She and Her Cat

This world...I think we both like it.

She And Her Cat: Their Standing Points is Makoto Shinkai's first work. It is a 5-minute short and was released in 1999. The focus of the story is the relationship between a woman and her cat; the latter provides the narration, recounting events in the girl's life about heartbreak and loneliness.

It is animated entirely in black and white, reflecting on the minimalist nature of the cat's perspective. Through the use of detailed still images and careful incorporation of sound, the end result is a highly concise and sweet tale of love and innocence, elements that Makoto Shinkai will integrate into all of his subsequent works.

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Tropes used in She and Her Cat include:

• A Woman And Her Cat
• Inner Monologue: The cat provides a charismatic, direct narration of his thoughts on the world.
• Deliberately Monochrome: The monochromatic art draws the focus of the story towards the beauty and simplicity of simple, everyday things.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover
• Scenery Porn: Whether it be the raindrops impacting on a wet surface or the woman's clothes strewn aimlessly into a laundry basket, attention to subtle details breathe further insight into the story about the woman's life.
• Simple Score of Sadness: A single piano piece quietly accompanies the calm, melancholic events.
• Shout-Out: Chobi and Mimi, the two cats in this short, will appear briefly in 5 Centimeters Per Second.