Ghost Cat Anzu is easily one of the most unique and entertaining anime films of the year. Based on Takashi Imashiro’s manga of the same name, Ghost Cat Anzu centers on a young girl named Karin, as she finds herself abandoned in rural Japan. While living in a temple, she encounters the ghost cat Anzu, who is tasked to look after her. This leads to a bizarre and hilarious adventure between Anzu and Karin, as they go about their daily lives encountering the eccentric townsfolk of the rural area, spirits, and more!
This film is co-directed by renowned artist Yoko Kuno and the acclaimed director Nobuhiro Yamashita, and is also French-Japanese co-production between Miyu Productions and Shin-Ei Animation. Ghost Cat Anzu was produced using a combination of live-action and animation, being first filmed in live-action and then rotoscoped into animation, while still retaining the voice acting from the live-action recordings.
Ghost Cat Anzu had its California premiere at the Animation Is Film festival last month, and GKIDS is now releasing the film in theaters nationwide on November 15th.
We had the pleasure to talk with co-director Yoko Kuno about Ghost Cat Anzu and its production process. Check out our full conversation down below:
How do you get involved with Ghost Cat Anzu?
Yoko Kuno: I liked the original manga of Ghost Cat Anzu. When producer Kondo (Keiichi Kondo) suggested that director Yamashita (Nobuhiro Yamashita) could film a live-action version of it, and then it could be rotoscoped into an animation, I really thought that was an interesting idea. I also have liked director Yamashita’s previous films, so I really jumped at the chance to be able to work with them.
Ghost Cat Anzu visually stands out among modern anime films, in part because of its use of rotoscoping. What made this film a fitting candidate for this animation approach, and how did it affect the overall production process for you as a director?
Kuno: So, the original manga dealt with the subtle distances between human beings, that they didn’t quite understand each other well, and it did show some charming ghosts. That said, the human relations in reality would be a bit too raw to turn into an animation. So, I thought that by using rotoscoping, we could get the relationships between humans and the distance between them. Such as their lack of understanding of each other, as actors performed those roles. Then, based on that, we could then turn it into animation.
This film differs considerably from the original manga by Takashi Imashiro in terms of the story. What was the decision process behind this, and was there any pushback in creating an original story for this film?
Kuno: As we worked on the script, we did discuss it with Mr. Imashiro, the original manga artist. The main difference was that we created the original character of Karin to be in the film, and to that he said, “Well, as long as you’re making a film of this, then it probably is good to have a person to counterbalance the character of the cat Anzu.” But there were also some parts that we had to have many discussions between the producer, Yamashita, and Mr. Imashiro to discuss certain areas. Mr. Imashiro also came up with some ideas for the film, so we took that into account. There also were certain ideas that we had from the script that we wanted to make sure were in the film and we wanted to get his okay for that. So, there was a lot of discussion going on.
What was the collaboration process like between Shin-Ei Animation and Miyu Productions, and what was it like working with an overseas studio?
Kuno: When we work in the animation industry in Japan, we don’t have very many chances to work with overseas companies. So, I was very pleasantly surprised that we were able to work with Miyu, and it was a very valuable experience for us. Of course, in terms of creating animated films, the French and Japanese methods differ somewhat, and as we worked together, we went through a series of trials and errors to come up with the best way to collaborate and work on this film.
In terms of also other collaborations, you mentioned before that you co-directed this film with Nobuhiro Yamashita. How was the directorial work split between the two of you, and did you provide input to each other on both of your respective parts of the film?
Kuno: So, I was also on the set when the live-action film portion was being shot, and the producer and I suggested a little bit more “cat-like” movements for Anzu, but we basically we left the live-action portion up to Yamashita and his direction. Then, when it came time for the animation direction, as different segments of the film were edited, l showed it to Yamashita and got some of his impressions and ideas. That said, he respected my direction and left it to me. So, I think basically Yamashita was in charge of the live-action and I was in charge of the animation, and we worked well together with that kind of division of labor.
What is your message to anime fans who are interested in seeing this film?
Kuno: There is the aspect of the lonely girl who’s left alone and the irresponsible cat that’s there, but I think the entire setting and mood is that of a Japanese summer in rural Japan. If people can look at that with a relaxed feeling as they remember their own summers that would be wonderful.
Thank you again to Yoko Kuno for participating in this interview, and be sure to check out Ghost Cat Anzu when it reaches theaters nationwide this month!
