Manga artist Suzuo is killed by a truck, chasing after the money he just won at the races (with money stolen from his wife). His daughter, Miyu, cursed him to die just before he left and, now that he's gone, is feeling guilty, angry and miserable. In the Afterlife, a gate keeping judge lists his life on Earth and sentences him to return to make amends in the form of a cat. He now has one month to help his family recover from his death and find the happiness he denied them in life.
This movie is cute, like a sweet tea at a cafe visited by happy-go-lucky girls. From the brightly lit scenes, to the costume Suzuo wears to signify his new cat appearance. Some of it actually works - the cartoonish blood on Suzuo's head after his accident, and scenes of people manhandling Suzuo out of various shops, for example. Still, the effect is kind of cheap even if it is adorable.
The plot is rough. It's hard to imagine the family are poor Japanese when Suzuo looks like he has a Shiseido skin care routine he rigidly sticks to. The addition of other cats into Suzuo's life are fun diversions, but most are left unexplored (and even the meatiest role given to pretty cat, Whitest, feels throwaway). It's also difficult not to laugh at the thought of the family having long, thoughtful conversations with a cat (he is just a cat, after all).
Still, the final moments are oddly sweet and feel earned (except for that Japanese habit of "get the cast to laugh, audiences love that" which pops up at a moment that could have involved a little more levity).
Overall, it looks cute, it's got a cute cast, and has some emotional heft at the end. But maybe not an interesting view for Western audiences.
