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Whisper of the heart and the cat returns11/10/2022 Overall, this seems to be a clear case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", so fans will have no reason to be disappointed here.ĭISCLAIMER: The images on this page are decorative and do not represent the title under review. Quite simply, both looked fantastic and virtually flawless, aside from trace amounts of banding during a handful of tricky gradient scenes. Though I don't have the tools to do a side-by-side comparison (either on-screen or via captures), I spot checked a handful of scenes from both discs and found no major variances in detail, texture, black levels, compression, bit rate, and color balance. GKIDS' new combo pack, like other titles in their recent deluge of Ghibli re-issues, is nearly identical to Disney's 2015 Blu-ray it's not worth buying if you own that disc already, but a solid enough package that should attract newcomers.ĭisney's 2015 Blu-ray featured a suitably strong and stable 1080p presentation sourced from a recent master, and not surprisingly GKIDS' new Blu-ray looks more or less identical to my eyes. The animation and structure aren't nearly as polished or precise as its more mature sibling, but few will walk away from The Cat Returns with anything but a smile on their face.Įither way, you needn't be completely (or even passively) familiar with Whisper of the Heart to enjoy The Cat Returns on its own terms: this is probably the closest that Studio Ghibli has come to producing mainstream American-style animation, but that also means it's a solid entry point for newcomers willing to overlook the cat-and-girl romance factor. While The Cat Returns is obviously aimed at a younger crowd (perhaps the youngest since My Neighbor Totoro) and isn't the most essential film in Studio Ghibli's library, it remains an entertaining and enjoyable diversion that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Haru, for example, isn't a particularly memorable character to begin with, and she's relegated to "rescue bait" in the second half. But it's different in almost every other way: the story is lean and lightweight (first proposed as a 20-minute short, later expanded to 45 minutes, and then by another half-hour), its premise is silly, and the characters aren't especially deep or layered. Spiritually connected to Whisper of the Heart for obvious reasons, The Cat Returns was also the first directorial effort by a long-time Ghlibi animator, is again based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, and features another terrific score by Yuji Nomi. Before long, Haru is feasting with royalty and discovers that she's slowly transforming into a cat herself. Though unsure about the second part, Haru is intrigued by his invitation to his Cat Kingdom.but first, she is encouraged to seek out "The Baron" (the same cat figurine from Whisper of the Heart's antique shop), who follows her to the kingdom after she's literally carried there against her will. The grateful kitty reveals himself to be Prince Lune, son of The Cat King, and promises a lavish assortment of gifts and his hand in marriage. One fateful day after school, she saves the life of a small cat on a busy street and is surprised to find that it stands up and speaks to her when no one else is around. Our story follows Haru Yoshioka, a teenage girl who, like Whisper of the Heart's Shizuku, struggles with adolescence. If you get a kick out of cute widdle kitties dressed as humans and walking on their hind-paws, you won't have any trouble making the adjustment. Whereas the former was a grounded, human-driven drama with precise animation and realistic characters, The Cat Returns offers a surreal, much less serious, and purely comedic stab at an adventure obviously set in the same universe. More of a loose spin-off of 1995's Whisper of the Heart than anything close to a sequel, Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns (2002) shares very little with its predecessor but is still a good time at the movies.
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