The Cat Returns!!

I am really in love with the Baron and would love talk about the story The Cat Returns. but barely anybody ever has seen the movie! or is it they just dont care? I know it may seem childish but I dont think so. . .if anything Porco Roso is way more childish to me. . .I just cant get enough of how proud and noble the Baron is ^^. . .I learnd so much from this movie too! now I dont worry as much as I used to about silly little things and I always try to act as polite as I can ^^. I want to know is there anyone out there who feels a little the same about this movie?

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Someday I will find my Baron. . .

Post last edited by the_baron's_girl on 03.29.2005, 10:38 PM.

Well, if everyone really does not care about it, I consider myself as an exception.

I regard _Neko_ as my favourite non-Miyazaki Ghibli movie. Some others, no matter how good I know they are, just is not my cup of tea (... and for this I am being considered as shallow by some hardcore Ghibli fans ). At least this is the only non-Miyazaki Ghibli film that can get rid of my habit of frequently checking the remaining time.

It did take a little time for me to get used to the warm dreamy atmosphere. But once I was ready, I was completely absorbed into the movie. The animation is smooth and splendid, and there are great animated scenes like the Tokyo city chase and the crows' rescue. Some may treat it as less well-developed as other Ghibli movies, but well, it started out to be a 20-min promotional project. Being able to reach the current stage of achievement is already quite an accomplishment. I suppose if the movie was a bit longer, say 100 min, it would even be better.

By the way I won't consider Porco as childish. Just like Kiki, despite their lightheartedness, no child (except those working children in the third world ) can really comprehend their true beauty, subtleties and messages. You do need some life experiences and a certain degree of maturity to be able to peel off the outward childlike layers and examine the truth that lies deep inside their cores.

(P.S. any who consider them as "kiddy" should promptly watch them again )

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thankyou for that it made me feel better and it is not true that Hayao Myazaki did not have any part in this because he did give alot of the idea's in this movie ^^ and I am sorry if I said something meen in any way to porco roso. . .I did not actually watch the movie I was planning on watching it laiter. . .but I cant watch it for a while because I am still stuck in the dream of The Cat Returns . . . I am anchanted with the joy it has brought me and I dont want to ever start to loose that. plus I just love hearing the voices. . .I did not know who did the voices untill I watched behind the Microphone. I guessd the voice for Muuta and the Cat King but I never would of guessd that the Baron was Elwes himself! I must say that I am a big fan of his but I fell in love with the Baron before I knew who did the voice. . .I must say that I also love your use of vocabulary it really is a pleasure to read ^^. . .mine probably doesnt come anywhere near your's.

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Someday I will find my Baron. . .

Post last edited by the_baron's_girl on 03.30.2005, 01:11 AM.

*Raises paw.* I sorta feel the same way. Except instead of me liking Baron as much as you do, I like Muta as much as you do! Oh!!!!! And I LOVE that movie!!!!!! It`s my favorite movie of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Hugs Muta.*

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I know I simply cant get enough of it!! And I like how Muuta looks too ^^ hes so big and tubby its so cute. . .but I like the Baron because he seems like the perfect guy (epert dancer is definitly on my top list. . .and fencing of course )

__________________

Someday I will find my Baron. . .

quote:

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Originally posted by the_baron's_girl
thankyou for that it made me feel better and it is not true that Hayao Myazaki did not have any part in this because he did give alot of the idea's in this movie ^^ and I am sorry if I said something meen in any way to porco roso. . .I did not actually watch the movie I was planning on watching it laiter. . .but I cant watch it for a while because I am still stuck in the dream of The Cat Returns . . . I am anchanted with the joy it has brought me and I dont want to ever start to loose that. plus I just love hearing the voices. . .I did not know who did the voices untill I watched behind the Microphone. I guessd the voice for Muuta and the Cat King but I never would of guessd that the Baron was Elwes himself! I must say that I am a big fan of his but I fell in love with the Baron before I knew who did the voice. . .I must say that I also love your use of vocabulary it really is a pleasure to read ^^. . .mine probably doesnt come anywhere near your's.

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Nevermind . I am not a serious fanatic of _Porco_. I like the characters very much but the story does have room for improvment. In my opinion the story is a bit childlike and not yet fully developed. But its target audience base and messages pushes it up the maturity meter. 8]

Hehe I have only seen the Japanese version of _Neko_. So I cannot give any comment on the performance of the English voice-actors. But just like you, I like _Neko_ for the enchanted joy. It is true that the story is not particularly deep, as criticized by many. But I value it for being an innocent, non-pretentious movie that is able to put a smile on the faces of the viewers, and made them to leave with joyful minds. In this sense it is a bit similar to _Kiki_ and _Totoro_, my top favourites.

Thanks for your nice comments on my vocabulary . I am indeed an English learner, so please do not be surprised to see weird grammar here and there.

quote:

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Originally posted by Muta_7
*Raises paw.* I sorta feel the same way. Except instead of me liking Baron as much as you do, I like Muta as much as you do! Oh!!!!! And I LOVE that movie!!!!!! It`s my favorite movie of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Hugs Muta.*

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Being a black cat I have to say it is not that common to see a big fat cat hugging himself . And I do not know exactly the way of self-hugging . You have a a narcissistic personality, don't you?







I think both Baron and Muta are pretty cool and interesting characters that surely have captured the hearts of many (I am one of them ). But I also like Natoru, the orange messenger cat. Just like Muta he is sort of cute. But being far too attentive and caring to the others turns him into a troublemaker (especially for Haru ).

Aside from the storyline, Haru is the main target of criticism in many reviews. Critics say that she is too wishy-washy when compared to the majority of the Ghibli girls. What are your views on that?

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well thoughs ppls that said that to Haru are meen *sticks her toungue out at them* especially since Haru reminds me of exactly how I act. . . .you wont believe how many different things in the movie Haru does that I exactly do myself like how she gets up after hearing the news that she was going to marry prince lune and she falls into the trash she gets up and starts moving her arms on her sides up and down. I do the exact same thing to calm myself down!. . .I dont think anything bad of Haru because she seems so nice to me. . .she just has a problem standing up for herself. . . like me. . .*tear*

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Someday I will find my Baron. . .

Originally posted by Jiji

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But I also like Natoru

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Post last edited by Muta_7 on 04.01.2005, 05:15 PM.

quote:

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Originally posted by the_baron's_girl
well thoughs ppls that said that to Haru are meen *sticks her toungue out at them* especially since Haru reminds me of exactly how I act. . . .you wont believe how many different things in the movie Haru does that I exactly do myself like how she gets up after hearing the news that she was going to marry prince lune and she falls into the trash she gets up and starts moving her arms on her sides up and down. I do the exact same thing to calm myself down!. . .I dont think anything bad of Haru because she seems so nice to me. . .she just has a problem standing up for herself. . . like me. . .*tear*

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It is pretty interesting to see a real-life Haru.

I think Haru does carry some strong messages behind her, which many who are too busy with nitpicking and criticizing the movie fail to recognize, and thus question her own value in the movie.

Undoubtedly Haru is not a particular active character in the movie. But every decision she makes is of great significance. And she tries her best to make every single decision right, though the outcome is totally out of her control.

Her decision of rescuing a stary cat is unassuming and is simply out of her good heart. Though this decision brings her tonnes of troubles at first, it does contribute in saving an invaluable life, and saving the loved one of Yuki, which both are of great value per se.

Another decision Haru made was to accept the invitation to the Cat Kingdom. It is understandable that being a bored adolescent, a trip to a Cat Kingdom is surely an exciting refreshment. But she fails to recognize that it is simply a temptation. It is, indeed, a temptation under a sugary coat. The Cat Kingdom seems to be such an interesting place full of joy and fun. Yet it is also a place that would gradually transform and assimilate Haru into a cat.

I see Haru as a typical Japanese adolescent which is overloaded with the pressure of study, and is in the transitional stage between childhood and adulthood. Unlike Kiki and Nausicaa, she is in an oppressed position that is difficult to make any outstanding achievement, except from getting good scores in the exams. But this does not undermine her potential to be a heroine. In fact, to be a heroine, one needs not to sacrifice her own life to a monster hoard to save a whole village, or catch a falling boy in the mid-air on a bouncy broom. Everyone who tries her best within her own limits is already a heroine. Haru is a perfectly common girl throughout the story, and the story is a celebration of the value of the common people.

The reason for Haru to accept the invitation to the Cat Kingdom is not only because of her disillusionment of her life, but also because of her doubts and loneliness of growth. Temptations always come with growth. And they are something that every teenagers have to face. To resist from temptation, one needs to have a strong determination. Apparently this is what Haru lack of, as shown by her gradual transformation into a cat. But no one is alone on the road of growth. We have our friends, our parents and our teachers who are always with us. For Haru, she has her dear friends of Baron, Muta and Yuki. Nowadays, many teenagers, or even many adults, are very reluctant to admit that they are in need of help even when necessary. This is very unhealthy, or even dangerous, as one can easily get lost in a confused state of mind (check the example of Seita in Grave of Fireflies). Haru speaks to us, loud and clear, that there is nothing to be ashamed of for receiving help when necessary.

Generally, the persistent theme of the whole story is "giving" and "receiving." We should try to help the others as much as possible, but should not be shy of seeking help, and ashamed of receiving help when necessary. Mutual assistance is essentially how a society works.

Last but not the least, those who consider this movie as "kiddy" should promptly watch it again .






EDIT: Recently Anime News Network has added a review of _Neko_ :
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/reviews/display.php?id=722

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Originally posted by Jiji

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Last but not the least, those who consider this movie as "kiddy" should promptly watch it again .

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That is SO true!!!!!!!

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....... I`m awake, what more do you want?

. . .did ya ever notice that all the main characters in Ghibli's movies are usually girls. . .isnt Hayao a guy. . .how does he know what girls think!? It is really hard for me to right stories with a boy as the main character because lets face it. . .im not a guy! and its kinda hard for me to know what a guy is thinking. . .
(im not trying to get off the subject of the cat Returns so dont stop talkin about it )

__________________

Someday I will find my Baron. . .

quote:

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Originally posted by the_baron's_girl
. . .did ya ever notice that all the main characters in Ghibli's movies are usually girls. . .isnt Hayao a guy. . .how does he know what girls think!? It is really hard for me to right stories with a boy as the main character because lets face it. . .im not a guy! and its kinda hard for me to know what a guy is thinking. . .
(im not trying to get off the subject of the cat Returns so dont stop talkin about it )

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No one really knows except Miyazaki himself. Sometimes I am surprised that how Miyazaki can be the screenwriter of Whisper of the Heart, which is essentially 100% shoujo (even the director, Kondou, is a guy). Frankly, this shoujo anime is one of the most sophisticated and successful.

But the author of Harry Potter, J K Rowling, is not a guy. Undoubtedly her work is a great success. It may not be 100% neccessary to be a guy to know what a guy is thinking. And Miyazaki was known to have the habit of observing the girls in the streets (and got shouted at )

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Thread too long, didn't read.

Or I tried, but still too long.

Well, I ain't exactly young, but even if I was, I always have this matured thinking when it comes to visual arts. So Neko isn't exactly my fav.

On Miyazaki using heroines all the time, he did actually say why. Basically, he got tired of seeing the same old guy hero bashing his way through every enemy without getting hurt and sweeping off with the damsel in distress.

He didn't like it, so he changed the hero into a heroine, from strong physically to being strong psychologically, from grown-up to being kids, from being flawless to being, well, human.

That's what he sees in his heroines, and that's what I like about them too.

__________________
I am me.
I am who I am.
I am Roarkiller.
No one else is me.

Roarkiller.net
Isakaya High RPG Site

quote:

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Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

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How dare you!

quote:

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Originally posted by Roarkiller
Thread too long, didn't read.

Or I tried, but still too long.

Well, I ain't exactly young, but even if I was, I always have this matured thinking when it comes to visual arts. So Neko isn't exactly my fav.

On Miyazaki using heroines all the time, he did actually say why. Basically, he got tired of seeing the same old guy hero bashing his way through every enemy without getting hurt and sweeping off with the damsel in distress.

He didn't like it, so he changed the hero into a heroine, from strong physically to being strong psychologically, from grown-up to being kids, from being flawless to being, well, human.

That's what he sees in his heroines, and that's what I like about them too.

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I love the artwork sure it isnt as complexed as castle in the sky but its got good heart behind it the characters well done in my point of view it isnt hard for me to understand where there coming from and I like this movie because I can totally relaite to the main character ((exscuse my spelling)) this movie gives a calm feeling about life now I dont stress as much as I use to and that guy I was obsessing about hay if he doesnt notice me thats his problem insidently after I got this attitude he starts to notice me funny eh?

__________________

Someday I will find my Baron. . .

quote:

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Originally posted by the_baron's_girl
[QUOTEI love the artwork. Sure it isnt as complexed as castle in the sky but its got good heart behind it. The characters, well done in my point of view. It isn't hard for me to understand where there coming from, and I like this movie because I can totally relaite to the main character ((exscuse my spelling)). This movie gives a calm feeling about life now. I dont stress as much as I use to and that guy I was obsessing about. Hay, if he doesnt notice me, thats his problem. Insidently, after I got this attitude, he starts to notice me funny eh?

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__________________
I am me.
I am who I am.
I am Roarkiller.
No one else is me.

Roarkiller.net
Isakaya High RPG Site

quote:

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Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Roarkiller

quote:

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Originally posted by the_baron's_girl
[QUOTEI love the artwork. Sure it isnt as complexed as castle in the sky but its got good heart behind it. The characters, well done in my point of view. It isn't hard for me to understand where there coming from, and I like this movie because I can totally relaite to the main character ((exscuse my spelling)). This movie gives a calm feeling about life now. I dont stress as much as I use to and that guy I was obsessing about. Hay, if he doesnt notice me, thats his problem. Insidently, after I got this attitude, he starts to notice me funny eh?

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There ya go, all punctuation marks included.

It's all good, I mean I can't exactly expect every ghibli fan I know to have a deep philosophical mind or a deep appreciation for the visual arts.

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but I do have a deep respect for the visual arts I myself am an artist and I am already getting asked by many people to make shirt designs comic boods and drawings of certain things they want on their work cards and such (I get payed too) and im only 15 ((but I do apreciate the punctuation marks ^^; )) . You cant criticize a great story just because the art might not be the best thing in the world im just saying I like this movie in particular ((awwww Chikush!!. . .gomen na sai bad spelling errors again)) because it relaites alot to how I feel but I love the design of the people and the animals in this too ^^

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Someday I will find my Baron. . .

Post last edited by the_baron's_girl on 04.05.2005, 10:21 PM.

I dont think me and roarkiller are ever going to see eye to eye. . .

__________________

Someday I will find my Baron. . .

No, probably never.

I see beauty in simplicity. And true beauty to me is more than what you can see. Otherwise, then the saying "beauty is only skin deep" would hold true.

On visual arts, I don't mean simply calling an animation good, or a picture pretty, or any of that kind of stuff. Appreciation of any art goes deeper than that. Appreciation of art is to have feelings, to receive feelings, to develop feelings, and the feelings must be from the eye but interpreted by the heart and soul.

Basically, the same way Picasso and Da Vinci art are of two different levels.

On art and story, sorry if there was a misunderstanding, but I'd rather have a great story than great art. So there ya go, a common understanding

__________________
I am me.
I am who I am.
I am Roarkiller.
No one else is me.

Roarkiller.net
Isakaya High RPG Site

quote:

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Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

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I think this is going to be the next Ghibli film that I am going to watch. I'm really looking forward to it!

I'll give you some opinions once I watch it.

Dave

most exelent now I must go and do my math and after that I am going to watch the Cat Returns again >< woohooo

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Someday I will find my Baron. . .