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Jun 20, 2020 11:24 AM

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Jan 2018
462
It was predictable, to say at least. But anyways, I enjoyed it. I guess love does crazy things to people. The visuals does really remind me of Tsuki ga Kirei.

Muge is such a frickin maverick.

7/10
Jun 20, 2020 12:29 PM
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Feb 2018
101
It was a pretty good movie. It was an interesting concept and the story was good, however at parts could have been better. The part I was disappointed with was the cat tree thing, It was an interesting idea but it was barely expanded upon, I wished they had a better explanation of some of the things regarding it.
Jun 20, 2020 12:38 PM

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Jul 2016
242
Well, I was crazy to watch this because my nickname is Miyo in everything and I'm a cat person, also the promotional art was really beautiful and I don't regret it. I really loved! I won't go deep analysing, I just enjoyed and that's it. The story is interesting, the visuals are amazing, the characters are good, soundtrack is beautiful... I don't think it's a masterpiece but it was great, a very cute and lovely story.
Jun 20, 2020 4:36 PM
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Apr 2020
1
I really enjoyed this movie
Jun 20, 2020 11:35 PM
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Jan 2018
1
I really thought, when I started to see the movie, that it was going to be like Romeo and Juliet, where Muge gets turned into to a cat, Hinode finds out and wish he could be a cat too, while Muge goes to the cat tree to find out how to become human again
In the end they encounter and discover all, and that's all that my imagination can come up with.
Jun 21, 2020 4:25 AM
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Feb 2016
1
Can someone explain to me about the prologue scene?

Did Muge go to the Cat Islands when she was a kid?
Jun 21, 2020 6:22 AM
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Mar 2015
12738
Glad that true love triumphed over the Mask Seller in the end
Jun 21, 2020 11:13 AM
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Feb 2020
20
Curti bastante o filme
Jun 21, 2020 12:44 PM

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Feb 2019
31
I did enjoy this and gave it a 8/10. I think it would have been better as a single cour show so it could beef itself out more.

My main thing of note is the absolute nuke that Hinode's sister got in the ending credits.
Jun 21, 2020 4:12 PM

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Oct 2012
226
Yami_MAL said:
Can someone explain to me about the prologue scene?

Did Muge go to the Cat Islands when she was a kid?


I'm surprised no one else is talking about this. If she really did, then her encounter with the Mask Seller during the summer festival after that scene wasn't their first encounter.

My first thought was that perhaps going to the Cat Islands is symbolic with succumbing to depression, or wanting to die. EarlCiel earlier mentioned that the Cat Islands are kind of like the afterlife, in essence. Considering that her mother left her when she was in grade school, I wouldn't be surprised if this set off a depressive episode.
Jun 22, 2020 4:50 AM

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Feb 2019
997
I would have liked to see it in a cinema rather than netflix but sure ok. This is probably my favourite Netflix "original" alongside Beastars with Dorohedoro pretty close as well.

First half was an easy 8-9/10 for me, second half more like a 6/10 as it was too wacky for me. I think the fictional cat island stuff isn't really my thing, I think the chasing down the guy to get her body back didn't really suit the rest of the show, just too silly for me. But I gave it 8/10 because I really super liked the first half, will rewatch.

I hope this show gets more publicity, I haven't really heard anyone talking about it yet. I hope it doesn't end up in the graveyard.

edit: also the art style, very nice to look at. Particularly the mc Muge/Miyo.
yarukaJun 22, 2020 4:56 AM
Jun 22, 2020 6:36 AM

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Oct 2017
24192
This movie was beautiful. Things were predictable but still enjoyed this movie a lot. Really loved Miyo, she's such a cheerful girl.

The catfight between Miyo's mom and stepmom was dope XD.
Jun 22, 2020 7:14 AM
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Jun 2020
16
i've been looking forward for this movie to come out and it didn't disappoint mešŸ˜‹
Jun 22, 2020 11:09 AM

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Mar 2014
2123
Not bad I guess, the I didn't like was that there was no (at least that's the way I see it) chemistry between the MC, the guy was such c*nt and the girl was an idiot to even fall in love with him...... and also I'm still a bit unclear what happened to her family !? Why did her mommy left ? Did the father do something, he cheated ? If he is, then he is an asshole

6/10
RedChromeJun 22, 2020 11:19 AM
Jun 22, 2020 11:37 AM

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Jan 2016
1929
You know what? Sometimes I just need a safe Anime that executes everything well

Really chill movie that I'd definitely rewatch while grinding an RPG on the switch because you don't need much concentration for this movie

The FMC was amazing and her whole dilemma is super relatable. You don't even need to have need to have her exact circumstances for it to be very relatable.

Male MC was also a good character, him coming to terms with liking her back might've been a bit too abrupt but I can hardly blame them when they've got an hour and a half

8/10
FireFistYKJun 22, 2020 12:47 PM
Jun 22, 2020 5:29 PM

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Jun 2020
53
Happy or sad ending? reading the comments but nobody is saying anything about that...
Jun 22, 2020 5:52 PM

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Oct 2012
226
RedChrome said:
I'm still a bit unclear what happened to her family !? Why did her mommy left ? Did the father do something, he cheated ? If he is, then he is an asshole


I think a part of how Miyo's mother felt was supposed to be mirrored by the female cat in the bar, who said that she ran away from being a mother because she didn't feel up to the task of raising a child.
Jun 22, 2020 6:38 PM

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Aug 2019
120
This movie had me in the first half since I sort of like the kind of melodrama stuff it was going with, but not entirely sold on the big cat-lifespan plot in the second half. The art isn't outstanding but it's pretty solid, same with the music.

Overall though I liked it, but not more than a 7 for me. Probably wouldn't rewatch it but I don't regret watching it either.
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crowns
When the man comes around.
Jun 22, 2020 11:26 PM

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Mar 2014
2123
EpicCh33se said:
RedChrome said:
I'm still a bit unclear what happened to her family !? Why did her mommy left ? Did the father do something, he cheated ? If he is, then he is an asshole


I think a part of how Miyo's mother felt was supposed to be mirrored by the female cat in the bar, who said that she ran away from being a mother because she didn't feel up to the task of raising a child.


Oh I see...okay well thanks for that
Jun 23, 2020 12:20 AM
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Jun 2020
4
First half really had me going but the second half was too rushed and underdeveloped IMO. That ending really had me in tears though!

BTW am I the only one who finds it strange how there's such a controversial divide on places such as YouTube, etc with normal/non-regular anime viewers who saw this on Netflix and are complaining that the concept is too far-fetched or unrealistic?! Don't these people have imaginations/creative ability to understand where the movie is coming from and what it's trying to achieve?! Unless they're such just sour or trolling of course..
meeko-meekoJun 23, 2020 12:46 AM
Jun 23, 2020 12:41 AM

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Jul 2017
8304
Take a shot every time Mugi says “Hinode” lol


I think for what it is, as in a film that’s primarily meant to be watched with the family and whatnot, it did its job pretty well. Nice coming of age story and had some entertaining bits to it

Me at least, I found the beginning to be alright, the middle part to be crap (seriously, fuk that kid who read the letter out loud) and the end to be pretty good tbh. Wasn’t really feeling the Mugi x Hinode ship tbh though it was nice to see them hold hands at the end lol. Tbh I was more interested in those side character’s relationship lul. Screw the original mom though, she was just toxic 101.

6/10 for me. Have to admit I can be quite a sucker for these types of stories but Muge was just too annoying at times (and a little bit way too obsessed with hinode kek)

On a plus though, really did like the credits scenes lolol



Yami_MAL said:
Can someone explain to me about the prologue scene?

Did Muge go to the Cat Islands when she was a kid?

My guess is that she got lost while wandering and somehow ended up in the cat world (how she got in despite not being a cat beats me). From there she met fat cat and that’s probably where she’s got the mask from. That’s why when we first see him in the present time muge’s reaction is that of “not you again” rather than wondering who he is
Short_CircutJun 23, 2020 12:46 AM
Jun 23, 2020 1:49 AM

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Oct 2012
226
Short_Circut said:
Yami_MAL said:
Can someone explain to me about the prologue scene?

Did Muge go to the Cat Islands when she was a kid?

My guess is that she got lost while wandering and somehow ended up in the cat world (how she got in despite not being a cat beats me). From there she met fat cat and that’s probably where she’s got the mask from. That’s why when we first see him in the present time muge’s reaction is that of “not you again” rather than wondering who he is


I went back and watched that scene again, the one where she runs away from the festival after her mom asks about moving in with her. That should be present time. I don't think her reaction was like "not you again." She is confused at the masks and the Mask Seller asks if she wants to try one on. I think that's pretty indicative that this was her first time getting a mask. I think she did go to the Cat Islands as a grade schooler, but she only got her mask during the second meeting with the Mask Seller.

The manga promotional image has child Miyo in the Cat Islands. There is most certainly a larger significance to this scene.


I guess what's confusing is that in the movie, the Mask Seller asks child Miyo if she's lost. In this promotional image, he asks her if she would like to become a cat. It kinda breaks what I've been arguing for.
EpicCh33seJun 23, 2020 1:53 AM
Jun 23, 2020 4:00 AM
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Jan 2017
703
ahh veryy good ending and yorushika song is very heart warming...
Jun 23, 2020 9:24 AM

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Mar 2018
815
This movie had potential but in the end, it was all very average. The animation, execution and soundtrack were beautiful. Not heart-stoppingly beautiful but really well made, I just wish the story had also been as good as the rest. It started like a good Ghibli movie, the whole storyline regarding the pottery studio could have been enough of a story for the whole movie but halfway through the movie decided it did not want to be "Whisper of the Heart" but more like "The Cat Returns" and I guess that was the biggest problem. Imitation can be a form of flattery and it was obvious what this movie tried to be but it failed. It started a bit like "Whisper of the Heart" and a boy who wants to follow his dream (here pottery, their violin-maker). If the story had stuck with the two MCs and truly told their story then it would have been a fabulous movie but the problem was that the characters were never able to develop fully because in the second half became an under-cooked fantasy story, which meant that the whole movie was a half-hearted affair. The villain was mediocre and the cat town played almost no role. The movie wanted to be too many things at the same time and then failed in all of them. An anime movie is only as good as the story it wants to tell and this was really not a great story. I am kind-hearted enough to give this a 7 out of 10 bit was more of a 6.5 then a 7.
Jun 23, 2020 9:29 AM

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Jul 2019
566
The first half was really good but the second I think it would've been much better if Hinade didn't know who Taro until just a bit later. Its lacking emotional scenes imo. There was a part in the end where Muge couldn't turn into a human again because of deep inside she still have doubts but they didn't dig that in. Instead she just easily convinced herself without any shown effort like that. It was a good movie regardless I like the music and I would still give it a 7 at least. No rewatch value however.
Highlight of the movie; "hInADe??"
leevJun 23, 2020 9:32 AM
Jun 23, 2020 1:56 PM

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Apr 2016
2209
It’s a nice movie, there isn’t anything special or that I liked particularly but it was entertaining, especially in the first half.
Jun 23, 2020 9:26 PM
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Feb 2017
33
As a 30 year old woman I feel this movie is better suited for the limited range of 12-17 year olds who can empathize with annoying stalker level hormonal driven lust... I mean love.... main character. But, that being said, this anime movie was beautiful animated, compensating for any plot issues.

I think it would have been top 5 for me if I watched it when I was 14, as my mom abandoned our family and I craved any escape in could find (that being said, I did not taunt boys and beg them to be mine as a means to escape, but we all cope our own ways).

7/10, highly recommended as anime eye candy, and I expect the younger audience to rate it higher (and I fully support that). The plot just isn’t the same when you get a bit older and start to empathize with the step mom who is trying her hardest, more than the protagonist.


But, still confused about that dark cat. Was she just avoiding a scuffle? Or was that full cat version of the mask seller? Also I fully expected her mom to be a cat and the human mom to be a cat who always wanted to be a mother replacing and trying her hardest. Disappointed that wasn’t a thing, haha
Jun 23, 2020 9:49 PM

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Nov 2013
2074
This really wouldve been a better film if they properly addressed Muge's family situation rather than engaging in supernatural and romance hijinks.

Otherwise I really enjoyed Kinako, Yoriko, and the Mask Seller. They were the highlights of the story. The whole premise of what cats would do if they were human, but anime is what sold me on watching in the first place, and I daresay Kinako and the Mask Seller represent it well. And Yoriko's friendship with Muge is wholesome as fuck. Wish it was her setting Muge straight instead of the awkward Hinode relationship it ended up being.


Edit: Oh great, Mari Okada was involved. It all makes sense now...
DGemuJun 23, 2020 9:53 PM
Jun 24, 2020 9:31 AM
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Jun 2020
3
Like many, I was quite annoyed by the Lead Miyo in the beginning, trying to figure out why she was acting so stalkerish and how loud she was. But as the story goes, I think she is probably the best fleshed-out character but you need to get what Okada was hinting using other characters to tell us their observation about Miyo. My favorite would be Yuri, the best friend who tells us we misunderstood Miyo.
Her presence to identify Miyo's behavior traits, some lines that Miyo causally said
are quite dark till a point that even a cat could observe how little she thought about herself. I liken my journey to understand Miyo like Hinode, who may find her annoying in the beginning but as you learn more about her, you can't help feeling for her, oh.... and Tarou stole my heart somewhere along the way.

When I first looked at the cast from directors, screenplay, voice actors etc, I have quite an expectation, but to hand the most complicated role to an actress than a professional voice actor is a big risk, even if Hanae Natsuk is holding up well as Hinode as expected. But Shida Mirai, with her little VA experiences, surprised me with her double roles of Miyo and Tarou and showed us different Miyo can in situations and her meows and reactions as Tarou are realistic enough to sound natural to make me love the little kitten XP The cat got to me more... But the message is good and encouraging enough to earn a take-home lesson for us to think about. Especially about escaping, depression, and how we shouldn't judge people by the mask they choose to wear in front of you before knowing more about them.

EpicCh33se said:
Yami_MAL said:
Can someone explain to me about the prologue scene?

Did Muge go to the Cat Islands when she was a kid?


I'm surprised no one else is talking about this. If she really did, then her encounter with the Mask Seller during the summer festival after that scene wasn't their first encounter.

My first thought was that perhaps going to the Cat Islands is symbolic with succumbing to depression, or wanting to die. EarlCiel earlier mentioned that the Cat Islands are kind of like the afterlife, in essence. Considering that her mother left her when she was in grade school, I wouldn't be surprised if this set off a depressive episode.


Wow... I didn't think that much... When I first saw it, I was thinking that was perhaps the time when her mother left her and she was bullied with friends leaving her. That's why she was scared and alone and somewhat found her way into the cat festival...

One part Yoriko mentioned that Miyo did try to cut their friendship for fear that people will bully Yoriko because of her... I totally adore the friendship between them.
YamieXJun 24, 2020 10:31 AM
Jun 24, 2020 10:28 AM
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Jun 2020
3
RealTheAbsurdist said:
ycleped said:


In any other case he definitely would have just kept ignoring her, but this case was that 1 out of 10 times that he actually did like her so it worked out.

I don't think it's necessarily glorifying stalking rather than telling a story about a girl who has this stalker-ish behavior. It never distinctly says that stalking is good and although it doesn't say it's bad either, I think it was more or less being used as a means of telling a coming of age story.

A lot of us did super cringe stuff at that age, thinking that nobody ever understood us, and once we were able to confront ourselves and face our problems we grew out of stuff like that, and I think that's more along the lines of what the movie was trying to accomplish with its narrative.


There's no point in the movie where the girl comes to the realization that what she did was wrong. Therefore the movie supports her behavior.
Her feelings towards the guy wasn't romantic at all; she "fell in love" with him, as an outlet for her stressful family situation. I mean think about it: she had no proper interactions with the guy, or knew much about him, prior to the events in the film. Her hollow crush is treated as genuinely romantic feelings, when it's really just raging hormones.
By making that 1 out of 10 times happen, the movie is leaning more on supporting stalker-ish behavior. I just find the movie's message disturbing.


I do find her annoying and stalkerish in the beginning too. But I kind of understood later especially with Yoriko's explanation about Miyo. I think among everyone, Yoriko is probably the only one who realized that Miyo has depression or something close to detaching herself from the world. She was the first to say "I need Muge even if Muge doesn't need me." Which tied very well with Miyo's later admit that she sees people as scarecrows in the background and how Miyo also wishes for the world to end every day before falling for Hinode.

I do suspect that her crush on Hinode is only after she became Tarou a year ago and met Hinode talking about how he wishes to escape too. That to Miyo, was probably the first time she felt that someone shares her feeling and started to follow Hinode as Tarou and learned about Hinode hence falling for him. The timeline is because it's a yearly festival and she got the cat mask in the last one. But her classmates (the bullies) said that her expressive attention on Hinode was recent, so there must be some time in-between which was not mentioned.

Her obsession with Hinode, I also think came from her desire to escape home as she now finds her father may remarry soon, and her mother suddenly eager to get back into her life... It was apparent that she trust neither of the adults in her life and thinks that getting married to Hinode is a way out of this strange family she has.

Miyo is bad at communication, she is bad at social, she doesn't understand people and relationships and she doesn't have any good examples to learn from. If we look at her interaction with Yoriko and Hinode, it's quite similar in which she acts out bright and cheery in front of them, projecting a bright & loud image... but will hide crying from anyone. But with Hinode, she held on tighter, because she sees him as the only way to get away from her family. It didn't make her stalking right but as I read more into the character, I could understand her actions. It's not right but you can see why she acts that way.

I also find it sad that Miyo would end her day departing with Yoriko with the request "Please be my friend again tomorrow." And Yoriko would say that she's silly, just like anyone of us would do if your best friend says that to you every day. Why I think it's everyday, coz Yoriko reacted when Miyo failed to say that to her one day, and she stopped to stare as Miyo walked away... Once again Yoriko spotted something before others, that Miyo was not Miyo anymore. How she cries for Miyo, when Miyo refused to cry even though she was sad... It was a beautiful friendship but Miyo refused to burden Yoriko with. Because she hardly share things about herself and when Yoriko asks, she tried to confirm that Yoriko wants to know about her, before sharing. The same happened when Hinode said he wants to know more about her, she asked how could you like me if I'm at my worst?
Jun 24, 2020 2:15 PM
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YamieX said:
RealTheAbsurdist said:


There's no point in the movie where the girl comes to the realization that what she did was wrong. Therefore the movie supports her behavior.
Her feelings towards the guy wasn't romantic at all; she "fell in love" with him, as an outlet for her stressful family situation. I mean think about it: she had no proper interactions with the guy, or knew much about him, prior to the events in the film. Her hollow crush is treated as genuinely romantic feelings, when it's really just raging hormones.
By making that 1 out of 10 times happen, the movie is leaning more on supporting stalker-ish behavior. I just find the movie's message disturbing.


I do find her annoying and stalkerish in the beginning too. But I kind of understood later especially with Yoriko's explanation about Miyo. I think among everyone, Yoriko is probably the only one who realized that Miyo has depression or something close to detaching herself from the world. She was the first to say "I need Muge even if Muge doesn't need me." Which tied very well with Miyo's later admit that she sees people as scarecrows in the background and how Miyo also wishes for the world to end every day before falling for Hinode.

I do suspect that her crush on Hinode is only after she became Tarou a year ago and met Hinode talking about how he wishes to escape too. That to Miyo, was probably the first time she felt that someone shares her feeling and started to follow Hinode as Tarou and learned about Hinode hence falling for him. The timeline is because it's a yearly festival and she got the cat mask in the last one. But her classmates (the bullies) said that her expressive attention on Hinode was recent, so there must be some time in-between which was not mentioned.

Her obsession with Hinode, I also think came from her desire to escape home as she now finds her father may remarry soon, and her mother suddenly eager to get back into her life... It was apparent that she trust neither of the adults in her life and thinks that getting married to Hinode is a way out of this strange family she has.

Miyo is bad at communication, she is bad at social, she doesn't understand people and relationships and she doesn't have any good examples to learn from. If we look at her interaction with Yoriko and Hinode, it's quite similar in which she acts out bright and cheery in front of them, projecting a bright & loud image... but will hide crying from anyone. But with Hinode, she held on tighter, because she sees him as the only way to get away from her family. It didn't make her stalking right but as I read more into the character, I could understand her actions. It's not right but you can see why she acts that way.


I agree with you. I don't think the MC is a bad character; she's supposed to be annoying, and mentally challenged. What I do think is bad, is how the film never really criticized her hollow "romantic" feelings for the guy, and whatnot. I think it would've been better if the film ended with the guy firmly rejecting the MC, and the MC learns to just...move on.

YamieX said:
I also find it sad that Miyo would end her day departing with Yoriko with the request "Please be my friend again tomorrow." And Yoriko would say that she's silly, just like anyone of us would do if your best friend says that to you every day. Why I think it's everyday, coz Yoriko reacted when Miyo failed to say that to her one day, and she stopped to stare as Miyo walked away... Once again Yoriko spotted something before others, that Miyo was not Miyo anymore. How she cries for Miyo, when Miyo refused to cry even though she was sad... It was a beautiful friendship but Miyo refused to burden Yoriko with. Because she hardly share things about herself and when Yoriko asks, she tried to confirm that Yoriko wants to know about her, before sharing. The same happened when Hinode said he wants to know more about her, she asked how could you like me if I'm at my worst?


Interesting.
Jun 25, 2020 8:01 PM
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Apr 2012
164
Good movie.

The first half was extremely good.
I really liked her best friend. A lot.
The message of this anime was kind of wishy washy.
I don't know, I feel like I really liked Miyo. She had a lot of problems and it was resolved in a really bad way. The MC male wasn't the best he was perfectly okay. Flipping the switch to say he liked her was bad for me. I wish they didn't get together honestly. She's far too dependent and obsessed with him. Miyo is extremely layered and it's wonderful. Then you have the male MC that has a flat arc.
I really would've liked if he slowly made her realise that she's so much more than that. Really liked her eccentric nature though.
The more I think about this, the more I realise Hinode was a really large problem here.

Anyways 7.3/10 or maybe higher 7.7? Botched climax, mediocre male lead, and conflicting story arcs. I really enjoyed this though, so I'll rate it an 8 because we need more of this. I really really really liked the writing of the first half.
HeartyaceJun 25, 2020 8:05 PM
Jun 26, 2020 9:03 AM

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Oct 2013
769
Really enjoyed this, can't even explain why because it feels very safe and predictable. It was just that wholesome to watch. 8/10
Jun 26, 2020 11:17 AM

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May 2016
795
Decent movie. Wholesome, although Muge comes off as a little cringy during the first half. The climax really dragged on for a while but the story overall was nice. Would've liked to see more of the cat world though

Jun 27, 2020 10:05 PM

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Mar 2012
953
This was a cute story about love and growing up. Ultimately nothing impressive, in my humble opinion, but I thought the heart-to-heart scenes were good and the ending, especially where Hinode did the sunrise attack on Miyo, was sweet.
Jun 28, 2020 12:26 AM

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May 2017
798
Huh, well I liked it. Kind of cute, enjoyed the aesthetic. Solid 6 or 7/10 imo. Plus I love cats *shrug*
Jun 29, 2020 1:44 PM

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Feb 2020
140
This movie was absolutely amazing. I'm glad to have seen this. It was very lighthearted and wholesome. I cried... A lot. I don't even know why. Except that this movie was that good


Kyoto Animation rocks
Jun 29, 2020 9:14 PM
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Feb 2020
58
FeffyxWindpuppy said:
Artwork and animation was amazing, and while the first half of the movie had me laughing and smiling from ear to ear, the second half ended up feeling really lazily written. Contrived villain, contrived plot threat, bunch of stuff that didn't make sense, and scenes that didn't feel earned due to lack of character development.

I liked it overall, but considering how great the first half of the movie was, I was really hoping the later scenes would land on more emotionally resonant notes. Literally, even - the soundtrack was super underwhelming and didn't really capture that much emotion.

That said, there were some really good scenes, and aside from the lackluster soundtrack and lazy writing in the second half, this is a pretty good movie overall. I just wish it didn't take such a generic Disney direction with its story.

Edit: should mention some positives because I mostly complained about it. The animation really was great and absolutely carried a lot of the movie, and had me absolutely captivated early on. The scenes with Miyo as Taro were wonderful, no matter what she was doing, and she was a good character overall, and the glimpses into their daily lives felt believable and relatable. Also, while the story had kinda gotten a bit silly by this point, cat island was super cool. Really imaginative.
I understand in the last half of the movie it felt really slacked and could’ve had more added to it.
Jun 29, 2020 9:43 PM
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Nov 2011
18
The visuals?
GODLIKE
the animation?
GOOD AS HELL
the whole character design and world design?
HOLY SH*T THAT WAS SO FINE N DANDY

but the story?

god knows they left the chat at that point.
Jun 30, 2020 2:02 AM
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Jan 2018
511
Mari Okada is an awful writer in general but this was easily the worst thing she's ever written. How do you make so many plot holes and inconsistencies in such a simplistic concept? The romance was awfully forced and her standard, annoying melodrama was contrived and somehow even worse than usual. The ending was pathetic, well actually pretty much the entire second half was a bad attempt at a joke. Sato absolutely carried this movie with his direction and high production value. I never thought I'd watch a movie that's arguably as bad as Howl's Moving Castle but Okada managed to surprise me yet again.
AnimaniaigJun 30, 2020 9:22 AM
Jul 1, 2020 4:14 AM

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Aug 2018
305
Art 9/10, Animation 7/10, Character development 6/10, Sound 7/10, Story 6/10. I didn't like the school scenes because it felt like the characters are off with the background... The bg art is so much better than characterart. It was an interesting lovestory. A little bit boring but enjoyable. Not bad, not great. I give it a 6.
Jul 2, 2020 12:56 AM
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Mar 2016
207
First half was great! Second not so much. The resolution just kind of happened underwhelmingly, and none of the supernatural bits or even replacement with Kinako needed to happen. The cat village doesn't really make any sense (Is this cat heaven? Is the mask seller a demon?), and would have been better explored as it's own movie as opposed to being shoehorned in here.

I agree with others that Muge's antics were completely selfish, and some sort of personal growth would have been much more satisfying over a forced, "Turns out I secretly love you too.". A strong friendship would have been fine, but moving past the idea of needing a romantic anchor would have been even better. And then there's the whole stereotypical Japanese/Christian trope of "Honor thy mother and father," that I always find very annoying. Just because you can understand where a person is coming from doesn't excuse their bad behavior. And her relationship with her biological mother would have been more interesting presented as a failed parallel with Muge's own romantic strife-- very selfish, inconsiderate, and downright manipulative.
Jul 2, 2020 4:04 PM

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Dec 2018
290
I found it pretty darn good and I don't even like cats.
Jul 7, 2020 3:29 AM

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Nov 2013
564
This was an interesting movie.
I enjoyed it but I felt like the whole supernatural aspect was wasted.

The whole turning into a cat and venturing into Cat Island part to chase the Mask Seller was such an interesting plot point that it could’ve been a standalone movie by itself, but it was only introduced at the tail-end of the movie, and only for the sake of Muge’s introspection on what she really wanted.

There’s nothing wrong with the introspection in and of itself, but the movie could’ve carried on in the exact same fashion without utilizing the supernatural part (ie. being a cat) by simply having Muge stalk Hinode, or having her live next door. The supernatural aspect would’ve served the exact same purpose whether or not she was a cat or for example, if she could turn invisible. It wasn’t really crucial as long as Muge was able to learn more about Hinode.

Unlike some Ghibli movies (ie. Spirited Away, Howl’s) which immerse you into the fantasy world from the beginning, A Whisker Away only really went supernatural at the end and used it as a convenient plot device when it wasn’t really needed, and wasted the potential of the imaginative Cat Island world.

Still, the movie was enjoyable nonetheless.
herricklukJul 7, 2020 3:34 AM
Jul 7, 2020 9:43 PM
#FreeWatermelon

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Feb 2020
9032
It took 2 weeks for me to abled reaching this movie.


Overall its a 8.4/10.

Thats it.
badabassJul 7, 2020 9:47 PM
Hide and seek is the best offline games on this fatamorgana-called-world-thing. Please comment nicely. I am newbie here.

I'm level on mal-badges. View my badges
Jul 8, 2020 8:19 AM

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Sep 2017
88
It certainly gave some Ghibli-esque vibes, but it never quite touched the heart or even embraced the viewer with a warm hug. Perhaps the characters were a bit too artificial to bridge the sentimentality gap, which was the film's justification for existing.

2.5/10
Jul 9, 2020 7:02 PM

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Oct 2017
210
There are aspects of this film I enjoy and I feel can resonate with just about anyone. Those largely being the themes around escapism and the fact we don't always recognize how our own selfish actions can impact those around us. As well as the themes of not realizing what you have until it's gone.

The romance though? Nah, missed me on that. It's a story about a stalker with an unhealthy infatuation whose self worth in the end hinges entirely on her 'targets' love.
Jul 10, 2020 4:23 AM

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Feb 2019
780
Very cute, but it seemed like the writers tried to embarrass the characters as much as they could.

I don't regret watching it
I am not a weeb, I simply enjoy 2D girls
Jul 11, 2020 11:37 PM

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Sep 2012
44
heartwarming movie. 8/10.
I liked the story and the characters.
Jul 12, 2020 12:42 AM
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Jul 2019
1306
While the story is not that great (I did enjoy the first half) I have to give credit where credit is due. The visuals and animation were fantastic and beautiful and the soundtracks gave me this nostalgic cartoonish vibe. A 7.5 is too low in my opinion, it's definitely better than those movies that come out of an anime series. So I'll give it an 8.
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» Why is this listed as an ONA?

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7 by EmmanuelPlath »»
Nov 21, 2021 4:00 AM
Itā€™s time to ditch the text file.
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