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Reviews
Neko no ongaeshi (2002)
Great family movie
"The Cat Returns" is a very good and positive children's cartoon. It tackles an important problem for every child, especially a schoolchild, - the inability to manage one's time. It is precisely the problem that the main character, Haru, is faced with. She goes on an epic adventure to a magical world of cats, where she'll have to overcome many challenges and become a stronger person. My only gripe with the movie is that I wish they showed us a little more of this peculiar setting, not limit us to the scenes in one small cat village and the royal palace. This gives me the impression that the Cat World only fits into the size of one small village and a castle, therefore, there should not be as many rich cats there as they are seen at the feast.
Apart from that, I have no other complaints: the artstyle is good, the characters are cute, even the crazy cat-king. It has beautiful music, especially the one that plays during the credits.
Also, in addition to the problem of inability to manage your time, there is another: the importance of helping others. Haru saves the cats - and the cats help her. From my point of view, this is a very good message for the kids: the authors teach the child to be sympathetic and kind, to help out those who are in trouble. The creators of the cartoon lead the little viewers through the beautiful world they created and to show how the problem they posed is solved and, of course, to bring pleasure - every decent family picture should be aimed at delivering it.
Jin-Rô (1999)
One of the best animated films of its era
Jin-Rô is an epic story that perfectly reflects on the problems of modern society. Despite the specific setting and the historical context (the film is based on the events in Germany in 1930's), the characters are striking in their realism and lack of pathos.
The main storyline is not about a particularly complicated relationship between a man and a woman, not even a struggle between the individual and society - it is primarily a struggle of a person with themselves and their self-awareness.
Sooner or later, each of us is faced with a choice: whether to become a "machine" of society and "do our duty", without thinking about the results of our actions, or, by overcoming many problems, live "as we please", independently choosing where, how and with whom.
Despite the deep meaning of the plot, the film still keeps you on the edge of you seat. Everything matters, every character and plotline.
Overall, this movie manages to perfectly maintain a steady balance between excitement and depth. This is a great work of art!