusive. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

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• Parents say

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What's the Story?

HELLO WORLD was written and directed by Shawn Wildermuth, a veteran computer engineer. His goal to make a documentary about what drew him to his profession took a turn when he realized the pervasive racism and sexism in his industry -- a standard he inadvertently upheld. As he discovers the issues facing the computing industry, Wildermuth gathers the opinions of Black and White women engineers and Black male engineers, whose first-hand experiences give them a viewpoint that's indispensable to the industry if it hopes to change.

Is It Any Good?

This compelling film originally was, by Wildermuth's own admission, going to be different than the way it ended up. His initial plan was to make it about how computing saved him from a life of poverty and limited choices. Ironically, the issues Wildermuth faced growing up are similar to the issues facing many women and people of color. Yet thanks largely to being a White male, Wildermuth was able to escape his initial life trajectory and find success -- without a college degree and without facing the kind of institutionalized gatekeeping that prevents others from achieving the same ends, including slyly-crafted "aptitude tests" that focus more on advanced math than actual coding skills. While Wildermuth does a good job of pivoting from his original viewpoint, it's still apparent from how much he focuses on his own journey and love for coding that he faced challenges balancing the two sides of the film.

Wildermuth's foray into learning more about the racism and sexism that permeates his profession is admirable, and it's heartening to see so many White or White-passing men in the film acknowledge the industry's problems, their own biases, and ways they might have inadvertently kept the "boys' club" of computing going. Wildermuth himself admits that he's been prejudiced in how he viewed who could or couldn't be a coder. The voices from marginalized communities are welcome, offering first-hand context for the issues Wildermuth explains to the audience. It would have been nicer to have had even more voices from these communities interviewed -- perhaps limitations came from time, from Wildermuth's circle of friends, or both. But the fact that the subjects interviewed still skew mostly toward White and male shows that there's still a lot of work to be done in the computing industry. Overall, though, viewers should come away with a better understanding of how the issues facing this profession are much like the ones facing America at large. If we can figure out how to fix the imbalance in the industry, then there's hope for fixing the imbalances and inequities in our daily lives.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about inclusion. What does inclusion mean to you? What does it mean in the context of Hello World ?

What are some of the issues facing marginalized people in America?

How can you be more inclusive in your daily life? How does curiosity make you more inclusive?

Why is it important to learn about others' experiences? How can media help with that?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : December 15, 2020
• Cast : Shawn Wildermuth , Maria Klawe , Gary S. May , Jeff Gray
• Director : Shawn Wildermuth
• Studio : Gravitas Ventures
• Genre : Documentary
• Topics : STEM
• Character Strengths : Curiosity , Empathy
• Run time : 78 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : January 19, 2024

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'Hello World': Kyoto as you've never seen it before

If you've studied the basics of computer programming, you'll probably recognize the phrase "hello world." It's the textbook-recommended line of text learners type into their first program, then delight as it pops up on screen.

On his way home from school, Naomi encounters a mysterious older man (Tori Matsuzaka) who knows his name and everything about him. The man, it turns out, is an older version of Naomi himself. And here's where the computer program comes in: Young Naomi's entire world is actually a giant computer simulation, the Kyoto of the near past preserved down to the last detail for future generations to study.

The older Naomi has somehow hacked his consciousness into this computer simulation for a single purpose — to get his younger, computer-simulated self a girlfriend. The object of his affection is Ruri Ichigyo (Minami Hamabe), a similarly bookish, brusque girl who seems immune to what little charms Naomi has to offer. But get together they must, says Naomi 2, or his younger self won't be able to protect Ruri from being injured and falling into a coma the night of the upcoming summer festival.

Meanwhile, as Team Naomi begins to alter the timeline, the computer simulation's anti-corruption software — which takes the form of creepy, hunchbacked creatures wearing fox masks — enters the picture, trying to put things back the way they were by force.

What's the point, you may be asking, of the older Naomi trying to change the past if it's all just a computer simulation? Without getting into spoiler territory, let's just say the dividing line between these two worlds is less solid than it initially appears.

The hazy border between flesh-and-blood worlds and computer-generated ones is a well-worn theme for "Hello World" director Tomohiko Ito, best known for helming popular anime series "Sword Art Online." In this film, he stretches that theme to its limits, building to a climax that will either thrill or frustrate depending on how much you value comprehensibility (if someone could explain the final shot to me, that'd be great, thanks).

But while the ideas get complex, Ito and screenwriter Mado Nozaki never forget to ground their story around its characters. The interactions between Naomi and his grown-up counterpart are well-written and charming. The same goes for young Naomi and Ruri, whose unlikely relationship blossoms in a way that doesn't feel forced. Small details keep our heroes' personalities in mind: When bookworm Naomi receives baddy-busting powers, he doesn't wield a gun or sword, but a giant enemy-thwapping book.

A significant portion of the characters' charm comes from designer Yukiko Horiguchi, known for Kyoto Animation works like "Lucky Star" and "Tamako Market." The characters in "Hello World" are animated in CG, a method that's been making serious inroads in anime production. With a few exceptions aside, one serious roadblock in replicating the appeal of hand-drawn anime in CG has been the uninspiring character designs. I'm still not 100 percent on-board for the whole CG thing, but "Hello World" is one of the best-looking examples I've seen to date.

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Where to watch

Hello world.

2019 Directed by Tomohiko Ito

This world is overturned in its last one second.

A shy high schooler in Kyoto meets a man claiming to be his future self, who tells him he’s hacked into the past to save their first love.

Takumi Kitamura Tori Matsuzaka Minami Hamabe Haruka Fukuhara Minako Kotobuki Rie Kugimiya Takehito Koyasu Moka Hiraguri

Director Director

Tomohiko Ito

Writer Writer

Mado Nozaki

Cinematography Cinematography

Yoshiki Obata

Art Direction Art Direction

Yusuke Takeda

Composers Composers

2027Sound STUTS Yūki Kojima

Songs Songs

Makoto Narazaki Masaki Matsuura Satoshi Fujihara Daisuke Ozasa

Sound Sound

Yoshikazu Iwanami Takayuki Yamaguchi

Releases by Date

11 sep 2019, theatrical limited, 11 jul 2020, 20 sep 2019, 24 oct 2019, 30 oct 2019, 15 nov 2019, 09 mar 2020, 05 sep 2021, 08 jul 2020, 14 jul 2023, 08 apr 2020, 18 jul 2022, releases by country.

• Theatrical limited 12
• Premiere G Kyoto City
• Theatrical G
• Physical G Blu-ray & DVD

Philippines

Russian federation.

• Digital 12+
• Theatrical PG13
• Theatrical 12
• Digital 12 AnimeBox
• Theatrical 保護級
• Physical 12 Blu-ray

98 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by earth2paula ★★★½ 1

In general, I like films that mess with my head - subject for an upgrade to love status if done eloquently. This one, I just like. It's like a mash-up of Inception, Your Name, The Matrix, and for some reason, reminds me of Eternal Sunshine too.

What didn't work here is that just as I was beginning to grasp the complicated rules of Hello World's alt-universe, it goes into Defcon mode altering the rules at a pace that's just so hard to follow. Having to read subtitles while trying to keep up with the narrative was sometimes a struggle, but for all the mind-bending sci-fi & cerebral themes, it was able to pull off the light romance side of the story quite nicely.

It's the kind of movie that will most likely make you google "insert movie title" explained after watching it. I'd like to think I did get the ending, though without much conviction.

Review by ejay ☆ ★★★½

In programming, the term "Hello World" is the simplest line of code yet a gateway into a world of infinite possibility and exponential complexity. Much like the film, it starts out initially eye-catching but later immerses the viewer in its tricky narrative of futuristic sci-fi, romance, technology, and memory put together. And the result is as-pretty-as-a-picture art.

It poses a question about the nature and limitations of simulated environments that add twists to the endearing youthful love of quite likeable characters. The plot adapts to that of a complex one, but it's more understandable on a rewatch and manages to be as magical as the first time. Additionally, its soundtrack is just perfection. Hello World (2019) intrigues with its interesting premise loaded with relevant themes, all while hitting most of the marks for an imaginative anime.

“ I  like science fiction. It opens my eyes to a new and beautiful world. Not a dream world, but an extension of the ordinary world. It makes me feel as if I’m part of the story. The real me is just an extra. ”

Review by Mario 🟠🟢🔵 ★★★½ 8

If someone told me this was a Makoto Shinkai movie, I would have believed it without a doubt. Animated Movies Ranked 7.5/10

Review by Sin ✊🏿 ★★★½

Hello World is uber-creative, super trippy, and beautifully animated. Still, the overly complicated plot keeps it from being "great" in my book.

I didn't really get wtf was happening (or why/how) at several points, which made it difficult to maintain a high level of focus/interest at times. I have no doubt trying to keep up with the subtitles while trying to comprehend the elaborate narrative didn't help.

This definitely feels like a mash-up of Inception , The Matrix , and the convoluted elements of The Matrix Reloaded . It's still an enjoyable watch despite being the type of movie that may require external explainer material to fully grasp - something I hate and consider to be a "cinema sin." 😏

Review by MelonB ★★★

Yet another anime movie that thrives with its amazing visuals and animation, but falter when it comes to the story. But with all that said, this is still *way* better than Weathering with You .

The romance and character arcs were cute and satisfying, but the story and plot were convoluted to the point where it kinda overshadows these strengths. There are certain sequences that I thought were well executed and animated, but were bogged down by the not so well executed concept and pacing. This was a confusing and messy film, but I still found myself enjoying this with my friends.

I still have fond memories of watching this film but for reasons that I've pointed out, I probably won't watch it again.

Review by Denny_Crane ★★★★

Wem Anime wie Your Name oder Wheatering With You gefallen haben, wird hier auch mit Sicherheit auf seine Kosten kommen. Denn abseits der natürlich sehr emotionalen Geschichte sind auch der Zeichenstil und die Animationen makellos.

Review by johmar ★★★★

okay google, search for hello world ending explained.

OKAY I JUST REALIZED...

in the "virtual world" they used CGI with 2d background, while in the real world they used traditional animation!!! WOW.

Review by SH (Taylor's Version) ★★★

I'll admit, it was a very nice anime, but I didn't fully understand the second half (which was my fault cus I got distracted, so I don't blame the movie) but I still managed to understand most things to come up with the right rating. This had a very nice concept but I think they could've swam deeper on it and explained it further. Though the characters are so cute (How can you blame Sensei for what he did when he looks so cute). I think one highlight of this movie was the animation, CGI animes are actually very visually beautiful. I love how colorful-ish this movie was. Definitely worth a watch.

Review by ᴇᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ ★★★★½

need explanation, fr.

Review by André Hecker ★★★½

↓ English version below ↓

Wenn dein eigenes Ich aus der Zukunft bei dir vorbei schaut und sagt, es will dir helfen einen Partner zu finden und einem Liebesleben auf die Sprünge zu helfen - wie würdest du reagieren? Dem Schüler Katagaki passiert genau das. Nur tritt das Unterfangen eine Kette von Ereignissen los, die er sich in seinen kühnsten Träumen nicht hätte vorstellen können.

Tomohiko Itou inszeniert mit Hello World einen romantisch-lustigen Anime mit Sci-Fi-Action-Glasur. Dabei greifen die verschiedenen Genres stimmig und geschickt ineinander. Die Liebenswürdigkeit der Charaktere schwankt dabei der Geschichte wegen stark, mit ihnen mitfiebern kann man aber zu jeder Zeit. Tonal gibt es in der Mitte des Films einen ziemlichen Schnitt, an dem man sich stören…

Review by Krautsalat ★★★★

Fantasy Film Fest Nights 2020 : Film #7

I had no idea high school librarians led such colorful lives.

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Hello World Ending, Explained

As the credits begin to roll, it seems like ‘Hello World’ concluded its twisted storyline on a very illogical and cheesy note. Somehow, the younger version of the main character, Naomi, ends up back in his own timeline and gets reunited with the younger version of his girlfriend, Ruri. But moments after this, a post-credits scene appears and clears out everything.

So to get a better understanding of what truly happens in the ending/ post-credits scene, let’s first establish the three timelines of the show in context with the age of the main character. The first timeline, which is seemingly the “past,” is the one where young Naomi meets his future self. The second timeline, which is the “past-present,” is where Ruri wakes up from a coma. And the third timeline, which is the “present,” is the one that gets featured in the post-credits scene.

The Ending, Explained

The basic premise of the anime revolves around a futuristic form of technology or code known as the ALLTALE, which stores every intricate detail of the world in unlimited memory space. According to the sci-fi dynamics of the technology that are established in the movie: the code of ALLTALE can be manipulated, an individual can use its information and send a projection of himself/herself to alter the past, and because of its unlimited storage capacity, ALLTALE saves history with such intricate details that it actually creates a world in itself involving real humans with real thinking abilities. Now because of the different layers and subtle details that were added to its narrative, we can deduce several theories that explain what truly happened in the closing scene of the movie. So let’s try to unravel the culmination of its complex and ambiguous plotlines one at a time.

Theory I: Naomi’s coma was an outcome of his complex simulation

Let’s start off with the least complex and in some ways, the most plausible theory. In the real world, Naomi and Ruri end up falling in love. Ruri later gets struck by lightning and ends up in a state of comatose because of the brain damage she suffers from. When Naomi grows up, he works closely with the professor and learns more about properly harnessing the ALLTALE technology. He then figures out a way to send a simulated version of himself back in the past and meet his younger version. This is where the first timeline (past timeline) begins to unfold. By helping out his past self, he is able to save Ruri from the lightning strike.

Following this, the past present timeline unfolds where Ruri wakes up but everything else seems to go haywire. This timeline is nothing but a simulation in itself. It basically shows that despite being able to alter the events of the past, the adult version of Naomi is not able to log out of his simulation. But since he has altered the past, the adult version of Ruri has already woken up from her coma in the “present” timeline. So with the avatar of a crow, Ruri sends a simulated version of herself in the past timeline and helps young Naomi reach the past-present timeline. In the end, young Naomi is safely sent back his past timeline and adult Naomi dies in the past-present. And because he ends up dying in the simulation, he later ends up waking up in the “present” timeline. This explains how he finds himself with an adult version of Naomi in the closing scene.

Theory II: Naomi’s coma was an outcome of his injuries

If we assume that the “past-present” timeline of the anime was not a simulation, there’s another theory that explains the events of its closing scene. It is revealed that adult Naomi suffered from several brutal injuries when he was trying to send a simulated version of himself back in the past. So it is possible that during this process of experimentation, he ended up gravely injuring himself. He was was probably able to successfully bring back Ruri’s memory, but while he was at it, he ended up in a state of comatose.

So in order to bring him back from his coma, Naomi later ended up joining the ALLTALE company and plotted the whole simulation to bring him back. The scenes that depict all the code-breaking could again be simulation manipulated by Ruri to makes sure that both the versions of Naomi are able to fulfill the conditions of the whole setup. This also explains how young Naomi eventually gets an identity of his own and ends up in a world where he’s with Ruri again. The scene where young Naomi ends up with Ruri again was probably a manipulation in the code created by Adult Ruri. And because of this manipulation, she is also able to avoid any kind of paradoxes that would further complicate the situation.

Both the endings pretty much revolve around the same idea with the only difference being the events that lead up to Naomi’s comatose. In the closing scene, it is revealed that Naomi woke up from his coma on a huge space station, which is far away from Earth. This basically shows that the events of this scene are set so ahead in the future that the technology now allows humans to send a simulation of themselves back in the past without injuring themselves. That’s exactly how Ruri is able to send her avatar in the past to save Naomi without really going into a coma herself.

Here’s another interesting bit. If you’ll look closely, you’ll notice that all the events of the “past” and “present-past” timelines involve 3-D animation, whereas, the events of the final “present timeline” have 2-D animation. This creates a contrast between the simulated and actual events of the anime’s storyline. Also, since the movie is all about complex programming and its manipulation, its title alludes to the “Hello World” program which is often used to represent the basic syntax of a programming language.

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'Hello World' Receives Three-Episode Spin-off 'Another World'

The official website for Tomohiko Itou's original film Hello World announced on Thursday that it will receive a three-part spin-off, Another World, beginning b... read more

Aug 23, 2019 12:16 PM by ImperfectBlue | Discuss (6 comments)

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Nate Bargatze: Hello World

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Nate Bargatze: Hello World Review – a fun special for the whole family

We review the Prime Video comedy stand-up special Nate Bargatze: Hello World, which was released on January 31st.

ate Bargatze broke into the stand-up comedy world in Fallon’s Clean Cut Comedy Tour in 2013 . Since then, he has had several stand-up specials on Netflix and Comedy Central. He comes to Prime Video with his full-hour special titled Nate Bargatze: Hello World. Bargatze is one of my favorite comedians. Does his latest special live up to the hype? Let’s dive in.

Nate Bargatze: Hello World Review

The special opens with Bargatze walking through the halls, giving some high fives and daps to people as Twenty One Pilots’ song “Good Day” plays in the backdrop. The entire little montage ends with him kissing his wife and his daughter announcing him to the stage—what an adorable moment and sweet way to open his special.

Bargatze isn’t a flashy comedian who will be overzealous with his hands or body language. He has a more straightforward approach with this dry-like delivery that brings his storytelling up a notch. He opened with a bit about where he was from (Old Hickory, TN), leading to a joke about Andrew Jackson (the city is named after him). It was a simple yet effective opening that drew in the audience.

What was the best joke in Nate Bargatze: Hello World?

Bargatze had this hilarious bit about his childhood and Mcdonald’s. It followed with a bit about his family only going out to eat when it was free, and some funny jokes about his siblings. It was a perfectly delivered and relatable bit that knocked it out of the park.

One of the things that makes me laugh about Bargatze’s stand-up is that he has this ADD to his jokes. He is all over the place as he goes from telling jokes about Andrew Jackson to talking about being the best light turn-off person in the world, but what makes him stand out from the rest is that each joke lands making you laugh.

What a breath of fresh air this comedy special was. It’s wild how excited you (I) get anymore when you get the one-in-four comedy specials that aren’t politically charged. So when it comes along, you have to praise the comedian. We saw Bargatze get on the stage, do his job, and get off the stage.

Is Nate Bargatze: Hello World good?

I am in my little mini-comedy special heaven after watching this. Bargatze brilliantly structures well-written jokes and his hilarious delivery to make you laugh for one hour straight. I want to note that Bargatze mentioned it was a “clean comedy” show, and he delivered that. So if you have some teenagers in the house who like comedy, don’t be afraid to watch this with them. Nate Bargatze: Hello World sets the bar for 2023 comedy specials, and I hope those around him follow suit.

What did you think of Prime Video comedy stand-up special Nate Bargatze: Hello World? Comment below.

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Article by Ricky Valero

Ricky Valero joined Ready Steady Cut in January 2022 as a Film and TV writer and critic, and since then has published over 700 articles on the website. Ricky, a recognized movie critic, has been writing about films for almost a decade. Since joining the industry, he has covered numerous movie festivals, including Sundance Film Festival, AFI Fest, and SXSW Festival, and is a member of the prestigious Critics Choice Association.

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Release Date : August 12, 2022

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Starring: Aryan Rajesh, Sadaa, Ram Nithin, Nayan Karishma, Sudharshan Govind, Nitya Shetty, Nikil V Simha, Apoorva Rao, Geela Anil, Snehal S Kamat, Ravi Varma, Jayaprakash

Director: Siva Sai Vardhan Jaladanki

Producer: Niharika Konidela

Music Directors : PK Dandi

Cinematography : Edurolu Raju

Editor: Praveen Pudi

Niharika Konidela has come up with an office drama in Telugu titled Hello World under her production banner Pink Elephant Pictures. The show premiered on ZEE5 recently. Let’s see how it is.

Eight youngsters who hail from different places and who are under different circumstances get hired by an IT company. All of them enter the office space with different notions and stigmas regarding the workplace environment. They go shell-shocked after getting to know that they are under a temporary agreement and only on clearing the training program they would get permanent employment. Raghav (Aryan Rajesh) and Prarthana (Sadaa) give a ray of hope to the youngsters. We are also shown the rivalry between Raghav and Debashish (Ravi Varma). Raghav entrusts and places a huge responsibility on these eight youngsters. The show primarily focuses on the bonding and journey between these youngsters and how Raghav and Prarthana guided them.

Plus Points:

The first thing that makes one like this show is its relatability factor. One would easily connect to the lead cast who enter a corporate world and who have minimal knowledge in their field. The backgrounds of these main characters are well established initially and give the show a good feel.

Though we have seen few films in the same flavor, the writing team did a splendid job in coming up with an office backdrop and different characters that any youngster and IT employee can easily relate to. The bonding between the youngsters is superbly showcased and would definitely reminisce our memories with friends. This is the main USP of the show.

All the lead cast did a fair job that makes us connect with the show instantly. Aryan Rajesh and Sadaa gave settled performances in their respective roles.

The dynamics and conflicts in a corporate world are neatly presented. The show is largely engaging. It also spoke about the work-life balance that should be present in one’s life.

Minus Points:

One of the foremost drawbacks of the show is its technical jargon. Too much technical stuff regarding the IT thing has been used in the show. For a normal viewer, this may be way over the head. There are a few dubbing issues here and there. The last two episodes falter a bit.

Though the show is a representation of the corporate world, too much liberty has been taken. For instance scenes like these youngsters hacking the system to connect to the company director over a Zoom meet and convincing him for a project went overboard. More dramatization hampered its soul.

It tried to show too much content in a short duration. Few characters could have been explored much better. There are not many strong scenes between Aryan Rajesh and these eight people. One gets a feeling of what made these people work so hard to complete Raghav’s project.

Technical Aspects:

There have not been many office dramas in Telugu but kudos to the makers for coming up with such a heartwarming and pleasant series. The production values are good. Cinematographer Edurolu Raju captured the office locations well.

Music by Dandi is good and fits the narrative. The editing by Praveen Pudi is very crisp. Coming to the director Siva Sai Vardhan Jaladanki, he has done a decent job in making a largely engaging show based on a few characters in a corporate world. Though he handled the drama well, he could have taken more care not to exaggerate and rush things which brought down the overall impact.

On the whole, Hello World is a decent show that tries to throw light on the corporate world. Director Siva Sai Vardhan is successful in extracting good performances from the lead cast and showcasing the organizational dynamics. On the flip side, a few aspects could have been handled in a better manner to make the series a lot better. Nonetheless, the reliability factor makes this office drama a decent watch.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, boy kills world.

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Several enemies of the state are murdered on live TV in a pivotal scene from “Boy Kills World,” a hyper-action movie about a media-addicted killer who wants to avenge his family’s deaths. We don’t know who these TV casualties are or what people think of their deaths, but we do know that their killers are Frosty Puffs cereal mascots. This should be a spoiler, but it’s not.

Frosty Puffs are proud sponsors of The Culling, an annually televised flex of power organized by the insecure fascist Melanie Van Der Koy ( Michelle Dockery ) and her family. Frosty Puffs also plays a crucial role in the over-exaggerated and under-developed backstory of the titular Boy ( Bill Skarsgård ), a deaf and mute orphan who fondly remembers eating sugary breakfast cereal when he was a happy child, before the Van Der Koys murdered his family.

“Boy Kills World” is a generic programmer about one more lonely mixed media junkie who wants to murder the demagogues that he blames for ruining his life. Skarsgård's character eventually feels conflicted about his murder-quest, as he tells us through overbearingly goofy voiceover narration (H. John Benjamin). But he doesn’t seem to care that his beloved Frosty Puffs have partnered with the Van Der Koys. And in a later scene, Boy also enjoys a bowl of Frosty Puffs. Something doesn’t add up here.

“Boy Kills World” dabbles at media criticism by fixating on the Van Der Koy family’s manipulation of the media. This only means so much in a gory and joyless action comedy that imagines media consumers and political dissidents as unmemorable extras. We know what Skarsgård's avenging hero wants because his stream-of-conscious narration never stops telling us everything he’s thinking or feeling.

We can also tell some things about the righteous nature of the Boy’s mission based on generic training montage sequences starring “The Raid” star Yayan Ruhian . Ruhian plays an eccentric bog hermit who knows how to fight and also takes hallucinogens. The Boy is also haunted by visions of his dead sister ( Quinn Copeland ), and she talks, too.

The Van Der Koys are also fairly obvious: Melanie is vain and she thinks televised executions are good for her TV ratings; her husband Glen ( Sharlto Copley ) is a temperamental buffoon who supposedly is (or was?) popular with his wife’s supporters; and Glen’s brother-in-law Gideon ( Brett Gelman ) is a frustrated artist, pouring his heart into pompous speeches and scripts for his uncaring family’s public demonstrations. In another key scene, Melanie literally projects her insecurities onto the Boy because he can’t communicate verbally. Which is weird, because he still speaks a language that she’s fluent in—over-the-top violence.

During manic action scenes, the cameras swoop over, under, and through teeming crowds of heavily armed and often faceless heavies. Limbs break, bodies tumble through the air, and chunks of flesh frequently explode in gouts of blood. There isn’t a significant difference between the dizzying, sensational presentation of violence in any of the Boy’s fight scenes and, say, the abovementioned Frosty Puffs massacre.

In fact, “Boy Kills World” implicitly associates all violence with video games, like the “Street Fighter”-style fighting game that Skarsgård's character tells us he based his voiceover narration voice on. These action scenes resemble the same antic slow-fast-slow pace of the “Kingsman” spy movie parodies and this year’s “ Argylle .” In these braindead media critiques, so much pseudo-comic stress is put on sweeping camera movements and impact-driven maneuvering that it reduces everything funny, upsetting, and spectacular about these scenes to its sheer numbing impact. You don’t get to enjoy any of the on-screen action’s flow or development because the filmmakers constantly insert themselves between you and whatever cheap thrills you might’ve hoped to enjoy.

That creative fussiness suggests an unfortunate parallel between the makers of “Boy Kills World” and Gideon, who at one point bitterly tells off Dennis (Pierre Nelson), an actor stuck rehearsing one of Gideon’s scripted Van Der Koy spectacles. “Feel a ****ing feeling, Dennis,” Gideon pouts. Surely, that meta-criticism means something, like the fight scene’s aggressive stylization or the connection between the Van Der Koys and their breakfast cereal sponsors. Well, yes and no.

You can’t watch “Boy Kills World” passively—did Benjamin’s character have to talk so much?—nor can you draw meaningful conclusions from the third-act plot twists that disrupt the Boy’s plans for revenge. The makers of “Boy Kills World” don’t trust their audience enough to let us just feel a feeling, nor do they encourage their enthusiastic cast members enough to deliver fully-developed performances. Copley plays creepy well, Skarsgård pantomimes his butt off, and Ruhian unsurprisingly looks more convincing than anyone else tasked with executing complicated stunt work. Everything else in “Boy Kills World” could have been directed and scripted by the Van Der Koys.

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair ,  The Village Voice,  and elsewhere.

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Michelle Dockery as Melanie Van Der Koy

Sharlto Copley as Gideon Van Der Koy

Brett Gelman as Glen Van Der Koy

• Moritz Mohr
• Arend Remmers
• Tyler Burton Smith

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‘Boy Kills World’ Review: Bill Skarsgård Is a Deaf-Mute Avenger in an Action Film So Ultraviolent It’s Like ‘John Wick’ Gone ‘Clockwork Orange’

Moritz Mohr's first feature draws on a great many sources, from video games to "The Hunger Games," to build a world all its own.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Humane’ Review: Caitlin Cronenberg’s First Feature Is a Searing Domestic Thriller About Crimes of the Not-So-Distant Future 3 days ago
• ‘Boy Kills World’ Review: Bill Skarsgård Is a Deaf-Mute Avenger in an Action Film So Ultraviolent It’s Like ‘John Wick’ Gone ‘Clockwork Orange’ 4 days ago
• ‘Uncropped’ Review: An Enticing Portrait of James Hamilton Makes You Wonder: Is He the Greatest New York Photographer Ever? 6 days ago

In “ Boy Kills World ,” Bill Skarsgård has burning eyes and model cheekbones, sinewy arms popping out of a dirty red athletic vest, and a feral pout that makes him look like Jean-Claude Van Damme crossed with Lou Reed. He plays a deaf-mute avenger, known only as Boy, who kills people in insanely violent ways. Yet through it all, the character retains his innocence. He’s a wounded wild child in a man’s body.

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So what does it say that in a movie like “Boy Kills World,” that level of cheeky dark sadism has been turned into a pure lark — the new extreme threshold of mainstream entertainment? The fact that this is what we now seek out for kicks may be scarier than anything in “A Clockwork Orange.”

Yet the pop culture of the last 50 years has primed us for it: the slasher movies, the video games, the high-body-count delirium of the “John Wick” series, which may have been the first films to package this kind of relentlessness as cutthroat jollies for the megaplex. The kill-kill-kill spirit of “John Wick” made a film like “Boy Kills World” possible, yet “Boy Kills World” takes it all a step further. It’s the action film as slasher movie as gonzo damaged-superhero movie. It’s a depraved vision, yet I got caught up in its kick-ass revenge-horror pizzazz, its disreputable commitment to what it was doing.

Boy, who can read lips, understands most of what’s happening around him, and he reacts to events by talking directly to us on the soundtrack, in an exaggerated he-man voice (like Mel Gibson’s in “Mad Max”). You could say that the movie, in a way, cheats the fact that he can’t speak, but Boy’s quips-from-his-inner-voice lend “Boy Kills World” a graphic-novel funkiness.

Boy has gone out into the world to right its wrongs, but what’s standing atop the pyramid isn’t the usual stoic power addict. It’s a dysfunctional family of rulers who are at each other’s throats. Mohr, working from a script by Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers, has fun fleshing out these baroque villains. I enjoyed Brett Gelman as the bearded brother who’s like a diamond-district chiseler who thinks he’s a brilliant screenwriter, and Famke Janssen as the matriarch who’s losing her mind. As the dynasty’s media ringleader, Sharlto Copley does his showboat thing (and gets what he deserves). Mohr stages the Culling as the spectacular slaughterhouse version of a winter-wonderland TV commercial. It’s a sequence that would make Alex from “A Clockwork Orange” stand and applaud in glee.  

There’s a big twist — or really, two in one. The state soldier, named June27 (Jessica Rothe), who speaks in slogans flashed onto her digital combat visor turns out to be closer to home than we think. And a character we assume is heroic is revealed to be an emotionally broken monster. All of that succeeds in holding our attention, and the climactic fight — a threesome — is shot and choreographed with brutal visual wizardry. It’s all held together by Skarsgård’s performance, and the trick of it is that you never catch him playing dumb. Yet Boy is often a beat behind what’s happening. That’s what makes us warm up to him; he’s a blood-spattered avenger in spite of himself. He turns the old ultraviolence into child’s play.

Reviewed at Regal Union Square, New York, April 24, 2024. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 115 MIN.

• Production: A Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions release of a Nthibah Pictures, Hammerstone Studios, Vertigo Entertainment production. Producers: Sam Raimi, Zainab Azizi, Roy Lee, Wayne Fitzjohn, Simon Swart, Stuart Manashil, Dan Kagan. Executive producers: Sipho Nkosi, Mxolisi Mgojo, Humphrey Mathe, Bill Skarsgård, Reza Brojerdi, Christian Mercuri, Moritz Mohr, Andrew Childs.
• Crew: Director: Moritz Mohr. Screenplay: Tyler Burton Smith, Arend Remmers. Camera: Peter Matjasko. Editor: Lucian Barnard. Music: Ludvig Forssell, El Michels Affair.
• With: Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Jamke Janssen, Sharlto Copley, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, Andrew Koji.

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‘Boy Kills World’ Review: A Wide-Eyed Assassin

Beefed up and bloodied, Bill Skarsgard goes mano a mano against disposable hordes in this dystopian action flick.

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By Manohla Dargis

At least give it up for the stunt crew on “Boy Kills World,” a boneheaded action movie that gives some exceedingly fit performers — its hard-body star Bill Skarsgard very much included — a chance to flaunt their physical skills. To judge from all the grunting, the straining muscles and cascading sweat, Skarsgard, along with a few of his nimble co-stars and an army of stunt performers, puts in serious work to try to make the relentless bashing and smashing, flailing and dying look good. Too bad the filmmakers were incapable of doing the same.

Set in a discount dystopian hellscape, the story centers on, ta-da, Boy (Skarsgard), a saucer-eyed dynamo with an uninteresting back story who can neither hear nor talk. Once upon a time, for reasons that are laboriously teased out, he landed in the jungle, where he was taken under wing by a punishing caretaker, the Shaman. This cat is played with a lot of grimacing by the Indonesian martial-arts phenom Yayan Ruhian, of the “Raid” movies. Ruhian also shows up in “ John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum ,” which isn’t good , yet is still better than “Boy Kills World” because it was made by people who know how to showcase stunt fighting.

“Boy Kills World,” by contrast, consistently undermines its stunts with frustratingly clumsy filmmaking. Again and again, the frantic camera goes overly close when it should go wide — turning bodies into a chaotic jumble of parts — and the choppy over-editing makes matters worse. I’m not sure what the director Moritz Mohr thought he was doing here. (Sam Raimi is one of the producers.) It’s also unclear why anyone even bothered to concoct a story for Boy, because the only point of this ridiculousness is to watch Skarsgard flex his sculpted arms and take a great deal of brutal punishment so that he can dole out more. Rinse, repeat.

The story involves, yup, a revenge mission that the filmmakers fuss with by toggling between the past and present but that mostly finds Boy hunting a cartoon despot (Famke Janssen) and her minions (Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman). Andrew Koji also shows up as a sidekick for Boy, whom Skarsgard plays as a guileless killing machine. As he did in “It, ” the actor makes shrewd use of the whites of his eyes, turning them into attention-grabbing beacons. That’s understandable given that another actor (H. Jon Benjamin, of “Bob’s Burgers”) provides Boy’s internal voice using a putatively humorous tough-guy drone. This gimmick gets old fast, as does the movie, even as its hero and ideas remain underbaked.

Boy Kills World Rated R for action movie fighting and killing. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. In theaters.

Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic for The Times. More about Manohla Dargis

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