Zootopia 2 | My Movie Review as an AC/HSP
I'm Yamane😊
Last weekend, I went to see Zootopia 2 with my child.
Every screening during the day was sold out, and the whole theater was incredibly lively and fun🍿
I really felt that the true pleasure of a movie is enjoying it together with a large crowd at the theater!
Given the movie's theme, the idea of many different people gathering to enjoy something together was a perfect fit, and I thought it was a work best experienced in a theater🐰
⚠️There are some spoilers ahead, so please be careful!
The mysterious commonalities between Zootopia (2016) and Zootopia 2 (2025)
Zootopia is an utopia where animals of various species gather and coexist, transcending their differences. It represents animal diversity.
The story follows the duo of Judy the rabbit and Nick the fox as they solve cases that occur within this utopia.
Furthermore, both stories share a plot where they expose the conspiracy of a mastermind who attempts to politically exploit the prejudice and discrimination born from the anxiety and fear caused by our differences.
The mysterious commonalities between the 2016 and 2025 releases
Zootopia was released in 2016, and Zootopia 2 was released this year, 2025.
As many of you may remember, 2016 was actually a historic year that saw the US presidential election and the confirmation of the first Trump administration.
In that election, while the Hillary campaign fought based on existing political values, the Trump campaign claimed immigrants were a dangerous presence and championed America First, marking the first year that the politics of division became a reality.
Then, after Trump was defeated in the 2020 election and there seemed to be a temporary swing back, he ran again in the '24 election, and the Trump administration was inaugurated this January in '25. This year has been one where policies creating a movement against DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) have been rolled out one after another.
Against the message of division put forth by the Trump administration, the message of coexistence presented by Zootopia makes us think deeply about what America should be and what the ideals of humanity should be.
It is very strange that the timing of the release of Zootopia, which presents such a message, is quite linked—though not perfectly—to the movements of the Trump administration.
Since there is a production period, I don't think the timing was intentionally matched, but I thought it might be a coincidence that occurs precisely because the story of Zootopia depicts the problems that America and the world are facing in a timely manner.
"Zootopia 2" is a story about origins
As mentioned earlier, the plot of "Zootopia" and "Zootopia 2" is largely the same.
Both stories follow the general flow of uncovering a conspiracy that attempts to politically exploit the anxiety and fear arising from differences between species—such as predators and prey—living together in the utopia of Zootopia, as well as the "prejudice" and "discrimination" that those feelings create.
However, there are differences; while "Zootopia" was a story about a mastermind creating division by manufacturing new fears, "Zootopia 2" goes back to the origins of how the utopia of Zootopia was created, revealing that lies creating division were embedded there from the start.
In other words, it is a rather frightening story about how even in what we believe to be our origins and history, there may be intentional manipulation by someone trying to unfairly exploit discrimination and prejudice.
The love of a small duo saved the world
And what saved Zootopia from its crisis was the love between the rabbit Judy and the fox Nick.
Their relationship begins with them clashing due to their differences, confused by the existence of prejudice and discrimination hidden within their hearts—prejudice against rabbits, prejudice against foxes, and so on.
Even without someone exploiting them, the anxiety and fear that arise from our differences, and the prejudice and discrimination that those feelings create, are things that naturally emerge.
However, as they overcome numerous difficulties together, they realize that there are things they can only do by joining forces because they are different, and that they need each other because they are different; by overcoming their prejudices and understanding one another, they become the best duo.
And because they are different beings, love is born between them. The core of this story is that this strong bond creates the courage and power to expose a conspiracy that could swallow the entire society, thereby saving the world.
A chance to think with children about how to live in today's world
What I thought after watching the movie is that, in reality, what is needed to change a divided world is for many such small instances of love to be born in our daily lives.
I believe that the world will only change when more people have such experiences and feelings of love.
Unlike in the movie, we cannot change the world with just a relationship between two people like Judy and Nick, but if people who can build such relationships become the majority, I think things will change.
If many people can acquire the mental strength not to have the anxiety and fear of differences lurking in their hearts, and the prejudice and discrimination that stem from them, exploited by others, we might get a little closer to an ideal society.
That is why I felt once again that I want my children to live in a way where they do not fear differences with others and build relationships with people who are important to them, no matter how harsh the world becomes.
Conclusion
While I, as an adult, was watching while thinking about various things like this, the children's reactions were much simpler, and they were laughing out loud at many different scenes.
In particular, the scene where a character from the previous film made a dashing entrance had all the children and adults in the theater going "Ah!" and buzzing with excitement 🤣
So, while you're watching, you can just enjoy it without thinking about anything, and after you finish watching, you can connect it to various topics like human relationships and society as a parent and child, and think about them together 💫
It is already an explosively popular work, but I really thought it was a movie that I want as many people as possible to see!
