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)
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