Catblue Dynamite

Armed with cat ears, an unusual tail, and the ability to interrogate the dead, Blue is a woman who solves crimes by talking to the dead and shooting three guns at once, the third gun held by her tail, along with the cat ears and unusual appendage that come with the territory. It's a very specific skill set, and she's very good at it. The setting is the late 1970s, which gives everything a gritty, retro texture: cassette tapes, trench coats, that kind of energy. When two couriers get ambushed by masked men, Blue steps in and does what she does: interrogates a dead attacker to figure out what's going on. Turns out everyone is after a Frank Sinatra cassette tape one of the guys is carrying around. Why? That's the question that kicks the whole thing off. At roughly 30 minutes as a single ONA episode, it's a tight little action piece built around a genuinely fun premise. The CG animation has that mid-2000s experimental look to it, which gives it a distinctive feel you won't mistake for anything else. If you've watched short curiosities like FIGHT!! Spirit of the Sword or Kagari Hibana and appreciate anime that tries something weird in a short runtime, this fits that same niche. It's not trying to be epic, but it's a pulpy, supernatural action short with a cool lead and a bizarre central mystery. Sometimes that's exactly what you want.