2/5 stars Even the most casual anime fan should recognise Tetsuro Araki’s latest offering, Bubble , for the shamelessly derivative enterprise that it is. Set in a generically dystopian future, ravaged by a non-specific apocalyptic event that has left a gang of indistinguishable orphans to fend for themselves, this cyberpunk retelling of The Little Mermaid boasts as much substance and narrative depth as the celestial bubbles that litter the dilapidated cityscape. Araki has worked on some of the biggest shows in anime, including Attack on Titan and Death Note , while screenwriter Gen Urobuchi’s résumé is arguably even more impressive, as co-creator of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and writer of Psycho Pass and Fate/Zero , as well as its source novel. In Bubble , the animation is effective without being especially memorable while the score features a recurring musical motif that recalls Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Throughout its breezy 100 minutes, the film is buoyed by an unshakeable sense of déjà vu. Its themes, plot strands and romantic entanglements have been addressed numerous times before, and in almost every instance, with more passion, imagination and vigour. The depiction of Uta, the film’s heroine voiced by singer Riria, is perhaps the most egregious of Bubble ’s many failings. An extraterrestrial beauty who becomes smitten with Hibiki, the film’s young male protagonist, from the moment she lays eyes on him, Uta is beautiful, capable and almost completely inarticulate. It takes her mere moments to master the semi-weightless form of parkour that Hibiki and his friends compete in, leaping effortlessly from one floating piece of masonry to the next, yet the only emotion she is able to express is an inexplicable adoration for our sullen hero. Hibiki (Jun Shison) is a classic introvert, incapable of forming meaningful relationships, conversations or even vowels, thanks to a childhood case of auditory hypersensitivity. Only when racing across rooftops in bizarre extreme sports competitions can he truly be himself. His world is disrupted, however, the day he falls into the ocean, to be scooped up by Uta – a girl he has never seen before. It triggers painful memories of the day, years earlier, when bubbles fell from the sky and triggered the explosion that crippled the city. What follows is an achingly bland, occasionally attractive unspooling of post-apocalyptic teen-angst clichés that surfs the coattails of so many more profound explorations of speculative fiction, all while paying vague, ill-informed lip service to Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale. Bubble will start streaming on Netflix on April 28. Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook