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Ghost Cat Anzu Review – A Cute But Meandering Anime

While those who rarely engage with anime they’re often surprised by the diversity within the genre. For every big series about fighting titans, ninjas, or super-powered beings, there are smaller movies and shows that handle low-stakes life. Adapted from the popular manga series by Takashi Imashiro, Ghost Cat Anzu allows its silly characters room to stretch their legs. While it’s nice to have a mostly relaxing experience, a self-important title character upends the adaptation. Ghost Cat Anzu is mostly fine, but in an era with so many great anime films, it’s a frustrating miss.

Ghost Cat Anzu Review – A Cute But Meandering Anime

Ghost Cat Anzu Plot

When fifth-grader Karin (Noa Gotô) is left with her grandfather in the countryside, she has to adjust her life. Her grandfather – who also serves as a monk at the local temple – also provides a home for a Ghost Cat named Anzu (Mirai Moriyama). As Karin and Anzu come into conflict, Karin befriends Anzu’s spirit animal friends (including a Frog, a Tanuki, and a giant Mushroom). When Karin’s old life leaves her with few options, she embarks on a mission to honor her mother’s death on its anniversary. However, with Anzu in tow, the trip goes in unexpected directions.

Anzu - a six foot tall humanoid orange cat - sips soup at a small Japanese table. 5th grade girl Karin watches him from an open door.

Ghost Cat Anzu plays too many familiar notes.

It’s a little unfair to put any anime in the same class as My Neighbor Totoro, but Ghost Cat Anzu has always worn this influence on its sleeve (as a manga as well). The arrogance of Anzu helps differentiate the two, communicating to the audience this is not the feel-good, heal-your-soul story as Miyazaki’s masterpiece becomes.

At the same time, it opens the door for a more laid-back vision of rural Japanese life. As Anzu works various jobs and Karin negotiates pranks with the local teens, there’s a sweet serenity to the story. However, Ghost Cat Anzu spends too much time in this half of the story, eventually running out of steam. When we reach the halfway point, the story shifts to an urban setting. The dichotomy between traditional Japanese mysticism and the modern world becomes far more intriguing as a visual and tonal culture clash. None of these moments draws a bigger laugh than the arrival of a sports car late in the film.

This, unfortunately, leaves Ghost Cat Anzu in a predicament, with the first half of the film grinding to a halt. The second half leaves the audience on a happier, more traditionally sentimental note. This half also plays into the lifestyle difference of urban life. Ghost Cat Anzu becomes more energetic, exciting, and creative while in the cityscape. While these ideas are all fun to play out in the overarching story, it plays too many similar beats to other popularized anime films. This leaves the movie feeling somewhat repetitive and too bland to stand out.

Karin - a fifth grade girl wearing a white shirt and blue pants - travels to the city with Ghost Cat Anzu - a six foot tall orange cat that wears tourist clothes.

Is Ghost Cat Anzu worth watching?

From the film’s opening frames, Ghost Cat Anzu directors Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita prove to respect and love the story. This passion pours into the feature, even when the story does not rise to the occasion. Viewers who consume all anime should find Ghost Cat Anzu a pleasant watch. Even if a movie is repetitive and somewhat dull, there’s enough fun in the second half of the movie to compensate for early frustrations.

Those who primarily show up for the buzzy titles will find the story underwhelming. There are too many tropes on display for Ghost Cat Anzu to fully separate itself in the genre, and the titular character rubs on your nerves too often. We want to celebrate the big swings in the film, but there are too many moments that left us checking how much time was left in the movie to give it a full stamp of approval.

Watch Ghost Cat Anzu in theaters on November 15, 2024. GKIDS distributes.

Ghost Cat Anzu Review – A Cute But Meandering Anime

A cute but underwhelming comedy adventure, Ghost Cat Anzu feels too much like a rip-off of magical realism classics to fully stand out for it’s humor. A missed opportunity.

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