The Cat Returns (2002) Movie Review

 

The Cat Returns (Original title: Neko no ongaeshi) | 2002 | 1h 15m
Genre: Animal Adventure/Anime/Hand-Drawn Animation/Quirky Comedy/Family/Fantasy/Romance | Country: Japan
Director: Hiroyuki Morita | Writers: Aoi Hiiragi, Hayao Miyazaki, Reiko Yoshida
Cast: Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda
IMDB: 7.1
My Rate: 7/10

Haru is given many gifts after saving a prince from the cat kingdom, including a marriage proposal to the prince himself. With the help of Baron, Muta, and Toto, she tries to return to the human world.

Warning:

Contains scenes of violence.

 
Synopsis:

Haru helps a cat that almost gets hit by a truck. Suddenly, the cat stands up and thanks her. Haru is surprised by what she witnessed, while her friend with her did not see it.

That night, a strange procession of cats comes to her house. They are cats from the cat kingdom. The king wants to thank Haru for saving his son, the prince. Haru will receive several gifts for this.

The next day, Haru is surprised by catnip growing in her yard and boxes containing mice in her locker.  Even more shocking, she is to be taken to the cat kingdom and become the prince's bride. Haru does not give a clear answer to this proposal, but the kingdom assumes she accepts.

Confused, Haru suddenly hears a voice telling her to go to the Cat Bureau for help. She must find a white cat, 'Muta,' who will take her there. Haru eventually meets Baron, who says he will help her.

Royal staff finds Haru's hiding place and takes her to the cat kingdom. Baron, Muta, and Toto try to chase after her. Muta catches up, while Baron and Toto fall behind.

Haru is captivated by the beauty of the cat world, which makes her waver slightly. However, she comes to her senses when she slowly begins to transform into a cat. Haru must leave immediately to return to being human.

Will Baron succeed in saving Haru from her impending marriage?

 

Review:

The Cat Returns is a spin-off sequel to the film Whisper of the Heart. The stories are unrelated, but some of the same characters are used, such as Baron, Muta, and the mysterious antique shop. This film was initially a 20-minute short film project requested by a Japanese theme park. However, that project was not carried out, so the story was developed into a feature-length film.

The story idea is quite unique, taking up the theme of life in the cat world. The imagination of cats having a kingdom and even walking on two legs is an interesting idea. The main character, 'Haru,' having the ability to speak with cats makes the story logical.

Haru finds cat life to be more enjoyable, which might explain her apparent lack of concern for the dangers she faces. However, this causes some viewer frustration, as the character is portrayed as too naive and lacking awareness of her surroundings, especially in critical moments.

The story is presented systematically, with the backgrounds of the story and characters well-developed. The conflicts are presented interestingly with several fight scenes interspersed with humorous scenes. The resolution is well-done, connecting clues from the beginning of the story.

There are some things that may have been overlooked and not shown in the film. One is when the cats in Haru's neighborhood attack the procession from the royal family. Why did this happen? Also, the film does not show Haru's family's reaction to her not coming home. This could have been added to the story.

The animation has its own distinctive style. The color choices are well-done. The music and soundtrack used also suit each scene. Everything comes together as a cohesive viewing experience suitable for all audiences.

Overall, this film is quite interesting to watch, especially for cat lovers. Although there are some things that could be further optimized.

 
Memorable Scene:

Seeing the cake held by Yuki, Haru realizes that Yuki is the cat she saved when she was a child. The kindness Haru showed then is still vivid in Yuki's memory. This is what makes Yuki want to help Haru and prevent her from being trapped in the cat world.

 
Memorable Dialogue:

"Haru. This world is not for you."

 
Ending:

Happy Ending

 
Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

 

(Aluna)