A fascinating 2012 anime feature based on the 1932 novel by Kenji Miyazawa, The Life of Budori Gusuko centers on the title character, a walking, talking cat (in a world of human-like cats) who is a kindhearted schoolboy living with his parents and younger sister in a mossy cottage between a quaint nearby village and a forest. Dad works in the woods and scavenges for food, while mom takes care of the house and little daughter. When Budori comes home from school, he takes his eager sister outdoors to play. But Budori’s idyllic life is turned upside-down when a famine strikes, causing hunger and distress. Finding himself alone, Budori tries to survive, entering a series of misadventures with various crackpot masters who feel like they are straight out of Dickens. As he ages, Budori ultimately finds purpose working as a volcanologist trying to save the world from a volcano-induced climate catastrophe. Directed by Gisaburo Sugii, this is an enchanting movie about shaping one’s destiny. Presented in a dual-language Blu-ray edition, rated TV-14, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)
The Life of Budori Gusuko
(2012) 105 min. Blu-ray: $29.98. Sentai Filmworks (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 4
The Life of Budori Gusuko
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