The Cat Returns
The Cat Returns ( Neko no Ongaeshi) is a 2002 Japanese animated film directed by Morita Hiroyuki and produced by Studio Ghibli.
Characters
Haru - A 17 year old girl, the protagonist of the film.
Baron Humbert Von Gikkemgen - Usually called Baron, he is a cat statue with a soul allowing him to come to life in the alternate dimension he lives in.
Muta - A fat, cynical cat who leads Haru to the Baron.
Toto - A gargoyle of a raven who comes alive, much like the Baron.
The Cat King - King of the Cat Kingdom.
Lune - Prince of the Cat Kingdom.
The story follows a girl called Haru who saves a cat from being hit by a truck on a busy road. The cat turns out to be Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. In return, the cats shower her with gifts and inform her she is to be wedded to the Prince of the Cat Kingdom.
Haru hears a kind voice which tells her to seek out the Cat Business Office. Haru meets Muta, who leads her there to meet the Baron and Toto. Soon after meeting them, Haru and Muta are taken to the Cat Kingdom by force, leaving Toto and the Baron in the human world.
Haru is invited to a feast at the castle of the Cat Kingdom and she begins to slowly turn into a cat. At the feast, the Baron (in disguise) dances with Haru as part of the enterainment, before being discovered. Their escape leads them through a maze to a tower, which contains a portal back into Haru's world.
Lune and his army return to the Cat Kingdom to discover the King was not acting on his behalf and he has no desire to marry Haru. Eventually Haru, Muta and the Baron escape, with the aid of Toto.
This is by no means a comprehensive synopsis, there are many subplots and details left unexplored by this synopsis.