Netflix recently released the trailer for an upcoming animated film The Imaginary. Much like the similarly themed films Imaginary and IF, The Imaginary focuses on an imaginary friend as he grapples with the notion of being forgotten.

Based on the 2014 novel by A.F. Harrold, the film follows imaginary friend Rudger (Louie Rudge-Buchanan) and his adventures with his friend/creator Amanda (Evie Kiszel). Rudger soon discovers a town of imaginary friends called the Town of the Imaginaries and hears how beings like him can fade away as soon as they are forgotten. With his new friends and Amanda, Rudger must come to terms with this realization while fighting off a dark force that seeks to control reality and snuff out childish imagination.

The Imaginary was originally released in Japan last December. It was directed by Yoshiyuki Momose (Spirited Away) and written by Yoshiaki Nishimura (When Marnie Was There). It is Studio Ponoc’s first full-length animated film since Mary and the Witch’s Flower. In addition to being a rare hand-drawn film, The Imaginary also boasts new techniques in handling light and shadow.

Though this film was based on a decade-old book, it also marks the third animated feature this year to focus on imaginary friends and what happens when their child creators abandon them. Imaginary took a more horror-based perspective on the subject to poor results (24% Rotten Tomatoes scoring). On the other hand, IF is almost as whimsical and family-oriented as The Imaginary promises to be. Even if the film had mixed reactions (49% RT), it is a relative improvement over Imaginary. Whether or not The Imaginary will continue this upward trend is up to the final product and how Studio Ponoc handles the subject matter.

The Imaginary will fly into American audiences’ homes on Netflix on July 5th.