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International Cat Day, also known as World Cat Day, is a day meant to celebrate the best pets: cats! The holiday also functions as a day to build awareness around how we can best protect and raise the abundance of cats in need in our society.
International Cat Day provides a platform for professionals to host seminars about the cat care and health while also encouraging individuals to adopt cats in need from shelters. For this upcoming International Cat Day on August 8, we celebrate the loving representation of the Studio Ghibli cats in Hayao Miyazaki’s prestigious films. From the Cheshire-grinning Catbus to the regal Baron, these Studio Ghibli cats reveal their vitally helpful nature to the often misguided protagonists throughout Ghibli movies.
Catbus
Cheeky and cheery, the iconic Catbus remains one of the most popular of the Studio Ghibli cats in Miyazaki’s highly acclaimed, My Neighbor Totoro. Catbus walks on four legs, yet he also sports a bus for a body. Additionally, this unique feline flies through the air for travel, making the physicality of his character intriguing. I would argue that most people think of the indelibly wide smiles of both Totoro and the anthropomorphic Catbus when mentioning My Neighbor Totoro. The quintessential Catbus first flashes his famous grin when he sees the two wide-eyed protagonists in My Neighbor Totoro. Catbus dons a Cheshire-like face that might flash into your mind when looking at your own pet cat.
As a cat-bus spirit hybrid, Catbus uses his transportation feature to aid Mei, Satsuki, and Totoro during Miyazaki’s pleasing film. Aside from his unique appearance entertaining the gleeful Mei and Satsuki, Catbus proves vital in reuniting the two young sisters in the film after Mei accidentally loses her way in the forest. A standout among the memorable Studio Ghibli cats, Catbus’ essential help aids the girls in finding one another.
Catbus also transports the girls to the hospital where they discover a surprising truth about their family. Importantly, Catbus helps Mei and Satsuki learn lessons about trust and maintaining sisterly bonds amidst turmoil. We recognize Catbus for International Cat Day as one of the crucial Studio Ghibli cats who plays a significant aiding role in the Ghibli film.
Jiji
Jiji the black cat from Kiki’s Delivery Service also earns an irrevocable top tier ranking on the list of pivotal Studio Ghibli cats for International Cat Day. While many films place older human adults in the role of the mentor character, Kiki’s Delivery Service allocates a talking, charismatic cat to this important position. In addition, Jijis’ personality significantly differs between the original Japanese version of the film and the English dub. The English version also alters some aspects when analyzing the relationship between Jiji and the protagonist, Kiki.
During Kiki’s one-year training as a young witch in Kiki’s Delivery Service, Jiji remains by Kiki’s side at all times like the loyal cat he is (who says only dogs are loyal?). The outcome of Kiki’s budding powers involves a newfound ability to talk with Jiji in addition to Jiji’s duty as a lovable companion for Kiki.
In the English dub, Jiji (voiced by the famously talented, late Phil Hartman) exhibits comedic, sarcastic traits along with his more cynical outlook on life. In contrast, Jiji’s personality in the Japanese language manifests as more nurturing and cautious of the world around him. The two versions of the film allow audiences to engage with two alternate sides of Jiji’s character.
Another notable distinction between the English and Japanese versions of Kiki’s Delivery Service is the incorporation of Jiji’s extra dialogue in the English dub. Jiji grabs more speaking lines in the aforementioned version, which allows for an extended fleshing out of Jiji’s important character.
Principally, Kiki loses her ability to communicate with Jiji in the Japanese version, representing growth in Kiki’s character. Contrastingly, the English dub of the film implies that Kiki regains her speaking connection to the exuberant Jiji. Studio Ghibli cats exemplify the goals of appreciating cats on International Cat Day, and Jiji’s character is no exception.
Studio Ghibli’s Cats Of Whisper Of The Heart And The Cat Returns
While most Studio Ghibli films appear as stand-alone films, the 2002 movie The Cat Returns is attributed as a sequel to the 1995 animated Whisper of the Heart. Two relevant Studio Ghibli cats with smaller roles in Whisper of the Heart dominate as major characters in the swift-paced plot of The Cat Returns. Muta (or Moon in Whisper) and The Baron find themselves both as protectors and guides in the two films. Additionally, The Cat Returns introduces a new female feline, Yuki, who subtly manifests herself as an equally important character in the film. Both movies emphasize the responsibilities of these notable Studio Ghibli cats.
The Baron
The Baron is one of the most recognizable Studio Ghibli cats if you’ve even just glanced at the cover of The Cat Returns. In Whisper of the Heart, the dashing, top-hat-wearing orange cat enacts more of a symbolic narrative role. The protagonist of Whisper of the Heart, Shizuki is a passionate lover of books who immerses herself in a fantasy world, forgoing all other obligations. When Shizuki discovers a cat statuette named The Baron, she feels challenged to prove her talents as a writer by writing a novel about Baron.
Shopkeeper Nishi describes how the enigmatic expression of The Baron first captivated him in a cafe. However, the Baron statue was paired with an equally distinguished statue of a white cat named Louise. Due to this, Nishi was only able to purchase The Baron along with another woman who bought Louise simultaneously. The separation of Nishi from the woman also initiated the separation of the two figurines, inspiring Shizukis’ creative mind to bring the pair back together through a story of her own.
Whimsical scenes featuring the fantasy world of Shizuki’s novel bring The Baron to life in gorgeous Ghibli detail. The symbolic character of The Baron serves to heighten Shizuki’s self-esteem while also humbling her. Nishi later admits that Shizuki’s story about The Baron needs revision before completion that will come with further learning in the classroom. Thus, the presence of The Baron allows Shizuki to reevaluate the importance of attending school and focusing on the benefits of real interactions to better her character.
In the charming sequel, The Cat Returns, The Baron is one of the Studio Ghibli cats who returns to the screen as a saving central character. Protagonist Haru, shy and introverted, rescues a cat from imminent death by a moving vehicle. This inciting incident leads the introspective Haru into the Cat Kingdom after learning that she has an ability to talk to cats. Despite its glamour, Haru realizes the cat she saved was a Prince whom his father, the Cat King, intends for Haru to marry.
Like cats protecting their young, The Baron hatches a plan to rescue young Haru from turning into a cat forever and consummating a forceful marriage to the cat prince, Lune. Here, The Baron works tirelessly to shield Haru from all harm while entertaining viewers with his small stature and lilting British accent. Not a moment passes by without The Baron showcasing his analytical thinking skills and selfless nature. If you want to watch a movie that gives much-deserved screen time to intellectual cats, put The Cat Returns at the top of your watch list for International Cat Day.
Moon/Muta
Of all the Studio Ghibli cats, the food-gorging Muta emerges as an underrated feisty feline. Muta actually belongs to Nishi’s grandson Seiji in Whisper of the Heart, poignantly intertwining the lives of Shizuki the boy she comes to love. Dubbed “Moon” by Seiji, the name functions as a foreshadow for a name that significantly materializes again at the end of Muta’s larger performance in The Cat Returns.
Moon appears frequently throughout Whisper of the Heart as a silent guide for Shizuki. Although he doesn’t speak, Moon momentously leads the troubled protagonist into the shop with The Baron statuette. Crucially, Moon orchestrates the action and relationships of the plot in the film without ever speaking a word. Additionally, this great cat acts as a source of comfort for Shizuki as she learns to externalize her emotions over the duration of the movie.
Muta might find himself labeled a sidekick to the prolific Baron, but I find Muta an unsung hero himself in The Cat Returns. Without a doubt, Muta’s sarcasm and love for stuffing his face with food adds a unique dimension to the film. Muta inserts comic relief into an already comedic film, yet never strays from his role as a bodyguard to frightened protagonist, Haru. A pivotal cat character, Muta overcomes his indifferent mentality. Muta eventually rescues Haru from her unwanted fate right alongside The Baron in The Cat Returns.
International Cat Day celebrates cats of all shapes and sizes. The largely bellied Muta embodies a relatable passion for food and demonstrates relentless courage in this delightfully cat-centric film. At the end of The Cat Returns, Muta shockingly reveals his true identity that ties his character back to Whisper of the Heart. Despite his lesser-known status among other Studio Ghibli cats, Muta deserves as much recognition as The Baron.
Yuki
You may not remember the beautiful, white-furred Yuki from The Cat Returns when describing the enthralling Studio Ghibli cats. Regardless, the film utilizes her noteworthy character for both foreshadowing and flashback, a significant event in relation to the main protagonist, Haru. Yuki functions as much more than just a minor servant character in the palace of the Cat King as the movie originally portrays. As a warning, the next paragraph contains spoilers about Yuki’s identity.
When Haru first discovers her repressed ability to understand the language of cats, viewers witness a brief flashback to a young Haru feeding fish crackers to a dying white kitten struggling to breathe in the pouring rain. In the present day, Yuki first meets Haru in a field and gives the lost protagonist directions to find Muta in the Cat Kingdom. Oddly, we see Yuki worrying about the presence of Haru among the Cat Realm as Haru walks away. This transient moment implies that Yuki knows about Haru’s impending fate while Yuki unintentionally sends Haru straight into this fate without warning her of the dangers.
Later, Yuki reappears with obvious knowledge that Haru needs to leave the palace before the Cat King demands the marriage of Haru and Prince Lune. Yuki chiefly necessitates the escape for all three central characters, including Haru, The Baron, and Muta. We later discover that Yuki and Prince Lune already promised their hearts to one another which will promote the sly Yuki from an obedient servant to a commanding princess. Furthermore, Yuki proves her relevance in the film by informing Haru that Haru saved her life as a dying kitten in the rain so long ago. Honor the resilient, helpful Yuki among the essential Studio Ghibli cats for International Cat Day.
Lessons From The Studio Ghibli Cats
International Cat Day spreads love and awareness about protecting the cats of the world. Increasing knowledge about cat care through YouTube videos or webinars on this day proves beneficial to understanding the necessity of caring for these precious felines. Feral cat colonies run rampant throughout the United States, reproducing kittens by the hundreds.
We need to understand how to stop the needless deaths of cats worldwide incurred by the reckless behavior of a society that needs to protect our animals. Hopefully, the positive representation of these Studio Ghibli cats will ignite a desire to save these furry felines in reality like the film cats save their protagonists.