Anime film 'Belle' highlights when parasocial relationships aren't enough

For the past few decades it's been de rigueur for science fiction stories to be set in virtual worlds, from the early neon-lined stylings of Tron to the hedonistic pop cultural temple of Ready Player One. The stories once treated these places like a fantasy world on par with Middle Earth or Hyrule, but as we've edged closer to them existing in reality they've gotten a lot more humdrum, maybe even ordinary. With this shift we've seen the real and virtual worlds increasingly collide, and it's that...