Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat In Space
Encyclopedia
TAMALA2010 a punk cat in space is a Japanese anime
feature film
. Direction, screenplay and music is attributed to the 2-person team t.o.L ("trees of Life"), known individually as K. and kuno. The film is computer animated in both 2D and 3D, and is mostly black and white. The characters, designed by t.o.L and Kentarō Konpon, are reminiscent of Sanrio
's Hello Kitty
and 1960's anime and manga
such as Astro Boy. The film has not been released in any English-speaking countries (other than film festival showings) but the Japanese, Region 2 DVD has English subtitles.
TAMALA2010 was originally envisioned as the first episode of a trilogy – the latter two parts were given the working titles TAMALA IN ORION (which would chronicle Tamala's search for her real mother) and TATLA (which was to explore the character of Tatla in greater depth). A colour TV series was also planned, with the working title TAMALA IN SPACE. As of December 2007, none of these has surfaced – instead there have been two shorter works, the t.o.L written and directed TAMALA ON PARADE and TAMALA'S "WILD PARTY" – three short stories from different writers, storyboarded and directed by Shūichi Kohara and animated by Studio 4°C
. Both of these are included on the TAMALA ON PARADE DVD, released in Japan in August 2007. This DVD does not have English subtitles.
's novel The Crying of Lot 49
(which t.o.L have acknowledged as an influence),. It begins in Meguro City, Tokyo, Cat Earth, a world of corporations and commercialism, where a giant mechanical Colonel Sanders
wanders the streets with an axe embedded in its head, loudly advertising the restaurant.
Tamala, bored with the city, leaves her human mother and boards a spaceship bound for her birthplace, Orion. Her ship is shot down by the Mysterious Postcat, and she lands in hate City on the Planet Q. There she meets a male cat, Michelangelo, who becomes her boyfriend. While visiting a museum, Tamala discovers a mural detailing the sacrificial rituals of the ancient Minerva religion and the ruins of a statue of a female cat named Tatla. Later, the couple is pursued by Kentauros, a sadistic dog dressed as a motorcycle cop. He eats Tamala while Michelangelo watches from a tree.
The film then changes tone, focusing for a while on a presentation given by Professor Nominos on the history of CATTY & Co. He reveals that the company is an offshoot of the Minerva religion, and that Tamala was born in 1869 to be their mascot. The presentation is interrupted by an attack and the room is burned. He appears to die in the fire but returns, in an undead form, and approaches Michelangelo, telling him of Tamala's history. Tamala, meanwhile, meets with Tatla, and realizes that they are the reincarnation of Minerva. She returns to Hate city (much to Michelangelo's surprise), and continues her voyage to Orion, accompanied by the mouse Penelope, a former sex slave for Kentauros.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
. Direction, screenplay and music is attributed to the 2-person team t.o.L ("trees of Life"), known individually as K. and kuno. The film is computer animated in both 2D and 3D, and is mostly black and white. The characters, designed by t.o.L and Kentarō Konpon, are reminiscent of Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
's Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
and 1960's anime and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
such as Astro Boy. The film has not been released in any English-speaking countries (other than film festival showings) but the Japanese, Region 2 DVD has English subtitles.
TAMALA2010 was originally envisioned as the first episode of a trilogy – the latter two parts were given the working titles TAMALA IN ORION (which would chronicle Tamala's search for her real mother) and TATLA (which was to explore the character of Tatla in greater depth). A colour TV series was also planned, with the working title TAMALA IN SPACE. As of December 2007, none of these has surfaced – instead there have been two shorter works, the t.o.L written and directed TAMALA ON PARADE and TAMALA'S "WILD PARTY" – three short stories from different writers, storyboarded and directed by Shūichi Kohara and animated by Studio 4°C
Studio 4°C
is a Japanese animation studio founded by Eiko Tanaka in 1986. The name comes from the temperature at which water is most dense.-History:STUDIO4°C has produced numerous feature films, OVAs, and shorts. Early film titles include; Memories , Spriggan and Princess Arete...
. Both of these are included on the TAMALA ON PARADE DVD, released in Japan in August 2007. This DVD does not have English subtitles.
Synopsis
The film is a cartoon cat version of Thomas PynchonThomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
's novel The Crying of Lot 49
The Crying of Lot 49
The Crying of Lot 49 is a novel by Thomas Pynchon, first published in 1966. The shortest of Pynchon's novels, it is about a woman, Oedipa Maas, possibly unearthing the centuries-old conflict between two mail distribution companies, Thurn und Taxis and the Trystero...
(which t.o.L have acknowledged as an influence),. It begins in Meguro City, Tokyo, Cat Earth, a world of corporations and commercialism, where a giant mechanical Colonel Sanders
Colonel Sanders
Harland David "Colonel" Sanders was an American fast food businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain, now re-branded as KFC...
wanders the streets with an axe embedded in its head, loudly advertising the restaurant.
Tamala, bored with the city, leaves her human mother and boards a spaceship bound for her birthplace, Orion. Her ship is shot down by the Mysterious Postcat, and she lands in hate City on the Planet Q. There she meets a male cat, Michelangelo, who becomes her boyfriend. While visiting a museum, Tamala discovers a mural detailing the sacrificial rituals of the ancient Minerva religion and the ruins of a statue of a female cat named Tatla. Later, the couple is pursued by Kentauros, a sadistic dog dressed as a motorcycle cop. He eats Tamala while Michelangelo watches from a tree.
The film then changes tone, focusing for a while on a presentation given by Professor Nominos on the history of CATTY & Co. He reveals that the company is an offshoot of the Minerva religion, and that Tamala was born in 1869 to be their mascot. The presentation is interrupted by an attack and the room is burned. He appears to die in the fire but returns, in an undead form, and approaches Michelangelo, telling him of Tamala's history. Tamala, meanwhile, meets with Tatla, and realizes that they are the reincarnation of Minerva. She returns to Hate city (much to Michelangelo's surprise), and continues her voyage to Orion, accompanied by the mouse Penelope, a former sex slave for Kentauros.
Characters
- Tamala — A young female cat, born in the Orion Constellation on the Odessa star; cute, but uses much foul language. She was genetically engineered in Cat Year 1869 to always remain a year and a half old, in order to be the immortal mascot of the mega-conglomerate CATTY & Co. She is, along with Tatla, the reincarnation of the goddess Minerva, and idol of the Minerva cult. She is voiced by Hisayo MochizukiHisayo Mochizukiis a Japanese voice actress affiliated with 81 Produce. Most of her voice-over roles are little girls or young women with childish personalities, but with a great amount of strength .-TV anime:*Baby Felix...
- Michelangelo — A young male cat who lives in Hate City on Planet Q. He becomes Tamala's boyfriend, despite being considerably mature and cultured than she. He is voiced by Shinji Takeda.
- Kentauros — A sadistic German Shepherd who dresses as a motorcycle cop (although he is not a police officer). Although extremely violent, he has a fetish for sailor boys and keeps a mouse, Penelope, locked in a cage for his pleasure. He is eventually killed in a cat riot.
- Professor Nominos — an elderly scholar who has been researching the history of CATTY & Co. and has uncovered the vast conspiracy involving Tamala and the Minerva Cult. Voiced by Takeshi KatoTakeshi Katowas a Japanese gymnast and Olympic champion.-Olympics:Kato competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City where he received a gold medal in team combined exercises, and a bronze medal in floor exercise....
.
- Tatla — A giant cat robot that lives in another dimension in Meguro City. She is constantly ascending above the city via a huge escalator. She is revealed to be the idol of the Minerva cult, and has a deep connection to Tamala. She is the only character rendered in 3D computer graphics.
- The Mysterious Postcat — An immortal agent of CATTY & Co. He keeps tabs on Tamala and tries to prevent her from getting to Orion.
- Penelope — A mouse kept by Kentauros. She eventually escapes her cage and joins Tamala in her journey to Orion.
- Human Mother — Tamala's human foster mother. She is always depicted nude, playing video games with a giant snake wrapped around her.