Review of 'The Cat Returns (Neko no ongaeshi)'

the_cat_returns.jpg Haru is a young girl with typical problems. One day she saves a cat from being run over by a truck (thanks to some quick action with a lacrosse stick). To her surprise the cat turns out to be the prince of Cats whose father vows to reward her good deed. Unfortunately, a series of events lead her to the cat kingdom where there does not appear to be an exit.

Originally a television special, The Cat Returns is quite a pleasant, light, view at just over an hour long. I was quite pleased with the natural dialogue and the very good animation from the first-time director Morita, the legendary directory Miazaki's protege. As far as story, it is fairly light but the set pieces are quite enjoyable as are the characters (two of which feature from the earlier Ghibli masterpiece, Whisper of the Heart).

Rating: “A bit better than average”

Review Date: 2006-10-29


Directed by: Hiroyuki Morita

Studio: Studio Ghibli

Year: 2005

Length: 74 minutes

Genre: Japanese Animation

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347618/