Winner of Best Animation at Fantasia 2003, the unique Tamala 2010 pits a cute kitten against ugly corporate culture.

‘With the black, white and red colour scheme of a photocopied fanzine, cryptic classical references and a deeply perverse cuteness, this whacked-out animé comes fresh from Japan, where it has been building an active underground following.’ (Images Festival)

Nonetheless, things are undeniably fluffy and cutesy. Except for the violence. The similarity with Hello Kitty stops at the aesthetic. Tamala is the kind of cat who walks down the street smoking and kicking out at annoying little girls.

Although very cutesy, the violence, swearing and brief nudity put this on a par with Fat Freddy and Fritz the Cat.

The characters are incredibly strange. Rotting zombie-cats, gay ‘hello-sailor’ cats and a nasty rapist/murderer police dog, to mention but a few. Things are kind of hilarious at the start, before moving to touching and, occasionally, demented.

WITH A BRILLIANT SOUNDTRACK FROM TREES OF LIFE, TAMALA 2010 IS A MUST-SEE FOR FANS OF JAPANESE ANIMATION, TOYS AND POP CULTURE.