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'Ghost Cat Anzu' Captures Global Stage

TOKYO - The upcoming film "Ghost Cat Anzu" has been selected to be showcased at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024, the oldest and largest animation film festival in the world.

'Ghost Cat Anzu' Captures Global Stage

Set in a quaint Japanese village, the story unfolds as Anzu, once a beloved pet, returns to the mortal world as a ghost following her untimely death. Struggling to remember her past life, Anzu's ghostly form grants her the unique power to transform into humans she once knew, albeit with some feline features retained.

The plot thickens when Anzu discovers that her owner, a young girl named Hana, is facing threats from a development company eager to raze the village for commercial gain. Determined to save her owner and her former home, Anzu uses her shape-shifting abilities to become a guardian spirit. She endeavors to unravel the truth about her own death and the secretive motives behind the village's impending destruction.

The film employs a technique known as rotoscoping, where the actual performances and expressions of the cast are animated, creating an unprecedented level of realism in its portrayal.

Additionally, new cast members have been announced, including Muneo Aoki (44) and Miwako Ichikawa (48). The theme song, "Matatabi," will be performed by Chiai Sato.

"Ghost Cat Anzu" is set to be released on Friday, July 19.

Source: ANN

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Typhoon No. 15 (Chan-hom) began causing significant disruption to Japan's Obon holiday travel on August 11, with ANA canceling 58 flights serving Haneda and Narita airports, JAL canceling four flights, and JR East suspending some services on the Joban Line as the storm approached eastern Japan.

Typhoon No. 15 (Chan-hom) is expected to make landfall near Ibaraki Prefecture between around 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on August 11, bringing rapidly strengthening winds, high waves and heavy rain to parts of Kanto and southern Tohoku, with unsettled weather potentially continuing even after the storm moves inland.

Japan's H3 Rocket No. 9 successfully placed the Michibiki No. 7 navigation satellite into its planned orbit after lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:23 a.m. on August 11, marking the country's second consecutive successful H3 launch.

The Tokaido Shinkansen operated its first overnight service ahead of the Obon holiday period, offering travelers a 15,000 yen trip from the Tokyo area to Kyoto and Shin-Osaka while allowing them to save on hotel costs and arrive earlier than the first regular morning trains.

Typhoon No. 15 is expected to approach and likely make landfall somewhere in the Kanto region on August 11, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that could disrupt conventional rail services, expressways and flights while also affecting a wider area extending into Tohoku.

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