Back to Totororeos's Profile Totororeos's Profile

Cats. Lazing in the sun all day long without a care in the world. Covid-19? International conflict? Protests everywhere? Climate change? Those are human worries.

Wouldn’t you want to become a cat, and not worry about all the complicated shit plaguing modern society? I’m sure we’ve all entertained thoughts of being transported into some isekai, or turning into someone else and just not be *you*. With that said, please enjoy this amateurish review of Nakineko, a movie about a girl who transforms into a cat to get close to her crush.

—

Story:7
Nakineko captures our thoughts of escaping reality by turning them into cats. ... The theme is well-defined, but here’s some light criticism up front. The story does not blow your mind with how good it is, and the climax is less a rollercoaster of emotions and gives off more of a “wow cool, next—” impression.
The plot does a subpar job building and maintaining suspense, relying on the artwork, music and character interactions to deliver emotional impact.

Art: 9
The movie’s backgrounds and scenery are stunningly beautiful with warm colors and touches of realism. It’s no Makoto Shinkai, but I would love to use some scenes as the wallpaper for my PC and tablet. The second half of the movie has more supernatural imagery, and re-imagines society with cats in the place of humans. If The Cat Returns (Studio Ghibli) were set in the iconic streets and shrines of the traditional Japanese townside, it would look like Nakineko.

Character designs has everyone looking like potatoes with the exception of Muge (the MC) who looks like an extra-kawaii potato. In normal terms the characters look rather plain, but simple is beautiful. Dynamic movements, lightly exaggerated, make the characters entertaining to watch.

Characters: 9
Nakineko focuses to some painfully realistic internal struggles we may go through, especially in our adolescence and young adulthood. The pain of divorce. The suffering from being bullied. The heartache from rejection or being ignored by those we care about. Some of us maintain a smile, a facade to show we’re fine, when deep down we’re in pieces. It’s not surprising when those in pain usually turn to drugs or alcohol or self-harm, just any method really, to escape from reality. While the plot ain’t great, how the main characters deal with escapism could make you relate and connect to them.

Little things can make you appreciate Nakineko. The supporting cast do not go through the drastic changes like our dear MCs, but they fulfill their role as triggers for turning points in the plot. No stereotypes, these are people (or cats) with feelings and individuality. Some interactions are subtle, but are amusing when you take notice. Be pleasantly surprised, when characters intentions are laid bare.

Sound: 9
Briefly, I want to highlight the VAs of Muge (MC) and the Mask Seller (fat cat). While I do not know the VA, Muge’s voice is as warm as sunshine and is attractive enough to carry the movie. The Mask Seller is oily and self-centered, and his voice stands out for making you want to sock him in the face.

The music is pleasant. While it isn’t bad, it’s unfortunately lies in the shadow of Yorushika. I’m so glad my favorite music artists have found a bigger platform for their work to shine. And boy do their songs deliver. Poetry and soul, ear candy like ASMR. With a contribution of 3 wonderful songs with vocals, Yorushika will carry the memories of watching Nakineko in my playlist for a long time.

Overall: 9
Nakineko was worth the while, especially during extended periods at home. The movie elements show an attention to detail and an understanding of our internal conflicts. You only have to like one aspect of the movie (the MC, the music, the side characters, the art, etc) to enjoy it.

As a final word, we can dream all we want of escaping a lousy reality, but things will only get better when we take the initiative to write our own story.

—

Tl;dr - Nakineko is an easy watch especially for teens and young adults in that stage when we are actively learning how to love and be loved. Art is great, relatable characters make up for ok story, and there is ear candy from Yorushika. Worth your while.