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 that 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. 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
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. Later, it changed into a 40 minute small movie, but they thought that since it was so adorable, that they would change it into a full movie. 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 Kondō 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: “Author: 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 problems. 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 "Spirited 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 received coverage from various newspapers prior to the premiere. The July 5, 2002 evening newspaper of the Yomiuri Shimbun did a feature and included an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki. The interview was about the process of how the film became a feature-length film. Hiroyuki Morita was also interviewed, though many questioned why Hayao Miyazaki wasn't involved. Morita explains they both have different approaches in filmmaking. Included in the feature is an advertisement for the upcoming "Spirited Away" DVD.

Fans noted that the Tokyo Chunichi Sports newspaper offered only modest coverage of the film's premiere, compared to the newspaper Hochi which was comparatively large in scale.

A press conference was held on July 20, 2002 and the film premiered in on over 358 screens nationwide. Hibiya Cinema in Tokyo and Yurakucho was filled to capacity, with 700 spectators and included a midnight screening of 250 people. Chizuru Ikewaki, the voice actor of Haru and Yoshihiko Hakamada, the voice actor of Baron were present on stage to greet the crowd.

While Hiroyuki Morita was not present during the event, Hochi Newspapers noted this by saying, "First supervisor Mr. Morita refused to attend the greeting event." While the film rode on the success and goodwill of “Spirited Away", it only sold half of the former's ticket sales. The film was still the big hit during the 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

Music
The Cat Returns (Original Soundtrack) (猫の恩返し オリジナル・サウンド・トラック, Neko no Ongaeshi Orijinaru Saundotorakku) The album was composed and arranged by Yuji Nomi and features the theme song by Ayano Tsuji. It was published by Tokuma Japan Communications and released on July 17, 2002.

Nomi explains his process, ''“For the music for this film, I started with demonstration pieces, composed from the ideas I had of the characters. I first composed the songs for the heroine, Haru. There are two: the one that corresponds to the real world and the one that relates to his childhood memories. For the first, I tried to show the bubbling of everyday life, the hustle and bustle of real world scenes. But it didn't correspond to the director's image of it and I changed this music a lot afterwards! The other piece is nostalgic. In a way, it seems to me that he became the central theme of the film.''

''Next came the Baron. He's a simple and incredibly elegant character. Therefore, I composed an extremely pompous piece, like trumpets playing fanfare music. As for Muta, I transposed its rustic side into music. I composed the theme of the king of cats so that it seems to illustrate the Kingdom. Behind its majestic, imposing appearance, this Kingdom appears to be a sham. I didn't want to give a good impression of it. I wanted the contrast with the Baron, who comes to save Haru, to be striking.''

''For the music played by the cats parading at the beginning of the film, the director asked me to use the sound of the oriental flute, which sounds very ... "cat"! It may sound a bit Japanese. But the Cat Kingdom is not Japan, I added the organ, oboe and clarinet, despite everything being punctuated by the tsuzumi, a small Japanese drum. Why the tsuzumi? Quite simply because among the cats who interpret this music in the image, there is one who plays this instrument! This piece fits perfectly to the image. The same goes for the music performed by the orchestra of cats in the banquet scene at the castle. As one of them plays the tsuzumi and another, the accordion, I integrated these two instruments into my music.''

''So I composed the music for this film from the characters or the scenes. For the music of the scene where Haru returns from the Cat Kingdom safe and sound, there is something that I think will not escape viewers who have seen If You Listen. I wanted, through my music, to establish a connection between these two films. I'll let you watch the movie and find my nod yourself."''

Theme song
Become the Wind (風になる, Kaze ni Naru), Lyrics / Composition / Song - Ayano Tsuji / Arrangement- Takami Negishi / String / Arrangement - Takuo Yamamoto The single was originally released by SPEEDSTAR RECORDS. The acoustic version of this sound is used in the credits. Tsuji explains her process:

''“As I really like Ghibli cartoons, I was extremely happy that they asked me to compose the main theme of it. Regarding the central song of the film, I was a little worried about the difficulty of this work, thinking of all the constraints to be respected. But the director told me: “I don't want a ballad, but a rhythmic song, drawn from your universe."''

''When I composed it, the film was not yet finished and I got an idea of ​​it by reading the storyboard. I felt a lot of sympathy for the positive character of the heroine, Haru, and her way of being good to her. I wanted to express clearly in my song the change that is taking place in her, not in a blatant way but rather gradual. About to be taken to the Cat Kingdom, she thought to herself, “The Cat Kingdom... After all, why not live here? "You can encounter this kind of situation during your life. By following the general thread of his life, it can happen that we are attracted by slightly different paths, that we make detours. It's part of human nature. And so you end up finding what is important to you. I think this is the theme of this film: knowing how to assert your own identity. It is something magnificent. I wanted this theme to be reflected in my song.''

''The song was born naturally, in a hum: “Close your eyes that have forgotten. It is the song of love found ... " In these lyrics, the word" love "is not used only in its original meaning. It also refers to the feelings of humans towards life, work, study, dreams and all kinds of things. At the beginning of the song, it seems to me that behind the sweetness lies an extremely strong will. I really like this passage. The keystone of this song is “the feelings that we have forgotten. " I made by putting in unison my feelings and those of Haru, and I illustrated by a joyous melody.''

''For the title, I wanted to use the word 'wind' and after much thought it occurred to me that I would like to become the wind. So I opted for the title "Kaze ni Naru". "''

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.
 * Yo Oizumi, Ken Yasuda, and Takayuki Suzui appear as voice actors for small roles in the film.
 * Moon's" name from "Whisper of the Heart was changed to Muta as a nod to a professional wrestler named "The Great Muta" by Hayao Miyazaki. According to Aoi Hiiragi, "Mr. Miyazaki. He said something like "There is a strong professional wrestler called Great Muta ..." (laughs)."
 * In the original draft, the "Cat Kingdom" was a place where deceased cats live forever. The theme of losing a pet was deemed to heavy by the filmmakers.
 * Hayao Miyazaki's offered advice regarding the finale where Haru, Baron and Muta float to the ground with Toto, but it was not adopted. Hiroyuki Morita recalls, Hayao Miyazaki advised me to have Haru say, "I like the Baron!" (possibly in a romantic way). However, all the staff rejected this proposal." Morita adds, "I don't to intend to compete with Miyazaki, but I couldn't sympathize with this idea." However, I understood the purpose of releasing Haru feelings and heart in the scene, so I added the line "Maybe we are cool!".

Additional Voices

 * Original: Makoto Aoki, Katsumi Chô, Daisuke Egawa, Yayoi Kazuki, Yuji Kishi, Tae Komamura, Mitsuru Miyamoto, Toshihiro Nakamura, Yo Oizumi, Toshitaka Shimizu, Tarusuke Shingaki, Yuri Shiratori, Takayuki Suzui, Bari Suzuki, Atsuko Tanaka, Ken Yasuda, Hikari Yono
 * English: Greg Berg, Erin Chambers, Robert Clotworthy, Kat Cressida, Terri Douglas, Courtnee Draper, Jason Harris, Brian Herskowitz, Mona Marshall, Randy Montgomery, Bradley Pierce, Diz White

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 Kingdom of Cats - The 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 Comics (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