The Cat Returns

The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し, Neko no Ongaeshi, literally "The Cat's Repayment") is an animated film directed by Hiroyuki Morita and produced by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Hakuhodo, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi and Toho and was released on July 19, 2002. It was screened in theaters alongside "Ghiblies Episode 2".

It is based on "Baron: The Cat Returns", a manga spin-off of "Whisper of the Heart", written by Aoi Hiiragi and was originally planned as a 20-minute animated short for a cat-themed theme park starring Moon. The voice actor for the Baron was changed from Shigeru Tsuyuguchi to Yoshihiko Hakamada due to wanting to give the character a "youthful feeling" while Yoko Honna, who voiced Shizuku from "Whisper of the Hear" returns as Haru's classmate Chika Sakamoto. This is currently the only film to be directed by Hiroyuki Morita.

The poster's advertising slogan is "Isn't it okay to become a cat?".

It received an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival. The film earned a box office revenue of ¥6.46 billion, and was the top grossing film of 2002, while it shipped an estimated 720,000 units on DVD and VHS as of May 2007. GKIDS re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on January 16, 2018 under a new deal with Studio Ghibli.

Plot
The story is of a girl named Haru, a quiet and shy high school student who has a suppressed ability to talk with cats. One day, she saves a Russian Blue odd-eyed cat from being hit by a truck on a busy road. The cat's name is Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. As thanks, the cat gives Haru gifts of catnip and mice, and she is offered the Prince's hand in marriage. Her mixed reply is mistaken as a yes.

Wanting none of this, Haru hears a kind, female voice, which tells her to seek the Cat Bureau. Haru meets Muta, a large white cat the voice told her to seek for directions, who leads her there to meet the Baron (the same Baron from Whisper of the Heart), who is a cat figurine given life by the work of his artist, and Toto, a stone raven who comes to life much like the Baron. Soon after meeting them, Haru and Muta are forcefully taken to the Cat Kingdom, leaving Toto and the Baron in the human world to follow the group from the air. The Baron and his crow friend find the entrance to the Cat Kingdom on Earth: Five lakes forming a cat's paw.

Haru is conducted to a feast at the castle of the Cat Kingdom and she begins to slowly turn into a cat with tan paws, ears and whiskers, though still mainly human, so that she will make a suitable bride for the Prince. At the feast, the Baron (in disguise) dances with Haru as part of the entertainment, and reveals to her that the more she loses herself in the kingdom, the more cat-like she will become, and that she has to discover her true self. When the Baron is discovered and is forced to fight the guards, he and Haru are helped by Yuki, a white female cat who works as a servant in the palace and who had tried to warn Haru to leave the Cat Kingdom before she was taken to the castle. Yuki shows them an escape leading to a tunnel.

Haru, the Baron, and Muta's escape moves them through a maze to a tower, which contains a portal to Haru's world. The King goes through a series of efforts to keep them in the Cat Kingdom long enough for Haru to remain trapped in the form of a cat and have her as his daughter-in-law.

Lune and his guards return to the Cat Kingdom to reveal the King was not acting on his behalf and has no desire to marry Haru and he has instead planned on proposing to Yuki. Muta is revealed to be a notorious criminal in the Kingdom, having devoured a whole lake of fish in one session, and Yuki as being the strange voice who had advised Haru to go to the Cat Bureau. In her childhood, Haru had saved Yuki from starvation by giving her the fish crackers she was eating, and Yuki has now repaid her for her kindness.

Eventually, the Baron, Haru and Muta escape the Cat Realm, with the aid of Prince Lune and Toto, and Haru discovers her true self and tells the Baron how she has come to like him. He tells her "Just for the record, I admire a young woman who speaks from the heart." and that the doors of the Cat Bureau will be open for her again. Haru returns to the human world with more confidence in herself; after learning that her former crush has broken up with his girlfriend, she simply replies "it doesn't matter anymore."

Origin
In 1995, Studio Ghibli released a film entitled Whispers Of The Heart, based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, of a girl writing a fantasy novel. Although the girl's life had no magical elements, the film featured short fantasy scenes depicting what the girl was writing of.

In 1999, a theme park company commissioned Studio Ghibli to produce a 20-minute film around a theme: cats. Tentatively titled "The Cat Project", Hayao Miyazaki became very interested and imposed a condition, that they use the characters of Muta and the Baron. According to Buta Connection, Miyazaki had a strong desire to create a fantastical adventure film after the success of his prior films. He wanted a movie in the vein of "Whisper of the Heart" by the late Yoshifumi Kondô which was a great success in 1995. He therefore asked the author of the manga that inspired this film, Aoi Hiiragi, to write a new story serving as the basis for a short project.

Using elements from "Whisper of the Heart", such as the Baron, Muta, and a mysterious antique shop - Aoi Hiiragi created a new manga called "Baron: The Cat Returns" (バロン 猫の男爵 Baron: Neko no Danshaku (later published in English by Viz Media). This manga being a commissioned work was therefore not published under the Shûeisha label, as was the case for "Whisper of the Heart", but under that of Tokuma Publishing (of which Studio Ghibli was still a subsidiary at this time) through Animage Comics Special titled: "Baron - Neko no Danshaku" and dated May 2002.

During an interview, Hiiragi explain her process, "(Haru) is an ordinary high school student, as there are everywhere. It was important that it be like this, so that viewers were captivated by the story. Then I created the frame for the story, the core of which is Haru's strange experience. The charm of imaginary tales lies in their unique and original vision of the world. I like the imagination,and I often read this kind of books. But when I had to write such a story myself, I wondered what worldview to create. Thus was born the Kingdom of cats. I made it into a world where everything is possible, nothing is really important.

The character who reigns over this country must therefore have been a little unusual. I then created the king of cats. The reason Haru goes there is this somewhat embarrassing "debt" the cats owe her. This is how the story was born. The character who reigns over this country must therefore have been a little unusual. I then created the king of cats. The reason Haru goes there is this somewhat embarrassing "debt" the cats owe her. This is how the story was born.

In order to portray the Baron, I imagined a story written by Shizuku, the heroine of "Whisper of the Heart", who would have been a grown up. This completed story is published under the title "Baron: The Cat Returns". On the occasion of this publication, I wanted to put: “Text: Shizuku Tsukishima - Drawings: Aoi Hiiragi. " But it was an unrealistic idea and I backed out. Now that you know its genesis, I hope, as the author of the original work, that you enjoy seeing the cartoon and reading the comic. And I would be happy if you thought about what happiness is in the company of Haru."

Unfortunately the story Hiiragi has developed was much longer than originally intended. In addition, the theme park that commissioned Ghibli withdrew its request due to economic concerns. Thankfully, Studio Ghibli chose to continue to adapt Hiiragi's work as a 45 minute direct-to-video release, wanting to avoid placing too much pressure on the shoulders of the future director of the film.

Indeed, Miyazaki set up the project with the aim of giving a chance to young filmmakers. He has already set up directing courses within the Studio to find a successor, but no talent emerged immediately. Isao Takahata then suggested the young Hiroyuki Morita, a young collaborator of the Ghibli studio. He had noticed a great sensitivity in him when he took charge of the key drawings of "My Neighbors the Yamadas" (1999) and "Koro's Big Day Out" (2002), shown at the Ghibli Museum. Morita, aware of the incredible opportunity that presented itself to him, agreed to direct his first film.

Production
Over a nine-month period he translated Hiiragi's "Baron" story into 525 pages of storyboards for what was to be "The Cat Returns''". 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". It became the second theatrical (third overall) Studio Ghibli feature to be directed by someone other than Miyazaki or Takahata.

A heavy sense of responsibility set on Morita as he became the head of a team of 387 people. He initially regretted his choice, thinking that he was not up to the task. In particular, he took a long time to grasp the spirit of "shojo" (comic book for girls) and it was only after many mistakes and trials and the unwavering support of his team that the adaptation took shape.

When asked what were the challenges he faced, Morita elaborated, "Girls' comics focus on the feelings, desires of girls. But it is imperceptible. It remains vague. In dealing with this kind of subject, it is inevitably difficult to remain objective. But I stopped doubting and decided to reason in the opposite direction. If this story is to be made into a movie, what kind of girl will Haru be? How will the Cat Bureau be? the Baron? And Muta?"

The character design was entrusted to renowned animator Satoko Morikawa, whose work remained faithful to its source manga. However, the designs lacked a level of detail and complexity found in previous Ghibli films. The designs of the Baron and Muta remained faithful to what was already present in "Whisper of the Heart", and the animation conveyed a strong sense of personality. Muta himself is based on Ushiko, the resident cat who wanders inside Studio Ghibli's offices.

"With regards to Haru's design Morita explains, "What first struck me was his sentence: "Maybe the Cat Kingdom isn't so bad..." It is easy to demonstrate that our world is neither so dazzling, not quite as gorgeous as the one portrayed in shojo comics. There are indeed many dirty, vile things. But that kind of talk is not for fans of Aoi Hiiragi's comics. I actually asked the women at Studio Ghibli to tell me about the charms of shojo comics and little by little I started to understand."

"I thought (Haru's expressions) are cute. I like this kind of girl, open, natural, cheerful and sensitive. But some may find her indecisive and stupid."

On the other hand, manga author Aoi Hiiragi explains how she went about writing the character of Haru, "When I was offered this job, I thought that the kind of thing I was expected to do as a shojo artist was expected of me. That's why I decided that my heroine would be a high school student. At that time, I often reflected on what happiness is for a human being, and I believe this question runs through my story.

Shojo manga are often about love. For a teenage girl, happiness is loving and being loved in return. But I think there are a lot of other forms of happiness. Even if, in everyday life, we often feel like we are unlucky.

This film is a story that takes place in an imaginary world. Haru travels to the Cat Kingdom. After her return, she may encounter other difficult situations, but her experience will allow her to be less unhappy and have a more open outlook. This is what I had in mind while writing this story."

Art director Naoya Tanaka who previously worked on "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbors the Yamadas" gave the film a lighter, more intimate tone. When designing the Cat Bureau, Tanaka explains, "By inserting all kinds of European elements, drawing flowers, marigolds and geraniums, I created a European neighborhood atmosphere. The light is like that of the real world. Nevertheless, the notion of size is important: the houses are smaller whereas I have drawn life-size plants."

During the sequence where the Baron chases after the cats that have kidnapped Haru, Tanaka references several photographs for the alleyways and sought to reproduce their details accurately. The cat kingdom itself was given the direction of being "overflowing with light", with little contrast to enhance its lighter tone. Tanaka explains, "I think I managed to represent a clear light, which pierces the sky. Scenes in remote streets or night scenes are never moody. All give an impression of cheerfulness and clarity."

The entire vocal recording was performed by Kazuhiro Hayashi, who worked on "Princess Mononoke" and "pirited Away". The animators lent their voices for several characters, and even provided "meow" noises. They even tried to imitate the muffled applause of cats with their hands. All In all, "The Cat Returns" featured over 900 recorded dialogues.

Release
"The Cat Returns" runtime barely clocked in at 75 minutes and did not have the scale or ambition of Ghibli's previous films, and was released in theaters with the short film "Ghiblies Episode 2". Riding on the success of "Spirited Away" (2001), the promotion of "The Cat Returns" was relatively aggressive, with several sponsors churning out a number of merchandise tie-ins. The film was the big family hit of summer 2002 in Japan, racking up $50 million at the box office.

Dates

 * 19 July 2002 - Japanese Movie theater
 * 14 April 2003 - VHS Release
 * Summer 2003 - English dub
 * 28 September 2005 - DVD release

Manga
Baron: The Cat Returns is a 2002 Japanese adventure fantasy manga written by Aoi Hiiragi and published by Tokuma Shoten and Viz Media.

Trivia

 * It's been speculated that the Cat King is based on Hayao Miyazaki while Haru is based on Mamoru Hosada. In 2000, Hosoda was hired by Miyazaki to direct "Howl's Moving Castle", but left due to various reasons.
 * Muta is based on Ushiko, the resident cat that wanders around Studio Ghibli's offices.

Home Video

 * The Cat Returns / Ghiblies Episode 2 VHS - Buena Vista Home Entertainment (July 4, 2003)
 * The Cat Returns / Ghiblies Episode 2 DVD Buena Vista Home Entertainment (July 4, 2003)
 * The Cat Returns / Ghiblies Episode 2 Blu-ray Disc -Walt Disney Studios Japan (December 4, 2013)

Publishing

 * Ribon Mascot Comics Whisper of the Heart Happy Time (February 20, 1996) ISBN 4-08-853841-2
 * Animage Comics Special Baron: The Cat Returns (May 20, 2002) ISBN 4-19-770088-1
 * The other side of the alley is the country of cats Cat Returns & Ghiblies Thorough Guide (July 20, 2002) ISBN 4-04-853527-7
 * Longtail of Baron: Another story of a Cat Baron spun with a Picture Book and Mook (July 20, 2002) ISBN 4-906069-35-5
 * Ghibli Cats (August 2, 2002) ISBN 4-7966-2822-3
 * The Cat Returns Guide Book - Studio Ghibli and the World of Fantasy (TOKUMA LADY'S MOOK) (August 25, 2002) ISBN 4-19-700022-7
 * What the cat taught me "The Cat Returns" cheering party (August 31, 2002) ISBN 4-19-861562-4
 * The Cat Returns (Tokuma Anime Picture Book) (August 31, 2002) ISBN 4-19-861570-5
 * The Cat Returns-Film Comics (1) (September 1, 2002) ISBN 4-19-770089-X
 * The Cat Returns-Film Comics (2) (September 10, 2002) ISBN 4-19-770092-X
 * The Cat Returns-Film Comic (3) (October 1, 2002) ISBN 4-19-770094-6
 * The Cat Returns-Film Comics (4) (October 1, 2002) ISBN 4-19-770095-4
 * The Art of the Cat Returns (September 10, 2002) ISBN 4-19-810008-X
 * The Cat Returns (Roman Album) (September 10, 2002) ISBN 4-19-720213-X
 * The Cat Returns (This Is Animation) (September 20, 2002) ISBN 4-09-101567-0
 * Baron ( Fairbell Comics) (December 7, 2006) ISBN 4-86245-020-2

Music

 * The Cat Returns Soundtrack, Tokuma Japan Communications (July 17, 2002) TKCA-72367