A Whisker Away (2020) User Reviews

"Light-hearted, cute, and a feel-good film"

[ceejay_bordas · 7/10 · 19 June 2020]

Note: This is my opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree.

This film feels like a combination of what Studio Ghibli and traditional Disney animated films give that makes them feel special, but this movie isn't necessarily special because of that. The animation is not bad, but not really noteworthy. Both the cinematography and soundtrack are good. The story isn't that bad, but it also doesn't give off the same feeling as when you watch other notable films from Studio Ghibli or CoMix Wave Films (Makoto Shinkai). The characters are alright, except for the main antagonist.

Still, amidst the current situation the world is in right now, it is nice for Netflix to release a movie like this. Basically, at its core, it's light-hearted, cute, and a feel-good film. If you're feeling down and have two hours to spare, try watching this movie because who knows, maybe it'll make your day feel a lot better than before.

A "Cat Returns" Inspired Story

[ahemartin · 8/10 · 19 June 2020]

This movie was perplexing and captivating from beginning to end. As someone who has seen all of Studio Ghibli's films, I was left feeling as though this story took great inspiration from the beloved "Cat Returns" movie. The premise of a young, middle school girl, madly obsessed with her crush, will go to any end to make him smile. She would rather ignore the problems of her own life to focus soley on his. As all good coming of age stories go, there are important lessons learned about believing in who you are, and expressing your true emotions, rather than burying them with a smile. There is also a note of appreciation towards the whole of the group; each person in real life is made up of everyone else who has helped make them who they are, and I think this movie pays a beautiful yet subtle tribute to that, reflecting reality through the eyes of an enigmatic adolescent.

The blend between ''Whisper of the Heart'' and ''The Cat Returns'' we never knew we needed

[LordNuggets · 8/10 · 25 June 2020]

It's obvious from the get-go this movie was heavily inspired by Studio Ghibli and you can be allowed for making the mistake thinking it came from them; it has the same features - the strange fantasy elements, the deep philosophy about existence as seen from the mind of a teenager and a focus on strong character development. It's all there.

What I praise the movie for apart from the production quality is its daring; the main character isn't very likeable, and it's for good reason; her flaws as a character she needs to overcome. Not too many studios and directors would dare go into that. It is the archetype of the character who wants to run away from their problems and have things be magically easily fixed for them according to their own fantasies. I would say this makes it a very powerful movie for those teens/young adults who feel just like that.

Other than that, I am giving this one a 8/10 and not higher because I feel the ''fantasy'' elements got a bit too unneededly weird as the movie dragged on, removing value from its more mature themes.

Cats and love, it's all that I need

[MarcoParzivalRocha · 7/10 · 7 July 2020]

Muge, a young woman with an unrequited love, decides to become a cat, so that she can get closer to her beloved. The narrative is nothing extraordinary, but it manages to capture the viewer attention, with a good pace, and a well-built connection between characters. The narrative's main themes are more than known to the public, such as teen love and friendship, but also depression and insecurity, subtly, and successfully achieved. The animation itself surprised me in a positive way, with rich and detailed backgrounds, nice colors and two or three interesting moments. Some transitions are a little strange, but it's all good.

It's a nice enough anime film if you have nothing to do!

[Irishchatter · 7/10 · 19 June 2020]

Basically this is the first anime movie I've seen coming out in 2020. It's really about a girl nicknamed "Muge" who transforms into a cat, thanks to a dodgy mask seller and is hopelessly in love with a guy in her class. Not gonna lie, I nearly dropped this movie because her portrayal of a typical crazy high school girl was incredibly annoying. However I had to push up watching it and really the viewing experience was pretty easier for me to explore on why she is over the moon with herself. The art in this was not overly stunning or considered a masterpiece, but it was easy on the eyes like it did have decent scenes where you can view the city.

To be frank and I'm sure everyone agrees with this who has seen this movie, the cat mask seller was pretty much the worst villain out there. He is rather acting like a typical Disney villain who doesn't do extreme harm but at the end of the day, acts like a maggot really. His self image could've been broaden out a bit more than just stealing humans identities and their souls. Yeah boring....

The ending was nice though with Muge and Hinote reuniting. It may be a predictable that they do end up happily ever after but c'mon if you've nothing to do and don't care if there is a kissy kissy scene or not, then you're grand mate...

If you love cats a lot or a typical high school rom drama, this is one for you to definitely check out!

This movies weird

[gregoryvanison · 7/10 · 19 June 2020]

Note: This is my opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree.

This movie is weird. That's just it, I don't want to spoil anything but if you watch it it's weird.

Ghibli inspired, well made, but felt formulaic rather than inspiring

[siderite · 7/10 · 25 September 2020]

The film, the poster, trailer, even the title, will immediately suggest Studio Ghibli. And the good traditional Japanese story ones, not the European ones that not always hit the mark. You have the strong female protagonist, the magic of side streets on hills, cats, magic, hidden worlds and best of all: emotional growth while confronting one's needs and desires. So what went wrong? I don't know. It all just felt like a very well done forgery, a knock off, Pepsi to a Coca Cola drinker. And exactly like that, it may all just be in my head.

I did enjoy the film, it wasn't bad, but something did feel off. Maybe the pacing, or the dialogues that revealed too much, maybe the artificially weird characters, maybe the fact that most of the motivations people use to do things are their pathological codependencies with other people. There are profound lessons to be glimpsed in the story, yet it all felt like someone glued them on there.

So bottom line: a well done animation in the beloved Ghibli style, enjoyable, but feeling a little bit fake.

Life changing decision

[spiderdib · 9/10 · 18 June 2020]

I expected no more than a cheesy drama but I was so wrong, i totally related with the girl and the lesson taught was actually pretty human (talking about a movie with a cat huh? Lol), it's beautiful not only with the plot but visually stunning it certainly is, give it a chance, it's totally worth it.

Enjoyable plot....but unsatisfactory ending

[ayeshagowhar · 7/10 · 24 February 2021]

Honestly this is one of the sweetest movie I've ever seen and the plot had me really really invested in the movie, and the cat world and the mask seller guy gave a Disney-ish vibe to the movie which I liked so so much, but I gave it three stars less because by the end I was so frustrated. When the other cats got to help and trapped the mask seller cat, the whole time I was restless and kept screaming at the tv for them to just hurry the hell up before she would stay a cat forever because akk they did was stare and say how they would tell eachother how much they loved eachother. Another thing which has me irked is how the boy suddenly goes from "hating" her to declaring his love for her, I mean we never really got to see his feelings develop, and I was really really hoping for a kissing scene but I guess hand holding is all we got. Apart from the last half and hour of it, the movie was the most freaking amazing movie ever and I'm glad I'm watched it, eventhough the ending did leave me a little dissatisfied.i still think it's worth your time, so go ahead and watch it right now!

A shallow ride

[hazard111 · 5/10 · 31 August 2020]

You have the main lead loving this guy but there wasn't anything romantic about it...she was just rather creepy, annoying, and pushy. We don't even see why she loves him so much so we could at least root for her. Their human interactions doesn't show any good moments and their cat interactions are one sided. Then when we get to the part where the guy realizes he likes her it just feels flat because there was nothing to back it up.

The thing I like about this other than the stunning visuals is the rest of their personality not relating to their love life. It's cliche and all but still.. The family troubles and the way the girl reacted felt real and it made for good development but sadly it was overshadowed by that shallow romance. They just pushed the romance too much.

They could've made the cat girl-human boy interactions have more depth if they made the scenes the basis on how the characters will grow but instead all we get is the girl swooning over the guy and the character development only happens because the guy saves the girl instead.

Overall not bad but not something I'd care to rewatch.

Nothing special, but really nice

[jjoels · 8/10 · 19 June 2020]

Imma be real with you, not a masterpiece, the antagonist was not offensively bad, but a bit shallow. It also feels weird that there are no repercussions for stalking her love interest but that's anime for you. But 3 things why I had so much fun with this flick: 1. muge, the Protagonist, is really energetic, so you are invested in her motifs 2. some really beautiful shots. I'm a sucker for cozy images 2.5. I really don't know why but the tree Scenery in the last third of the movie got me going. I'm seriously biased here

I guess it's more like a 6/10 but I don't care, I had too much of a good feeling afterwards. Easy to enjoy

Not a bad movie, but could have been a lot more

[LunaLevina · 6/10 · 19 August 2020]

Maybe I am used too much studio Ghibli movies, but I thought this movie could also be something as great as those movies. The plot was fine, but could have been so much more. I appreciate the moral of the story, but sometimes the main character annoyed me. I understand that she just acted that way to hide her true self, but still... I wasn't able to relate to her. The world of the cats was very magical, but was introduced way too late to do more with it. It had a lot of potential, but was very vague. I had so many questions in the end. Also I think it would have been very interesting if the mother had left and also turned into a cat or something. Best thing about this movie is the visuals. Maybe that is why I wanted to compare it with Ghibli, because it was amazing! I would recommend to watch it, but don't expect too much of it.

Disturbing and disgusting

[helgamoro · 1/10 · 18 June 2020]

I've seen many disturbing portrayals of romance, but this one takes the cake. Just reverse the genders of two main characters and you'll see it too. The heroine constantly harasses and embarrasses a boy at school, completely ignores that he looks uncomfortable and burdened by her advances, keeps pushing when he directly tells her to leave him alone. As if this is not disturbing enough, the girl turns into a cat every evening and goes to the boy's house and stalks him through the windows, comes into his room, spends time cuddling with him, kisses him, listens to his secret thoughts (watches him change too?). Of course the poor boy doesn't know that he is cuddling with a thirsty sexual predator. And the girl feels NO guilt about what she is doing. ZERO. She even says aloud that her plan is to find out secret things about her crush and use them to get close to him!

I've seen a horror movie where a stalker was doing similar things, but at least he got punished in the end, this girl gets REWARDED with a love confession. Yes, you've heard it right, when the boy finds out the truth, he isn't horrified as he should be, he finds it cute. The whole second half of the movie is dedicated to portraying every dubious thing the girl did as something nice and attractive. It was actually the boy's fault for not noticing her gentle soul behind her batsh** crazy behavior, she was just supporting him all this time by pushing and touching him at school and intruding into his private spaces as a cat. He was actually just afraid she would find out about his troubles, good things she was ignoring all his rejections!

Oh yes, it also helps that the story constantly guilt trips him into showing affection - first when the girl jumps from the roof and gets injured, then runs away from home after he rejected her, then when he is directly told he has to confess otherwise she will basically die (remain a cat forever)...

This movie could never exist with a male hero instead of a heroine. Everyone would freak out if a lusting boy stalked and forced himself onto a girl like that. Imagine his ghost in the body of a cat sitting between the girl's legs, licking her face, while she suspects nothing. Yikes. But when a cute girl is doing it, its okay. Her crush is so lucky, 10 star review!

The fact that the girl is messed up by her family situation, doesn't excuse her behavior. The movie acts like it is the boy who needs to change, not the girl, the girl is just in pain and needs to be understood. But pain doesnt make criminal actions okay, and *definitely* doesnt make them endearing.

Our society is determined to protect women's bodies, private spaces and right to refuse. And at the same time completely ignores that men can be victims of harassment and rape as well. The fact that this movie has so many positive reviews is frightening.

Neko Love: A Whimsical and Thought-Provoking Film

[seruanyre · 7/10 · 23 January 2023]

"Nakitai watashi wa neko o kaburu" is a thought-provoking and visually stunning film that explores the complexities of identity and the lengths one will go to for love. The story centers around Miyo Sasaki, a high school girl who is deeply in love with her classmate Kento Hinode. In her efforts to capture his attention, Miyo transforms herself into a cat, blurring the lines between her human and feline identities. The animation is breathtaking and the use of color and imagery is masterful, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that perfectly complements the story's themes. The performances of the voice actors are also noteworthy, particularly in the nuanced portrayal of Miyo's emotional struggles. Overall, "Nakitai watashi wa neko o kaburu" is a thought-provoking and visually stunning film that will leave a lasting impression on audiences.

Cat lovers need to see this movie.

[Mysterygeneration · 6/10 · 23 August 2022]

A Whisker Away is a light romance with some otherworldly elements. The two main characters, Miyo Sasaki and Kento Hinode, steal the show. The art easily earns a grade of 10, since it complements and establishes the movie's sensitive mood and tone.

Meow.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 28 June 2020]

'A Whisker Away (2020)' is a bit of an odd film, I suppose. It focuses on a young girl who attempts to win the affections of her crush by turning into a cat each night. Though its characterisations are somewhat inconsistent, the piece manages to turn what should be simple archetypes into relatively rounded roles. Obsession isn't as simple as it seems here, with the lead's over-the-top infatuation soon peeling back to reveal a slew of near crippling insecurities. In fact, it's this sort of subversion that makes the movie work as well as it does. Though its core concept is potentially rather problematic, it's framed in such a way that it actually works to enhance the flick's exploration of its flawed core players. It's all very bright and bouncy even when it suddenly gets rather dark. It maintains its aesthetic regardless of its subject matter, making the gloomier aspects all the more unassuming. At the same time, the film has an eerie otherworldliness to it that takes over in the final third. Its balance between grounded drama and surrealist fantasy is surprisingly effective. It ultimately leads to a quirky and enjoyable experience. It's entertaining, engaging and unique. 7/10

A combination of both anime romance and a disney magic

[pronitmallick · 7/10 · 11 July 2020]

A Whisker Away shows us a typical romantic scenario where a girl is deeply attracted to a boy and she can go to any bounds to get his attention and in that attempt she becomes part a magical world beyond her understanding and the journey of both Romance and Magic begins which is quite enjoyable

Amazing movie

[stefanusirfan · 9/10 · 20 June 2020]

Story: 8/10 Visual: 8/10 Music: 9/10

I just love this movie, the movie is light that everybody could understand the movie. Every Character is very well developed in Movie. The visual is beautiful, even though it is fall behind the other movie. The music is glorious, it fits in every scene. The movie contain fantasy and romance, both of them is well balanced with a good conflict inside the movie and how the main character solve the problem.

Overall i give this movie 9/10 because the music is glorious, the story is well fit, and a beautiful visual and romance inside. What an amazing Movie.

Should have started with the tree!

[nate_snead · 7/10 · 21 June 2020]

The animation and story were fine but it took way too long to get to the point. It should have introduced the audience to "cat spirit world" earlier in the story. I did enjoy it but I almost turned it off after 10 minutes. Some of the scenes were a little bizzare but you know...... anime I guess.

Unoriginal and poorly written

[barecat-48794 · 1/10 · 11 July 2020]

If I had to describe A Whisker Away I would call it Poorly written but nice to look at. Muge, the main character, is insufferable either complaining or being unhealthily obsessed over the male character. Although they explain their reasoning for her actions it's ultimately pretty weak and doesn't justify the movies romantic interpretation of downright harassment and stalkerish behaviors. The movie uses her abuse an abandonment as an excuse for her creepy actions rather than actually take the time to explore how her abuse and abandonment affects her and makes her unable to connect to people. It is more interested in writing a shallow love story than explore it's female lead.The movie struggles to find a consistent tone, plays off a fight between the two moms where they discuss how they've been bad parents for laughs, when it should be a serious scene. It takes many elements from other ,much better, anime movies such as Your Name, A Silent Voice and Spirited Away and jams them into this movie giving it essentially nothing original and leaving it with no positive identity. Also, muge is never called out for basically stalking the male. When he finds out that muge is actually the cat he has very little reaction and moves on quickly not recognizing how creepy her actions are. The movie decides that the male character should find muge's actions endearing despite the fact he shows no enjoyment towards her actions at all, which makes him be the one to change rather than muge. The movie adds "cat world" and introduces around five new characters with 30 minutes left in the movie completely rushing through the end. It is completely out of place and seems like they saw Spirited Away and just put it in their without understanding what makes Spirited Away special. The new characters serve the purpose of slowing down the main villain and that's basically it. They slow him down when muge first meets them then around ten minutes later get a big reveal to slow down the villain again.

The movie has no idea what tone it is going for and is is just completely outshined by other movies. You want a fish out of water story where the main character explores a new world watch Spirited Away. You want a story dealing with the dangers of depression and bullying watch A Silent Voice. You want a well animated love story watch Your Name. If you want a tonally inconsistent story following an unlikeable main character and her unhealthy obsession with stolen ideas from other movies and a pretend deep, but ultimately shallow story watch A Whisker Away. The movie reads more like self insert fanfiction rather than a professionally made movie. The world changes around the character rather than the character herself having any real substantial change. The only change she does go through is I can't date my crush if I'm a cat. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time watching this movie.

Purrr-fect!

[tsukroff-91534 · 10/10 · 23 June 2020]

I was always skeptical about Netflix-made anime, but this movie changed my mind! I felt so many emotions... Sadness, frustration, heartbroken... I totally didn't cry during this movie. The graphics and background are amazing. The voice acting and story is perfect. This tugged right at my heartstrings. Relatable, heartwarming, and charming. 10/10

Normal+

[Littleman95 · 7/10 · 18 August 2020]

It's kinda normal Japanese's animation work with sentimental stuff. It can make you cry or let you feel no emotions. The story has nothing very special, it doesn't leave a real mark with something original but it can be enjoyable. It's about youth problems but in a very light way. The animation is good and also the soundtrack.

frustrating

[jolinj · 1/10 · 31 August 2020]

The main character is unlikeable, inconsiderate and impulsive. honestly the main love interest deserves better than her... the storyline is cringey and strange too. not worth watching

Catception

[tyedore · 7/10 · 4 July 2020]

I don't know how to feel. I came in with high expectations and got a sub par anime love movie. The plot is weird and confusing at some times so I would recommend English audio. It was cute but that was the only other thing good about it. It's cute... I do give it credit for showing depression and other mental illnesses in the movie. Makes it stronger. It's not that good or amazing. It is sure as hell cute.

Decent

[greatbun · 7/10 · 27 August 2020]

A Whisker Away was a decent film. I don't think there was anything exceptional about it, but it wasn't bad either. It didn't move me like any other anime films have. Often in the film, I felt that the movie tried to mix the drama and comedy genre, but it often came out quite awkwardly. Throughout the film, the characters often reminded me of the characters from "I Want to Eat your Pancreas", and I remembered how much I enjoyed that film.