Wake up!! TAMALA

Wake up!! TAMALA was released in 2010 as a project tied to the surrealist character Tamala the cat, originally created by the duo trees of life for their 2002 feature film Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space. This follow-up piece continued the experimental aesthetic of the original, serving as a series of animated shorts that further explored the cynical, pop-art infused world of the protagonist. It was produced to capitalize on the cult status the character had achieved in underground Japanese animation circles during the preceding decade.

The visual direction maintained the distinctive collage-based style that blends stark black-and-white feline character designs with vibrant, chaotic backgrounds. The creative direction by trees of life focused on subverting typical mascot-style animation, favoring a jagged, nonlinear narrative structure. Upon its release, the project was received as a niche curiosity, appreciated primarily by fans of avant-garde animation and those already familiar with the lore established in the 2002 film for its commitment to a starkly non-commercial artistic vision.