Ghost Cat Anzu, a French-Japanese animated film from Miyu Productions and Shin-Ei Animation, offers a distinctive yet divisive cinematic experience. Directed by Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita, and based on Takashi Imashiro’s manga, the film echoes the imaginative spirit of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away while carving its own path.
The narrative follows Karin (Noa Goto) and her father Tetsuya (Munetaka Aoki) as they arrive at Sousei-Ji temple, where Karin’s widowed grandfather lives. Tetsuya, after a 20-year absence, seeks ¥1 million to repay loan sharks. When his father refuses to help, Tetsuya abandons Karin at the temple, promising to return by the anniversary of her mother’s death.
At the temple, Karin encounters Anzu (Mirai Moriyama), a ghost cat who works as a masseuse. Initially indifferent, Anzu bonds with Karin after she shares her grief. Their journey to Tokyo in search of her father leads them to the God of Poverty, who offers Karin a chance to see her mother again through an uncanny quest to hell.
The film stands out for its innovative animation techniques. Directors Kuno and Yamashita employed live-action recording and rotoscoping, meticulously redrawing sequences frame by frame to create a surreal, dreamlike quality. The characters’ voices were recorded on location, adding authenticity to the sound design. The blend of live-action and animation evokes neo-impressionist art, though the settings lack the fluidity typical of Japanese animation.
Despite its visual strengths, Ghost Cat Anzu struggles with pacing and narrative coherence. The plot takes nearly an hour to develop, with much of the first half focused on Anzu’s mundane activities. The film leaves many questions unanswered, such as the nature of Anzu as a ghost cat and the temple’s enchantment. Anzu’s character, marked by blank expressions and a monotonous voice, fails to engage the audience in the early acts.
Karin’s character, though more textured, undergoes delayed development. Her indifferent reactions to fantastical elements are puzzling and detract from the story’s believability.
Ultimately, Ghost Cat Anzu might have excelled as a short film. As a feature-length production, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of coherence, despite its artistic ambition and innovative techniques. While the film becomes more engaging in its latter half, the prolonged wait for narrative payoff may test viewers’ patience.
Title: Ghost Cat Anzu
Festival: Cannes (Directors’ Fortnight)
Directors: Yôko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita
Screenwriter: Shinji Imaoka
Cast: Munetaka Aoki, Noa Goto, Mirai Moriyama
Distributor: Gkids
Running time: 1 hr 37 min
