While the majority of Studio Ghiblis films are directed by Miyazaki Hayao & Takahata Isao, there have been exceptions over the years, including the 2002 feature The Cat Returns. Directed by Morita Hiroyuki who was previously a key animator on My Neighbors the Yamadas, The Cat Returns is a follow-up to late director Kondo Yoshifumes 1995 Ghibli feature Whisper of the Heart. In Whisper of the Heart, the young protagonist & aspiring writer toiled over a fantasy story about a schoolgirl & a dapper feline named Baron. Seven years later, her story turned into the brightly animated & wistfully told coming-of-age fantasy The Cat Returns. Though The Cat Returns is not at the same level as Miyazaki & Takahatas works, even a minor Studio Ghibli release is heads & shoulders above the competition.
Shy high school student Haru has long had the uncanny ability to communicate with cats. One day, she rescues a strange cat from oncoming traffic. But the cat turns out to be no ordinary feline. He is actually Prince of the Cat Kingdom & to repay Harus kindness, he offers to take her hand in marriage! To clear up the mix-up, Haru travels to the Cat Kingdom with the help of Baron. But once she steps into the land of the cats, she discovers that she herself is gradually turning into a cat!