After helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to ... Read allAfter helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life.After helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
Chizuru Ikewaki
- Haru
- (voice)
Yoshihiko Hakamada
- Baron
- (voice)
Takayuki Yamada
- Lune
- (voice)
Hitomi Satô
- Hiromi
- (voice)
Kenta Satoi
- Natori
- (voice)
Mari Hamada
- Natoru
- (voice)
Tetsu Watanabe
- Muta
- (voice)
Yôsuke Saitô
- Toto
- (voice)
Kumiko Okae
- Haru's Mother
- (voice)
Tetsurô Tanba
- Cat King
- (voice)
Yô Ôizumi
- Additional Voices
- (voice)
Yoko Honna
- Chika
- (voice)
- (as Youko Honna)
Ken Yasuda
- Additional Voices
- (voice)
Anne Hathaway
- Haru
- (English version)
- (voice)
Cary Elwes
- The Baron
- (English version)
- (voice)
Peter Boyle
- Muta
- (English version)
- (voice)
Elliott Gould
- Toto
- (English version)
- (voice)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I watched this for the fourth time today, and enjoyed it just as much, maybe more than the first. For the best experience, I recommend watching in Japanese, with subs if you need them. The original script and voice talent doesn't need the Hollywood treatment.
Such a beautiful story! I'm a cat lover, and I'm sure that helps me enjoy the movie more, but it's just great as a tale and you could apply any animal to the basic plot and get a similar result.
Every time I watch it I have a big pile of hankies nearby, as it never fails to move me. If you like the emotional feed-off you get from a nice sentimental feel-good film, you should really give this a go! Probably my favourite animated film ever.
Such a beautiful story! I'm a cat lover, and I'm sure that helps me enjoy the movie more, but it's just great as a tale and you could apply any animal to the basic plot and get a similar result.
Every time I watch it I have a big pile of hankies nearby, as it never fails to move me. If you like the emotional feed-off you get from a nice sentimental feel-good film, you should really give this a go! Probably my favourite animated film ever.
I wish, I really wish I liked it better. I mean, I know from the synopsis that it's not that much original or innovative storyline but yet I still have hope for it. It is still good because of the duration, it's not dragging... but I think it could be better.
The elements are just way too "familiar" and therefore I felt like nothing new is presented by the movie, I must say it feels a little bit of "Alice In The Wonderland" and then some other fairy tales at the other scenes, like... 'hey, it reminds me of...' moments keep happening to me. I thought at least there'd be anything new. But there's none...
The characters also, are not so memorable... , I mean I can get a grasp of their personalities but there is nothing like, impressive... it's like each character personality are adopted from some other characters produced before in another movie.
I'm sorry, but I really think it could be better. Or, I'm just not the target audience for this movie. Maybe...
The elements are just way too "familiar" and therefore I felt like nothing new is presented by the movie, I must say it feels a little bit of "Alice In The Wonderland" and then some other fairy tales at the other scenes, like... 'hey, it reminds me of...' moments keep happening to me. I thought at least there'd be anything new. But there's none...
The characters also, are not so memorable... , I mean I can get a grasp of their personalities but there is nothing like, impressive... it's like each character personality are adopted from some other characters produced before in another movie.
I'm sorry, but I really think it could be better. Or, I'm just not the target audience for this movie. Maybe...
Short but sweet- is probably the best way to describe this movie. Unlike other epics created by studio ghibli, such as Nausicaa of the valley of the Wind and Spirited Away, this movie has a very simple story and feels more like a really long episode of a TV show rather than a movie. The characters are somewhat developed but there just wasn't much time to do so since the story felt rushed. However, this is still a very entertaining film full of subtle humor.
The only gripe i have with this film is that the Disney DVD is DUBTITLED. Disney forgot to translate the movie and tries to pass the script for the English dub as the translated subtitles.
The only gripe i have with this film is that the Disney DVD is DUBTITLED. Disney forgot to translate the movie and tries to pass the script for the English dub as the translated subtitles.
Not their best work. The story gets pretty boring halfway through, despite the fantastical world that it is set in. The source material "The Whisper of the Heart" is more interesting than this one despite having a more mundane setting.
After the wild but fully justified furore surrounding Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli's next production is a much lower key affair, clearly aimed at a younger market. Having said that, this cynical thirty-something loved it to bits. Ghibli purists seem to be somewhat snobbish about the studio's output, but If this is an example of one of their films designed more for harmless family entertainment, I can stand to see a lot more of it.
This is a wonderful fantasy film, cute and funny, and full of remarkable and memorable characters. The animation is solid and detailed, occasionally even breathtaking, and the soundtrack is gorgeous. The brisk running time ensures the light story doesn't outstay its welcome. In fact, I could easily have watched more, and I'm already looking forward to Ghibli's or Miyazaki's next flight of fantasy.
This is a wonderful fantasy film, cute and funny, and full of remarkable and memorable characters. The animation is solid and detailed, occasionally even breathtaking, and the soundtrack is gorgeous. The brisk running time ensures the light story doesn't outstay its welcome. In fact, I could easily have watched more, and I'm already looking forward to Ghibli's or Miyazaki's next flight of fantasy.
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie started when Studio Ghibli received a proposal from a Japanese theme park to make a twenty-minute animation starring cats.
- GoofsWhen Haru first goes to the Cross Roads to meet Muta, all the banners say "Cross Loads". When Haru goes back again at the end with her friend, one banner says "Cross Roads", but then they all revert to "Cross Loads"
- Crazy creditsThe credits have a series of still images from the film. The last image before the film fades is Haru feeding the small white kitten on the pavement.
- Alternate versionsThe Japanese version begins with a text prologue; the English-dubbed version replaces this with a voice-over from the Baron (similar to how the opening of Princesse Mononoké (1997) was handled).
- ConnectionsFeatured in JesuOtaku Anime Reviews: The Cat Returns (2012)
- SoundtracksFar Away
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Music by Robert Folk
Performed by Judy Kuhn
Judy Kuhn appears courtesy of Angel Records
- How long is The Cat Returns?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- El regreso del gato
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $563,718
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $254,402
- Apr 22, 2018
- Gross worldwide
- $54,665,331
- Runtime
- 1h 15m(75 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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