'A Whisker Away' gets everything just right

If you were given the power to turn into a cat at will, would you?

For Miyo Sasaki, nicknamed Muge, the answer is yes. This was the only way she could get close to her crush after all; to cold, standoffish Kento Hinode, who sidesteps and brushes off her every effort to get his attention.

When we first meet Muge, we immediately understand the dislike. She is overly exuberant, and her attention to Hinode is borderline obsessive and desperate. For a protagonist, she is terribly unlikable.

^{Photo still courtesy of Netflix}

It's a good thing that despite the premise, Junichi Satoh ("Sailor Moon") and Tomotake Shibayama's anime film is not just a love story. It's a coming of age story, told with the help of magic and cats.

Set in a quieter, more traditional part of Japan, "A Whisker Away" immediately hooks attention with its gorgeous, detailed art. Even with the generous slice-of-life scenes, the film reeks of ancient magic, although it takes a more subtle form at times.

As the film unfolds, it becomes clear that there are underlying reasons why Muge chose to turn into a cat. Unhappy in her home, temporarily turning into a cat becomes an escape. And like with any form of escapism, the pull gets stronger until something gives. Sprinkle in the hurt brought by unrequited love, some cruelty by her classmates, and a dash of family drama, and it was a recipe for disaster. The price, of course, is Muge's humanity.

However, throughout the hour and 44 minutes of the film, you'd be hard-pressed to find any villains. Although Muge's pain inevitably becomes our pain, the film makes the characters three dimensional, so much that you can't hate them, or blame them.

^{Photo still courtesy of Netflix}

And this is what the film got brilliantly right: angsty teenagers and their inability to grasp or make sense of all the messy emotions, leading them to lash out or make bad decisions. Although it features a generous amount of cats, the whole thing is so human.

There’s heartbreak, and sadness, and bullying, and broken families. All good enough reasons to abandon your humanity and turn into a cat forever. 

If you were given the chance to leave your life behind, would you?

But for all the sad things it touched on, the film is not heavy nor depressing. The approach is as quaint as the small coastal town the characters live in, and it is balanced well by the enchanting magic and the subtle but deep relationships between the characters.

Which leads us to another thing the movie got so right: It gave a surprisingly realistic view of love, relationships, family, and friendship — things that are good enough reason to stick to your humanity.

The prince, while instrumental, did not save the day. There is no magical antidote, no spell broken. The film is about first love, yes, but it explores love in all its forms (even love between cats and their humans).

^{Photo still courtesy of Netflix}

Verdict: Don’t hesitate. Just press play.

It was poignant. It was hopeful. And it was the easiest thing to watch.

In fact, "A Whisker Away" was so enchanting that a few tears caught us off guard, leaving us to wonder at the joys — and pains — of life and love.

"A Whisker Away" is now streaming on Netflix.

—JCB, GMA News