Cat's Eye: The Iconic Art Thief Sisters of 1980s Anime

The manga and anime series 'Cat's Eye' (Occhi di Gatto), created by Tsukasa Hōjō in 1981, remains a cultural touchstone forty years after its debut. The story follows three sisters—Hitomi, Rui, and Ai (known as Sheila, Kelly, and Tati in Italy)—who run a café by day and steal paintings by night in hopes of finding their missing father. The anime first aired in Japan in 1983 on Nippon Television, with a second season in 1984. The series has influenced live-action adaptations, including a 1997 film directed by Kaizō Hayashi starring Yuki Uchida, Norika Fujiwara, and Izumi Inamori, with costumes by Sachiko Itō. More recently, the characters appeared as guest stars in the 2019 film 'City Hunter: Private Eyes' and the 2023 crossover 'Lupin III vs Cat's Eye'. A 2010 spin-off manga, 'Cat's Ai', was written by Sakura Nakameguro with art by Shin Asai. The anime's iconic theme song 'Cat's Eye' by Anri (For Life Records) and the Italian version by Cristina D'Avena contributed to its widespread popularity. The series was produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, with direction by Yoshio Takeuchi and character design by Akio Sugino for the first season, and Kenji Kodama directing the second season with Satoshi Hirayama on character design.