VR animation 'If You See A Cat' sets global release after Venice festival acclaim

The VR animation film 'If You See A Cat,' which premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, will be distributed globally via Steam and Meta Store starting in late March 2026.

The film features actors Ryoya Wakaba and Ryoko Yui in their first voice acting roles for VR. Wakaba plays Naoki, a 14-year-old boy hospitalized after seeing hallucinations of his deceased cat. Yui plays his single mother, Midori.

Directed by short film animator Jun Wada, the 37-minute work explores Japan's mental healthcare system through the boy's experience. The viewer experiences the story from the perspective of the cat hallucination.

The Japanese version will premiere at the Asia Digital Art Award 2025 event in Fukuoka from March 3-8, 2026.

The film will include Japanese and English audio, with subtitles in English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.

Cast and Staff

Cast: Naoki: Ryoya Wakaba. Midori: Ryoko Yui. Doctor Inai: Kentaro Tane. Nurse Takagashira: Emiko Takeuchi. Nurse Mikida: Wataru Komada.

Staff: Director/Screenplay: Jun Wada. Producer: Kenji Ishimaru. CG Director: Omar Espinosa. Line Producer: Yumiko Kano.

The film is planned and produced by Kodansha VR Lab, a studio founded by publisher Kodansha and animation studio Polygon Pictures.

Source: PR Times via 株式会社講談社VRラボ