MovieChat Forums > Neko no ongaeshi (2005) Discussion > Ooh I get it!

Ooh I get it!

posted 19 years ago by Pineapple700
6 replies | jump to latest

At first I was confused about this sequel because it was so different to "Whisper Of The Heart" but now I think I understand it.

I think this may be a story written by Shizuku.
After all The Baron didn't live in his own little house in "Whisper Of The Heart".

People believe that it is called "The Cat Returns" to announce the return of Baron, however I think it would make more sense if the cat that "returns" is Yuki seeing as Haru didn't know Baron in the first place so he wouldn't me returning would he? He'd be completely new! :}

One thing is though; why did they settle on Muta and not Moon? It is the same cat isn't it? o.o

[–] dballred 19 years ago

The situation is a bit more convoluted than that--but I like your ideas. Here's a layout of the sequence:

1. Whisper of the Heart comic: Aoi Hiiragi's original comic appeared as one story in a Ribon Mascot comic. Instead of one cat, Seiji and his brother had two black cats named Moon and Luna.

2. Whisper of the Heart Movie: Miyazaki changed the cat inventory from two to one, changed its color from black to white, and added the nomadic nature.

3. The Cat Returns Comic: Aoi Hiiragi writes a comic book story based around the Whisper movie. The title of the book is Baron: Neko no Danshaku (Baron: The Cat Baron). She copies Miyazaki's design and name for the now completely different cat and names him Muta. The title of one of the chapters of the story is Neko no Ongaeshi--the Cats' returned favor.

4. The Cat Returns Movie: Ghibli comes up with the English title The Cat Returns. The only place the name appears is on the movie posters and promotional materials. I like your idea that the actual cat that returns is Yuki--and the writers at Ghibli are devious enough to think of that.

While it's possible the story could have been written by Shizuku, I don't think it would have been likely. Shizuku's stories would have been more whimsical.

[–] Minae 17 years ago

I have ALWAYS thought the same thing! That this could indeed be the story that Shizuku ends up creating:D

Maybe Shizuku changed Moon's name to protect his identity? LOL

[–] uruseiranma 17 years ago

Keep in mind that when Shizuku found out about Moon, she also found out he had other aliases. Seiji told her that he heard someone call him 'Ball' once. Plus, Shizuku heard the little girl call the cat Muta.

She had intimate knowledge of these names, and that's the hidden fun of the 'fat cat.' While he is called Muta, in the Cat Kingdom his alias is Renaldo Moon...moon being the keyword here.

As well, the concept of the sunset being a key to the baron (after all, it was asimilar event that had Seiji show Shizuku the interesting effect the Baron's eyes had.

Though I don't believe this is THE story Shizuku writes. I always felt this was one of many that she could have written. Most artists and writers will pull experiences from their life and bring them to life in stories. I have several story concepts and art pieces that were inspired by life events.

It's me, your lovable dictator! Uh-oh. -Bender, Futurama

[–] steve_tobias 17 years ago

I think they just wanted to use some parallel characters that they liked. The Baron and Muta were part of Whisper of the Heart, and in The Cat Returns they simply elaborated on them and gave them their own story. I think that the idea that they have to relate so closely together is a Western type of thing.

The Baron is older in Whisper of the Heart than in The Cat Returns. Cary Elwes says this in the bonus features. And also Muta is a cat who actually walks through the Studio Ghibli building every day, so they created the character based on him. Therefore I don't think The Cat Returns is supposed to relate to Whisper in some secret way such as Shizuku's story. In fact I'm pretty sure the storyboard for The Cat Returns was done by the director independently of whoever originally wrote Whisper. They just wanted to use The Baron and Muta again.

[–] markjack2004 16 years ago

I have got The Cat returns on DVD and one of the extras explains about its connection to Whisper of the Heart, and it says it is a future story of the girl from WotH.

I thought when i was watching the film that it could be one of her stories, and this was explained after in the extras.

[–] Thundercat1 16 years ago

Listen :

In the Making of The Cat Returns mini documentary Aoi Hiiragi herself stated that TCR was a story written by Shizuku. TCR takes you inside one of Baron and Muta's adventures.

Disney made a mistake. Baron is not supposed to be older in Whisper.
They messed up because Baron's orignal Japanese VA was older. Baron's Japanese VA in TCR was younger.

The older VA died so Ghibli replaced him with a younger actor.

No wonder Cary was confused.

PS The cat that Muta was based on is female.