Also, those who love cats can't help but fall in love with the many feline characters we come across in the film. ‎Watch trailers, read customer and critic reviews, and buy The Cat Returns directed by Hiroyuki Morita for $16.99. A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Add the first question. Listen to music from The Cat Returns like Kaze Ni Naru and Official Trailer. The Cat Returns (Japanese: 猫の恩返しThe Cat's Repayment) is a 2002 Japanese animated drama film. A spin-off of Whisper of the Heart, it was theatrically released in Japan on July 20, 2002 through Toho and in 2005 in the United States through Walt Disney Home Entertainment. There is no other connection between the two movies and this is not a sequel. Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats. Original Japanese Theatrical Trailers. From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of My Neighbor Totoro and the Academy Award®-winning Spirited Away, comes a charming and magical adventure that will delight the entire family. Her good deed is rewarded with a flurry of presents, including gift-wrapped mice, and one very shocking proposal of marriage - to the Cat's King's son! The Cat Returns began as the "Cat Project" in 1999. The story is of a girl named Haru, a quiet and shy high school student who has a suppressed ability to talk with cats. Check out our editors' picks for the best movies and shows coming your way in May. production committee: Hakuhôdô "The Cat Returns" Tatsuo Satô ... production committee: Mitsubishi Corporation "The Cat Returns" Sueko Sawanuma ... production supervisor Kazuhiko Seda ... production committee: Tôhô "The Cat Returns… Although the girl's life had no magical elements, the film featured short fantasy scenes depicting that the girl was writing of the Baron, a character of her novel, which were so popular that an indirect sequel was made, featuring the Baron and another girl, a high school student, named Haru. =^.^= *Don't forget to visit and subscribe to our Soundcloud page to listen to our ANIME PODCAST'S episode on The Cat Returns! Sweetly charming and beautifully animated, The Cat Returns offers anime adventure suitable for the very young and young at heart. The Baron was so popular that an indirect sequel was made, featuring the Baron and another girl, this one a highschool student, named Haru. 'The Cat Returns' is yet another treat produced by Studio Ghibli, the company which brought us masterpieces such as 'My Neighbour Totoro' and 'Spirited Away'.The story of this film is much simpler than previous Studio Ghibli productions/epics with a typical modern teenage girl Haru as the heroine. When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle. As a thanks, the cats give Haru gifts of catnip and mice, and she is offered the Prince's hand in marriage. Haru Yoshioka is a quiet and shy high school student who has a suppressed ability to talk with cats. View production, box office, & company info, A teenage girl rescues a mysterious cat from traffic and soon finds herself the unwelcome recipient of gifts and favors from The Cat King (, Cheryl Tunt & 9 More Of Judy Greer's Best Characters, ‘The Cat Returns’ and ‘Whisper of the Heart’ Get Steelbook Blu-rays. Haru's adventures in the world of cats lead her down a path to self-discovery, allowing her to return as … To her dismay, she soon learns that, unless she can find her true self, she may become a cat permanently. The King goes through a series of efforts to keep them in the kingdom long enough for Haru to remain trapped in her cat-like form; his ultimate plan is still to force her to become his daughter-in-law. A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses. In 1995, Studio Ghibli released a film entitled Whisper of the Heart, based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, of a girl writing a fantasy novel. [4] It received an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival. Now you can continue to download The Cat Returns film for free. [11] Michael Booth of The Denver Post noted that director Morita "has a slightly cruder, more realistic sense of the world and its looniness than does Miyazaki, and you can see where The Cat Returns moves on a different track even as it pays homage to Japan's current animation master. It stars Chizuru Ikewaki, After she rejects the King's marriage proposal outright, Muta tells Haru, "I respect a woman who stands up for herself". For in the early scenes, The Cat Returns is something very different than it turns out to be: here, it's just a comedy about over-eager anthropomorphic cartoon cats trying much too hard to please a girl who's done everything she can to be unseen. On her way home from school, Haru, a confused 17-year-old, prevents an elegant gray cat from being hit by a truck. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? The Cat Returns (Japanese: 猫の恩返し, Hepburn: Neko no Ongaeshi, lit. The life and misadventures of a family in contemporary Japan. Studio Ghibli received a request from a Japanese theme park to create a 20-minute short starring cats. Naturally, our heroine is horrified at the prospect and must seek protection from enigmatic Baron, founder of the Cat Bureau, for help before she is carted off to the Cat Kingdom by the very determined cats.As a cat-lover, I found this film utterly adorable. The Cat Returns. The Cat Returns is something of a loose spin-off of "Whisper of the Heart" as it features two characters from that film: Muta (the cat from "Whisper") and the Baron (the cat statue from "Whisper"). The Cat Returns - Official Trailer Haru, a schoolgirl bored by her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual cat, and suddenly her world is transformed beyond anything she's ever imagined. "[9] According to Metacritic, which gave a score of 70 out of 100 based on 11 critics, the film received "generally favorable reviews". Yōko Honna, who voiced Shizuku in the original Whisper of the Heart film, provides the minor voice role of Chika, one of Haru's classmates. Prince Lune and his guards return to the Cat Kingdom, revealing the King was not acting on his behalf and that he has no desire to marry Haru; he has instead planned on proposing to Yuki. 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Complete Storyboards — Get An Insider's Look At The Film's Artistry. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. In 1995, Studio Ghibli released a film titled Whisper of the Heart, based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, about a girl writing a fantasy novel. The cat is Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. One day, she saves a cat from being hit by a truck on a busy road. The scene where the cats from Cat Kingdom descend on Haru's street in the middle of the night was had a very wondrous aura to it and the scene where the cats try to make Haru laugh at her feast was hilarious. The cat's name is Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. Wanting none of this, Haru hears a kind, fe… 2002 | 7+ | 1h 15m | Animal Tales. Her mixed reply is mistaken as a yes. Hayao Miyazaki wanted three key elements to feature in the short — these were the Baron, Muta (Moon) and a mysterious antique shop. GKIDS re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on January 16, 2018 under a new deal with Studio Ghibli.[5]. With Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda, Takayuki Yamada. She's inadvertently saved the life of Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom, and his royal father decides to thank her. One day, she saves a darkly-colored, odd-eyed cat from being hit by a truck on a busy road. The website's critics consensus reads, "Sweetly charming and beautifully animated, The Cat Returns offers anime adventure suitable for the very young and young at heart. Due to 12 y.o. As thanks, the cat gives Haru gifts of catnip and mice, and she is offered the Prince's hand in marriage. The Cat Returns is a film by Studio Ghibli released in 2002. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray in the United States was on June 16, 2015. (2002). In her childhood, Haru had saved Yuki from starvation by giving her the fish crackers she was eating, and thus, Yuki has now repaid her kindness. Written by [7] As of January 5, 2015, it is the 86th highest-grossing film in Japan, with ¥6.46 billion. Miyazaki then took the existing work done by the "Cat Project" and used it as testing for future Ghibli directors — the short was now to be 45 minutes long. The story is based on Neko no Danshaku (Baron of Cat) by Hiiragi Aoi. Responsibility was given to Hiroyuki Morita, who had started as an animator in 1999 for the film My Neighbors the Yamadas. Concerned for their safety, owner of the Cat Bureau, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, follows close behind. After Yuki shows them an escape tunnel, Haru, the Baron, and Muta move through a maze to a tower, which contains a portal to Haru's world. Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki decided to produce a feature-length film based entirely on Morita's storyboard; this was partly because Haru, the main character, had a "believable feel to her". The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime. She begins to slowly turn into a cat (with tan paws, ears, nose, tail, and whiskers; for a second, she also gets fangs), though she still remains mostly human. He tells her the doors of the Cat Bureau will be open for her again if the need ever arises. The film was released on July 19, 2002 as the highest-grossing domestic film at the Japanese box office in 2002[6] and the 7th highest-grossing film of the year overall. The King hopes that she will make a suitable bride for the Prince. ).Although the plot of 'The Cat Returns' is a simple affair so it will easily appeal to young children, there is much humour in the film that will keep older kids and adults amused. The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Baron: The Cat Baron) and is published in English by Viz Media. Muta also returned. Although the girl's life had no magical elements, short fantasy scenes depicted what the girl was writing about. When walking home from school one afternoon, Haru rescues a cat from being ran-over by a lorry only to discover she is responsible for saving the life of Prince Lune, the heir apparent to the Cat Kingdom. Lune's father, the King of Cats, promptly decides the best way to repay such a favour is for Haru to marry his son. The Cat Returns is still an enchanting, magical fable with a twisted vein of surrealism."[13]. 38 of 40 people found this review helpful. Haru is treated to a feast at the castle of the Cat King. Baron: The Cat Returns (バロン 猫の男爵, Baron: Neko no Danshaku) is a 2002 manga written by Aoi Hiiragi and published by Tokuma Shoten. A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service. The Cat Returns is just a lovely family film. 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