Line #6 YMMV/TheCatReturns


1	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
2	** 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 ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart'', 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.
3	** 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.
4	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://youtu.be/Blqe-dUGz90 The music that plays during Haru's waltz with the baron.]]
5	** Also, [[https://youtu.be/PWYhLWBPzaM the ending theme, Become the Wind.]] It's an upbeat ukelele tune.
6	* ContestedSequel: ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart'' 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.
7	* CrossesTheLineTwice: 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.
8	* CultClassic: It's not as much of a household name as other Studio Ghibli classics (particularly the likes of ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'' or ''Anime/SpiritedAway''), but over the years it has gained a dedicated fan base who love it for what it is. Mostly among cat lovers, [[Creator/CaryElwes Baron]] fans, and/or those who love the film for its light-hearted tone and NarmCharm.
9	* HilariousInHindsight:
10	** Several years after Creator/AnneHathaway starred in this movie about cats, she was cast as none other than [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises Catwoman.]] Haru even comments, upon seeing Lune walking down the sidewalk with the box of fish crackers, "Cat burglar."
11	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56nX41b82CU A 2007 short]] features a possibly unintentional Baron {{Expy}}.
12	* MorePopularSpinOff: It could be argued that this movie is more well-known and those who have seen this movie first [[SequelDisplacement might not know that it was an indirect sequel]] of ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart''. It has more fanfictions and fanart in comparison to its first movie.
13	* {{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.
14	* OlderThanTheyThink: Yes, ''Franchise/ToyStory'' spinoff ''{{WesternAnimation/Lightyear}}'' was not the first feature-length animated film to be based on a [[ShowWithinAShow story]] in [[Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart another animated film.]]
15	* OneSceneWonder: 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!
16	* {{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.
17	* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Baron/Lune. No one knows why...
18	* SoOkayItsAverage: 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 SugarWiki/AwesomeArt. Not helping is how it had the unfortunate coincidence of [[ToughActToFollow premiering only a year]] after ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', a '''much''' more widely-acclaimed film with an uncannily similar basic template.
19	* {{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''.
20	* {{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.

Context YMMV / TheCatReturns