Precocious tween Karin finds herself abandoned by her father in rural Japan. Living in a temple with her grandfather, she meets Anzu, a giant ‘ghost cat’ and notorious layabout tasked with looking after her. Distrustful of her new guardian, Karin sabotages Anzu’s odd jobs for the townsfolk and befriends the eccentric local forest spirits. In an effort to win Karin over, Anzu accidentally makes a deal with the devil, and all Hell breaks loose.

Ghost Cat Anzu is co-directed by renowned artist Yoko Kuno, who makes her feature directorial debut, and Nobuhiro Yamashita, the acclaimed director of Linda Linda Linda. Co-produced by Shin-Ei Animation and Miyu Productions with music by legendary musician Keiichi Suzuki (EarthBound), Ghost Cat Anzu is a wildly funny ride in the countryside.

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Video Quality

Ghost Cat Anzu comes to Blu-Ray from GKIDS with a dazzling 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio. This feature explores some rich detail in the village which the animation team has memorably brought to life. Each locale is filled with unique facets that make the space feel more lived-in. The character designs are considerately rendered without fail. The transfer handles every change in the environment with stability including no jagged lines or color bleeding.

The animation style is bursting with lush detail and texture. Every moment delivers a buffet of fantastic imagery that makes you thankful there is still room for 2-D animation in the world, even if there are some digital enhancements. The colors are bright and boldly saturated with complex hues delighting the senses. Highlights are properly maintained, and black levels are quite deep with no trace of compression artifacts or digital anomalies. This is perfectly in line with what you want from a modern anime experience.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track presented here in its original Japanese, along with an English and French language dub. The film is presented with optional English, English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles. The soundscape makes the most of its narrative ambition with some natural texture to the world. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without succumbing to any competing elements. The soundtrack adds emotion to the story as it moves the audience with the surround sound presentation. The environmental detail in the surround channels is very worthwhile as the sounds transport you into this narrative. GKIDS delivers a first-rate presentation with this one.

Special Features

Trailers & Teasers (4:10)

Final Thoughts

Ghost Cat Anzu may not be up to the level of Studio Ghibli, but there is more than enough here to win over fans of that studio along with those dipping their toe into the medium. The titular character is a humorous scamp that keeps you engaged and surprises you with wild narrative turns. The animation is a pleasure to observe, and the emotional beats blend well with the humor. This should be on your radar if you are an anime fan, keep this on your radar. GKIDS has released a Blu-Ray with a standout A/V presentation and almost zero supplemental features Recommended

Ghost Cat Anzu will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on March 4, 2025.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: GKIDS and Shout! Studios have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.