Takashi Miike is one of my favorite living filmmakers. I count Audition, adapted from Ryu Murakami’s novel of the same name, among one of the greatest films ever made. It’s a classic (and a Quentin Tarantino favorite) for a reason. Miike’s other features, including One Missed Call and Ichi the Killer, are nearly as good. Naturally, Miike was once the subject of considerable controversy, namely for his films’ tendency to devolve in extreme, often sexual, violence. While he is a paragon of extreme cinema, he’s also much more than that.
Beyond Takashi Miike’s penchant for pushing boundaries, his filmography is peppered with plenty of more mainstream offerings, including the aforementioned One Missed Call, a J-horror shocker that even secured an American remake several years later. In terms of what’s next, anime fans have a lot to look forward to. Yes, Takashi Miike, extreme J-horror icon, is executive directing Nyaight of the Living Cat, an anime adaptation of Hawkman and Mecha-Roots’ manga of the same name, this summer.
Check out the latest trailer and synopsis below:
Per Crunchyroll: Run! The adorable cats are here. In 20XX, the world is dominated by cats. A virus which turns anyone who touches a cat into a cat has spread into a worldwide nyandemic. Cats rub against people, turning them into cats. Can humanity fight their urge to pet cats to survive in this cat-ridden world?
Nyaight of the Living Cat will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll this July. Tomohiro Kamitani (MIX MEISEI STORY Season 2) directs, with Shingo Irie (Orb: On the Movements of the Earth; Golden Kamuy Season 1) writing the teleplay. Executive director Takashi Miike is all over that trailer, though, and as a certified lover of horror anime (check out some of my previous recommendations on Higurashi: When They Cry and Summer Time Rendering), Nyaight of the Living Cat has skyrocketed to the top of my list.
As someone who grew up on classics like The Birds and not-so-classic titles like Kingdom of the Spiders, Empire of the Ants, and Deadly Eyes (killer rats, yay!), I love when animals run amok. I also love cats, and I think it’s about time they were given the chance to express themselves. Plus, I’m a huge fan of the source material, so this is a win for me all around. My sincere hope, however, is that you give Nyaight of the Living Cat a chance.
Can you survive the Nyaight? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins whether you plan to check Nyaight of the Living Cat out. While you’re there, let me know what other anime you’ve been enjoying, horror or otherwise. And if you’re looking to expand your horror horizons, animation is genuinely the place for you. I promise there’s so much great stuff too regularly overlooked because of its style, and I’m always down to point you in the right direction.
Categorized:News
