Cat Planet Cuties Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Cat Planet Cuties Blu-ray Movie Review

Who let the cat out?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 9, 2012

There's a reason it's called catnip and not humannip. Do cats like patchouli? FUNimation sent me a press kit containing their new release of Cat Planet Cuties, a 2010 anime first broadcast as Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky, along with some accompanying information, all seemingly bathed in a pungent aroma that FUNimation admitted was supposed to be a catnip scent but instead was redolent of Haight – Ashbury at the height of the Summer of Love in 1967 (not that I was there, but I’ve read about it). Some cultures evidently find patchouli to be an aromatic aphrodisiac; I personally tend to have a severe allergic reaction to it, sneezing a lot when it’s around and often (as in this case) experiencing painfully swollen sinuses, eyes and even nose. Chances are Eris, the main female protagonist of the renamed Cat Planet Cuties, wouldn’t need perfume of any sort to attract attention, as her cat ears, seductive tail (as in animal appendage), sweet disposition and (lest it be overlooked—which is next to impossible) smokin’ hot body will do most of the advertising for her, at least with regard to males. Cat Planet Cuties is a more or less traditional ecchi outing with hints of science fiction thrown into the mix for good measure. Eris is an alien girl from a “cat planet” (hence the title), who befriends earthling boy Kio Kakazu, a sweet kid who is surprisingly nonplussed that his new acquaintance is a “Catian”. Eris is in fact a teenager cat-person who is about to experience her first “heat”, meaning she, like Mr. Spock in that famous Star Trek episode, is nearing something akin to “amok time”. That of course means she needs a mate, and Kio is her chosen paramour. Playing out against that plot arc is a corollary set of subplots that involve Earth’s reaction to the Catian appearance as well as (in best science fiction fashion) a governmental conspiracy that may spell Eris’ doom.

Despite having to watch this series through swollen, watering eyes and with an inability to breathe through my nose (I’m joking, though only barely), it turns out Cat Planet Cuties is actually surprisingly entertaining for what is on its face a pretty traditional ecchi outing. The series quickly introduces its two main characters, including Kio Kakazu, a sweet teenaged boy who in something atypical for ecchi isn’t especially socially awkward or nerdish. Kio may not exactly be the Big Man on Campus, but he interacts well with people, even if he’s relatively inexperienced, especially with regard to the opposite sex. The opposite sex—as well as the opposite species—comes into play in the guise of Eris, the visiting Catian who just kind of shows up at a wake for one of Kio’s relatives. That sets the two off on their “odd couple” pairing.

Three other women enter the fray, but this is not to say that Cat Planet Cuties becomes a harem series. Manami, Kio’s neighbor and kind of female “best friend”, drops by to see who the buxom girl she spotted with Kio is. Showing up soon after is one of the teens’ teachers, Maki Itokazu, who ostensibly shows up to see why the kids haven’t shown up for an A/V Club meeting. Later, a girl who has eyes for Kio, Aoi, also becomes part of the story, seeming to be a fumbling, shy girl who can’t quite communicate what are obviously her deep feelings for Kio. In one of the series’ kind of fun twists and turns, almost immediately the viewer is let in on the fact that none of these three females is quite who they seem to be, and in fact all three of them may have ulterior motives when it comes to finding out more about Eris.

Cat Planet Cuties is also winningly funny at times, winking at its own ecchi clichés. Several times when characters get a gander at Eris’ pulchritude, they almost scream in shock and surprise, and invariably compare Eris’ breasts to a variety of different fruits. The show doesn’t exactly shy away from the burgeoning sexual desires between Eris and Kio, especially once Eris reveals she’s about to go into her first heat, but the series somehow manages to maintain an aura of what might actually be called innocence, despite the obviously prurient content. What really elevates this series, though, is the fun and kind of unexpected inclusion of the whole multilayered conspiracy elements, especially when it turns out various competing factions have completely different motives for wanting to get their hands on Eris.

While ecchi series typically appeal mostly to adolescent or otherwise hormonally energized males, the fact is Cat Planet Cuties may well appeal to those who might not otherwise want to check out something with scantily clad women bursting out of what little clothes they’re wearing. Rather sweetly funny a lot of the time, the series may not delve into anything deeper than Eris’ astounding cleavage, but it features a number of agreeable characters and an interesting mash up of ecchi with science fiction that gives Cat Planet Cuties a decidedly different air (with or without patchouli).

Cat Planet Cuties Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cat Planet Cuties is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is a very nice high definition presentation that pops incredibly well, with crisp and clear line detail and nicely varied and richly saturated color. Character design is quite winning if not especially innovative, but the science fiction aspects allow this show to stretch out a little with regard to some of the backgrounds and even the costumes, adding to the visual appeal. There's some especially nice detail in several of the backgrounds and establishing shots utilized throughout Cat Planet Cuties, and the series maintains a consistently excellent animation style which is very well represented on this Blu-ray.

Cat Planet Cuties Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Though Cat Planet Cuties follows in the paw prints of several other recent animes which feature a lossless surround option in English and a stereo mix in Japanese. The surround mix does open up the sound field somewhat, though it must be admitted that this series really doesn't have that much sonic activity, despite some of its sci-fi elements. While the surround track nicely opens up some of the spaceship and little robotic character elements, the stereo track here also provides ample fullness, with good fidelity and nice dynamic range. Dialogue, effects and score are well balanced, and both tracks are remarkably similar other than the language being spoken. The Japanese language track's Eris is a little more manic and less childlike than the English language version.

Cat Planet Cuties Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Episode 1 Commentary features Scott Sager (ADR Director), Monica Rial (Aoi) and Tia Ballard (Eris). Anyone who's ever listened to one of these FUNimation commentaries knows what to expect: lots of joking, laughter and camaraderie but not a lot of salient information being imparted.


• Episode 9 Commentary features Christopher Bevins (line producer and voice director), Aaron Dismuke (Kio) and Brittney Karbowski (Manami). See above for the general tenor of this commentary, but Bevins does manage to chart the commentary into more informative waters than is sometimes the case on these FUNimation outings.


• Extra Bonus Features (HD; 7:58) is a generically titled set of supplements that includes 14 brief bumpers and previews.


• Textless Opening Song – "Now Loading. . .SKY!!" (HD; 1:32)
• Textless Closing Songs includes:
  "Kokore no Madobe nite" (HD; 1:32)
  "Now Loading. . .SKY!!" (HD; 1:32)
  "Omoide ga Jama wo Suru" (HD; 1:32)
  "Happy Sunshine" (HD; 1:32)
  "Oira wa Sabishii Spaceman" (HD; 1:32)
  "Smile Peace" (HD; 1:32)
• Cat Planet Cuties U.S. Trailer (HD; 1:34)


• Trailers for other FUNimation Entertainment Releases

Cat Planet Cuties Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I wasn't particularly well disposed to liking Cat Planet Cuties for a couple of reasons. I'm not exactly in the preferred ecchi demographic (and even if I were, my wife might have something to say about too much oogling), and I was also recovering from a massive allergy attack from the patchouli scent slathered onto this release's press kit. But against perhaps considerable odds, I ended up really liking this silly little show. There's nothing deep or meaningful here, but that really doesn't matter. Cat Planet Cuties is indeed kind of cute, with very appealing characters and a fun sci-fi aspect that gives the ecchi genre a little unexpected color. This Blu-ray has great video, good audio and some okay supplements. Recommended.