01
Whisper of the Heart
Why this pick
Its gentle coming-of-age rhythm, everyday Tokyo texture, and shy heroine’s imaginative awakening closely echo The Cat Returns, with a similarly warm Studio Ghibli lightness.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE2002 1h 15m JPN
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
The Cat Returns
AdventureAnimationDramaFamilyFantasy
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved The Cat Returns, try these.
01
02
Night Is Short, Walk on Girl
Why this pick
Its exuberant Kyoto night unfolds like a surreal fairy tale, full of eccentric encounters and visual invention—an ideal match for The Cat Returns’ mischievous dream logic.
03
Kiki's Delivery Service
Why this pick
Kiki’s independent but vulnerable journey has the same comforting blend of everyday adolescence, animal companionship, and airy magical adventure.
04
Lu Over the Wall
Why this pick
This bright, offbeat fantasy combines a socially hesitant teenager, an exuberant supernatural companion, and wildly playful animation in a way that suits The Cat Returns’ cheerful strangeness.
05
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Why this pick
A lively schoolgirl fantasy with an approachable heroine and clean, sunlit animation; it preserves the emotional ease beneath The Cat Returns’ magical premise.
Finding the atmosphere, tension and little details that made this one stay with you.
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01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
Haru Yoshioka is a quiet and shy high school student who has a suppressed ability to talk with cats. One day, she saves a cat from being hit by a truck on a busy road. The cat she saved turns out to be Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. As a thanks, the cats give Haru gifts of catnip and mice, and she is offered the Prince's hand in marriage. Her mixed reply is taken as a yes.
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02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Yoshihiko Hakamada
Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (voice)
Aki Maeda
Yuki (voice)
Takayuki Yamada
Lune (voice)
Mari Hamada
Natoru (voice)
Yoko Honna
Chika (voice)
Ken Yasuda
Additional voices (voice)
Tetsurō Tamba
The Cat King
Hitomi Satou
Hiromi (Voice)