She and Her Cat -Everything Flows- is a short film about a young woman who is living by herself for the first time and falls into a pit of despair. She’s accompanied by her long-time family cat, who also narrates the story, which is expressed via his perspective. Not only was this one of the very first Makoto Shinkai works that I had ever seen, but it was also one of the creator’s earliest projects, which helped to kick-off his brilliant career. I find this anime to be such a perfect starting point for him because not only does it allegorise the very essence of what it means to live, but it also sets the foundation for this creator to grow into the master that he has presently become.