Now before I get on with this review I want to let you guys know that I’ll be taking a short break from reviewing anime as a on Friday 11/06/21 I’m off to Filey for ten days. So I thought since I don’t want to stop reviewing anime just yet I thought I review this Netflix anime movie called:
Trailer:
Don't worry there's an English dubbed film on Netflix. It's just that I couldn't find the English dubbed trailer
Synopsis:
A peculiar girl transforms into a cat to catch her crush’s attention. But before she realizes it, the line between human and animal starts to blur.
Review:
Miyo has every reason to be angry because something happened in her family. And it has something to do with her mother. But I know she’ll get to the final stage of grief. And maybe by then she’ll learn. Miyo has developed a crush on Hinote, but it looked a bit obsessive. He may not be interested so why can’t she take a hint or something? And why are all the cats looking at her funny? But anyways the lady who Miyo is now living with is trying to be nice to her and be a nice potential stepmother to Miyo. Anyways I think I know what she’s about to do to get Hinote’s attention.
After when Hinote got home all he wanted to do was spend a bit of time with his secret pet cat Taro. When she first appears I thought she looked like a really pretty white cat and it reminded of the cats at Kitty Café in Leeds. She’s so cute and adorable I could die. However she doesn’t like other people who aren’t Hinote stroking her. I wonder why’s that. Wait! TARO IS MIYO? IN DISGUISE? So that’s why she had that Japanese Noh cat mask that turns her into a cat every time she wears it. This is turning into Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns. Anyways the reason she got that mask was from the mask seller cat all because she’s fed up with the world. And he’s hoping that Miyo would exchange her human face so that she can permanently remain a cat. Now to my friend Becksy and I that would be a blessing because we both love cats. But for Miyo she would never do that. She really needs to learn that life has its ups and downs. And that she really belongs in the real world. How is it that Hinote ignores Miyo when she’s in human form? But when Miyo is Taro why is he sweet? Why can’t he be sweet towards Miyo?
After coming home from school Miyo seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe because she spent a bit of time with Hinote as a human. So why can’t she just be a human and not turn into a cat in order to spend time with him? Don’t she know that mask of hers is going to get her into a huge pickle of a problem? But anyways after seeing Hinote again in cat form Miyo returned home just in time for her sweet and sour pork dinner and she’s really enjoyed it, especially that her stepmother cooked it. But all she can think about was Hinote and what he felt. All he wanted to do was continue pottery like his grandfather. But he’s unable to speak his mind like Miyo. I think really needs a massive confidence push. Plus his family expects him to attend a different school so that he can do better in life. Boy that mask maker is really bugging Miyo. And he’s been bugging me too.
The next day Miyo stayed up late thinking about her life. She plucked up the courage to give Hinote a love note but only to be picked on the other students at school. I believe that she’s about to think that her human life is worthless as Hinote had finally resented her or something. Miyo’s step-mother noticed that something’s up with her step-daughter. But Miyo’s been doing her best. But she left her feelings all bottled up for too long and now the bottle has overflowed. She felt that no one not even herself cared anymore. She’s done with being Miyo now. Or so she thinks. But now he thinks about it Hinote thought that he never told her about his troubles. He knew that Miyo never had trouble expressing herself. So what is Miyo going to do? She’s traded her human face and now she’ll be a cat forever. However she can put human mask back on, but there is a catch: she’ll have to put her mask back on before she’s turned into a real cat. It’ll take a little more time to complete her transformation. That mask seller is one sly double crossing cat.
Still concerned over Miyo and her whereabouts, her parents started searching for her asked Hinote where she might be. It’s obvious that Miyo’s problems started whilst she was in grade school all because her mother walked out on her. Such a terrible thing to happen. She’s been trying to fake it till she makes it so hard but it didn’t work for her. Later on Miyo’s mother found out about her daughter’s disappearance and the stepmother blamed it on what she did to her own daughter. She didn’t know how pain she caused Miyo to feel. Miyo is really turning into a cat as she started not being able to understand anyone. There is one big problem. Some other cat is parading around with Miyo’s human face mask. That mask seller is one sly, diabolical, twisted, double crossing cat. And Hinote is so far not buying this fake Miyo behaviour. If I was a cat I would scratch the mask sellers eyes out of his sockets. Turns out that the cat who’s wearing Miyo’s face is almost at the end of her lifespan. All that cat wanted was her human to be happy. So how is Miyo going to undo this. That cat and that mask seller are each getting half of Miyo’s lifespan? That is so cruel! But if Miyo still wants to return to her human self all she has to do is follow the red line. Sounds like Dorothy following the yellow brick road to Emerald City.
Just like in The Cat Returns, Miyo has travelled to a mystical cat world called Cat Island. Maybe she might find some cats that’ll help her get what she wants. Hinote saw pass the fake cat and explained why to Hinote. And thus pretty much figured out that Taro is Miyo and took him to Cat Island. The Cat Island looks like the setting of Spirited Away with all those restaurants. Anime sure feature food very heavily. Hinote put on a mask but so far it only turned his hands into paws. That mask seller is so desperate get Miyo’s lifespan that he would do anything to get his hands on her lifespan. But when Miyo received her human mask and puts it back on she didn’t turn back into a human girl. What’s going on? It’s all up to Hinote to save Miyo before she becomes a cat and end up at Kitty Café. Things did get complicated when The Mask Seller kidnaps both Miyo and Hinote. So what are they going to do? What’s been happening to Miyo it wasn’t her fault that she’s in so much pain. Miyo better do something before she regrets it. All she has to do is tell everyone who knows Miyo how she truly feels.
After all that it was time to head on home. Miyo didn’t realise that there are a lot of people who care for her and she thought that she didn’t need anyone. But she was wrong and vowed to change. Miyo and Hinote were able to change back to their human selves once they arrived back home. And now they can tell each other that they love one another. Miyo returned home with her stepmother’s cat and spent a bit of time with her stepmother. Hinote told his mother that he wants to be a potter just like his grandfather. So I guess you can say they got on with their happy lives
I think this film is really adorable. And I'm not saying that just because it's got cats in it let alone when Miyo is in cat form Taro she reminds of every cat I've came across and those at Leeds Kitty Cafe. But it reminds me of Your Name and every Studio Ghibli film I've ever seen.
Great sceneries, great characters, great storyline. And more importantly great style.
If wix did emoji's I'd give this anime film 5 stars.