It's not every day that a film comes along that is so indescribable that people are deemed insane for trying explain it to other people. However, this is exactly the case with Cat Soup. An adaptation of Nekojiru's manga series, Cat Soup places viewers into a world that spans the borders of life and death. However, will this surreal journey be an epic tale, or have the storytellers bitten off more than they can chew?

Death usually doesn't make house calls to claim souls. Unfortunately, the kitten Nyako has had just this happen to her. Now, she and her brother, Nyata, must embark on a surreal adventure through the "Other Side" to get it back. Over the course of the journey, the two kittens encounter many strange characters and even stranger situations that progress from surreal to disturbing. From a twisted circus to a nightmarish house of horrors, the two kittens learn that nothing is ever what it seems to be.

As much as I found Cat Soup to be strange or drug-induced, I still found it quite compelling. Unfortunately, to describe the finer points of the story in words is a nearly-impossible task, as any attempts would likely give off the impression that this reviewer is either on hallucinogenic drugs, mentally ill, or a combination of the two. All I can say is that the film's story is intriguing, but at the same time, hard to put into words.

Nyata should know that cats and water just don't mix.	A macabre variation of the old "sawing a woman in half" trick.

Of course, Cat Soup's atmosphere completes itself with a varied, off the wall cast of characters. While simple, the cast has more than enough personality to spare. Ranging from the simply drawn cat characters to what has to be the most disturbing Mickey Mouse cosplay I have ever seen, Cat Soup's characters never lack in individuality. Possibly the most impressive character in the show is a bird that seems to embody the sky, and only makes an appearance for around two minutes. The artists cleverly mesh cel and computer generated artwork to create this beautiful creature that seemingly belongs in the surreal environments of the film. The main gripe that can be named throughout the feature is that the main characters of Nyako and Nyata are quite dull, and don't seem to fit in a few of the environments. However, this is but a minor gripe, as the film's length and overall feel of the film seem to alleviate this problem a bit.

Fabulous animation complements the interesting characters that reside within the world of Cat Soup. Using a mix of cel and computer generated animation, the staff manages to avoid many of the pitfalls that anime series tend to fall into when CG is utilized. Rather than a cold, sterile feel to the film, a warmer, yet still off the wall feel is apparent. On an aesthetic level, Cat Soup has amazingly smooth animation, as the characters move in an almost eerily realistic manner.

For a 30-minute short, Cat Soup has a surprising wealth of music to accompany its bizarre visuals. From the lilting desert music to the chilling song of the credits, the film's soundtrack is of an interesting ilk. While it is not exactly memorable, the pieces are very fitting and well-performed. Overall, the strong score is quite unique, and fits the nature of the settings perfectly.

For the DVD release, Central Park Media put together a beautiful transfer, with vibrant colors, and excellent overall visual quality. There are no cases of aliasing or rainbows, nor do the artifacts or instances of cross-coloration occur. The sound is clear, with no distortions or dropouts, and available in both a stereo mix, and glorious Dolby 5.1.

For this release, Central Park has taken the "quality over quantity" approach to give viewers three very intriguing and insightful extras, which help clear up many of the mysteries of Cat Soup. The first extra, a full commentary to the film, gives a piece-by-piece overview of the entire feature as the video runs in the background. The second extra feature, "How to Make Cat Soup," is a full 30-minute documentary of how the film was made, and even why it was made. The final extra is a short (around 45 seconds) Art Gallery slide show that displays a few choice pieces from the feature.

For the viewer that's looking for something a bit darker and more surreal, it's hard to go wrong with Cat Soup. However, as a caveat, this film is not for the closed-minded, nor is it for those that are easily disturbed. All others will find an offbeat cerebral experience that is hard to match.

Distributor: Central Park Media
Creator: Nekojiru
Released: 2003

Plot: A-
Character Design: B+
Animation Quality: A
Music: A-
Overall: A-