Tentacle-Free Anime: "She and Her Cat: Everything Flows" ('16)

- by Kazekun, 12 May 2016

Cats. Cats. Cats. Cats. Cats. Cats. Cats. Cats. Cats.
Need I say more?

She and Her Cat: Everything Flows (2016)
 
Episodes: 4;
Director: Kazuya Sakamoto;
Studio: LIDENFILMS;
Rated: G
 
Summary: For the longest time, it's just been the two of them. "Kanojo" and her cat Daru are inseparable, having grown up together. Now a junior in college, Tomoka—her roommate of a year and a half—moves out of their shared apartment, and in order to keep her living space, Kanojo must find a job. Day by day, Daru watches her continued efforts from a cat's-eye view, eagerly awaiting his owner's return. When she gets back, once again, it's just she and her cat. [MyAnimeList.net]

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This will be a short review, that's why I'm making it a TFA extra. At 7-minutes per episode, and there only being 4 of them, there's not a whole lot to say that can take up as much space as my usual bi-weekly Monday reviews.
 
However after seeing this anime I surely felt like it was worth talking about, especially with its ties to Makoto Shinkai and the fact that a few weeks ago we discussed the original She and Her Cat of which this is based upon. I'm not the hugest Shinkai fan, but I love his original 5-minute short that started his career in animation. So when  I heard that after nearly 20 years some studio was making a full series based around the short I was definitely baffled.

Everything Flows poster

And also worried that the series wasn't going to be handled properly based solely on the concept alone. I was very wrong and what we got was a masterstroke of a short series that is definitely worth being seen because it will give you the heavy feels. You know, the kind that make you cry.
 
In 4 very short episodes we learn about how Kanojo and Daru became owner and pet and the strained relationship eventually created between Kanojo and her Mother would rather she not live on her own. While the proper present day story takes place over what looks to be a year there are plenty of well-placed and written flashbacks strung about that give us the clarity needed to understand what goes down in the final episode of show and why we should care about these characters at all.​

I never felt like we needed some pseudo-expansion of the original 5-minute short by Shinkai but I wonder if this series, not directed or even written by him, surpasses his original idea. It's that good.
 
There's also an end credits scene at the end of the series that in my own headcanon cements this series as a prequel to the original She and Her Cat from Shinkai. This is a series worth checking out.

Kanojo and Daru in everyday life.

The animation is crisp, the story doesn't overstay its welcome, the characters are all likeable and relatable. If there's really any downside to the series I would say the ending gets wrapped up a little too nicely and quickly for my tastes. It didn't seem wholly natural after the very natural feeling this show exudes for majority of its run. So the ending does feel slightly out of place. However it will still give you the feels regardless so bring tissues.
 
If you haven't seen this series go watch it. And also go watch the original short as well. I keep saying Shinkai is better with shorter stories, and though he didn't have much involvement with this series that I know of, this is still based solely off of one of his works and further illustrates my point of the beloved animator. Everything flows in this short series, and that's not just relevant to the title thankfully.
 
Final Score: 4.5 House Cats out of 5


Have you seen Everything Flows? Let us know what you thought of it below!

Tagged: Tentacle-Free Anime, movies & TV.

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