Das Königreich der Katzen (2002)

Das Königreich der Katzen: Directed by Hiroyuki Morita. With Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda, Takayuki Yamada. After helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life.

“After the wild but fully justified furore surrounding Spirited Away, Studio Ghibliu0026#39;s next production is a much lower key affair, clearly aimed at a younger market. Having said that, this cynical thirty-something loved it to bits. Ghibli purists seem to be somewhat snobbish about the studiou0026#39;s output, but If this is an example of one of their films designed more for harmless family entertainment, I can stand to see a lot more of it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enThis is a wonderful fantasy film, cute and funny, and full of remarkable and memorable characters. The animation is solid and detailed, occasionally even breathtaking, and the soundtrack is gorgeous. The brisk running time ensures the light story doesnu0026#39;t outstay its welcome. In fact, I could easily have watched more, and Iu0026#39;m already looking forward to Ghibliu0026#39;s or Miyazakiu0026#39;s next flight of fantasy.”