Cat Soup (2003)
Animation Production: Yamato Do Co
Released by: Software Sculptors
Official Website: Cat Soup
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

Surreal? Abstract? Dreamlike? Drug-Induced?

Those were some of the initial thoughts that came to mind after seeing the very strange, yet hypnotic movie Cat Soup. From the description on the box and the imagery on the back of it I was expecting something strange, but yet familiar, like an Alice in Wonderland-type story.

As I put the DVD on my player’s tray I had absolutely no idea on what I was about to get into and even now I’m not sure if I fully grasp the story and concept behind Cat Soup, but one thing is for sure, it made me think!

Story

"When little kitten Nyaako’s soul is stolen by Death, she and her brother Nyatta embark on a bizarre journey to get it back. In the surreal dreamscape of the Other Side, they encounter many fantastic characters and remarkable, often disturbing adventures.

From a hallucinatory sea voyage to a rambunctious carnival, the two kittens
travel far from home and discover just how strange and miraculous the world can be." -- Official Cat Soup Website

Review

The movie opens with young Nyatta playing in a small pool of water with his toy car. Soon after we see him make his way around the house checking up on his family members, it’s here that we learn his sister Nyaako is gravely ill and at death’s door. In fact her condition suddenly gets worse and together with Nyatta we see her soul leave the house alongside Death. Now it’s up to Nyatta to rescue her soul and bring Nyaako back with him, however things are not as simple as they first appear and we end up embarking on what is one very bizarre and abstract journey.

Wow! Here is in one rather unique anime release for the U.S. market, in fact after seeing it I’m rather impressed it found its way to our shores as it’s so vastly different from anything that we’re used to as an audience. Even within the realm of experimental or non-mainstream anime, I would be hard pressed to say anything even comes remotely close to what Cat Soup does. It really is a strange piece of anime entertainment.

Strangeness aside though, there is a story in here (based on a popular manga by the late Nekojiru), but the problem is that it's done in such a way as to it being almost subjective to your own reasoning and interpretation. To that effect Cat Soup is a very open movie, which is very different from so much of what is made nowadays for entertainment. There are no rules the characters must abide with, no handbook to describe their universe, and no timelines to follow.

The story that is central to all the almost random happenings that take place in Cat Coup is about death and our place in the universe, at least that’s how I interpreted it after watching it. Although it’s not extremely obvious the opening sequence actually shows Nyatta dying (although this is up to the viewer to interpret as such or not), and his soul wanders around the house until it sees that of his sister leave with death. After recovering only half of her soul she goes into a state of limbo and believing it might help her to get out, he takes Nyaako to the circus, where God just happens to be a performer. This is where the movie begins taking a bit more of a philosophical and abstract feel.

As the director so aptly describes in the interview segment that is included as an extra on the DVD what follows this moment in the movie is a series of distinct images loosely connected together. This results in an almost random-like flow of events that at points makes it almost impossible to really understand what is going on. As I mentioned atop of this review this make for a very dreamlike experience when watching Cat Soup. Peaceful images of beauty and dark sinister scenes all come together to form what is at once both good and evil.

Speaking of imagery, there is a great blend of landscapes and characters thrown into the mix here. From deserts to flooded worlds and paintings that become part of the geography Cat Soup covers a large variety of situations in very beautiful ways. Somehow the artistic team manages to only create these beautiful scenes, but also give them a very bland and simple feel that contributes greatly to the overall feel of exploration in the afterworld, dream world or whatever the fantastic world that our two siblings happen to be traversing in the movie is.

The music that accompanies all of this is surprisingly simple and keeps up with the visuals quite well. It’s all mostly subdued and happy to stay on the back end, never detracting from the main power of the movie which is its visuals. Interestingly the music for the most part is the only real accompaniment to the action onscreen as there is really no dialogue at all, only blip-like sounds accompanied by word balloons.

This being a short film Software Scultptors/Central Park Media has seen fit to include several extras that make the overall experience that much better. DVD extras include an interview segment with film director Tatsuo Sato, a running commentary audio track, an art gallery, a Cat Soup Trailer, and previews for other releases. This particular version of the DVD also comes with a special liquid art item, which features the artwork from the DVD cover with some liquids and floating characters inside (see top image on the left bar).

Of all the extras I would have to say the interview with the director was by far the most enjoyable and proved helpful after watching the movie as it gave me a better sense of the “why” of certain things that take place in Cat Soup, while keeping things open enough to my own interpretation.

Final Thoughts

Cat Soup is a movie that I think is best watched when in one is in the mind frame for something extremely unusual and multi-layered. I think the “It’s Hello Kitty on Acid” on the back cover is a bit misleading, simplistic and doesn’t really convey the dark beauty that resides within Cat Soup.

I think this is one of those releases that everyone should watch as it truly shows the power of anime as a story telling medium. That is goes into what I see as uncharted territory is great, how it goes about it is even better.

We give Cat Soup our greatest recommendations!

Jeffrey Couto