STORY STUDY (GHIBLI MONTH) - MEDIUM: FILM - “The Cat Returns”
It seems girls being taken to a magical land is a common event when it comes to Studio Ghibli movies.
The Cat Returns was the follow-up to Spirited Away, and is a spin-off to another Studio Ghibli film, Whisper of the Heart.
Directed by Hiroyuki Morita, written by Reiko Yoshida, and based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi, the 2002 film is about a young high school student named Haru, who saves a cat from being run over by a truck. Not only can the cat talk (it’s implied that Haru can talk to cats), but he has the mannerisms of a (Japanese) human.
On that same night, she is visited by the Cat King and his servants, who have come from the Kingdom of Cats. They shower her with gifts, such as live mice, cat tails (flowers), and catnip as a “thank you” for saving the cat, which it turns out is the Cat King’s son. The final gift is the offer for her to marry the prince she saved.
Haru’s non-answer to the offer is taken as a “yes.” She is told she will be taken (kidnapped) to the Kingdom of Cats later that day. As Haru panics, she hears a voice telling her to find help at the Cat Bureau. She is guided to the Bureau by Muto, a large white cat. Once at the Cat Bureau, she meets Toto, a stone Crow statue who turns into a real crow, and the one who runs the Bureau, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, a cat figurine who also comes to life.
However, the servants of the Cat King have arrived at the Bureau, and have successfully kidnapped Haru, taking her and Muto to the Kingdom of Cats. It’s up to the Baron to find them. He has to hurry since the longer Haru stays in the Kingdom, the more Haru turns into a humanoid cat.
Whisper of the Heart featured its protagonist, Shizuka, writing a fantasy based on a cat statuette she found in an antique shop. The Cat Returns is that story.
The film really does feel like a fairy tale; a beautiful kingdom, a crazy king, a damsel in distress, and a handsome “man” who has come to rescue the damsel.
While the film is much more in line with a traditional film, with character arcs and a plot, Haru’s character goes through a similar arc as Kiki; Haru is a shy young girl who is taught by the Baron that she must find her true self (be more confident.) I won’t give too much away, but let’s just say the animators really showcase this where, by the end of the film, Haru takes on a more mature look.
I discovered this film when I saw a an announcement on TV that the film was being released in the United States as part of a line of Studio Ghibli movies being released with an English dub done by Disney. (If I remember correctly this was during or before 2004.) The film looked really cute, so I took a chance, and just bought it when I was at a store.
The animation looks fine in the contemporary Japan setting, but it’s when the film enters the Kingdom of Cats (the fantasy setting) is where the animation shines.
It doesn’t look like there are too many differences between the Japanese and English tracks, except maybe some Japanese text omissions from the English version. (Selecting “English” and “Japanese” makes a difference other than everyone’s voices being different.)
If animation and characters aren’t enough to want to watch The Cat Returns, I should also point out the cats themselves in this film. There are plenty, but it’s their behavior that makes them that much real, and all the more cute.
Sit down with your cat, and check it out.
