If You've Watched All the Miyazaki Movies, Check Out This Unfairly Overlooked Anime

Patema Inverted is director Yasuhiro Yoshiura's feature-length debut.

It's a wonderful story about friendship, growing up, and dreams. And thirteen years later, the movie's sharp satire of totalitarianism has only become more relevant.

What Is 'Patema Inverted' About?

When humanity tried to interfere with the laws of nature, the Earth fought back. The world split into two opposing dimensions. In one dimension, the force of attraction was replaced by a force of repulsion, and everything fell into the sky.

Since then, humans have been divided into two groups: Inverts, who live underground, and the Aiga people, who dwell on the surface. The Inverts are drawn to the sky and are unable to escape it, while the Aiga avoid the sky at all costs.

Little Patema, the princess of the Inverts, dreams of reaching the surface. Inspired by a missing friend who showed her pictures of Earth, she explores the underground corridors until one day falls into a pit.

'Patema Inverted' Is a Visual Masterpiece That Has Never Been Duplicated

In terms of visuals, Patema Inverted is reminiscent of Mamoru Oshii's The Sky Crawlers – it has the same attention to detail, meticulous costume design, and slightly washed-out backdrops in muted tones.

The difference between the two worlds becomes apparent from the opening shots: an underground city with apocalyptic landscapes, and a futuristic city built on the remains of humanity with travelators in the middle of green fields.

This world-building has been borrowed by hits in recent years, from Gachiakuta to Dorohedoro, and Patema itself was partly inspired by the setting of Evangelion. However, no one has replicated the movie's main visual trump card.

Due to the different effects of gravity on the two characters, the camera constantly flips the perspective upside down. We see familiar locations from a completely different angle and in a new light.

'Patema Inverted' Is Not Your Typical Coming-of-Age Story

On a superficial level, Patema Inverted is a story about dreams and growing up. The characters transition into adulthood by crossing the boundaries of unknown worlds.

However, Yoshiura delves deeper. The post-disaster world becomes a setting for reflecting on the structure of Japanese society – the people of Aiga try to forget their past by rewriting history to suit their own narratives.

Today, the universe of Patema resembles the entire world of the mid-2020s more than Japan. What was once a satire of conservatism and the desire to forget the past has become a statement on the totalitarianism plaguing our planet.

Surreal restrictions have become the new reality, and the isolation and disunity of nations have brought us once again to a world on the brink of catastrophe.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Patema Inverted'?

• Patema Inverted has 73% from critics and 78% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.3/10.

• On Letterboxd, Patema Inverted scored 3.5/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Patema Inverted'?

Patema Inverted is available to stream on Crunchyroll.