Hisaya Morishige argues with his wife, Isuzu Yamada, over his cat, so he divorces her and marries vivacious young Kyôko Kagawa, who also objects to his cat. He wants a simple life, and people are too complicated. When he discovers Miss Kagawa has given the cat away with his mother's permission, he runs away from home.

Shirô Toyoda's movie is one of his rare comedies, it says here, but I didn't find it particularly amusing. One issue is its length, almost 140 minutes, another is the rather lugubrious sense of humor that the Japanese seem to have, and a third is the insistence on a story that is inherently tragic, one about a man who cannot sustain an adult relationship with his wives, nor his disappointed mother. The author of the novel this is based on, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, had a reputation for dealing with issues of sexual identity, and the film makes that point about Morishige.

In the end, it reminded me of the observation that HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS starts out with the Grinch wanting to live with his dog far from people. As a dog owner, I sympathize. People are, alas, complicated, while animals are simple, even if we often anthropomorphize their motivations. I don't think this is a comedy at all, but a story about a man who gives up on people when he recognizes them for what they are. His fixation on his cat is a descent into madness. Not funny at all.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

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The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The family genre features stories specifically created to be suitable for a wide range of age groups within a family. Family-oriented content is designed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, often providing entertainment that is wholesome, relatable, and appropriate for all members of a family to watch or experience together.

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A Cat and Two Women

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