After a fairly scary start with a group of growling dogs, our usually quite sedentary cat makes it’s way back to a comfortable bed just in time for an inundation to flood his surrounding forest dwelling. There is no sign of any human being anywhere, but a small boat floats by manned by a coypu. The cat hops aboard and after an initial spat, the host settles back to sleep and they continue to drift aimlessly along what appear to be brand new waterways, meeting an host of fellow creatures along the way. Some appear friendly, others less so with many of them dispossessed of their usual habitats and others rather thriving in their new aquatic environment. Initials suspicions and reticence starts to morph into something more friendly and the animals convey a message that better together might be their route to survival. Sometimes those choices cause conflict, or require leaps of faith and that is the message that is delivered quite effectively as their amiable escapades unfold. I didn’t find the animation that spectacular, but when married together with some intricately designed audio we are presented with a charming and quite potent tale of what makes them and, vicariously, us tick amidst a changing and beautifully imagined forest that also elicits an appreciation of a sense of change, vivacity, collaboration and of nature. It’s simply told, celebratory and enjoyable to watch.

My wife liked it, I hadn't even heard of it. And I'll be honest, the animation irritated me, I found it jarring and off putting. It wasn't bad, it wasn't disturbing, it was just jarring and off putting, almost like the videos you see on social media of people cleaning barnacles off whales with a broom, it's that level of jarring and off putting. But the story is actually not bad, it's a bit on the fun side and a bit on the heart warming side, so consider it a good review. I wouldn't watch it a second time, but I am glad that I watched it once. It was satisfying.