YMMV / The Cat Returns

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • In the fandom: Louise or the Baroness, a very minor character with only one shot and no lines during Nishi's telling of Baron's past in Whisper of the Heart, has become a fan favorite, with personalities ranging from evil, rival love interest with Haru for Baron, to sweet and kind rival to even Haru or Baron's sister in some fics.
  • Also the Cat King, ranging from slightly senile old man(cat?) to psychotic, so obsessive over wanting Haru for his own he'll kill to do so.
• Awesome Music: The music that plays during Haru's waltz with the baron.
  • Also, the ending theme, Become the Wind. It's an upbeat ukelele tune.
• Contested Sequel: Whisper of the Heart may be better in terms of animation and story, but The Cat Returns (itself not a weak movie) is just as popular, if not more.
• Crosses the Line Twice: Muta "dying" when he jumps into the enormous bowl of catnip jelly. The ridiculous image of him floating in the massive blob, along with Haru's high-pitched screech, makes an otherwise unsettling scene more hilarious than anything else. On top of that, he gets better not long after.
• Cult Classic: It's not as much of a household name as other Studio Ghibli classics (particularly the likes of Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away), but over the years it has gained a dedicated fan base who love it for what it is. Mostly among cat lovers, Baron fans, and/or those who love the film for its light-hearted tone and Narm Charm.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Several years after Anne Hathaway starred in this movie about cats, she was cast as none other than Catwoman. Haru even comments, upon seeing Lune walking down the sidewalk with the box of fish crackers, "Cat burglar."
  • A 2007 short features a possibly unintentional Baron Expy.
• More Popular Spin Off: It could be argued that this movie is more well-known and those who have seen this movie first might not know that it was an indirect sequel of Whisper of the Heart. It has more fanfictions and fanart in comparison to its first movie.
• Narm: Haru's over-the-top reaction to turning into a cat. Made even more hilarious in the Japanese version, in which she just screams "NEKO!" at the top of her lungs.
• Older Than They Think: Yes, Toy Story spinoff Lightyear was not the first feature-length animated film to be based on a story in another animated film.
• One-Scene Wonder: The secret service tuxedo cats in the Cat King's entourage. They're in the film for only a few seconds, but leave quite an impression!
• OTP: Haru/Baron for a majority of the fans. All minor characters except Lune and Yuki are shipped with another of the opposite gender in at least one fanfic or fanart.
• Ships That Pass in the Night: Baron/Lune. No one knows why...
• So Okay, It's Average: This sums up the general consensus on the film. It's nothing truly remarkable as far as Ghibli films are concerned and the story is a bit simplistic, clichéd, and lacking in depth compared to the studio's other films, but it's still a charming and enjoyable romp that is backed up by a fun cast and Ghibli's usual Awesome Art. Not helping is how it had the unfortunate coincidence of premiering only a year after Spirited Away, a much more widely-acclaimed film with an uncannily similar basic template.
• Squick: As if the Cat King trying to marry Haru to his son Prince Lune wasn't enough, when the prince says no, he tries to marry her himself.
• Woolseyism: In the original Japanese version, the scene where Haru accidentally offends Muta regarding his weight she accidentally mispronounces his name as buta (pig), which angers the cat. In the English dubbed version, this was changed to Haru saying Moooo-ta to him and Muta taking it as her implying that he was as fat as a cow.

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