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Movies that feel like Big Fish & Begonia (2016)

If you loved Big Fish & Begonia, the closest films we have are Tales from Earthsea (2006), Checkered Ninja (2018) and Boy & the World (2014). All three share Big Fish & Begonia's whimsical and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 8 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video and others, checked against today's data.

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.

🍅 94% Rotten Tomatoes7 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Liang Xuanwhimsicalepicdreamlikewistfulromantic
Stream it:Crunchyroll
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If Big Fish & Begonia hit the spot, these will too

Tales from Earthsea poster
Tales from Earthsea
2006 · dir. Goro Miyazaki
6.3animation · fantasy · adventure

Common ground in both: magic and adult animation

The difference: Missing the wistfulness of Big Fish & Begonia

As crops dwindle and dragons reappear, mankind stands on the verge of total chaos. Lord Archmage Sparrowhawk, a powerful wizard, and Arren, a troubled young prince, search for the force behind this mysterious imbalance that threatens to destroy the land of Earthsea.

Feels alike?
Checkered Ninja poster
Checkered Ninja
2018 · dir. Thorbjørn Christoffersen
7.1animation · comedy · adventure

One thread runs through both: adult animation

The difference: Not nearly as wistful as Big Fish & Begonia

A possessed Ninja doll teams up with a teenage boy to avenge the murder of a poor child factory worker.

Feels alike?
Boy & the World poster
Boy & the World
2014 · dir. Alê Abreu
🍅 93%7.5animation · fantasy · adventure

Both keep coming back to the same thing: growing up

The difference: Leans harder into family than Big Fish & Begonia does

Suffering because of his father's departure to the big city, a boy leaves his village and discovers a fantastic world dominated by bug-engines and strange beings. An unusual animation with various artistic techniques that portrays the issues of the modern world through the eyes of a child.

Feels alike?
Ronal the Barbarian poster
Ronal the Barbarian
2011 · dir. Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen
6.5animation · adventure · fantasy

Whimsical where it counts, epic underneath

Ronal is a young barbarian with low self-esteem, the polar opposite of all the muscular barbarians in his village. He's a real wuss. However, as fate would have it, responsibility for the tribe's survival falls on Ronal's scrawny shoulders, when the evil Lord Volcazar raids the village and abducts every living barbarian with the exception of Ronal, who is forced to go on a perilous quest to save his enslaved clan and thwart Volcazar’s plot to rule the world.

Feels alike?
Ne Zha poster
Ne Zha
2019 · dir. Jiao Zi
🍅 88%7.3animation · fantasy · adventure

The same preoccupation in both: magic

A young boy is born as the reincarnation of a demonic power, into a society that hates and fears him. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, Nezha must choose between good and evil to see if he can change his fate.

Feels alike?
White Snake poster
White Snake
2019 · dir. Amp Wong
🍅 70%7romance · animation · fantasy

Dreamlike and romantic in the same breath

The difference: Sits closer to romance than Big Fish & Begonia does

One day a young woman named Blanca is saved by Xuan, a snake catcher from a nearby village. As they set off an a journey to discover her real identity, the pair develop feelings for each other.

Feels alike?
The Painting poster
The Painting
2011 · dir. Jean-François Laguionie
🍅 82%7.3fantasy · animation

Both lean on whimsy more than on animation

Three characters living in an unfinished painting venture out into the real world in search of their creator to convince him to finish his work.

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The Boy and the Beast poster
The Boy and the Beast
2015 · dir. Mamoru Hosoda
🍅 90%7.6action · adventure · animation

Common ground: growing up

Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.

Feels alike?
Secret Magic Control Agency poster
Secret Magic Control Agency
2021 · dir. Alexey Tsitsilin
6.2animation · comedy · fantasy

Fantasy built on dream logic, twice over

The Secret Magic Control Agency sends its two best agents, Hansel and Gretel, to fight against the witch of the Gingerbread House.

Feels alike?
House of Hummingbird poster
House of Hummingbird
2019 · dir. Kim Bora
🍅 98%7.4drama

Wistful adventure in both cases

14-year-old Eun-hee moves through life like a hummingbird searching for a taste of sweetness wherever she may find it. Ignored by her parents and abused by her brother, she finds her escape by roaming the neighborhood with her best friend, going on adventures, and exploring young love.

Feels alike?
Long Way North poster
Long Way North
2015 · dir. Rémi Chayé
🍅 98%7.2adventure · animation · drama

Epic animation, and it commits to that

In 1892 Saint Petersburg, when her explorer grandfather's failure to return from his latest expedition brings dishonour to her aristocratic family, a resilient teenager runs away to follow in his trail in search of his famed ship.

Feels alike?
Flavors of Youth poster
Flavors of Youth
2018 · dir. Joshua
🍅 83%6.6animation · romance · drama

Both are built on the same subject: anime

The rigorous city life of China, while bustling and unforgiving, contains the everlasting memories of days past. Three stories told in three different cities, follow the loss of youth and the daunting realization of adulthood. Though reality may seem ever changing, unchangeable are the short-lived moments of one's childhood days. A plentiful bowl of noodles, the beauty of family and the trials of first love endure the inevitable flow of time, as three different characters explore the strength of bonds and the warmth of cherished memories. Within the disorder of the present world, witness these quaint stories recognize the comfort of the past, and attempt to revive the neglected flavors of youth.

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The best-reviewed films that share Big Fish & Begonia’s defining feeling.