Collaboration illustration between “Bakeneko Anzu-chan” and “Shigoto Neko” released! Newly drawn by illustrator KumamineThe film “Bakeneko Anzu-chan” will be released nationwide on Friday, July 19th. It is an animated film adaptation of the manga of the same name by Imashiro Takashi, and is co-directed by Kuno Haruko and Yamashita Nobuhiro, with actor Moriyama Mirai providing the voice and movements of the main character, a monster cat.

This time, a collaboration illustration between this work and the popular character “Work Cat” by illustrator Kumamine has been released!

▲ Released collaboration illustration

The newly released illustration is a collaboration between “Bakeneko Anzu-chan” and “Shigoto Neko” drawn by popular illustrator Kumamine.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when the monster cat Anzu-chan is relaxing in front of a vending machine drinking a can of coffee. The work cat is scouting her, saying, “If you come to our house, you’ll be an ace right away.”

The expression on Anzu’s face, who doesn’t seem very interested despite being enthusiastically recruited, is also a highlight. What will Anzu choose…?

In fact, Anzu’s actual job is a part-time masseuse.

On the 22nd of every month, the original calendar is being distributed on the official “Ghost Cat Anzu-chan” X ( @ghostcat_anzu ) account! Distribution of the July calendar will start on Saturday, June 22nd!

Nationwide release: Friday, July 19, 2024

Nobuhiro Yamashita (a master of Japanese cinema) × Haruko Kuno (a rising star in the world of animation) × Mirai Moriyama (a globally active performer)

The short animation “Airy Me,” which she created while studying at Tama Art University, won the Newcomer Award in the Animation Division of the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Director Yoko Kuno is a spirited creator who has received enthusiastic support from all walks of life, including as an animator, illustrator, and manga artist .

The smash hit “Let’s Go to Karaoke!” (24) is still fresh in our memory, and the master of Japanese cinema, director Yamashita Nobuhiro, has been receiving tremendous support from movie fans for many years .

The lead role of “Anzu-chan” is played by Moriyama Mirai, who has appeared in numerous popular films such as “We Never Grow Up” (21) and “Hokaage” (23), and continues to be uniquely active both domestically and internationally in a wide range of genres, not just as an actor .

Leading talent in the Japanese arts field has come together to adapt Takashi Imashiro’s original work, “Bakeneko Anzu-chan,” into an animated film!

It was the first Japanese animation in six years to be selected for Directors’ Fortnight at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May this year, and has also been selected to be shown in the Competition Section of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2024, the world’s oldest and largest animation film festival, which will be held in June. The world is paying close attention to this 37-year-old ghost cat!

This work uses a technique called ” rotoscoping ,” which involves tracing live-action footage and turning it into animation . Traditionally, this technique is often used to realistically animate human movements such as in musical performances or dance scenes, but this work focuses on incorporating the “acting” that can only be created on a film set into the animation.

Another important element is the simultaneous recording of the lines. The “voices” of the actors in the dialogue, which can only happen on location, must also be recorded at the same time.

For this reason, the live-action team was led by Director Yamashita, and a group of talented staff from the live-action film industry gathered together to shoot the film exactly as it was. Based on the footage and audio, Director Kuno carefully examined the essence extracted from the detailed acting, and created the animation together with the staff.

Mirai Moriyama was filmed moving and talking just like in the live-action film, but what you see in the cinema is a completely animated monster cat, “Anzu-chan,” a luxurious and thoroughly detailed production method. The characters played by live-action actors are transformed into cute characters designed by Director Kuno while making the most of their charm, and the special finish, which moves around with the lively movements and expressions that are unique to rotoscope animation, is cute yet somehow realistic , making this an animated film like nothing you’ve ever seen before .

The screenplay was written by Shinji Imaoka, who has an unusual track record of teaming up with director Christopher Doyle on “The Hard Work Train” (2012) and with Yamashita as cinematographer . Cinematographer is Yoshihiro Ikeuchi, who has worked on many of Yamashita’s films, including “Linda Linda Linda” (2005) and “The Hard Work Train .” Costume design is by Daisuke Iga, who continues to work in a wide range of genres, from live-action and animation to theater, including “Shin Ultraman” (22) and “The Dragon and the Freckled Princess” (21 ) .

Other cast members (voice and movement) besides Moriyama include Goto Nozomi , who showed fresh charm in Yamashita’s “1 Second Ahead of Him” (23) as Karin, the girl who spends her time with Anzu-chan, Aoki Munetaka as Karin’s father , Ichikawa Miwako as her mother , Suzuki Keiichi as Osho -san , and other famous supporting actors who are regulars in Yamashita’s work, such as Mizusawa Shingo , Yoshioka Mutsuo , and Uno Shohei . Suzuki is also in charge of the music for this work, adding color to the tasteful worldview. Sato Chiaki has also written a new theme song “Matatabi” for this work.

実写映画の精鋭たちが勢ぞろいする中アニメーションには、アートディレクターをアカデミー賞ノミネート作品である『レッドタートルある島の物語』（16）で背景を担当したJulien De Man。コンポジット開発にはイギリスでVFXアーティストと活躍するGuillaume Cassutoが参加。キャラクターデザインは監督である久野が自ら手掛け、作画監督を石舘波子（『ペンギン・ハイウェイ』（18）作画監督）、中内友紀恵（『あはれ！名作くん』作画）が務めている。本作ならではの最強の布陣が実現した。

また、アニメーション制作では『クレヨンしんちゃん』や『ドラえもん』で知られ、『窓ぎわのトットちゃん』など繊細な芝居を得意とするスタジオである「シンエイ動画」と、カンヌ国際映画祭やアヌシー国際映画祭で数々の賞を受賞し、新進気鋭のフランスのスタジオ「Miyu Productions」が長編として初の日仏共同にてアニメーションを制作。シンエイ動画がキャラクターの動きを描き、Miyu Productionsが背景美術と色彩を担う。

実写×アニメーション。

日本×フランス。

ジャンルや国を超えた才能がタッグを組んだ、前代未聞のアニメーション映画ついに公開！

雷の鳴る豪雨の中。お寺の和尚さんは段ボールの中で鳴いている子猫をみつける。その子猫は「あんず」と名付けられ、それは大切に育てられた。

時は流れ、おかしなことにあんずちゃんはいつしか人間の言葉を話し、人間のように暮らす「化け猫」になっていた。

移動手段は原付。お仕事は按摩のアルバイト。現在37歳。そんなあんずちゃんの元へ、親子ゲンカの末ずっと行方知れずだった和尚さんの息子・哲也が11歳の娘「かりん」を連れて帰ってくる。しかしまた和尚さんとケンカし、彼女を置いて去ってしまう。

大人の前ではいつもとっても“いい子”のかりんだが、お世話を頼まれたあんずちゃんは、猫かぶりだと知り、次第にめんどくさくなっていく。

かりんは哲也が別れ際に言った「母さんの命日に戻ってくるから」という言葉を信じて待ち続けるも、一向に帰ってこない。母親のお墓に手を合わせたいというささやかな望みさえ叶わないかりんは、あんずにお願いをする。

「母さんに会わせて」

たった一つの願いから、地獄をも巻き込んだ土俵際の逃走劇が始まるんだニャ。

監督：久野遥子・山下敦弘

原作：いましろたかし『化け猫あんずちゃん』（講談社　KCデラックス　刊）