Cat Shit One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Cat Shit One Blu-ray Movie Review

Curiosity may spend its time gunning for cats, but it's also been known to sell obscure releases...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown April 29, 2011

"Cat Shit One? No, no... it must be Neko Shinto Ne, Koneko Shinto Oni or some other unfortunate mistranslation of an original Japanese title." Thus began the embarrassingly drawn-out conversation between myself and my equally oblivious colleagues when deciding who should tackle Anima's curiously titled animated release. However, even the briefest of Google searches would have provided us with the answer: "Cat Shit One" is the designation of an elite team of U.S. military soldiers first introduced in artist Motofumi Kobayashi's 1998 manga series and more recently revived in a 22-minute, CG-animated short from director Kazuya Sasahara and military advisor Tomoyuki Hasegawa. More bizarre than the name? Kobayashi's soldiers are talking rabbits. That's right: fluffy little gun-toting, rocket-strapping, knife-wielding, cotton-tailed rabbits. Their mission? Extracting a pair of hostages from an isolated Middle Eastern village overrun with insurgent camels -- yes, camels -- all of whom are hellbent on stopping the highly skilled death-dealers dead in their long-toed tracks. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Cat Shit One.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of the latest 'Call of Duty' map pack...

Much to my surprise, Cat Shit One isn't chock-full of blood-geysers, gratuitous gore or bits of the ol' ultraviolence. Sashara and Hasegawa are almost religious in their pursuit of military realism and the results often defy simple explanation. Unflinching team leader and point man Packy... ahem, Sergeant Perkins (voiced by Hiroshi Tsuchida and Will Prescott) diligently covers his corners, relies on stealth and distraction, exchanges his assault rifle for a locked-and-loaded pistol the moment his magazine runs dry, instinctively rolls out of the line of fire and takes full advantage of his sandy surroundings with disarming precision and all-too-human skill. He'd be right at home with the grunts in Generation Kill. Cowardly sniper Botasky (Satoshi Hino and Tom Flynn) isn't as brave as his sergeant, but his movements and assaults still boast boot-camp weight and battlefield decorum. His rifle sights snap off a target when he fires, his weight shifts naturally when a camel presses in, and he scrambles convincingly when an RPG sentry spots him near the horizon. And the camels? Bodies spin when hit, faces go slack when Botasky plants one in the brain pan, bodies scatter when grenades explode, and dead insurgents slump against walls spattered with their own blood.

Cat Shit One not only received a 2010 Visual Effects Society nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short," it did so for good reason. While a far cry from a Pixar or Dreamworks stunner, CSO doesn't resemble anything one might associate with such humble production roots. From its Greengrass-esque shaky cam to the intensity of its action, from the quality of its sound design to the cleverly animated fur balls themselves, Sasahara's first stab at anthropomorphic warfare is a striking one. It isn't jaw-dropping per se, its art direction isn't very ambitious, and its enemy character designs, dusty locales, and dim interiors aren't going to light up anyone's screen. But between the sight of a bunny bagging a bad guy and the sounds of a helicopter decimating a legion of armed reinforcements, it hardly matters. This is animation at its wiliest and sharp, straightforward storytelling at its simplest, and only a few nagging issues make it difficult to dish out high praise. (Specifically the English version's voice actors, the non-starter hostage subplot, and several departures from Kobayashi's original vision.)

Comparisons to Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare franchise aren't uncalled for either, and several mid-battle shots are all but lifted from the developer's first person shooter series. (The only thing Cat Shit One sometimes seems to be missing is a pair of analog sticks and leaderboard rankings.) Tufts of fur, floppy ears and battered camel humps make the whole thing even more surreal and allow that familiar sense of restless thumbs to linger. But while the words "I'd play this game" continue to swirl in my head, I'm not so sure I would be quite so eager to watch an entire collection of Cat Shit One episodes. I'll admit it's far too soon to so casually dismiss an ongoing series that doesn't even exist yet -- the sole short included on Anima's release is only the first of what Sasahara hopes are many entries -- but I wasn't left wanting. My curiosity was piqued even further, I'll be the first to say it. I laughed, nodded, marveled and relented to CSO's ludicrously hyper-realistic charms, sure. But with 18-minutes of wall-to-wall action, Packy and Botasky are afforded little in the way of character development and aren't given enough time to really settle into the story, endear themselves to potential fans, or make a more lasting impression. Don't get me wrong: I'd certainly watch other episodes if they were available... I'm just not exactly itching to see more.

Cat Shit One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cat Shit One's 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode isn't without its flaws -- banding invades a plume of green smoke, aliasing disrupts the wings of an attack chopper, and black levels aren't manga-ink deep -- but many, if not all, of the presentation's blink-and-you'll-miss-em mishaps trace back to the first episode's source and production values. Sasahara's colors, though sand-swept and sunbeat, are strong; bold primaries, though few and far between, make an impact; and detail, though limited on occasion (particularly in regards to hair and fur), preserves every shard of shrapnel and splinter of debris the series' animators commit to the screen. Contrast is consistent and on point as well and, all things considered, shadows are fairly natural and pleasing. On the technical front, artifacting and other compression issues are nowhere to be found, errant noise doesn't go on the offensive, and the clarity of the high definition image falls just shy of a Pixar/Disney presentation. Fans who shrug off the disc's pricepoint will be most satisfied with the results.

Cat Shit One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Anima's uncompressed audio loadout comes in two flavors: Japanese LPCM 2.0 and English LPCM 2.0. For those bemoaning the lack of a DTS-HD Master Audio or TrueHD mix, keep in mind that an uncompressed LPCM track still provides a lossless audio experience. For those wrinkling their noses at the lack of 5.1 surround, keep in mind Cat Shit One began with a dream, a modest budget, and a Japanese YouTube debut. As it stands, both LPCM stereo tracks offer crisp, clean, comparable sonics, and both mixes hurdle over their inherent limitations with impressive dexterity. Voices, be they Japanese or American, are wonderfully grounded in Sasahara's Middle Eastern desert, gunfire and explosions pack surprising weight without the backing of an LFE channel, and the whole of the soundscape, music and all, is perfectly prioritized. Audiophiles armed with appropriate expectations won't be disappointed in the least.

Cat Shit One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cat Shit One's first episode may clock in at 22-minutes, but its special features clock in at a whopping 76-minutes. Better still, the package isn't loaded with filler. Each extra lends itself to creating a comprehensive account of the production and hardly a moment is wasted. Did I mention all the content is presented in high definition? The Blu-ray edition is pricey, sure. But the special features on tap take away some of the sting.

• Tactical Action Commentary (HD, 40 minutes): While it isn't a commentary in the traditional sense, the disc's "Tactical Action Commentary" is actually a more extensive, rewarding and revealing five-part documentary. Not only do director Kazuya Sasahara and military/tactical advisor Tomoyuki Hasegawa candidly dissect the first episode of Cat Shit One, they discuss their approach to the project, using reference footage and motion capture, infusing their animated world with a sense of reality, their virtual camerawork, depicting convincing violence, the possibility of future episodes and much, much more. Segments include "Prologue," "Guns and Equipment Used," "Battlefield Reality," "In Between Entertainment and Reality," and "Epilogue."
• Interviews (HD, 24 minutes): Additional interviews are available as well with Sasahara, producer Junya Okabe, Japanese voice actors Hiroshi Tsuchida and Satoshi Hino, art directors Tomohisa Ishikawa and Yoshiyuki Okada, senior character modeler Masakazu Taira, and senior background modeler Naoki Kumazawa. Though a bit dry, they're well worth watching... at least once you've exhausted the "Tactical Action Commentary."
• Dubbing Session in LA (HD, 5 minutes): Meet Will Prescott and Tom Flynn, the voice actors responsible for bringing Packy and Botasky to life in the dubbed version of the film.
• Trailers (HD, 7 minutes): A trio of Cat Shit One previews and promos round out the package.

Cat Shit One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's tough to evaluate Cat Shit One on its own merits. The animation is fantastic, the concept is sound and the voice acting is spot on. But all newcomers will have to go on is a 22-minute introduction to an idea teeming with cute-but-not-so-cuddly possibilities. For the curious and independently wealthy in our ranks, the risk is worth the reward. For those wincing at the first episode's $30 price tag, the risk may not pan out. At least Anima's Blu-ray release is a solid one though. The disc's excellent video presentation, terrific LPCM audio tracks and generous, smartly constructed, 76-minute supplemental package add tremendous value to what could have been easily labeled an overpriced cash grab. So bust out those wallets, dear readers. The only chance of seeing more CSO in the near future is rallying behind its first episode and giving Sasahara the resources he needs to tell the rest of Packy and Botasky's tale.