Tamala 2030: A Punk Cat in Dark (2025)

Avant-garde sci-fi anime Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space (2002) became a cult hit – and is also about a cult: an ancient occult Minerva sect, which through the ages conspired to become the capitalist mega-monopolist Catty & Co; a plot element for which directing-screenwriting-music duo t.o.L (‘trees of Life’) drew inspiration from Thomas Pynchon’s 1966 novel The Crying of Lot 49.

Alongside this wonderful mythology, and the Cat Earth setting (centred on Cat Tokyo), cyber-noir sequel Tamala 2030 also continues the wild stylistic diversity, ranging from flat, black-and-white 2D animation to 3D CG imagery of a dark metropolis, and from colourful psychedelic visions to gritty cityscapes – all feeding into Tamala’s cult fame.

Plus Tamala herself, of course: in Tamala 2030, our cuddly cat is again the enigmatic centre of events. Always seeming carefree, she’d just as readily kick you to the ground as give you an umbrella when it’s raining. She looks as if Osamu Tezuka was asked to design Hello Kitty. Kawaii, but foul-mouthed. The last free spirit under cat capitalism.

Oh, and she’s also immortal and will remain one year old forever. It’s clear that she’s metaphysically connected to Minerva’s mega-android Tatla – but how? As a messiah, a simple capitalist mascot, or even the means to end Cat Earth?

Climate crisis, capitalism, pandemic – the same catastrophes that plague our planet, also threaten to destroy Cat Earth. This time with more complex animation and a slightly easier-to-follow storyline – although you can never really know what’ll happen, when Tamala’s ready for “another fucking day”.

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