The Adventures of Chatran is a beloved Japanese adventure film centred on two protagonists, Chatran the orange tabby kitten and Poosky the pug. Nominated for Best Music Score at the Japanese Academy Awards in 1987, the soundtrack of this childhood classic was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Narrated by Shigeru Tsuyuki and with poetry recitation by Kyōko Koizumi, the story illustrates an endearing encounter between a kitten and a puppy, who become best friends. As the plot unfolds, the two friends (named Milo and Otis in the subsequent English version) find themselves accidentally separated and swept into danger. While they overcome many obstacles to reunite, other interesting characters emerge along the way, including a fox, owl, snake, and raccoon. When the film was first released in 1986, it became a record hit in the domestic market, and was subsequently developed into a video game. An English version of the film titled The Adventures of Milo and Otis was released in 1989.

Masanori Hata (1935–2023, Japan), often working under the pseudonym mudskipper (ムツゴロウ), was a zoologist, essayist, and filmmaker. Trained as a zoologist, his first filmmaking experience was producing documentaries about nature. In 1980, he began producing the highly popular informational TV series Mutsugoro and His Merry Friends, introducing various animals from around the world. Translating his lifelong passion for animals on screen, Hata’s film The Adventures of Chatran took four years to complete, using 74 hours of accumulated footage.