Boldly Go Ghost Cat Anzu!
A Tale of Two Studios, Two Directors, & Two Oddballs.
by Jonathan Beltran
Karin, the reluctant city girl, and Anzu, the middle-aged ghost cat.
Vision is the bedrock for any creative project, with animation the sky is truly the limit.
Before an explanation of the plot, Ghost Cat Anzu has a fascinating production background. Producer Keiichi Kondo pitched an adaptation for Takashi Imashiro’s manga of the same name, notably utilizing different production techniques including live action and rotoscoping - an animation technique wherein an animator traces over real live footage frame-by-frame to depict movement. Enter directors Nobuhiro Yamashita and Yôko Kuno.
From left: Directors Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita
The former is an acclaimed live action director with a line of films depicting loner life and drifter characters from his debut feature Hazy Life (1999) to Over the Fence (2016). With regards to his first film, Yamashita has a keen eye for disenchanted characters trying to get by through the inconveniences of the modern world while finding joy in the most minute of places; whether that be a cigarette exchange or the imagined fantasies of what could have been.
The latter is a well-respected animator in the scene. From her graduation film Airy Me - an animated music video featuring Japanese musician Cuushe - to her rotoscoping work on anime such as The Case of Hana and Alice, Kuno has a knack for meticulously detailing motion through wild and poignant experimentation. Look no further than her brief animation, Roto Spread, wherein her rotoscoping talents are on full display - transforming two babies playfully interacting with one another into various different animals and shapes. If there is motion there is a story.
The long and short of this duo’s directorial role, Nobuhiro Yamshita shot a live action version of the film serving as the firm foundation for Yôko Kuno and company to carefully animate each little movement and expression.
Another notable feature is its international collaboration with two studios: Miyu of France and Shin Ei Animation of Japan. Miyu has previously worked with Japanese filmmakers since 2017, yet this film marks a rare chance to work with a major Japanese studio known for titles such as Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, and Teasing Master Takagi-san. Given the Japanese anime market leans heavily on a domestic audience, funding a project such as this was going to be a challenge. According to an interview with Yôko Kuno, Miyu approached her first for a potential project and Ghost Cat Anzu became that. Ergo Miyu’s creative and financial input brought not only the necessary funding and artistic vision to light, but also opened a way for potential interest in the world wide market. Thus, at least within the North American market, GKids picked this title up for further distribution - screening in noteworthy Western film festivals such as Annecy, Cannes, and - most recently - Animation is Film.
From left: Director Yôko Kuno and Producer Keiichi Kondo at the Animation is Film Festival 2024.
With all that said, how does one adapt a manga about the episodic adventures of a middle-aged anthropomorphic cat helping out his fellow villagers into an animated feature?
Simply add an eleven year-old brat to the mix.
The brat in question, Karin. Do not be fooled, or else become the fool.
Ghost Cat Anzu is set in a rural town and follows a disgruntled young girl named Karin (voiced by Noa Goto) who is left at her grandfather’s home after her father leaves to pay off his debts to loan sharks. During her stay she meets Anzu-chan (voiced by Mirai Moriyama) a thirty seven year-old ghost cat who regularly helps the elderly in the village. Anzu is given the responsibility of looking after Karin, while Karin finds ways to run away from it all.
The centerpiece of the film lies in the personalities and relationship between these two characters, namely surrogate parent and child.
An original character made specifically for this film by scriptwriter Shinji Imaoka, Karin has terrible circumstances: the aforementioned deadbeat dad who cannot seem to pay off his debts back home in Tokyo and a recently deceased mother all culminate in the reluctant retreat to the countryside. She may be going through hell, yet she is by no means innocent. Atypical from many young girls in anime marked by their innocence and purity, Karin is discontent and manipulative - taking cues from her father to ask money and favors in the guise of pity whether it be from boys or local yokai; using her age and backstory as leverage to get what she wants. And yet the film makes it clear that Karin is a hurt and lonely girl. There is a poignant scene where she sees a family playing on the beach - mother, father, and child all having fun - and in disgust pushes their bikes into the ground; a reminder of a dynamic she has lost and can never get back. Karin is less cold-hearted, and more desperate for some semblance of control in her otherwise chaotic life.
Anzu-chan is in many respects what you would expect if one were to fully realize “being a cat” as a personality: prone to anger, impolite in his behavior at home (ala urinating in the front yard, a shrine no less), and at times lazy - Anzu is not necessarily parent material. Yet between him and the aforementioned father, there is not much competition for Karin - or more fittingly not much of a choice. However outside of his slacker demeanor, he has a compassionate heart for his neighbors. One instance involved getting rid of the poverty god’s presence in his friend’s life just so that he can graduate from having bad luck to now having average luck. He is more or less a happy-go-lucky cat that takes on life as it goes, serving as a greater foil to Karin.
Karin and Anzu at Tokyo Station.
Both are at odds with each other. It is a given that Karin will not yield to parental figures, yet is especially true towards Anzu. After Anzu calls Karin a liar for manipulating forest spirits in giving her money and pity, Karin orders one of the children to throw Anzu’s bike into the river. Yet this also demonstrates the dual compatibility between the two. Both Anzu and Karin have both lost their mothers over time and are raised by their respective fathers, yet while Anzu has grown up and seemingly passed the grieving stage - a brief depiction told in photos - Karin is stuck; looking at her screen saver of her family when they were at their happiest. Furthermore, Anzu is willing to accompany her all the way from the boonies to her home in Tokyo for the sake of her safety, while Karin reluctantly invites him into her messy life - a front door filled with thinly-veiled threats from loan sharks directed to her father and her mother’s gravesite, which unfortunately could not be accessed due to unpaid bills. This is particularly emphasized where the poverty god makes a repeated appearance to give Karin bad fortune. Anzu makes a wager for him to leave only for the poverty god to refuse it, all while Karin - who cannot see the poverty god - is left looking at Anzu making an invisible deal. Their adventures and misfortunes pull them further together, sharing in the misery while finding avenues for safety and security - for Anzu’s its Karin’s wellbeing, and for Karin keeping all that she has from what has already been lost.
This all culminates to a suspenseful and action-packed third act involving the beauty of Tokyo and terror of Hell. While not much can be divulged without the risk of spoilers, it is worth mentioning the lengths with which Karin is willing to go to get what she wants. And to its bittersweet end comes the sobering realization that there is only so much one can do to change their circumstances, yet there is so much one can do to change their perspective. Given that Karin is the main character in all of this is fitting and appropriate.
All that said, considering the production and animation process how much does this all pan out? Ghost Cat Anzu’s lively and fluid animation depicts the nuances of human motion and a playfulness in its expression - a testament to Kuno’s vision and Yamshita’s live action direction. There is a beautiful scene where Anzu is eating a crepe and the people around him walk, order crepes, and take photos - it is simple yet displays how much of an observer’s eye the animation department put into the film. This production choice emphasizes the forward and living movement of time, a concept fitting for a child learning what it means to appreciate life for what it is and hope for what it could be. However, the audio is noticeably off. It does not happen often however there are lines that either do not complement the animated expressions - an exaggerated angry character design does not match the energy of a more subdued portrayal from its live action foundation - or has a distinguishable echo/muffle in the recording. While minor amidst the rest of the film, it can take out the viewer’s immersion.
With regards to the creative collaboration there are beautiful backgrounds crafted by Julien de Man of Miyu wholly “reminiscent of Pierre Bonnard’s neo-impressionist works.” It is a vibrant and colorful dirge that brings out the life of the village; brilliant hues of yellow, pink and green decorate the landscape. Beauty and light surrounds the characters on earth, which makes the trip to hell all the more stark in its cold and somewhat corporate look. One can certainly tell the mutual respect each studio had for one another as well as the bold directions they were willing to go to tell this story.
Background art done by Miyu’s Julien de Man.
With all that is said and done, will this hopefully set a new standard in Japanese production? Depending on the success of this film, it may potentially happen. Perhaps not within the local domestic Japanese anime market, however for more independent cinema there is hope. As mentioned previously, Miyu approached Kuno first thereby implying an informed and engaged worldwide animated industry willing to work with talented Japanese artists.
Ghost Cat Anzu is an admirable work of collaborative art. Two studios from two countries, by two directors from two different backgrounds in filmmaking all coming together to craft one movie of two charmingly unconventional characters becoming one odd family unit. It is a story that has been told a thousand times, yet nothing quite like this. It may take a village to raise a child, yet it takes one person - maybe even a middle-aged cat - to make a difference.
If you know, you know.
Ghost Cat Anzu will be in theaters on 15 November 2024.
Many thanks to 42 West LLC for the screening and interview opportunity.