Reviews of Nekojiru Gekijou (1999) and related work
- Spin-off: “Cat Soup” (2001)
Nekojiru Gekijou (1999
)
The adventures of two young cats in a world where several species of animals can talk, but do not have the same rights or obligations as humans. The pair’s father is a drunken lout, and some of their friends are pigs. The latter is a good thing for pork supplies.
A nihilist gross-out comedy. The premise of anthropomorphic animals is a commonplace idea, but its implementation here is fascinating. It’s somewhere between Disney’s crude adaptation of barnyard fairytales and the absurd SF of “The Dead Lady of Clown Town” (1964). The result is irreverent and fervently uncute in its treatment of cruel social injustice.
References here: BoJack Horseman (2014).
moving picture animation Japanese production fiction
‣ “Cat Soup” (2001)
The feline siblings journey through fantastic landscapes. Nobody speaks, but they appear to be searching for the second half of the sister’s soul. Death took the first half.
More “artistic” surrealism, with a budget. Frequently gory. Some dark humor. Good music, crude animation. Occasionally comprehensible symbolism.
moving picture spin-off animation Japanese production fiction