A WHISKER AWAY 2020 Directed by Jun’ichi Satô, Tomotaka Shibayama

The animation is breathtaking, the surprises are interesting and the characters are believable even if they are animated and fictional. A Whisker Away can make us believe there’s magic in love, it can make you remember why you fight for your loved ones. It’s visually impressive and gives a heartwarming message to its viewers.

Growing up watching Japanese anime after school and delved into Studio Ghibli’s works, Makoto Shinkai’s masterpieces. While they may be animated or fiction stories, they still mirror our lives in some way which still makes them or their stories relatable.

That’s what ‘A Whisker Away’ felt. While it may be animated, fictional, and magical, Miyo and Hinode’s journey has brought me back to those days when young love is all innocent and fun and we hardly think about the consequences and just go with the flow. It’s quite strange but also lovely, the characters, from the main to supporting roles are quite interesting, add the unusual story and you get an engaging anime that’s fresh but still familiar.

It’s like the 2001 Japanese rom-com movie ‘My Sassy Girl’ but in a magical way. A crazy, magical way that easily captures one’s attention. Crazy because of what love can do to us and make us do. But the film is more than just a magical love story, it also tackles issues like family problems, self-worth, and aspirations of a young person. The film addresses all these issues lightly which makes ‘A Whisker Away’ even more endearing not just for the children but also for the adults.

If you want to have a magical and romantic experience all in one movie, A Whisker Away definitely got it. It feels and looks like a simple young adult story at first but as the story progresses, we get to meet courageous and lovable characters who are figuring out how to express themselves in a way the other person can understand.