Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2012

There have been a lot of great animated features out of Japan recently (see my review of Beserk 2 in Metropolis #952, for example) and this wonderful tour de force fits squarely in that category. Based on a story by legendary early Showa-era poet and children’s author Kenji Miyazawa, Gusukō Budori no Denki creates a sumptuous world and brings it to life magnificently. Director Gisaburo Sugii has a history with Miyazawa; he adapted his signature work Ginga Tetsudō no Yoru (Night on the Galactic Railroad) in 1985. Like that effort, Sugii chooses to use cats as the characters instead of humans, though they live a human-like existence. The story centers on Gusukō Budori (Shun Oguri), a young man who returns home due to a natural disaster and starts working with volcano researchers to prevent such occurrences. Things get darker, though, when his sister (Shioli Kutsuna) is kidnapped. Filled with stunning naturalistic and surreal imagery, this flick takes you on a journey not soon forgotten. English title: Biography of Gusuko Budori. (108 min)