Tilted Windmills: The Reckoning

Cat Soup (ねこぢる草 Nekojiru-So?, lit. Nekojiru Grass) is an award-winning animated short film directed by Tatsuo Sato, inspired by the work of manga artist Nekojiru. The surreal black comedy follows Nyatta, an anthropomorphic kitten, on his travel to the land of the dead and back in an effort to save his sister's soul.

Nyāko, the older sister of Nyatta, falls gravely ill. Nyatta accidentally sees his sister leaving their home with the Japanese deity Jizō. Nyatta claims one half of Nyāko's split soul by pulling her arm, and Jizō walks away with the other half, leaving a clue about a flower they must find to retrieve the missing part.

Nyatta returns home to find his sister declared dead by the doctor. He places the half-soul back into Nyāko's body, but she wakes up braindead. Nyatta and Nyāko then embark on a surreal journey, on their mother's orders, to save Nyāko. They encounter various fantastical events, including a cosmic flood, a desert-dwelling doll maker, and a time-manipulating deity.

During their travels, the siblings find the flower they were seeking and use it to restore Nyāko to normal. They eventually return home, where the family is gathered watching TV. However, the family members begin disappearing one by one, and the TV show also vanishes, leaving only a flashing screen. Nyatta returns to find everyone gone, and the nearby streetlight also turns off, plunging the house into darkness. The movie then "turns off," ending with a flashing screen before the credits roll.

The narrative blends elements of Japanese mythology, surreal and absurdist imagery, and a sense of existential unease. The story explores themes of life, death, the nature of reality, and the fragility of the human condition, all wrapped in a dreamlike, metaphorical journey undertaken by the two siblings.