The Cat Returns

2002 75 min ★ 7.1 Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Drama, Family

Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.

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Cast

Chizuru Ikewaki

Haru Yoshioka (voice)

Yoshihiko Hakamada

Baron (voice)

Aki Maeda

Yuki (voice)

Tetsu Watanabe

Muta (voice)

Yousuke Saito

Toto (voice)

Takayuki Yamada

Lune (voice)

Hitomi Sato

Hiromi (voice)

Kenta Satoi

Natori (voice)

Mari Hamada

Natoru (voice)

Kumiko Okae

Haru's Mother (voice)

Details

Director

Hiroyuki Morita

Screenplay

Reiko Yoshida

Tagline

"It's not so bad being a cat, now is it?"

Status

Released

Original Language

JA

Revenue

$54,016,370

Production

Studio Ghibli, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Mitsubishi, Nippon Television Network Corporation, TOHO, Tokuma Shoten

Reviews

A

Alunauwie

September 30, 2025

★ 7/10

The Cat Returns delivers a whimsical and imaginative tale about a girl drawn into a secret feline kingdom, supported by charming animation and a light-hearted tone. While the plot is engaging and accessible, certain character choices and missing narrative details slightly weaken the emotional impact. Still, it remains an enjoyable watch, especially for cat lovers and fans of fantasy adventures. ...