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If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016) movie poster

Timeline

If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 103 mins · Japanese
Directed by
Akira Nagai
Starring
Gaku Hamada, Aoi Miyazaki, Eita Okuno, Anna Ishii, Eiji Okuda, Mieko Harada

A postman receives a devastating diagnosis and learns he has limited time left. A mysterious figure appears, offering to prolong his life in exchange for choosing something in the world to vanish. As he contemplates his mortality, he reflects on the people who will mourn his passing – former friends, past lovers, family, and colleagues – and the impact his absence will have on their lives.

Fantasy Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (4)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

If Cats Disappeared from the World Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Diagnosis and despair

    An unnamed young man, who works as a postman, receives a terminal diagnosis of brain cancer. He wrestles with the thought that his life will end and wonders who will miss him when he dies. The moment forces him to confront mortality while returning to his quiet life at home.

    When
    Day 0
    Where
    Home

  2. The devil appears and offers a bargain

    A doppelganger who claims to be the devil materializes, introducing a strange exchange: remove one thing from the world, and he will grant the man an extra day of life. He explains that this is a finite trade, with consequences unfolding in the days to come. The encounter sets in motion a surreal countdown that frames the entire story.

    When
    Evening of Day 0
    Where
    Home

  3. Deal accepted; a day begins

    Accepting the terms, the man begins the first day under the deal, clinging to the hope of more time. The day unfolds with a growing sense of fragility as reality and the devil's bargain loom. The stage is set for the first dramatic consequence when the day ends.

    When
    Day 1
    Where
    Home

  4. First removal: Phones

    At the end of Day 1, all telephones disappear from the world. Communication becomes eerily silent and daily routines unravel without calls or texts. The man notices how his relationships depend on instant connection and starts to rethink what truly matters.

    When
    End of Day 1
    Where
    Home

  5. Ex-girlfriend memory flashback

    Memories of his ex-girlfriend surface, revealing warmth and unresolved feelings from their past. The loss of phones makes reaching out impossible, underscoring how their bond was maintained by contact as much as by care. The flashbacks deepen his understanding of the importance of those lost connections.

    When
    Day 1 (Flashback)
    Where
    Memory

  6. Second day begins: Movies removed

    On Day 2, movies vanish from the world, taking with them the shared cultural touchstone that once bonded people. The man and his best friend used to connect through film exchanges, and those conversations feel hollow without cinema. The absence of movies exposes how central film-watching was to their friendship.

    When
    Day 2
    Where
    Home

  7. Flashback: Best friend and movie-sharing

    The best friend, who has always related to others through movie-sharing, becomes uncertain without that medium. They try to talk, but without quotes, scenes, or recommendations, their interactions feel awkward and diminished. This shift highlights how a single shared ritual once sustained their bond.

    When
    Day 2
    Where
    Home

  8. Acquaintance in Buenos Aires

    An acquaintance the man met in Buenos Aires remains one of the few living links to his pre-memory life. Their conversations feel tentative as the world loses another layer of meaning, yet a sense of solidarity emerges. The memory underscores how some connections endure despite changing circumstances.

    When
    Day 2-3
    Where
    Buenos Aires

  9. Third day arrives: Clocks removed

    Clocks vanish, erasing fixed schedules and the sense of time. The man experiences days that blur, heightening the weight of every choice and memory. The devil watches the countdown as time becomes elastic and personal moments take on heightened significance.

    When
    Day 3
    Where
    Home

  10. Mother's cat memory and inheritance

    The late mother remains a presence through the cat he inherited, a living link to family and memory. The removal of other things makes that cat’s presence feel even more precious, a small anchor to the world he is losing. Flashbacks reveal the tenderness of his mother and the quiet strength she offered.

    When
    Day 3
    Where
    Home

  11. Final removal: Cats

    On Day 4, cats vanish from the world, including the mother's cat he holds dear. The house feels emptier without the purring companion that connected him to his family. He faces isolation anew, even as the countdown continues toward an ultimate reckoning with mortality.

    When
    Day 4
    Where
    Home

  12. Endings and mortality

    With the remaining connections strained and the world altered beyond recognition, the man contemplates the meaning of life and love. The bargain has granted time, but at a price to ordinary life and to his relationships. The story ends on a quiet note about memory, loss, and the fragile beauty of mortality.

    When
    Final Day
    Where
    Home

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 12:17

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Timeline questions answered

If Cats Disappeared from the World Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does the devil appear as the main character's double?

The devil takes the form of a doppelgänger to represent the protagonist's own mortality and inner self. By appearing as an identical version of the man, the devil symbolizes the inescapable nature of death, the protagonist confronts himself and his fear of being forgotten. This visual choice emphasizes that the bargain is ultimately a confrontation with his own existence.

  • devil
  • doppelganger
  • terminal diagnosis
  • mortality
  • self-reflection
Q2

Why are phones the first thing removed in the deal?

Phones vanish first because they represent the most superficial and instant form of human connection. The loss forces the protagonist to recognize how much of his relationships relied on convenience rather than genuine effort. This removal establishes the pattern that each vanishing item will strip away a layer of modern dependence, pushing him toward more meaningful, face-to-face interactions.

  • phones
  • communication
  • technology
  • relationships
  • removal order
Q3

What is the significance of the cat inherited from his mother?

The cat serves as the last living connection to his late mother, embodying memory and familial love. When cats disappear on the final day, he loses that tangible link to his past and family. This loss represents the ultimate stripping away of comfort, leaving him only with intangible memories, a bittersweet moment that helps him accept the finality of death.

  • cat
  • mother
  • memory
  • family
  • inheritance
  • loss
Q4

Why does the story remove items in this specific order: phones, movies, clocks, cats?

The removals follow a progression from external communication to internal experience. Phones cut superficial contact, movies eliminate shared culture, clocks remove structured time, and cats remove the last domestic comfort. Each step draws the protagonist inward, from the world to personal relationships to memory, eventually confronting what truly matters when everything else is gone.

  • vanishing items
  • removal order
  • progression
  • meaning
  • symbolism
Q5

How does the devil's bargain actually work?

For each thing the protagonist agrees to erase from existence, he receives one additional day of life. The devil explains this is a direct trade: one day of existence in exchange for one category of thing permanently removed from the world. The protagonist experiences four extra days before facing his ultimate fate.

  • devil
  • bargain
  • deal
  • extra days
  • life
  • trade
Q6

Why do memories of the ex-girlfriend appear after phones disappear?

The ex-girlfriend flashback surfaces because the loss of phones makes it impossible for the protagonist to reach out to her, even if he wanted to. The timing highlights how their relationship was maintained through constant contact rather than deeper emotional connection. This realization deepens his understanding of what their bond truly was, and what it could have been.

  • ex-girlfriend
  • memory
  • phones
  • flashback
  • relationship
  • regret
Q7

How does removing movies affect his best friend's identity?

When movies vanish, the protagonist's best friend, who has always used film as his primary way of connecting with others, loses his primary social tool. Their conversations become awkward and diminished without quotes, recommendations, or shared cinematic experiences. This reveals how the friend used movies as a shield rather than engaging authentically, and it strains their friendship.

  • movies
  • best friend
  • film
  • friendship
  • connection
  • identity
Q8

What happens when clocks disappear from the world?

With clocks gone, the sense of fixed time dissolves, schedules, routines, and the structured rhythm of daily life disappear. Days blur together, making each moment feel both endless and undefined. This removal forces the protagonist to live in pure present experience, heightening the significance of each choice and memory.

  • clocks
  • time
  • schedules
  • disappearance
  • memory
  • present
Q9

Why does the story end with the choice to remove cats?

Cats are the final removal because they represent the last source of domestic comfort and unconditional love. Having already lost phones, movies, and clocks, the protagonist faces the most personal loss, the living reminder of his mother. Choosing to let cats go, even knowing it will erase his beloved pet, demonstrates his acceptance of death and his understanding that love persists beyond physical presence.

  • cats
  • final choice
  • acceptance
  • death
  • mother
  • love
  • ending
Q10

What does the ending mean thematically?

The ending represents acceptance of mortality and the recognition that love and memory transcend physical objects. The protagonist has lost everything that defined his modern life, yet he finds peace in the knowledge that what matters, connection, memory, and love, cannot be erased by removing things from the world. The bittersweet tone suggests death is not an end but a transformation.

  • ending
  • acceptance
  • mortality
  • love
  • memory
  • theme
  • bittersweet
Q11

What is the devil's purpose in the story?

The devil functions as both a literal bargain-maker and a symbolic representation of death's inevitability. He offers a false choice, trading everyday essentials for survival, but the protagonist eventually realizes the bargain cannot truly save him. The devil's presence forces the protagonist to confront what he values most before facing the inevitable.

  • devil
  • death
  • bargain
  • mortality
  • symbolism
  • purpose
Q12

What is the purpose of the Buenos Aires acquaintance in the story?

The Buenos Aires acquaintance represents a connection from the protagonist's past that exists outside his daily routine and current relationships. This tentative link remains despite the vanishing items, showing that some human connections endure across distance and time. It underscores the theme that genuine bonds persist even as the world changes around us.

  • Buenos Aires
  • acquaintance
  • connection
  • travel
  • memory
  • enduring bonds
Q13

Why does the movie use flashbacks alongside the present-day story?

The flashbacks reveal the protagonist's backstory and the foundations of his relationships, showing who will mourn him and why those connections matter. By weaving past moments with present-day contemplations, the film builds emotional weight and helps viewers understand what the protagonist is ultimately fighting for, not just more time, but meaningful connection and memory.

  • flashback
  • backstory
  • relationships
  • memory
  • past
  • emotional depth

Movie threads

More Movies Like If Cats Disappeared from the World, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes If Cats Disappeared from the World tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies that explore existential bargains like If Cats Disappeared from the World

Characters confronting death are offered impossible choices. If you appreciated the supernatural negotiation in If Cats Disappeared from the World, you'll find similar movies here. These films feature characters making metaphysical deals, exploring themes of regret, memory, and the preciousness of life.

  • philosophical
  • melancholic
  • contemplative
  • supernatural
  • bittersweet
  • existential
  • Tone: melancholic, philosophical, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread often follow a structured 'deal of the day' format, where each choice reveals deeper layers of the protagonist's past and emotional landscape. The story unfolds through quiet contemplation, flashbacks, and a growing sense of the emotional cost of each sacrifice, building towards a final, deeply personal decision.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on a shared core premise: a mystical bargain used as a device to dissect life's meaning. They share a meditative, melancholic tone, a steady pace that allows for emotional absorption, and a profound focus on the human connections that define our existence. The emotional journey centers on confronting regret and valuing love in the face of loss.

If Cats Disappeared from the World movie poster

If Cats Disappeared from the World

2016
Restless movie poster

Restless

2011
Wonderland movie poster

Wonderland

2024
Hereafter movie poster

Hereafter

2010
Liliom movie poster

Liliom

1934
Wintersleepers movie poster

Wintersleepers

1997
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman movie poster

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman

1951
I’ll Follow You Down movie poster

I’ll Follow You Down

2013

Movies about reflecting on a life like If Cats Disappeared from the World

Characters catalog their regrets and connections facing death. For viewers who were moved by the reflective journey in If Cats Disappeared from the World, these movies offer similar emotional experiences. They feature protagonists taking stock of their lives, focusing on the quiet significance of memories and human bonds.

  • reflective
  • melancholic
  • nostalgic
  • sentimental
  • poignant
  • contemplative
  • Tone: reflective, melancholic, sentimental
  • Pacing: steady, measured
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern revolves around a character, often confined by illness or circumstance, revisiting key relationships and pivotal moments from their past. Flashbacks are woven into the present-day frame, revealing character motivations, unresolved emotions, and the quiet poetry of ordinary life. The structure is often episodic, exploring one significant relationship or theme at a time.

Why they belong together: These films are linked by their focus on introspection and the bittersweet process of life review. They share a melancholic, sentimental heart, a deliberate pacing that allows the audience to sit with the characters' emotions, and a heavy emotional weight arising from themes of mortality, nostalgia, and the search for meaning.

Restless movie poster

Restless

2011
Our Friend movie poster

Our Friend

2021
All My Puny Sorrows movie poster

All My Puny Sorrows

2022
Wonderland movie poster

Wonderland

2024
Dragonfly movie poster

Dragonfly

2002
If Cats Disappeared from the World movie poster

If Cats Disappeared from the World

2016
The Land of Steady Habits movie poster

The Land of Steady Habits

2018
Time Still Turns the Pages movie poster

Time Still Turns the Pages

2023

Every angle

If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about If Cats Disappeared from the World in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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