Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined Watership Down and Modern Warfare, then animated it in CG? Me neither, but I wish I had. That’s exactly what you get with Cat Shit One, IDA Movie’s new animated series, directed by Kazuya Sasahara and based on Motofumi Kobayashi’s manga, and it is awesome. The name’s sure to throw a few people off (when the manga was released in the states, it was retitled as the sickeningly punny Apocalypse Meow), not only because of its comically profane “engrish”, but also because there aren’t any cats (or shit, for that matter) to speak of in the series. The protagonists are anthropomorphic rabbits (another pun, as the Japanese word for bunny is “usagi”, thus “USA G.I.”) cast as American soldiers in a Blackwater-type merc outfit stationed in the Middle East. The 23-minute short (supposedly the first of many episodes) primarily concerns cowardly Botasky (voiced by Tom Flynn) and all-around badass Sgt. Packy (Will Prescott) staging a rescue op that quickly goes from bad to worse. The animation, while not up to Pixar caliber, is quite impressive for a production of this size. The bunnies and camels (as the Middle Eastern antagonists are somewhat-offensively portrayed) are beautifully rendered as they gun each other down in ever-so-graphic detail. The gritty and realistic violence (throat-slitting, headshots, and grenade explosions are all on display here) makes for an interesting contrast with the ultra-cutesy character designs. The only thing that serves to disappoint is the sub-par English dub cast, although as Japanese Animation dubs go, it could have gone much worse. If you’re an anime fan, gamer, military enthusiast, or just a general lover of bizarre shit, do yourself a favor and check out Cat Shit One, which is available to watch for free on IDA Movie’s YouTube channel until February 19th (it’s also available on DVD and Blu-ray, but I can’t in good conscience recommend shelling out the cash, considering the short runtime).

Watch for free on IDA Movie’s YouTube channel.

- Adam Rosina

Throughout USA, January 20 – “A mission to eliminate aliens!” or so the Fathom Events trailer says, they sure do make it sounds cheesy but I’m so exited for this!  GANTZ, anime and manga, has been made into a live action film in Japan and NEW PEOPLE, NCM Fathom, and Dark Horse Comics are bringing the film to the US for a one night movie theater showing.  We have already purchased our tickets!

A little synopsous from Fathom… “College student Kei Kurono (Kazunari Ninomiya) witnesses his childhood friend Kato (Kenichi Matsuyama) attempting to help a drunk who has fallen onto the subway train tracks and jumps in to help him. However, both are run down by an oncoming train and are transported to an apartment. In the center of the living room is an enigmatic black orb known as ‘GANTZ’. GANTZ forces each of them to take part in a mission to hunt down and kill aliens, providing them with equipment and weaponry.  Is this world, which tests their will to survive, a game or reality?  The film stars two of the most popular actors in Japan today, Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City, Norwegian Wood).”

And now for some trailers!  Don’t watch the Fathom one first!

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