GKIDS’ latest animation import, Ghost cat Anzubrings together a cranky eleven-year-old girl dealing with the death of her mother and a jovial ghost cat who loves beer and sake. When Karin’s father leaves her at her grandfather’s house, her grandfather orders his ghost cat, Anzu, to take care of her. While the two initially clash, they eventually bond and embark on a quest to bring Karin’s mother back.
In an exclusive clip from GKIDS, we get a glimpse into this film’s mix of the mundane and the magical. After Anzu follows a pair of forest sprites (whom he calls “cheepies”) into the wilderness, he encounters a giant talking frog and invites him back to the temple Anzu calls home. The frog takes the liberty of inviting other mythical creatures, and the gang sits drinking beer, flipping through magazines, and playing a Nintendo Switch, until Karin stumbles home and asks him what’s going on.
There is an echo of Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghostly away in all of this there is a sense of indifferent and alien minds clashing in a social space where they can pursue their own interests without full interaction. But in the comedy of Ghost cat Anzuthe interaction is much more awkward. The film is co-directed by artist Yoko Kuno, in her feature debut, and Nobuhiro Yamashita (LindaLindaLinda). It is based on the manga series of the same name by Takashi Imashiro. The music comes from EarthBound composer Keiichi Suzuki.
Ghost cat Anzu will be released in US theaters on November 15. The full trailer is here: