Howls Moving Castle
The Cat Returns
The Cat Returns
Studio Ghibli Film · 2002

The Cat Returns

猫の恩返し · Neko no ongaeshi

theatersHiroyuki Morita 89/100 RT schedule75 min
Adventure Fantasy Animation

Production info

Original title猫の恩返しNeko no ongaeshi
AdventureFantasyAnimation
Director Hiroyuki Morita
Producer Toshio Suzuki
Screenplay Reiko Yoshida
Release year 2002
Runtime (minutes) 75

Haru, a schoolgirl bored by her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual cat and suddenly her world is transformed beyond anything she ever imagined. The Cat King rewards her good deed with a flurry of presents, including a very shocking proposal of marriage to his son! Haru embarks on an unexpected journey to the Kingdom of Cats where her eyes are opened to a whole other world.

Ratings & achievements

Rotten Tomatoes 89/100
Worldwide box office $54505827
Budget $20000000

Box-office ranking 8/19 among Studio Ghibli films with available data.

Rotten Tomatoes score ranking 15/22.

Species (1)

Runtime vs other Ghibli films

The Cat Returns runs 75 minutes — shorter than the Ghibli average (106 minutes). 21/22 other Ghibli films are longer.

Films from the same decade 2000s

Film Year Director RT Box office
Spirited Away 2001 Hayao Miyazaki 97 $358380478
Howl's Moving Castle 2004 Hayao Miyazaki 87 $241145634
Tales from Earthsea 2006 Gorō Miyazaki 41 $68673762
Ponyo 2008 Hayao Miyazaki 92 $205906593

Films sharing the same genre

Films sharing genre (Adventure, Fantasy, Animation) with The Cat Returns:

Film Year Director RT Box office
Princess Mononoke 1997 Hayao Miyazaki 92 $170333762
Tales from Earthsea 2006 Gorō Miyazaki 41 $68673762
Pom Poko 1994 Isao Takahata 78 $1279218
Castle in the Sky 1986 Hayao Miyazaki 95 $6218229
Howl's Moving Castle 2004 Hayao Miyazaki 87 $241145634
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya 2013 Isao Takahata 100 $24751400

Related content