Nekojiru-sou

I made an account on here just to write a review for this, since no one else has! This is such a beautiful movie. In my opinion (and I know not many will agree with me but whatever), this by far surpasses any Ghibli movies, as well as Kimi no na wa. Of course there were a few things it could have done better, but honestly, everything was too superb for me to notice many flaws at all. Art: 10/10. Literally so gorgeous. The vibrant colors and scenery were incredibly majestic and stunning, and the whole time I felt completely immersed. Not to mention, all of the characters were super well done. The cats were really attractive, which is a plus for me, but in general -- everyone had their own little quirks about them instead of being bland and repetitive. Animation: 9/10. I would give it a 10/10, just for being so smooth and extremely well done, but the use of real footage at some points was a bit annoying. Even so, the studio still managed to meld it together without it being too standoffish. It was unique, if anything, so I had almost no problems with it. Story/Plot: 10/10. I might be sounding super biased, but honestly, I've never seen such a well done plot revolving around water, and the concept of life. It's perfect to me, and because I was raised around this type of belief, it really hits home to see something depicting it in such a way. Voice acting: 8/10. There were some parts - especially towards the beginning of the movie where I was not yet used to the voices - that I felt the emotions were not being portrayed as powerfully as they should have been, and were lackluster. But overtime I was able to adapt quickly to it, and throughout the movie it almost felt like the voice actors themselves grew, as I was hearing much more depth in the tones they were taking on. I did, in particular, really enjoy Nyako's older voice. Very wise sounding (as she should be, after all she went through). Soundtrack: 10/10. I loved it. It's not too over the top, yet still very impactful. There were no scenes where I felt that the ost was out of place. Characters Development: 8/10. I didn't see much of this with Nyatta, honestly. She seemed to stay the same throughout the whole movie, and I didn't feel like she grew very much. Nyako, on the other hand, went through a heck of a lot of development. She was somewhat selfish at first, caring more about what would happen to Nyatta than listening to what Nyatta herself actually wanted, and then ended up sacrificing quite a bit for her wishes nearer to the end. Overall: Deep storyline, beautiful message, and lots and lots of much appreciated heartwarming feels. To me, it was perfect, and I will most definitely be re-watching this again. (Yes, this was a review by some chinese bot and it was written so bland and generalised, that I thought it could fit any other movie, which is not Keit-ai or a ghibli movie. If you're still wondering: this is a joke and will probably be deleted by the mods.)

Story: As a story, it is an enigma: it is simple, but it is equally complex. There are elements which guide you right from the beginning, but as the story progresses, you keep those elements in mind purely as markers of reference. Put another way... its like being lost in a maze and making your way through it, only to realize, there was nothing achieved once you are free from the maze. And frankly, there wasn't much else to say for the story other than it used the art for progression. The same perspective applies to Character, frankly speaking. Although they seem developed, they are heavily reliant on the art and sound in order to portray their own arcs. Of all the anime that I have seen, this one has the most... subtle and mysterious characters I have ever seen. Very bizarre presentation to say the least. But the fascinating bizarre that grips you and pushes you forward. Art and Sound: I have absolutely no way of stating it other than: the most intriguing use of modern "abstract" art-style anime I have come across, with a succinct, atmospheric, and engrossing score. This anime's characters - with extremely limited dialogues - do not have a single voice actor saying anything. It is reliant almost purely on visuals - a clever trick to enhance the experience of this anime. However, both the sound and the art work side by side to present the themes that this anime discusses. And those themes range from the story's barebone plot, through to very visual critiques of a philosophical and sociological nature. In a way, the art reminded me of Monty Python (but far less "humorous") and even some very obscure, and very lesser known anime like Tenshi no Tamago ("Angel Egg", 1986), and some even lesser known short films (Eastern European ones, mostly). It certainly is something worth watching once, and particularly when the ending is reached... leaving a haunting, empty feeling in its wake.

Hauntingly beautiful. The visuals are so striking and otherworldly. There are so many creative ideas thrown about that it’s sort of hard to really keep track of what is happening. However, I think attaching meaning to every little scene is a bit wrong. Yes the imagery is symbolic of various ideas but we as the viewer are meant to react in awe contrasting the expressionless reactions of the adorable cats as they walk through both hellish and dreamlike landscapes. The humor is very dry and dark, but instead of it being edgy for the sake of being weird it adds to the atmosphere. I also love the music, as it perfectly captures the vibes of the scenes. Oddly enough, for a movie with no supposed “meaning” it made me very emotional. There’s an odd and inexplicable sense of melancholy with a beautiful hint of nostalgic loneliness that I wish I had the writing prowess to properly convey. The exploration of death and the cruelness of the cats and the world, contrasts the cute and dreamy visuals so hard that it gives you whiplash. I believe only the circus scene is an actual adaptation of the manga, and everything else is original. I’ll be checking out the original work very soon but this is an amazing tribute. Overall, this is one of the most creative movies I have seen in a long time, and will recommend it to anyone who likes absurd and surreal works.

(The following review intends to sync foretold viewing experience into the said review.) "Nekojiru-sou" or "Cat Soup" is a… is a… is a… "Nekojiru-sou" or "Cat Soup" is an OVA. It's about two cats, siblings to one another, Nyako and Nyatta. The two are unorthodox, they, do stuff, and… Honestly… what? I know what it is! It's a crazy trip, a trip like no other. Hmm. How exactly do I explain that trip? A ton of vivid events and abstract motion takes place? A load of stuff aiming to tell something that requires a good knowledge of visual storytelling. Man, is that just people being irrational again .-. Erm. What else is there? I wouldn't know, last time I tried reviewing this, I couldn't because there was just stuff that did nothing. A seemingly awful and empty joke a whole team and studio would waste time on… Or… is the fact that there is nothing, a part of the cryptic nature, to this thing? Something like biblical references to beings like the Son of Man? It's another one of these, again? Actually, I don't know what this is. I think I talked about the story, I don't know, the story was up down left and right anyways, it was strange, maybe that is what people get when they eat Cat Soup. Would you know? Oh, the characters. They were kinda like throughout the whole thing. Oh, I guess they like beating the living hell out of pigs too... The audiovisuals are a funny one too. Does one have to get the level of detail and intrinsic messages to fully comprehend the authentic nature of this visual beauty, ermm… I don't know, they kinda just wooshed all over the place and warped the setting way too much. Probably a reference to the distorted reality around here. That makes sense considering how black the comedy was in the original TV series. Oh, there is no dialogue either. It has manga speech text though, you have to make do with that if nothing else. Anyhow, the anime was indeed strange, it took a path and kept taking that path until it ended abruptly. It is good, is there an underlying message? Maybe it is just a visual representation of some ideas. Whatever it is. It was certainly a very good idea. Have you ever been, to the Cat Soup? It melts, your mind. Overall, 8/10.

The best part of cat soup was when he crapped in the ocean, some fish ate it and then those fish were caught by a pig and proceed into their own little animation segment. This anime also confirms then denies the flat earth theory. Although I left this OVA as a general positive experience I would also say I was slightly let down and underwhelmed, maybe because I had heard it's praises sung so high. You can look at other reviews and opinions of it to see what I mean. It's definitely not however at the other end of the spectrum, I wouldn't call cat soup a masterpiece but it's definitely worth a watch. Approaching Halloween it's possibly even one of the best topical anime you could stick on right now. There are some depictions which can be considered sensitive such as violence towards animals & unprovoked violence. I get that they can easily be written off however as they take place within this world and anime which are so absurd that they needn't explain themselves or indeed anything that is depicted. I just thought this was worth noting as someone almost entirely desensitised to violence when humanity is involved, I still find seeing violence towards animals upsetting. If however you can get past the initial discomfort it may cause, it's not exactly a core theme of the OVA. Although there are occasional graphic, maybe even "spooky" elements it's primarily just absurdity with a dash of shock value. Cat Soup's main strengths are definitely in it's art, animation & sound which all compliment each other nicely too. I'm settling on a 7/10, not gonna change your life, but definitely worth a watch & certainly for a spooky season anime this Halloween!

TL;DR One episode OVA with a visually told story using surreal religious imaginery. Not so far above your head to be completely obscure, yet artistic with creative scene ideas. Nice, memorable, and quick watch worth your half an hour of time. *** Story *** The official synopsis is this: Nyatta, an anthropomorphic kitten, on his travel to the land of the dead and back in an effort to save his sister's soul. My own summary goes like this. Two dead kitten siblings go on a journey into an afterlife world, experience many scenes with highly symbolic and religious imagery from several religions, such as creation, a flood, temptation, and a mechanical butterfly. The younger brother eventually heals his onee-san, and both return to life in a 2001-esque scene. There they find their impoverished family whom we already met at the beginning, and everybody goes to sleep. The end. At least this what I see after reading into the plot a bit using essays. The story is exclusively told by means of surreal imagery with very little and insignificant dialog only. No two persons will fully agree on what happens. The several dozens of surrealistic scenes are loosely connected by the kids' voyage. Some of the ideas presented are absolutely stunning and blistering with creativity. Fortunately, the anime never loses itself completely in inaccessible symbolism. While not having done it myself, I'm quite sure given the official synopsis, you can narrow down each scene to a religious concept and interpret it. Which doesn't stop the anime from bending your unprepared mind on first watch. I like the full circle the story takes, off the children's home and back to there again. I also like that the surreal ideas are really weird, but accessible enough to tell a coherent story one can actually follow. It's just short (or long) enough to not become boring. And having a proper overarching plot with a classic conclusion is just satisfying and calming classic story telling. If the conclusion is what it seems is open to interpretation again, of course. All in all, an above average story told in a creative and unconventional way. (8/10) *** Animation *** The animation is about as average as it gets, neither standing out nor hurting the experience with sub-par visuals. Neither the characters nor the backgrounds are very detailed or complex, but their animation is quite fluent. Some scenes were given increased detail level, for example the water effect right at the beginning and the circus scenes. An unspectacular (5/10). *** Sound *** Much of what was said about animation holds for the sound effects as well. They are reliably present and supporting the visuals well, but nothing spectacular. Most of the time there is no music playing, just the noises of the world. When music is used, it is picked to support the visuals, e.g. when samurais slice a fish typical ancient japan music plays. But these musical interludes are short and not particularly impressive compositions, more like functional music setting or supporting a mood. Another unspectacular (5/10). *** Character *** The two protagonists, Nyatto and his medically brain-damaged onee-san, are travelers in a strange world. They discover it and interact with what they find, but they have no real personalities standing out or developing with time. This allows only for a low rating here, and this is not because the anime's writing would be exceptionally bad. It just comes with the story which puts emphasis on the world, not the protagonists experiencing it. The nearly same holds for the personified actors in some scenes, such as the creator god, the hindu god, or the evil person wanting to eat them. They are just there because the surreal scene needs a humanoid, not because they are real characters. In the end, I could count them into "characters" or "story", but I will distribute points for them only once. And my decision is to consider them just plot devices, resulting in an overall (3/10). *** Enjoyment *** Yup, I enjoyed it. The 32 minutes of run-time were certainly better spent on this little acid trip than on vanilla seasonal junk food. You of course need to enjoy it at the story level, and accept surreal symbols as story telling first hand. And that's already the verdict, same as the story minus one for average execution. (7/10) *** Overall *** (8+5+5+3+7)/5=5.6 =~ (6/10), no corrections needed. If you need half an hour of free and memorable fun, you find this one on youtube. Recommended.

This anime is a magnificent piece of art work. The whole story has a very deep meaning. I loved this movie because of its unique story and art style. some of its scene can be disturbing for some people. the sound effects are amazing. its a bit scary too.i could not understand the ending though. i am not sure if its ok for childrens to watch. because it has some dark scenes.but overall its a great movie. the characters are also interesting.the main character shows different sides of his nature in different scenes.i dont think i can describe this in words.. i really recommend this movie if u like psychological anime.

[English isn't my first language so sorry for any mistakes] It's one of those quite rare and unusual pieces often leaving a question mark in viewer's mind. Personally, I love Nekojiru-sou for its weirdness and abstract art. It takes you on a journey through psychedelic world which is so fluent that you involuntarily get immersed and try to follow or even uncode what is happening. I could compare it to a dream because of this abstraction. Though, the difference is you will probably be trying to figure out the meaning of everything while watching. It's extremely absorbing as nothing in particular is clear. I'm not going to share my reflections as they're completely individual and most probably different from others'. The point is, somehow Nekojiru-sou gives an impression of connection to the real world in a way. The reality in the show is twisted and kind of unstable but at the same time calm (at least this was my feeling), as if the bizarre occurances were quite normal there. Simuntaniouosly, I was following the two cats in this madness and wondering how or if those strange events affect them. I could say the show inspires to raise a few questions and interprete the odd journey to perhaps come up with some conclusions. On the other hand, everything is very fluid. Maybe it indeed is pure randomness. However, it doesn't change the fact it was pleasent to let my mind immerse in such an original creation. The animation and music are also specific but at the same time done greatly. They help create this weird reality. Actually, everything was so fluid and smooth that it seemed to me much shorter in duration than it is. I wish it lasted longer. I can recommend Nekojiru-sou to those who would like to watch something completely different, even psychedelic and absolutely open to interpretation.

God, this was incredibly strange. It starts off somewhat mundane, but after the opening moments, each scene ended up taking place in another surreal, abstract setting. In some ways it's like watching a series of surrealistic paintings come to life. The visuals are absolutely incredible, and everything is animated very nicely. However, the part where it falls apart for me is the incredible lack of a plot, storyline, or character development. The main characters simply go on this wild adventure through these random lands of insanity and they discover them together with the viewer, without having much of a personality at all, simply being there essentially as a surrogate for the viewer. Thus, there really isn't much to be said about why any of the stuff on-screen is happening, it simply just happens... for seemingly no reason. The art is nice, and REALLY interesting to look at, so it's worth watching for that alone. I also really like the soundtrack, which gives the whole thing this creepy, atmospheric tone. However, I can't simply ignore it's faults on the story side of things. It seems as though it's all style and no substance at all. Story: 3 Art: 10 Sound: 9 Character: 2 Enjoyment: 8 Overall, I give it a 7/10.

To a child, grief is all the adventures they planned to go on that are now impossible. The movie really feels like a last hurrah for characters we have known forever, even though the film is only half and hour. The story expertly positions you to view the world through the eyes of a child. The characters are so familiar, using our assumed knowledge of emotions to fill in the blanks of their life. Cat Soup is a gorgeous film that is absurd when it wants to be, and crushingly realistic when it needs to be. TLDR: They did that pig dirty.

Nekojiru is the pseudonym for a mangaka that had a brief stint of popularity in the '90s, and was known for purveying a sense of strikingly cruel, social commentary from the perspective of young, cat characters. Nekojiru is a portmanteau of the Japanese words: neko ねこ "cat", and shiru しる "soup," creating ねこぢる ("cat soup"). The creator was born Chiyomi Nakayama, and then would later change her name to Chiyomi "Hashiguchi." Ms. Hashiguchi tragically died on May 10th, 1998, from suicide, only eight days after the death of HIDE from X Japan. People close to Ms. Hashiguchi claim that the two had nothing to do with each other, the mangaka had stated that she didn't like rock music because it was too "noisy" and preferred to listen to Aphex Twin records. From Ms. Hashiguchi's biography, she seemed to be a very troubled and eccentric woman. Supposedly, she was bone-thin because she viewed eating solid foods as repulsive. According to her spouse, when she would go to restaurants, she would only order plain broth. A close friend claimed that Ms. Hashiguchi was utterly repulsed by raw meat and fish, saying that she would often say that, "The taste of blood is disgusting." This sentiment is echoed throughout her works, even the name "Cat Soup" hints at her disgust towards the consumption of other living beings. In her comics, there is a caste-system with talking cats and pigs. The pigs are mercilessly slaughtered and eaten, despite having cognizance and going to school with the cats. Her spouse would later comment that Ms. Hashiguchi would get censored for attempting to address social hierarchies and racism in the "Nekojiru" series. The documentary seemed to imply that her publishers and agents seemed to try to commercialize the "cute" characters, rather than focusing on the merit of her work. One her publishers in the television special stated that before Ms. Hashiguchi's suicide, she seemed to have grown weary of publishing comics. That also may have been due to Ms. Hashiguchi's issues with alcoholism. In her biography, it is stated that instead of eating physical meals, Ms. Hashiguchi would live on a diet of broth and Jack Daniels whiskey. From an outside perspective, it seemed that Chiyomi Hashiguchi had an awakening sense of consciousness about the world around her. Famously, Ms. Hashiguchi is said to have travelled to India and tried LSD, thus causing her to entirely genuflect to Indian culture and the iconography in Hindu mythology. It is incorporated in many of her published works. In the thirty-minute film, created by J.C. Staff to memorialize her life and death, the heroine ("Nyako") is taken away by a blue-skinned being. The deity resembles the Hindu god, Vishnu. In the biography, according to Ms. Hashiguchi's spouse, the little brother character ("Nyatta") was supposed to a comic representation of him. With that information, it is even more heart-breaking that Nyatta is desperately trying to save Nyako, from the looming shadow of death. I personally believe that because of Ms. Hashiguchi's tête-à-tête with her inner demons, writing from an uncaring child's perspective probably brought her relief. Chiyomi Hashiguchi chooses to illustrate her world-view through the unconscious cruelty of children. The cat characters experience things like death, torture, and money laundering... and they don't understand the consequences or ramifications of their actions. In her biography, Ms. Hashiguchi was said to be very harsh. She had absolutely no filter in what she said out-loud. Her close friends would say that they would be ashamed to go out to eat with her, because she would often berate the server openly. It's probable that because of Ms. Hashiguchi's realization of the world's evils, topics that her publishers didn't allow her to express, that caused her to feel very lonely and depressed. As an adult, people eventually realize hard truths and they have two choices: a) turn a blind eye or b) look at all of the world's atrocities, face-forward. To choose the latter can be unbelievably painful. Although, her work can be interpreted as cruel and vulgar... the harsh messages really affected me. Chiyomi Hashiguchi may be viewed by most as an edgy, indie artist (some people even categorize her work as "guro"), but her views on the flaws of our society are an important thing to keep in mind. ⚠️ This review will be spoiler-free ⚠️ —Story/Characters Synopsis: The main character, a cat named Nyatta, embarks upon a journey to save his sister's soul, which was ripped in two when Nyatta tried to save her from Death. She trails after him, brain-dead. They encounter many brilliant, mind-bending situations, beginning with a disturbing magic show. The thirty-minute, avant-garde film (known as "Nekojiru-sō") is almost a direct adaptation of the "Tamashii no Maki" chapter in Nekojiru Udon. There isn't as much characterization in this installment, the whole thing is more of a symbolic, visual spectacle. Watching Mr. Satō's adaptation is like staring into an animated version of a Salvador Dalí painting. The most characterization emphasized in Nekojiru-sō, is Nyatta's desperation to save his older sister. Nekojiru Gekijō Jirujiru is done in the style of a 4-koma adaptation; it is more indicative of Chiyomi Hashiguchi's main body of work, while "Tamashii no Maki" is indicative of one of her rare, spiritual speculations. In this version, Nyako and Nyatto are portrayed as being cruelly oblivious to the consequences of things like crime and murder. Like, Ms. Hashiguchi's savage honestly, the children convey a total lack of caring for anything, other than their own interests and survival. I believe that this is how Chiyomi Hashiguchi sees the general public and it must have also been attributed to a sense of self-loathing, regarding her own existence. —Technical Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅ For Nekojiru-sō Tatsuo Satō (director), notable works: * Atom: The Beginning * Basquash! * Gakuen Senki Muryō * Jūbee Ninpūchō: Ryūhōgyoku-hen ("Ninja Scroll: The Series") * Kidō Senkan Nadesico ✅ * Kidō Senkan Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness ✅ * Lord Marksman and Vanadis * Mōretsu Pirates * Rinne no Lagrange * Shigofumi ✅ * Tobe! Isami * Tokyo Tribe 2 * Uchū no Stellvia Commentary: From what I've seen, Mr. Satō's best works are "Shigofumi" and "Kidō Senkan Nadesico." He seems to excel at creating a dark atmosphere, as well as making visually-iconic sequences. For Nekojiru Gekijō Jirujiru Hiroshi Fukutomi (director), notable works: * Battle Spirits: Ryūko no Ken * Captain Tsubasa * Chōjin Locke ✅ * Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf ✅ * Gunnm ("Battle Angel Alita") ✅ * High School! Kimengumi * Jikū Tantei Genshi-kun * Kaibutsu-kun: Demon no Ken * Kaibutsu-kun: Kaibutsu Land e no Shoutai * Shin Dōsei Jidai: Hawaiian Breeze * Suzuka * The Marshmallow Times * Whistle! Commentary: Mr. Fukutomi's work on things like "Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf" and "Gunnm," are quite different from the cinematography in Nekojiru Gekijō Jirujiru. If I can say anything about his filmography, it's that he seems to be good at framing and the pacing of certain scenes. Sakura Uehara as Nyako, notable roles: * Kyoko Iwashita, Ike! Ina-chū Takkyūbu Commentary: Ms. Uehara hasn't had many roles at all, but her role as Nyako has a duality of charming childishness and brutality. Nao Nagasawa as Nyatta, notable roles: * Kenta, Animal Yokochō * Daichi Sumeragi, Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G Revolution * Majorika, Ojamajo Doremi ✅ * Hikrau Yoshimoto, Princess Nine: Kisaragi Joshikō Yakyūbu * Steak, Tegamibachi Commentary: The only role I know Ms. Nagasawa for is the mascot in "Ojamajo Doremi." I also saw a few episodes of "Tegamibachi", so I remember her role as Steak. Her seiyū work on Nyatta is, sufficed to say, really adorable! Rankings: Nekojiru-sō: ★★★☆☆ Nekojiru Gekijō Jirujiru: ★★★★☆

'Cat Soup' is a medium-length film in which two cats go on a journey, let's say it like that and let's see it that way, since one of the reasons why some people do not like 'Cat Soup' is because it doesn't have a clear narrative story. During the trip many things will happen, all of them with a very interesting metaphorical or symbolic sense. The atmosphere is amazing, at times reminiscent of David Lynch, animation is wonderful, tremendously original and beautiful, and if it is so original it is because it copies many things, it is almost impossible to do something that does not already exist, originality consists of copying many things until the sources are diffused, and not just one as would do those who are not innovative. And the sources of 'Cat Soup' are many, the director's own vision of the world, his animation, surrealism and especially the paintings of Dalí, Japanese legends, Christianity and the idea of ​​God, the works of many directors of "real image" cinema and many other things. A jewel.

i do not recommend this show out of respect for the author. after i watched this piece,i was lost. by looking for answers, i've read the former writers' friends talks about the life of the authors. cat gruel is the last piece of work i will see from the original authors. at first, i thought this was an intricate piece to show other who have been bought in to their own culture narrative. eat, drink, pee pee, poop, cycle of life, distinct judgements, morals, decisions and bonds. japan becoming; a singular culture. many grew up in an environment which adjusts to them and therefore adjusts back. the few who are able to know their own situations, in reality, are either very bitter or very content. in many ways i can almost guess why she drew these pieces. these stories/drawings were never meant for others to see, "i showed to my friends for my guilty pleasure and people liked them...?" "now i can not stop myself" for a reason... a good one at that; the excuse i base around i needed to make a living like everyone else, perfect. this is the, possibly, one only climax in my life, to spread my thoughts to others for my own pleasure. NOBODY nor EVERYBODY "WILL FINALLY KNOW HOW I FEEL". a very emotionally charged selfish person perhaps, who loathe their own existence. these pieces were never meant to be shared. maybe only for a few who visually could see her in person and acknowledge her bitterness. the intention was an intellectual jeer intended to create a meaningful connection that was special, personally. cat gruel seeped through many natural motives that most of us inherently took for granted but in many way an idol of obfuscation yet to be marked for the author. everything came at a cost where in cases there are no control over; even the self. life with string attached similarly to the flailing bird; only to substantiates desire of others. the stew is served crammed, supple and unnaturally together. either a mistake or a bad joke to deny a natural order to serve a function. Cat Soup shows the obvious noose around individuals whom desperately tries to ignore. as the rope tightens, only then, life reveals itself a bit too short.

Give all 10 Story,Cat, Soul scared me. This is not for kid. But fun your up to watch something scary in a anime wait. XD

Anime that makes you feel bad while watching it. Death, a zombie rebirth, and emptiness that echos. Watch this if you’re okay with that feeling. None of the characters in this show are doing anything of value, they just take away from their surroundings on repeat. Starting from the first scene, nothing is going to go right for anyone in this show, and it isn’t afraid to show you a dark place that is unforgiving. Even when you get a little bit of hope for the characters in this show, it doesn’t resound. Bleak, unforgivable actions continue to show through the entire movie. As far as the art goes, there is something enjoyable about watching the mini acts that appear when the topics of death and rebirth arise, the flow of the universe the author created for us is what I enjoyed most.

Watching Cat Soup is like watching a weird dream that mirrors the fear of death, the unsettling feeling connected to it, the loss of the loved ones and the inability to accept it. This anime is surreal, incoherent and unsettling, but in a way that keeps you glued to the screen. It was able to impress me, do you know when at night you have a very strange and illogical dream, but when you wake up and you think about it you end up realising that it’s the result of worries, fears and moods that you experienced in your life? Well, watching Cat Soup is like watching one of these dreams.

I love this OVA but it’s hard to talk about because my attachment to it is more emotional than anything that I could easily articulate. Everytime I watch it I have been at a different point in my life, but it always invokes the same melancholic helplessness. The sense of being buoyed along in a cruel and senseless journey with some hope, but no expectation, of catharsis or resolution. When I first saw Cat Soup twenty or so years ago I was fixated on the fact that the original mangaka Nekojiro took her own life. I think I latched onto this as though it lent some kind of legitimacy or profundity to the OVA. Since then I have come to see it less as some dark window into a suicidal mind or a cry for help and more an expression of common human emotional experiences filtered through somebody else’s internal symbols and language. The imagery is so wonderful and inventive, especially the sequence where time breaks down completely and the two cat children skitter about upon a frozen glass ocean. The OVA itself does a similar trick where despite being only 34 minutes long it feels like you’ve grown from a carefree naive youth into a bitter jaded adult while watching it. Maybe that’s just me! Wife review; it’s good, would recommend, but a bit of a downer.

Why cook cats? I won't talk about Nekojiru work... because this title itself speaks of Nekojiru work yes, this is exactly how this film is not the work of Nekojiru... this is a film about the work of Nekojiru. this is a film epitaph, a film honor, a film last bow the only meaning of the film is to make references to other works of the author. I don't quite understand who this film is for... for whom? for people who are unfamiliar with creativity? or for fans? and perhaps this film for Nekojiru, just a tribute... I don't know but I like that aura of this piece

What an amazing piece of art, of course it was made by Yuasa. Cat Soup is a surreal/symbolic anime that metaphorizes mankind and its relationship with god and earth through the journey of some silly cats. We see multiple scenes where the cats mistreat the enviroment, abusing both creatures and animals (pork, the circus, etc). At the end, after a deluge and some more biblic references, the main character finally understands how to live properly: spreading love and respect. Thats what the flower and the mechahearth represent, and thats why his sister is brought back to life. What i really didnt find a convincing explanation for was the tv twist at the ending, but besides that, most of the things have a reason for being in the film 9/10.

TW: Discussion of domestic abuse Cat soup is…a really weird movie. Watching it is something of an experience, since plotlines emerge and disappear in the blink of an eye, all the while fast-paced trippy imagery makes it hard to really understand what’s even going on. Drawing some kind of overarching analysis out of it and claiming that to be the point of the film would be disingenuous because there isn’t really a point to be drawn or a moral to be learned. Still, its imagery is far too interesting to leave alone, and prodding at it until it vomits something up makes for some interesting discussion, whether intended or not. The film follows two cats, brother and sister, and begins with the latter’s death. As the grim reaper arrives to take her, her brother refuses to accept her death and attempts to wrest her from the reaper’s grasp. He manages to retrieve half her soul, and much of the film follows the two cats as they journey through a series of increasingly bizarre landscapes to find the other half, hidden in a flower. One of the images that comes up time and time again is that of destruction, and, more specifically, the destruction of some kind of body or the other. For example, one part of the film is set in a circus, where there is a large bird with a transparent body, filled with clouds. When the bird is squeezed, it lets out fireworks, and each time it is squeezed it grows more and more agitated, until it is finally killed. Upon its death, a great flood is unleashed upon the earth that leaves behind a vast desert once it finally dries up. Stuck in this desert with only a pig as their companion, the two cats resort to morbidly using their own friend for food. They carve out parts of his body and eat it, with the pig even cannibalizing his own body at one point. The pig dies soon after, but the cats manage to make it to a large mansion in which a tall bald man lives. Much like the witch from Hansel and Gretel, he fattens them up with food before throwing them into a large cauldron and attempting to cook them. The cats manage to escape just in time, throwing him in and running away. All of these examples, of the bird, the pig, and the man, are all of bodies being destroyed or maimed in some way. The question is though, what ties them together thematically? More importantly, why is the film doing this, showing us these sometimes horrific images of arms and legs being cut off, or animals being abused? Well, in each of these situations bodies are not destroyed for no purpose — there is something being extracted from this destruction. The bird provides entertainment, the pig provides food, and the cats when cooked and eaten serve as a way for the man, long past his prime, to vampirically consume youth and thereby become youthful again. Destruction is here a tool to create useful things for some people at the expense of others. Weirdly enough, the cats seem to enjoy and/or partake in this destruction themselves. After all, when the bird is being tortured for entertainment, they clap along just as excited as the rest of the crowd, and they are the ones responsible for the death of the pig. Even with the man, the only reason they really dislike what’s happening to them is that they are the ones at the receiving end of this destructive extraction. But…why? Why on earth would they not question these things as they happen? As an observer it’s obvious that these things are, on some fundamental level, wrong, or at least morally questionable. The answer to this lies all the way back in the beginning of the film, where we get a brief glimpse into the kind of household the cats grew up in. We see that their father is an alcoholic, and their mother either ignorant, scared, or both. It wouldn’t really be much of a stretch then, to say that there was probably some kind of abuse going on, whether that be physical or mental. Abuse is, in some way, something that tears you down and destroys parts of you, exploiting you in some form. Your body becomes a thing from which your parents ‘extract’ something, such as physical or emotional labor. As a child, these things are often accepted and internalized uncritically, and so witnessing the same being done to others might be seen as normal, or expected. All of this explains why the cats are partially oblivious and tacitly endorse destruction — they grew up with it, after all. The film ends with the brother finally finding the flower, and making his sister whole again. This is the only act in the entire film where something is created without anything being destroyed. No one had to die or be tortured for it to happen, and symbolically it represents the cats breaking out of their cycle of internalized abuse, to strive to be better than their parents, and better as people.