Ghost Cat Anzu - Film Review 10/10! - Fremantle Shipping News

From the very first line of dialogue in this film, you quickly learn that this is not the typical children’s anime promised on the cover.

Ghost Cat Anzu tells you the story of a young girl, Karin, left in the care of a talking cat after her father abandons her in a monastery.

Sounds adorable. Perfect for the youngsters and tolerable for their parents.

We were let in for a surprise.

That gambling, motorcycle-speeding, beer-swilling, short-tempered and uncouth cat quickly sees through our young heroine’s deviousness as a bitter shyster and guides her through morally challenging, dangerous, and surreal experiences while picking up a few friends.

The world portrayed here feels like Studio Ghibli and the makers of Family Guy started a wrestling match then relented and decided to collaborate instead. Gorgeous visuals of rural Japan and bustling Tokyo. A bicycle thief promised brutal retribution via a makeshift bayonet with a kitchen knife. An unreliable parent regularly labelled an idiot by his young daughter. A parent watching a touching family moment through their smartphone camera. Hell employs cleaning crews. It’s a scream. And endearing.

Highlights include discovering the entrance to the underworld (hint, you’ll want to shower afterwards) and being chased by demons in a mini bus.

Refreshing, salty, and charming. Beautifully crafted rotoscope animation. Authentic and snappy voice acting. Very, very funny. We utterly loved it and would happily watch it again.

Based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Takashi Imashiro and directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita and Yoko Kuno.

10 out of 10!

By Gayle O’Leary. If you’d like to catch up on more by Gayle here on Fremantle Shipping News, look right here!

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