Anime Film ● Review: Lily C.A.T.
English Title: Lily C.A.T.
Japanese Title: Lily C.A.T.
Director(s): Toriumi Hisayuki
Screenwriter(s): Toriumi Hisayuki
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Released: 1987
Runtime: 1h 7m
Starring: Saka Osamu, Koyama, Mami, Okita Hiroyuki, Katsuki Masako
My Verdict: Can be more intense but it is short and looks good enough. An Alien rip-off but it is still a classic that is amusing and entertaining.
● Set in the 23rd century when deep-space exploration is the norm, the plot follows the ship Saldes on what is supposed to be a two-way trip, each taking 20 years during which its occupants go into hypersleep.
● The complement is 13, including the crew and the exploration team, captained by Mike Hamilton. It is not entirely clear but it seems Caroline is the XO or equivalent thereof given her duties and skills.
● The premise and plot are a rip-off of Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982): Something gets on the ship, the crew wakes up after 20 years and people start dying…
● Visually, the interior detail makes this work deserving of being considered a classic 1980s anime. There are way better works, the exterior and linework on the characters can use more attention in some instances, but it is overall still good.
● So much is taken from Alien that it is amusing if not comical (but not in a bad way): space exploration is funded by greedy corporations, crew goes into hypersleep for long journeys, the ship is run a computer called “Mother”, the interior design and aesthetics, including text and graphics on the computer screens, a cat (hence the title), amongst other things.
● Given that it takes a lot from Alien, it wisely avoids a two-hour runtime as it would simply be repetitive. At just over an hour, the narrative is mostly tight with decent pacing.
● There are a few issues, such as the excessive number of characters given the short runtime. Thirteen is too high, nine or ten is more appropriate. The opening scene introduces most of them but it is difficult to remember all their names even though their appearances and personalities are sufficiently distinct.
● Despite being sci-fi survival horror and the excessive number of characters, it does not neglect them by focusing on horror alone. The characters that survive long enough all want something (other than surviving the current problem), so there is that human element forming a layer to the story even if it is arguably a bit crude.
● Other issues include the lack of quarantine procedures and redundancy for the sake of horror. This need not be since the alien entity can breach whatever procedures they have; no need to conveniently make the world and the characters silly for the sake of drama.
● It does end properly in the sense that there is no cliffhanger or ambiguity, but it can use a longer ending as it lacks any sort of denouement.
● On balance, it can be more intense and a little more complex but it is a good production with a narrative that is tight enough.
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