Fantasia 2025 will soon be here, and this year looks very promising because of its animation slate. I always gravitate to this section since the films are often quick to continue playing at other events and head to distribution faster than the live-action works. Plus, when instant fans of the first entry in this list can see it even without attending, the presence is more than feline.
That’s because I’m a cat enthusiast. And when Takashi Miike is involved, just what’s offered may well top what last year’s Night of the Zoopocalypse did! This particular film (movie review link) did not screen at Fantasia, but I’m sure it would have been a contender had it finished post-production. Without further ramblings, I offer a list of feature length animated works to look forward to at this event at Montreal, Quebec.
Once when the event releases its full guide, I’ll also offer a top ten picks on what to see too.
Night of the Living Cat (Nyaight of the Living Cat)
This J-horror anime series may well deal with the absurd, because anyone who touches (or gets licked) by a cat will become one themselves! I’m so glad this is an animated series, and the first two episodes will debut online on Crunchyroll first before heading to Fantasia to show the next two episodes!
I Am Frankelda (Mexico)
This country’s first stop‑motion animated feature may well cement why this technique works best for tales of horror. After watching Studio Laika’s catalogue of works, I’m ready! Here, this title character recounts her chilling past through dark fairy tales and narration. As we get to know her more, just what it means to her present state will certainly reveal itself….
Chao (Japan)
This revisionist update on the Little Mermaid Tale looks very promising. In a world where humans and merfolk coexist, life is not what it seems. In this cyberpunk world, Stephan is a humble shipyard engineer whose life turns chaotic when Chao, a mermaid princess, suddenly proposes—and sweeps him into a whirlwind romance filled with absurdity, cultural missteps, and unexpected media spotlight!
Mononoke the Movie: The Ashes of Rage (Japan)
Anyone who has seen part one, Phantom in the Rain, will want to see this continuation since that soft cliffhanger from the first film is quite crazy. For myself, I’ll have to rewatch that again just to be ready. Here, the Medicine Seller continues to investigate the strange goings-on at Edo Castle. The women’s chambers are rife with infighting, and just what it means to those concubines living there–and will affect most of Japan–will mean who is the next heir! As the middle act of the trilogy, fans of this series will want to know more. The good news is that they will release the final part next year, instead of making everyone wait.
The Girl Who Stole Time (China) (时间之子)
Some people may confuse this movie with the video game “Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time” for Nintendo Switch and other platforms, and it’s best to set the record straight. Here, the story follows a girl from a humble fishing village who gains the ability to stop time with an amulet she one day finds. However, when trouble seems to follow her in every direction, not even a strange individual she meets can help her. He knows more about the device than her, and when he says fate has determined her future, can she change it?
Juliet & the King (Iran)
This co-production between Hoorakhsh Studios (Iran) and Mystic House Production (Canada) is sure to turn heads much like what will soon happen in the story. When Nasser-al-Din Shah Qajar takes an interest in Juliet during a recent trip to Paris, his motives may well not be in the best interests of his cultural heritage. Although he has many wives and courtesans already, just why he’s focussed on her makes for a potentially amusing film.
Tamala 2030: A Punk Cat in Dark (Japan)
Anyone who has not seen the animated cult film, Tamala 2010 will certainly need a primer before going to this sequel that has been many years in the making. When I asked my friend to find the home video release for me while he’s in Japan, he watched it too and asked what kind of crazy whacked up thing this movie was and I only grinned.
With the original, the film follows this orphaned cat-girl living in the year 2010 in a corporate-dominated galaxy. She is a cute, innocent feline who embodies a kind of rebellious punk spirit. Although the presentation isn’t very easy to follow, what’s presented is wild!
