Reviews

She and Her Cat is the first film from director Makoto Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second, Garden of Words). At just under 5 minutes, there’s no plot to speak of, just the musings of Chobi the cat as the seasons pass and his bond with his owner grows. Chobi is a pretty deep cat, dwelling on topics such as love, existence, the limits of his perspective, and his unshakeable faith in the girl’s goodness. He reminded me of Henri the Existential Cat.

Shinkai’s concept is clever, and for anyone who has ever owned a cat, it can be touching. As a cat lover, though, I expected a more moving and realistic story. It’s cute to show how a cat can be completely infatuated with its owner, but Chobi’s affection is blind love rather than earned respect. Cats are deeper than Chobi. They’re aloof, calculating creatures that basically ran Egypt for centuries. If they love you, it’s because they have deemed you worthy, and it’s for their benefit, not yours. Chobi’s fascination with his owner is sweet, but it didn’t remind me of any cat I had ever met.

The soundtrack is just a single piano theme that spans the entire film, but it’s beautiful, and Tenmon does a great job of showing off his talent. The animation is a unique and stunning monochrome that shows the world as it might appear from Chobi’s perspective. And Chobi, despite some naysayers, is adorable. Aside from the musical help from Tenmon, everything is made with love by Shinkai, who even voices Chobi (and does a great job). Unfortunately there’s no official dub and the dialogue moves quickly, making it hard to pay attention to the animation, but you can find a decent fandub here.

She and Her Cat is a charming little film, and at 4 minutes you really have no excuse not to watch. It’s a great start to an illustrious career, and it’s refreshing to see Shinkai putting forth an original idea.