Having gotten quite a number of recommendations for it, I finally went back and checked out the season’s secret gem, the new version of She and Her Cat. The Makoto Shinkai version of this story isn’t particularly noteworthy, but this new one is excellent, which isn’t that surprising – it features a top-tier director handling material perfectly suited to his strengths. Daru is one of the most believably animated animals I’ve seen, and the overall story is wonderfully understated and beautifully atmospheric. It’s barely a time commitment at all, either, so it’s definitely worth a look.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode notes below!