Sekai kara neko ga kietanara

At first, I thought why I'm watching this movie! But soon I realized why! Thank you very much for making this movie!

The film manages to make look good the book it's based on, which had already exhausted the author's creativity in calling the protagonist's two pet cats Lettuce and Cabbage and thus sets the bar pretty low. It takes quite some liberty with regard to the book, omitting the most fun parts of it (the cat never gets to speak, the Devil doesn't wear Hawaii shirts; there are no upbeat songs in the sad scenes), and so it ends up a melodramatic mess, with wooden acting, poor character development, a soundtrack so boring and repetitive it would be unfit even for a furniture store, and a plot so foreseeable and unimaginative watching a blank sheet of paper would have been more thought-provoking and entertaining.

..."If cats disappeared from the world, how would the world change? If I disappeared from the world, who on earth would mourn for me?"...

"Sekai kara neko ga kietanara" is based on a popular novel of the same name and centers around a young postman (played by Sato Takeru) who learns that he has a terminal illness and is soon going to die. Then, a devil appears and offers to extend his life on the condition that one thing the devil picks will disappear from the world in exchange for him living one day longer.

Things which seems not essential to life turn out to be more crucial than expected, as they affect the relationship he has with his ex-girlfriend, friend and family…

As the story evolves, it reminds me to think about what is actually essential to life. Existence or essence?

The story is meaningful, and Takeru is a great cast in a great film. He perfectly delivered the role with his talents. The film is also shot so beautifully that I had to add Hakodate, the filming location, to my list of must-visit cities in Japan.

When I decided to watch the movie, I was expecting a more western-like fantasy movie. I was delightfully surprised with a deep emotional movie about life and how to come to terms with what it has to offer. Besides superb outdoor takings, wonderful acting conveying controlled feelings (I truly hate kitsch emotional outbursts, so common in the Hollywood era), the movie in a very quite but powerful way delivers an important message about how to deal with one's fate. Nice music too. I give it a nine out of ten, the deduction of one star due to the predictability of the ending.

This movies will change the way you think about living your life, it touched my heart and gave me unexpected happinesses