A Whisker Away

Fourteen-year-old Miyo is in love with her classmate Hinode and cannot reach him. A magic Noh mask lets her turn into a cat called Tarō, and as a cat she can get close to him and he opens up. The problem is that each transformation pulls her further from being human. Studio Colorido produced it, directed by Junichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama, the latter making his debut. It was due in Japanese cinemas on 5 June 2020 and was pulled from the schedule because of the pandemic. Netflix took distribution and released it digitally on 18 June 2020, with an English dub on 28 June. The Japanese rock duo Yorushika provide the music, including the theme Ghost in a Flower, the insert song Night Journey and the closing track Liar. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 93 percent from 14 reviews, with critics calling it sweet, cute and charming, and a fine piece of anime escapism. Who it is for: viewers who like warm anime about adolescence and identity. Who it is not for: anyone wanting internal logic. The rules of the cat world shift quickly in the second half, and that is the film's weakest point.