Ask John: Why Release The Cat Returns in America Before Whisper of the Heart?

Question:
I just read that Disney is planning to release the Ghibli movie The Cat Returns on DVD in Febuary. I am a Ghibli fan and I want to see this film but it is a sequel (or side story) to another film that, to the best of my knowledge, isn’t available here in the states yet. My question is why didn’t Disney release the first movie, Whisper of the Heart, before the sequel The Cat Returns?

Answer:
I’m sorry to say that I don’t know exactly why Disney has chosen to release The Cat Returns before releasing Whisper of the Heart in America, although I do have a guess. The three Studio Ghibli films scheduled for American release in February 2005 were originally intended to be Nausicaa, Porco Rosso, and Totoro, but Totoro was delayed and replaced with The Cat Returns. If we consider that Buena Vista has already released Laputa, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Mononoke Hime and Spirited Away on American DVD, the remaining Ghibli films, excluding the three to be released in February, are: Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart, My Neighbor the Yamadas, I Can Hear the Ocean, and Pom Poko. Four out of these five films are relatively realistic domestic dramas. Pom Poko is the only film among the five that features cute animals and adventure likely to appeal to children, but Pom Poko also features tanuki that make prominent use of their testicles, which may be deemed too risqu.$B!&.(Bfor typical Disney film American audiences. So among the Ghibli films not yet released on American DVD by Disney, Nausicaa, Porco Rosso, Totoro, The Cat Returns and Pom Poko are the most overtly exciting and family friendly ones. These are the films most likely to be popular among American consumers. Totoro is apparently unavailable and Pom Poko may cause some controversy, so The Cat Returns is the only remaining option.

Although Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart, My Neighbor the Yamadas, and I Can Hear the Ocean are good films, their slow pace and absence of overtly magical elements make them less likely to appeal to average American consumers. It’s a wise idea to expose Americans to Ghibli’s most whimsical and novel films first, to prepare American viewers for the less sensationalistic, more down-to-earth films like Whisper of the Heart. While Whisper of the Heart is unquestionably a better film than The Cat Returns, it would be a shame to have American consumers find Whisper of the Heart boring, and not come back later for the sequel. By releasing the most spectacular Ghibli films first, Buena Vista creates consumers that are more likely to be interested in watching Ghibli films, even if the films are more subtle and subdued. It’s a considerate compromise that I think ultimately benefits Buena Vista Home Video, and the success of anime itself in America.