Neko no ongaeshi (2002)

As the fourth anime film I've watched I can say that the films are intriguing and original - far more than conventional cartoon movies.

The subject of The Cat Returns is a teenage girl who is awkward and lacks confidence. When she heroically saves a cat's life, the cat decides to thank her. While she is amazed that the cat can speak, she also becomes annoyed (and later endangered) by the gratitude. She is whisked away to the Cat Kingdom where the king decides that she should marry the prince cat.

It's all pretty ridiculous and the jokes rarely rise above the infantile, but much of the drama, especially early in the tale, does appeal to adult viewers. The moralizing at the end knocks it down few stars in my book - you know, the "believe in yourself" stuff that has almost nothing ot do with the story. The animation is beautiful and unique giving it nearly all its merit.

Official Site | IMDB