Cat Soup

Cat Soup animated short film directed by Tatsuo Sato

Artmaking strategies: Element of surprise, symbols, cartoon style.

•   What is this animation about? (big idea, or theme or narrative story)

This animated story follows Nyatta, a kitten with human like qualities, on his travel to the land of the afterlife and back in an effort to save the soul of his sister Nyako. At some point in the film both siblings die and are brought back. However, initially Nyako only has part of her soul.

I think the main theme is about life after death and how we deal with that within our lives!

•   What are the main characters?

The main characters are two anthropomorphic kittens named Nyatta and Nyako. They are brother and sister.

•   What is the style?

This short film is animated in a Japanese style and is very, very whimsical! I won’t lie, at times I was very confused!

•   What art making strategies (conceptual/ technical/ visual) does the artist use to illustrate his story?  Please give an example and assess the effectiveness of the example.

I think that the use of the music in conjuncture with certain parts of the story were very effective! I also liked the “conceptual-ness” of the ending. What’s going on? Will the story continue? Is it over? You’re left with questions and I think that was a really smart move on Sato’s part.

•   How might Sato's animation help create your animation?

I particularly liked the music used in conjuncture with the visual aspects of the short film. The ways in which it used the music to help influence the vibe and feeling of the story was really impressive!