The defence The Arthouse Gremlin
“Its refusal to behave is the point.”
The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.
Back to trending 
Crayon Shin-chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness
Animation · Comedy · 1997
The Noharas get caught between two rival clans when Himawari swallows a pretty bead that turns out to be a mysterious ball with hidden powers.
Movie details
Crayon Shin-chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness
1997 Animation · Comedy 1h 39m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.3 / 10
Community rating
The Noharas get caught between two rival clans when Himawari swallows a pretty bead that turns out to be a mysterious ball with hidden powers.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Crayon Shin-chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness?
For the defence
The Arthouse Gremlin
“The stranger, the better.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Crayon Shin-chan: The Legend Called: Dance! Amigo!
Comedy · 2006
Something sinister's afoot in Kasukabe. Shin-chan doesn't know what it is, but he's pretty sure it involves samba-dancing doppelgängers.
Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask vs. Leotard Devil
Animation · 1993
Everyone's favorite TV superhero Action Mask shows up in Kasukabe, and he's trying to get something from Shin-chan -- but what could it be?
Crayon Shin-chan: Great Adventure In Henderland
Animation · 1996
The Futaba Kindergarten kids are so excited for their trip to the Henderland amusement park, but Shin-chan soon learns there are evil forces at play!
Crayon Shin-chan: Jungle That Invites Storm
Animation · 2000
The Noharas go on an Action Mask-themed cruise, where all the grown-ups get kidnapped by a gang of monkeys. It's up to the kids to rescue them!
Crayon Shin-chan: Invasion!! Alien Shiriri
Family · 2017
When the mysterious Shiriri turns his parents into children, Shin-chan must trek across Japan to help return them to adult form.
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus
Animation · 2019
ZIM discovers his almighty leaders never had any intention of coming to Earth and he loses confidence in himself for the first time in his life, which is the big break his human nemesis, Dib has been waiting for.
Crayon Shin-chan: My Moving Story! Cactus Large Attack!
Adventure · 2015
The Noharas must survive a hoard of man-eating killer cacti after Shin-chan's father relocates the family to Mexico for work.
Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gadget Museum
Adventure · 2013
Doraemon and his friends travel to the 22nd century to look for his golden bell, which was stolen by a notorious thief called Kaito DX.
New Dimension! Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Battle of Supernatural Powers ~Flying Sushi~
Animation · 2023
40-years ago, there was a prophecy claiming that in the year of “20” and “23”, two emitting lights would come to the Earth from outer space. And the dark light with strong power will bring out a huge disaster. In the summer of 2023, as predicted, two mysterious lights approach Japan and descend on Kasukabe. The white light hits Shin-chan, which makes him get a superpower. Meanwhile, a man called Mitsuru Hiriya, has been bathed in dark light and has acquired psychic powers begins to run amok. A man who wants the destruction of the world, Hiriya VS A happy-go-lucky kindergarten child, Shinnosuke. A superpower battle is going to begin!
Doraemon: Nobita and the Space Heroes
Comedy · 2015
Nobita and friends decide to make a movie inspired by the space adventures of their heroes, but their fiction turns into a reality.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Keiichi Hara
Written by
Keiichi Hara
Akiko Yajima
Shinnosuke Nohara (voice)
Miki Narahashi
Misae Nohara (voice)
Keiji Fujiwara
Hiroshi Nohara (voice)
Satomi Korogi
Himawari Nohara (voice)
Ako Mayama
Shuyuryo's mother (voice)
Chie Sato
Bo-chan (voice)
Daisuke Gori
Rose (voice)
Court is in session
Put Crayon Shin-chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Oddness is not depth.”
A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.