The Japanese title of the anime movie A Whisker Away, now on Netflix, translates to Wanting to Cry, I Pretend to Be a Cat. That original version is both more literal and more unwieldy, but it comes closer to capturing the film’s spirit. A high level of whimsy is guaranteed from a story about a girl who gains the ability to turn into a cat, mostly for the sake of getting closer to her crush. But A Whisker Away isn’t just interested in romance. The film, directed by Junichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama, is also a coming-of-age story, as the characters learn how to communicate with each other and reckon with emotional pain.