Parents' Guide to Ghost Cat Anzu

Parents need to know that Ghost Cat Anzu is an anime based on Takashi Imashiro's same-named manga about Karin (voiced by Noa Gotô in the original Japanese and Evie Hsu in the English dub), a neglected fifth grade girl who ventures to hell in search of her dead mother. The titular cat (Mirai Moriyama/Jason Simon) acts like a self-indulgent human man, urinating outdoors, driving a motorcycle without a license, gambling, etc. And Karin behaves like a brat, although adult viewers will understand that she's acting out in the wake of being separated from her parents and left with her grandfather, far away from her school and friends. The beginning of the film is peppered with insulting language ("stupid idiot," "loser," etc.) and potty humor, and the third act sees a Japanese god escorting Karin to hell, where she gets an alarming glimpse of what happens. Her facial expressions and the shadowy images of demons beating human forms may be hard for some younger viewers to shake. Other characters are left unconscious or near death, with giant bumps covering their heads and some blood. And Karin's mother accepts a punishment for her daughter's transgressions; while what will happen to her isn't expressed in clear terms, viewers will understand that it's going to be dreadful. Anzu and friends drink unspecified beverages out of brown bottles, which are littered about the room—he tells Karin they were "partying." Ultimately, both Karin and Anzu grow from their experiences, learning to be more thoughtful and compassionate.

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