This is perhaps the most anime-like movie released by Studio Ghibli in all those years, only featuring a bit of a Disney-like feeling to it as young Haru travels to a place dominated by cats to avoid a forced marriage. Yeah, that's what Neko no Ongaeshi (The Cat Returns) is about: a kindgom of cats, talking cats. Yes? Then hop on for this bizarre movie about talking cats and their secret kingdom. In Japanese, the word means simply "everyone", and has no anime/manga-related connotations at all.
See also manhua and manhwa., mina In the context of manga and associated media, the word mina refers to a broad audience, which can be said to be "the entire family", from the grumpy grandpa to the newborn baby. However! There are exceptions where the manga was not the basis for the anime. Everything and its mother is based on manga. It does not comprise a style or a genre per se, but rather indicates the publisher`s intended target demographic., manga Manga is the lifeblood that drives the anime industry. In Japanese, the word means simply "child", and has no anime/manga-related connotations at all. Stories where a modern-day character travels to an alternate fantasy world are not considered contemporary fantasy., fantasy Imaginative or fanciful work, especially one dealing with supernatural elements and themes., high school A secondary school that usually contains grades 10 through 12 in Japan, or 9 through 12 in America., kodomo In the context of manga and associated media, the word kodomo refers to a children`s audience roughly for the ages 12 and younger. Such elements may have originated from another world. Japanese humour can be a bit strange to westerners, so if you`re new to this type of humour, just bear with it it`ll most likely grow on you if you`re a fan of other kinds of comedy., contemporary fantasy Magic and supernatural beings exist secretly in what is generally regarded as the real world. A comedy anime is laced with humour and sets out to provoke laughter from the audience. These stories are built upon funny characters, situations and events. Anne Hathaway gives a rock solid performance as Haru, but the absolute scene stealers are Cary Elwes reprising his role from Whisper of the Heart as Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, Andy Richter as Natoru, and of course, Tim Curry as The Cat King! So while The Cat Returns may not hold up to the standard of a Miyazaki or Takahata joint, it still comes highly recommended on its own merits.Comedy Anime whose central struggle causes hilarious results. For Western audiences, this might just be Disney's best dub cast, even if it comprises of mostly live action actors.
75 minutes would have been okay if this were a made for TV movie, but when it comes to theatrical animation, I want to live in this world with these character for as long as I can. However, and I hate that I have to say this twice in a row, I could have used a little more.
The characters are all likeable, the world building is full of that classic Ghibli whimsy, and the score is beautiful. On the one hand, I am a big supporter of expanding the talent roster at the studio beyond its two founding fathers, and to Morita's credit, I thought he did a very nice job directing this movie. “At the time of its released, this was only the second Ghibli film not to be directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata, and for better or for worse, it shows in the final product. It's a testament to how well these characters are written, and how satisfying that makes the ending.” - Captain Kaye What I'm trying to say is, every dumbass mistake that Shun makes, particularly when it comes to commitment, I can easily sympathize. As for the characters, or at least our main protagonist Shun, this might be one of the best examples of the inverse relationship between unlikeability and unrelatability. Just the backgrounds alone are a feast for the eyes, particularly any scene that takes place during a sunset. That being said, I thought this was a very sweet love story, with some of the most gorgeous 2D animation I've seen all year. I know lately I've been fickle when it comes to a film's runtime, but in this case, I genuinely believe that adding at least another 30 minutes could have helped iron out a few other bugs, and allow these characters to breathe. “Ok, let me get my biggest criticism out of the way: the movie is too short, clocking in at just under an hour.