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I watched all Ghibli movies. For the whole month of June 2020. pinaka memorable para saken ay ang "Spirited away" first ghibli movie na napanood ko, btw mas nauna ko panoorin yung English dubbed kesa sa Japanese dubbed. Napanood ko sya sa Disney channel wayback 2013. fastforward... bigla kong naisipan panoorin lahat ng Ghibli movies nung 2020 (all japanese dubbed naman. So i watch again Spirited away in jap dubbed ver) first japanese dubbed napanood ko ay ang "My neighbour Totoro" (the iconic ghibli logo)
TOP 1: Spirited Away 10/10%
Synopsis: Stubborn, spoiled, and naïve, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino is less than pleased when she and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park on the way to their new house. Cautiously venturing inside, she realizes that there is more to this place than meets the eye, as strange things begin to happen once dusk falls. Ghostly apparitions and food that turns her parents into pigs are just the start—Chihiro has unwittingly crossed over into the spirit world. Now trapped, she must summon the courage to live and work amongst spirits, with the help of the enigmatic Haku and the cast of unique characters she meets along the way. Vivid and intriguing, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi tells the story of Chihiro's journey through an unfamiliar world as she strives to save her parents and return home.
Overview:
The mopey Chihiro is throwing a small tantrum in her parents` car as they`re on their way to their new home. Understandably for a young child, she hates the idea of leaving her friends and adjusting to a new environment. Little does she know just how different her next environment would be when an ill-conceived shortcut leads the family to a mysterious bath house for the spirits. Her parents transform into pigs, and it`s up to Chihiro to make do on her own while she finds a way to undo the spell.
Story & Characters
Spirited Away is a window into Miyazaki`s imagination. Chihiro`s journey takes us at first to the Japanese-lore inspired bathhouse, ruled by (oddly enough) a western looking witch, and eventually to a place reminiscent of a European country side, with walking lamps, bouncing heads, and plenty of other wacky creatures in between. This is far from a trippy, scene-to-scene spectacle though. The story is grounded by and centered around the unlikely perseverance of Chihiro, who seems at first overly dependent, panicky and clumsy.
Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, the fantasy world that appears as if it could not be further from reality actually has numerous parallels to our own lives. There is room to pick each bit of symbolism apart, but the beauty of this film is that such a cerebral understanding isn`t necessary to really get this film. The transition between the awe that the magical world inspires at first to the familiarity we feel for it towards the end is so seamless that it is only after the film is finished that the metaphors for humans and human society become apparent.
At the end of the day, Spirited Away will very much be a recognizably Miyazaki film with a little environmentalism, and plenty of the sweet innocence of youth. It starts off though, on a bit of a heartbreaking note. Chihiro goes through bouts of despair for losing her parents and as painful as it is to see her sink, it is equally inspiring to see her pick herself up again and continue clumsily at whatever task was occupying her. Unlike most of Miyazaki`s female leads who tend to be beautiful, pretty, or cute (depending on the age group), Chihiro`s chubby cheeks and messy hair make her unmistakably plain. Neither is her personality bouncy as is the case with the vast majority of girls in animation. Other than her listlessness, there isn`t much to describe about her. It is her unremarkable nature that makes her so adorable as the film develops the earnestness in her character that is deeper, and more essential than her personality. Where the earnestness makes her admirable, the plainness makes her genuine, and lovable. We might laugh at her expressions when she touches something vile, or an instance of complete physical ineptitude, but in an affectionate way, not unlike how you might laugh at your niece for tripping over herself.
Visuals
Most critics acclaim Miyazaki for the whimsy in his animation, but equally remarkable is the detail that conveys humanity. Chihiro physically expresses herself in more ways than most animated characters. To start, her repertoire of facial expressions is more compete than most, but more importantly, it`s the conscious effort made to put both personality and realism in her movements. One example is when Chihiro must walk down a steep staircase along the side of a tall building. Instead of conveying her terror with a facial expression and ginger steps down the stairs, she gets on her butt and essentially crawls down the steps feet first, treating each rung like a near death experience. It takes some creativity to think up such an extreme, yet human manifestation of fear. The animation shows a layer of humanity that dialogue can`t approach. Regarding the backgrounds and overall visual theme, it is gorgeous and also quite expansive. There are images of luscious greenery, bright and extravagant decor in the bath house, and the serene, pastel-y colors of the countryside.
Sound
Piano and string centric pieces go nicely with the downbeat scenes in the film. The antics are accompanied by bright, stop-and-go pieces and the more dramatic scenes get the full orchestral treatment. It works well, but is largely unremarkable. The voice acting is wonderful on both tracks. The English voice actors capture the same essence in the characters as their Japanese counterparts with the exception of Chihiro. Chihiro`s Japanese performance makes her sound older than her age, but fittingly in the dumps, while her English voice is brighter, faster, but more believably childish.
Spirited Away spans moods, settings and emotions in a way that no other Ghibli film does. More so than even Princess Mononoke, this film is epic. This time, it manages to balance the typical innocence associated with the studio to create something that is intelligent, but also tugs at the heart strings in the most primal way.
TOP 2: Howl's Moving Castle 10/10%
Synopsis: That jumbled piece of architecture, that cacophony of hissing steam and creaking joints, with smoke billowing from it as it moves on its own... That castle is home to the magnificent wizard Howl, infamous for both his magical prowess and for being a womanizer—or so the rumor goes in Sophie Hatter's small town. Sophie, as the plain daughter of a hatmaker, does not expect much from her future and is content with working hard in the shop.
However, Sophie's simple life takes a turn for the exciting when she is ensnared in a disturbing situation, and the mysterious wizard appears to rescue her. Unfortunately, this encounter, brief as it may be, spurs the vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste—in a fit of jealousy caused by a past discord with Howl—to put a curse on the maiden, turning her into an old woman.
In an endeavor to return to normal, Sophie must accompany Howl and a myriad of eccentric companions—ranging from a powerful fire demon to a hopping scarecrow—in his living castle, on a dangerous adventure as a raging war tears their kingdom apart.
Basically the story is about a young girl name Sophie, who believes that it is impossible for her to have a fun an exciting life. That all changed when she decides to go out on an errand from her safe haven called home. She is then cursed by a witch, and becomes an old lady and somehow is able to live with Howl in his moving castle.
Story
The overall plot was just well done. The way the movie moved was great and the pace it went was just right. Even in all of these great things there are some flaws I do see. Like the lack of details in some of the events in the movie like the war. It just felt like the movie could be longer and have more explanations on some of the things that happens, but overall the plot was great.
Art
The scenery in this movie was just beautiful and realistic. Many of the scenery especially in the cities are just detailed and stunning. The characters all looked great and were all well drawn. Especially Sophie and her ever changing age look. All of the characters looked nice and Howl's castle just looked incredibly detailed.
Sound
The music used in this anime fitted perfectly and it was just harmonious. It was great and enjoyable, and the changing voice of Sophie was also well done to help indicate her age.
Character
The character development was well done. Like how Howl changes along with Sophie. And many other characters. The rate they change and the amount of interaction they have was done at a nice pace. However, there are moments where you just feel that there are parts that are missing. And like it is an almost complete puzzle, like the very corner piece is missing.
I really liked this movie. I just loved it because I just feel like it was one of those "classic" anime movie that everyone should watch at least once in their life. Miyazaki is just a wonderful director and I just think you should watch all of his works. Well it was an extremely cute story that I loved, very much like Spirited Away. Overall it is a wonderful film that is worth watching. Well hope you enjoy!
TOP 3: Princess Mononoke 10/10%
Synopsis: When an Emishi village is attacked by a fierce demon boar, the young prince Ashitaka puts his life at stake to defend his tribe. With its dying breath, the beast curses the prince's arm, granting him demonic powers while gradually siphoning his life away. Instructed by the village elders to travel westward for a cure, Ashitaka arrives at Tatara, the Iron Town, where he finds himself embroiled in a fierce conflict: Lady Eboshi of Tatara, promoting constant deforestation, stands against Princess San and the sacred spirits of the forest, who are furious at the destruction brought by the humans. As the opposing forces of nature and mankind begin to clash in a desperate struggle for survival, Ashitaka attempts to seek harmony between the two, all the while battling the latent demon inside of him. Princess Mononoke is a tale depicting the connection of technology and nature, while showing the path to harmony that could be achieved by mutual acceptance.
Overview
The story is basically can be summed up as Man's conflict against the natural world. While this may be a good summarization it also could be misleading because with Mononoke we don't get a classic good vs evil plot. The fascination I have with this film stems from the many groups that are at conflict with one another and how no one is truly the evildoer. We have nature battling with human civilization while within itself there are humans trying to topple each other. The story revolves around how self-destructive we are as human beings and how we haven't realized we are innate in nature. The movie gives us parallels of the battles that the humans face with each other while still all congregating together for that one perceived enemy in the film, nature. All in all the film tries to communicate a deep message through the story and it leaves the viewer with a lasting impression.
Story and Characters
The characters in this film are fascinating. Particularly Ashitaka and Princess Mononoke. We follow the story through Ashitaka's experiences with the different warring groups in the story. He always is the rational character in the movie and he openly tries to correct the irrationalities the other characters have. he serves as the medium which communicates the overall story and how meaningless the conflict can be found to be. He is extremely brave and he usually gets himself in dangerous situations in order to show the others their incorrect ways. Princess Mononoke is another intricately created character which is full of mystery. She seems to detest fellow humans for their selfish egotism and hostility towards earth and its inhabitants. Lady Eboshi is the a character some may mistakenly confuse for the villain of the movie. I think this would be more prevalent with western viewers like myself. The reason for this is they might seem to mistake her as another modern day oil baron except she is much more than that. Her main goal is to protect her people, particularly the other women who live in the city. She feels in order to do this She has to pursue the industrialization of her city in order to protect her people from the samurais and beasts of nature.
Visuals
In the animation department this is a Studio Ghibli film so you obviously will get an amazing experience visually at least. With this film though I feel the animation captures the essence of nature. It does this with the various beasts and mystical characters Miyazaki created. There are even gods in this movie which helps bring about the feeling that nature is alive. You will enjoy the action sequences in this movie. Especially the battles between Lady Eboshi and Princess Mononoke. I also think the use of CGI in this film was done well and this is coming from someone who despises CGI.
Sound
The music in this movie is beautiful. Its the kind that can put you in a trance that you wouldn't want to ever wake up from. Especially the main theme song. A lot of the music puts you in the right mood for the film. Especially the more darker music which is used during scenes with the beasts of nature. The battle scenes also have plesant sounds and the sword fights don't contain the same sword clashing sound *cough Nausicaa cough*.
TOP 4: My Neighbour totoro 10/10% (THE ICONIC GHIBLI LOGO)
Synopsis: In 1950s Japan, Tatsuo Kusakabe relocates himself and his two daughters, Satsuki and Mei, to the countryside to be closer to their mother, who is hospitalized due to long-term illness. As the girls grow acquainted with rural life, Mei encounters a small, bunny-like creature in the yard one day. Chasing it into the forest, she finds "Totoro"—a giant, mystical forest spirit whom she soon befriends. Before long, Satsuki too meets Totoro, and the two girls suddenly find their lives filled with magical adventures in nature and fantastical creatures of the woods.
Story
My Neighbor Totoro is simple and whimsical. Although the story is a children's fable, the heart of the tale can draw out the child in everyone. The movie begins in a period of transition for a family, and the movie concludes alongside the end of the transition. The finished product is like a meaningful photograph. The events occurring in the story or picture are not life changing. It's the memory and feeling you take away that holds the worth of the story in Totoro. However, the story is not ground-breaking or awe-inspiring. But the it is delightful and unforgettable.
Art
Consistent, good quality in animation can do wonders for the experience, and this work is another fantastic example of Studio Ghibli's dedication to their art. The scenery in the film is immersive, and the world painted before our eyes is just out of reach, detached pleasantly from reality. The animation is not on par with the works Ghibli produces today, but the animation is still fantastic.
Sound
The voice acting is good, and the sisters' actors are pleasantly convincing. However, their father always sounds less happy than he appears. Also, the acting for the different Totoro sounds too human for their completely non-human appearances. Although there won't be many musical moments that will stick with you after the viewing, the music is charming and fits perfectly with the events taking place. The show's audio succeeds in making this already joyous world more delightful.
Character
The characters of Totoro are relentlessly likable. Even though there is little character development, the everyday life appeal of these characters is so genuine and endearing. Yet as fun as these characters are, the lack of character progression leaves a longing for more. The glimpse into their lives is all too brief, which can be good and bad, showing just how attached you can become to this little family. Yet this element is a slight detriment to the power and draw of each character.
- Totoro is utterly delightful. The show is meant to put the viewer into the best mood possible, and it succeeds on many levels. The scenes are creative and curious and the characters make you laugh and smile. As endearing and involving as the show can be, the plots avoid hitting on the heart strings and emotions. Thus, at no point does the show place the viewer in suspense and tension, allowing the show to be pleasantly blissful.
Overall
My Neighbor Totoro is a movie brimming to the rim with fun and games. What really makes Totoro work is how openly the film acknowledges its simple, child-like style. Sometimes overly optimistic titles can overwhelm viewers with unrealistic and unnecessary happiness. With Totoro the film is happy but not overly so. There is realism within the fantastical here, and that realism makes the joy and laughter genuine, grounded, and accessible. My Neighbor Totoro is a story for all ages within the vessel of a children's fable.
TOP 5: When Marnie was there 10/10% (ONE OF THE SADDEST ANIME MOVIE)
Synopsis: Suffering from frequent asthma attacks, young Anna Sasaki is quiet, unsociable, and isolated from her peers, causing her foster parent endless worry. Upon recommendation by the doctor, Anna is sent to the countryside, in hope that the cleaner air and more relaxing lifestyle will improve her health and help clear her mind. Engaging in her passion for sketching, Anna spends her summer days living with her aunt and uncle in a small town near the sea.
One day while wandering outside, Anna discovers an abandoned mansion known as the Marsh House. However, she soon finds that the residence isn't as vacant as it appears to be, running into a mysterious girl named Marnie. Marnie's bubbly demeanor slowly begins to draw Anna out of her shell as she returns night after night to meet with her new friend. But it seems there is more to the strange girl than meets the eye—as her time in the town nears its end, Anna begins to discover the truth behind the walls of the Marsh House.
Omoide no Marnie tells the touching story of a young girl's journey through self-discovery and friendship, and the summer that she will remember for the rest of her life.
Story
12yr-old Anna hasn't had a good life. Her existence is empty. She sketches drawings in her notebook. She goes to school. She returns home. Plagued by severe asthma attacks and a total lack of self-esteem, Anna finds herself bitter and alone, lashing out at the classmates who briefly attempted to befriend her and her step-parents who she currently could not feel more alienated from. Becoming increasingly worried over Anna's mental state and the severity of her asthma attacks, Anna's step-mother Yoriko sends her off from the hustle and bustle of their home of Sapporo to live for the summer in the countryside with her aunt and uncle, hoping that the fresh air and small country town will bring Anna focus and happiness in her chaotic life.
Anna finds little to dampen the burning isolation she feels from other people while living with her aunt and uncle, until she stumbles upon The Marsh House, an enigmatic mansion falling into disrepair, which Anna finds herself inexplicably drawn to. There, Anna meets Marnie, a girl that seems at first to be a polar opposite to Anna, as she takes delight from life and other people, relishing her lavish lifestyle of parties and dancing provided by her rich-as-hell parents. The two girls connect and quickly become unlikely friends(almost too quickly, actually), and seemingly, for the first time in her life, Anna has found a true confidant. But as she starts to learn more about Marnie, Anna quickly begins to wonder if all is quite how Marnie tells it, and whether her new friend is hiding something from her. And of course, it doesn't help that everything about Marnie is mysterious as hell, to the way she seems to appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, or whenever Anna says goodbye to Marnie, Anna wakes up in a strange place without remembering how she got there. As revelations around Marnie's identity slowly begin to come into view, Anna herself must start to question what is truly important to her, as she discovers the little wonders of the people and the world around her that just maybe, could make life worth living.
If that sounded a little heavy to you for a Ghibli film, get used to it, When Marnie Was There is likely one of the most thematically dense films Ghibli have done for awhile, from the very serious arc of depression that our main character goes through, to the surprisingly gripping and intense mystery that surrounds Marnie's whole existence. In that way, the film almost seems more like a supernatural mystery than anything, as it slowly unwinds the setting and characters into one single payoff; very much not the same cloth as the fantasy adventure or romance that Studio Ghibli usually bring to the table. Also just as a side-note, yeah, I'm not sure if I just misunderstood the marketing message of this film prior to release, but going into the film, I was honestly expecting a full-fledged romance between Anna and Marnie that was peppered with supernatural elements(because hell, anime has been depicting lesbian relationships since Sailor Moon all the way back in 1992, a.k.a, before I was even born), but I would encourage you not to approach the film with this mindset if you were. Sure, there might be an argument that the first half is somewhat romantic, but as the supernatural mystery takes over later on, it is revealed that Anna and Marnie's relationship is not like that at all, so much so that I wonder why the first half of the movie seemed to so strongly hint at romantic development. I mean sure, maybe I was just misconceiving the dialouge because I really wanted to see how well Ghibli would handle a lesbian relationship, but when the girls are saying things like "I love you more than any girl I've ever known" to one-another, can you really blame me for thinking it was going that direction?
Anyway, I've spent far too much time on that, so now let's go into the inner-working of the movie itself. As I've already stated, the whole thing plays out more like a supernatural mystery, which spends the first half mostly fleshing out Anna's character, before leaping right into the whole Marnie mystery later on. To get right to it, it surprised me just how well the whole mystery aspect of the film worked, it got me excited and guessing for what was coming next, and left so many great little hints and clues throughout that kept my brain thinking, trying to figure out the big revelation before the film actually revealed it. But mystery isn't all the film has to offer. I mentioned before that When Marnie Was There is much heavier thematically-wise than most other Ghibli films, and this is because it is excellent at depicting the complexity and subtly of human emotion. I'll get more specific when I get to the characters portion of this review, but regardless of their role in the plot, I never felt like any of the actions the characters took, no matter how dramatic they were, weren't always were justified in the context of the plot. To put it simply, the film feels exceedingly human, that's genuine with its actions and messages about life, and for how much of a crazy medium anime can be sometimes, what with the ninja girls, giant robots and talking cats, that's amazingly enlivening. Needless to say, when you pair the engaging mystery of the film and the background of human psychology to drive it, I really was ready to add When Marnie Was There to near the top of the list of my favorite Studio Ghibli films. All it now needed to do it wrap up the mystery concisely and awesomely, and give an emotional pay-off so desperately needed for the characters. ...Yeah, for how much I like this film... here comes the asterisk.
When it comes to sticking the landing, I feel When Marnie Was There was unable, but my reasoning is a little complicated, so bear with me. I watched this film with my whole family, because you know, that's really the only way to watch a Ghibli film, and I think the possible answers to the mystery that we came up with while watching were way better than the answer the film actually had in store. Okay, so don't get me wrong, the final revelation makes complete sense, mostly, if you're paying attention, but that's not my problem with it. I'll get a little more into this at the end of this review, but with the build-up it was having, I can't help but feel that When Marnie Was There sort of played it safe at the end there. Because... let's see... how to word it. The film ended in a way that if you have seen any Studio Ghibli film, you can probably guess the way the film handles its very final scenes. But... it didn't need to.
Characters
The only characters that really matter here are Marnie and Anna, so I'll just quickly gloss over the supporting cast. The supporting cast, that is mostly made up of Anna's estranged family and classmates, aren't important in terms of their characterization as much as they are important to develop the main cast. They exist only to show the changing mind-set of the film's leads, rarely having any particularly interesting traits or development of their own. Which is fine I guess, but judging from the moral that the film decides to wave in the air at the end, a stronger supporting cast really would have helped reinforced it. But When Marnie Was There really doesn't have it, in fact, only one other character really matters besides the main duo in the film's second and third acts, and before you ask, that character is just another tool for Anna's development.
Next is Marnie, the mysterious resident of The Marsh House. Lively and enthusiastic, Marnie is the one to initial pull Anna out of her shell of self-deprecation, which honestly, when you look at the film's thematic stitching, is sort of a brilliant move. Without spoiling too much, Marnie for the most part represents an opposite mind-set to the same situation, and as that trait mostly takes up her screen-time and thus is fleshed out, playing partly into Anna's development, the inherent tragedy of her character really doesn't seem that forced or melodramatic. Ultimately, I don't think Marnie is quite as good a character as our other main heroine, but she still is one of the more interesting characters to come out of Ghibli films recently, whose main characters' one-dimensional viewpoints could be rather taxing sometimes.
Now, it's time to talk about Anna, and holy Haruhi Suzumiya director Yonebayashi, thank you for Anna, who is possibly the best part of this entire movie. I always have pushed that anime needs more asshole protagonists in general, because I love me some asshole protagonists. Now, most people hate asshole protagonists because they're assholes, but in a medium where "pure waifu" female leads are too common, whenever I see a female protagonist that doesn't have an innocent personality, archetypal qualities, or eyes that are the approximate size of dinner plates, I find it exceedingly refreshing. Anna completely owns the first half of the movie(before the mystery takes primary focus that is), her character capturing perfectly the actions of a lost, bitter girl who doesn't know what to do or what she wants. A lesser movie would make Anna a really hard character to like, however, her characterization is so freakin' on point that it becomes impossible to dislike her just on the account of how well written she is. From her mannerisms, to her inner monologues, to the actions that lack them, you begin to understand that no matter how much the classmates that Anna has lashed out at dislike her, she dislikes herself more, and after that becomes apparent, it becomes hard not to cheer for her as she struggles to find her own answer. Besides from maybe a few others, Anna is by far my favorite Ghibli protagonist, and it was the desire to see how her character would play out that kept me going as the plot slowly started to move towards something I really hoped it would avoid.
Animation & Sound
Sweet Yuki Nagato in an Evangelion, I honestly thought I had seen the peak of Ghibli animation when I saw The Wind Rises for the first time, but low and behold, Ghibli animators find a way to push what I think they are capable of. This is probably the most impressed I've been with an anime's artwork since Nagi no Asukara(which I'm still amazed by how great it looked since it was a 26-episode show), and for good reason. Everything is at its absolute best, from the moving parts to the amount of expression shown by the character models, but without a doubt, what really shines is the absolutely beautiful backgrounds. I lost count how many times I simply wanted to pause the movie, take a screenshot of whatever background was on the screen and hang it up in my bedroom; it really looks that good most of the time, with astonishing detail and vividness of colors that really punctuate the setting and giving it more personality, which is nice, because all things considered, the art-style really does nothing more than provide ambiance instead of thematic clues most of the time. But that's a nit-pick if I've ever said one. That was really me grasping for straws, the animation is honestly nearly perfect.
As with most Ghibli films, the soundtrack of When Marnie Was There is one mostly for atmosphere with one exception. This time around the music was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu, who honestly has really done nothing worth mentioning, and it shows. Nothing really stands out honestly, the OST is mostly made of slow instrumental pieces that help the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. I'd say it's just kind of okay, if it wasn't for one specific song that plays during the end of the movie: Fine On The Outside by artist Priscilla Ahn. It's rare for a song to encapsulate the piece of media it belongs to, and even rarer for it to do it well, and even rarer for it to be as emotionally potent as this. Maybe it has something to do with how the entire song is in English and I can understand everything that's being said, but I really find this song simple, yet very emotionally heavy with its delivery... much like the film itself.
TOP 6: The secret world of arriety 9.7/10% underrated ghibli movie
Synopsis: While spending the summer at his aunt's house, the young but sickly Shou makes an amazing discovery: after following the house cat into the bushes, he gets a glimpse of a miniature girl about the size of his finger! Calling her kind "Borrowers," as they survive on tiny bits of human possessions, the girl introduces herself as Arrietty. As he discovers that she lives in the house basement with her parents, Pod and Homily, Shou becomes imaginably excited at the idea of such unique neighbors.
However, he fails to understand the adversities they face on a daily basis. In addition to keeping their existence hidden, they must also embark on perilous adventures into human territory, from the house to the outdoors, in order to make a living. Despite her parents' warnings, Arrietty befriends Shou, stirring up unexpected events that may change their lives forever. Delighting the eye and conquering the heart, the breath-taking story of a friendship transcending the tensions between two different human kinds begins.
"No friendship is too small." Here I start to wonder whether or not I could relate to that. All jokes aside, this is a kid's movie.The film’s genre is fantasy that stretches out to the Shonen and Seinen crowds. The story itself holds common qualities from all Ghibli films: adventurous, graceful, enchanting and simply lovable. The plot is very simple and holds the basic concepts from the original British novel: The Borrowers. The conflict is a pretty broad concept of keeping the very existence of the Borrowers a mystery so that they can actually live safe lives. The plot progresses pretty well and shows effortless mastery.
Studio Ghibli is quite renowned for it’s rather large portfolio of acclaimed family movies, and you could definitely add Karigurashi no Arrietty to that list. Ghibli usually makes two types of movies, either fantasy movies that focus on themes that are rather critical of problems in society (Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke and Nausicca come to mind), whereas in more recent times we’ve seen more slice-of-life fantasy adventure movies. Arrietty fits more into the latter, with it’s setting being modern day society with a small little twist; there are tiny, tiny people living under the house, and they borrow from humans to survive. Tiny as in maybe 5-8 centimeters tall.
Story
One of the charming aspects to this movie is, without a doubt, the amount of attention paid to the little details that makes the presence of little people so believable. The creative, yet simple, ways in which Arrietty and her family are portrayed are captivating, such as the little toolsets Arrietty’s family made in order to explore the “human” house. They use everyday items like fishing hooks, double-sided scotch tape, and spools of thread to create their own little sets of backpacks filled with tools they use to make their lives a little easier, and make the characters fascinatingly believable. The creativity and thought put into the tiny details are awesome, from the fishing hooks and scotch tape, to the little neat cubes of sugar that fits like a well-sized package in the hands of Arrietty.
What I really enjoyed about this movie is how it is told from the point of view of little Arrietty as opposed to the perspective of us “regular humans”. Simple things that you could find in your everyday backyard, from Arrietty’s perspective, all of a sudden have a grandiose feeling to them. Things such as a simple vine you could find creeping across the wall of any old house transforms into an intricate ladder of leaves and stems to the rooftops, or a field of grass and flowers becomes a vast forest. This movie takes your everyday backyard, and turns it into a vast new world to explore. It doesn’t hurt that the scenery and artwork was vibrant and lush with color.
Sound
The soundtrack is especially fitting for this movie. The absense of Joe Hisashi’s music in this Ghibli film is instantly noticable, and while some of the pieces here may lack a slight bit of the grandeur of Hisashi’s works, the soundtrack is still well done. What is a bit unusual here is how the soundtrack was actually done by Cécile Corbel, a French singer and Celtic harpist, who was a huge fan of Ghibli works and sent samples of her work to the studio. The Celtic influence in the soundtrack is immediately noticeable, but it was definitely an excellent choice on Ghibli’s part.
Characters
Characterization of the actual characters wasn’t exactly anything mindblowingly original or exotic, but the main cast was rather believable for the most part, and had their own charms to them. I found the innocently curious, yet straightforward and resolute attitude of Arrietty quite likable. Her rather odd relationship with Sho, as well as how Sho perceived her, turned out to be quite fascinating and, in a sense, admirable. The subtle tension between the elusive tiny people, and the gigantic humans, are played upon quite well here, which adds quite a few tense moments between Arrietty and Sho. I’d say characterization was quite tastefully handled here for the most part.
And now, for the biggest weakness for this movie. The plot progression and characterization were all fine and all, but the conflict and villain were practically a joke in terms of setup. Seriously, what grudge did old lady Haru have against the little guys? They didn’t explain in detail why she was hunting out the little people, giving only a flimsy excuse that they’re “theives” in a degrogatory tone. The villain just felt very underwhelming, and just doesn’t fit in with this movie’s atmosphere at all. The conflict was kind of discredited in my eyes because of the poorly integrated main antagonist, and there is certainly room for improvement here. Plot progression, while fine and all, was also rather slow at times. While I personally didn’t mind the slow pacing (it lets things sink in more), there were definitely plenty of slowly-paced scenes in this movie.
What makes Arrietty a great watch is the tremendous attention to the details of it’s setting, the beautiful art and music, and the wonderful direction for it’s characters. The plot is admittingly lacking (especially the major conflict, oh boy could it have used some more work), but as a premier film for a new director, this film turned out to be an pleasant surprise. The ending does feel very open ended, though, with a lot of loose ends that feel as if they have yet to be tied up. While the likelihood of a sequel for a Ghibli movie is very slim, I would be totally fine with a sequel for this particular movie.
TOP 7: The wind rises 9.5/10% Naoko and Jirou "Best couple" in Ghibli movies
Synopsis: Although Jirou Horikoshi's nearsightedness prevents him from ever becoming a pilot, he leaves his hometown to study aeronautical engineering at Tokyo Imperial University for one simple purpose: to design and build planes just like his hero, Italian aircraft pioneer Giovanni Battista Caproni. His arrival in the capital coincides with the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, during which he saves a maid serving the family of a young girl named Naoko Satomi; this disastrous event marks the beginning of over two decades of social unrest and malaise leading up to Japan's eventual surrender in World War II.
For Jirou, the years leading up to the production of his infamous Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft will test every fiber of his being. His many travels and life experiences only urge him onward—even as he realizes both the role of his creations in the war and the harsh realities of his personal life. As time marches on, he must confront an impossible question: at what cost does he chase his beautiful dream?
Ladies and gentlemen... This is it. For over 44 years, Hayao Miyazaki crafted stories and worlds that felt more than just watching animated movies made in Japan but became an experience for audiences to be part of those worlds. Seriously, I love Hayao Myazaki's movies and say what you want about them being repetitive but goddamn, does his movies always bring me a smile on my face. I'll never forget the beauty of the trees and open fields from My Neighbor Totoro with it's giant furry Totoro flying on it's magical yoyo at night while the girls tag along for the ride, the atmospheric and spiritual world that Spirited Away was, the epic battle of man and nature from Princess Mononoke, the cartoony adventure of Lupin in The Castle Of Cagliostro and I will never forget the engaging world that Miyazaki crafted in Howl's Moving Castle ( That's right, I love Howl's Moving Castle, so bite me). When the news hit that The WInd Rises will be Miyazaki's last film, I did cry but understood his reasonings over this film being his last work since the man is getting old and he can't direct animated films forever. Hell, the man deserves a damn long rest cause he earned it and looking back on all the work he had to go through, it's no mystery why and I wouldn't mind if Goro Miyazaki took over directing and writing duties for his father on possible upcoming Studio Ghibli films. Released back in July 20 2013 in Japan, the film received huge critical acclaim while causing some controversy that I will later talk on the review. After getting out of the showing with a couple of my friends, we were breathless and we had no idea how we could describe the film on words but as for me, there was only one word that describes The Wind Rises.
The Wind Rises is just... just... lovely. To be sincere, words are weak when describing the pure ambitious scope and scale that Miyazaki went with this. He takes old animation tricks that he mastered in the past and just expands on the limitless possibilities that hand-drawn animation can be capable off while giving his damn best into crating a wonderful story of dreams and ambitions and in the end, he pulls it off perfectly in the end. Mesmerizing, breathtaking and ambitious, The Wind Rises is Miyazaki's greatest achievement in his career and a fitting end to his legacy that he created all those years ago.
Story
The Wind Rises tells a fictionalized story of Jiro Horikoshi, an aircraft designer that created both the Mitsubishi A5M and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircrafts that were used by the Empire Of Japan during WW2 including on the assault on Pearl Harbor. In the film, it tells the story of Jiro's journey into becoming an aircraft designer because he loved planes and he was inspired by the dreams he had about Caproni (his full name his Giovanni Battista Caproni and he is a real life person that worked as an aircraft designer. aeronautical, civil and electrical engineer) and his fascination into creating planes because he wanted man to fly the skies but instead, men uses planes for war or their own selfish needs. Later on, we see Jiro working on crafting the best airfighters that he can come up with and while he had it's ups and downs, he still kept on going and in the end, he succeeded into making the best planes in his career, even it his creations were used for war in the end.
Characters
Now, this is where a lot of people took a lot of criticism over the story in The Wind Rises like the inaccurate portrayal of Jiro, the romance between Jiro and Naoko that never happened in real life or the fact that our main character is a man who designed planes to be built as killing machines during WW2. To be honest, I would like to say that I barely cared if Miyazaki took historical liberties while making the movie because it is historical fiction and by that, I mean that it isn't supposed to be accurate to the real life Jiro Horikoshi cause this is his own unique take on the life of the famous aircraft designer while still respecting the hardships that the man went through. Look at films like Anonymous, Amadeus, Prince Of Egypt and Titanic. All those films I mentioned are historically inaccurate but they were still good movies because they understood the importance of that certain famous person and filmmakers do their best into making a film that deals with important people in our human history while taking liberties from the biography of certain real-life people. It's just a movie and people today should stop complaining on how filmmakers handle real life people because in the end, we all know that it isn't real and we will always have books that tell the actual true story of that certain real life person. I also didn't mind the romance subplot between Jiro and Naoko cause for me, those moments with Jiro and Naoko are my favorite moments throughout the entire film. I love their relationship on how they met or just how cute they play off each other. I won;t ruin it for you but man, Jiro and Naoko are cute couples together. Also, the main journey of Jiro himself was engaging and while it is inaccurate, you can see the hardships, effort and confidence that Jiro went through into making his planes powerful and strong despite his creations being used for war cause in WW2 in Japan, they used planes as weapons or to be designed as bombers.
Visuals
The animation in The Wind Rises is absolutely breathtaking. As if Studio Ghibli movies cannot look any better than this, Miyazaki went balls out on the animation and visual style on the film as the backgrounds look phenomenal, the sheer detail put into the design and colors of the planes (THOSE PLANES LOOK AMAZING IN ANIMATION FORM) or the wonderful atmosphere that the film portrays, The Wind Rises excels in the animation department and offering one of Ghibli's best artistic efforts ever put on an animated film. The animation shines even higher during the fantastical dream sequences that evokes an atmosphere that triggers emotions of happiness, calmness and dreadfulness that few animated films don't rely on. The music by Joe Hisaishi is, once again, pure musical bliss with powerful piano pieces and fantastic use of orchestral music that adds an extra layer of depth to an already wonderful journey of dreams and hardships. Since this is the last Miyazaki film, the English dub team had to make sure that they would be up for the task on making the best English dub version for The Wind Rises and surprise, the English dub is perfect in every way. Thanks to the wonderful effort of ADR director Gary Rydstrom, who directed the dubs for other Ghibli films like From Up On Poppy Hill and The Secret World Of Arrietty, and it's well chosen cast, the dub is now one of my favorite dubs I've ever had the privilege to listen to. Joseph Gordon Levitt is perfectly casted as Jiro as he delivers a strong performance that not only he proves that he is a great actor but that he can expand into different territories of performances aside from doing live-action projects. His lines and emotional deliveries are wonderfully executed and I can't wait to see Gordon tackle on more animated projects in the future. As for the other roles, Emily Blunt was beautifully casted as Naoko and adding a sense of tenderness and warmth into the role while Stanley Tucci was fantastic as Caproni and his Italian accent is spot on, Martin Short was hilarious as Kurokawa and all the other actors including William H. Macy, Elijah Wood, John Krasinski, Werner Herzog, Mae Whitman and Zach Callison were all wonderful in their roles. Hands down, the best English dub that Disney ever put on a Studio Ghibli film.
The Wind Rises is a another masterpiece from the great Hayao Miyazaki himself and a farewell to one of Japan's greatest film animator and director of all time. There's not much else to say about the film but that you should go see it now cause it is one animated film like no other and it looks like we won't get another one quite like this. "The wind is rising. We must try to live" - Paul Valéry
TOP 8: Ponyo 9.3/10%
Synopsis: A goldfish sneaks away from home and floats off on the back of a jellyfish. After getting stuck in a glass jar, she drifts to the shore where she is freed by Sousuke, a five-year-old boy who lives with his mother Lisa in a house by the sea while his father Koichi works on a fishing boat. After healing a cut on Sousuke's finger by licking it, the goldfish is named Ponyo by her new friend.
Unknown to Sousuke, Ponyo already has a name and a family. Her father Fujimoto, a sorcerer who forsook his humanity to live underwater, searches frantically for his daughter Brunhilde. When found and captured, Ponyo rejects her birth name and declares that she wants to become a human. Using the power received from Sousuke's blood, she grows arms and legs and escapes to the surface once more. But the magic released into the ocean causes an imbalance in nature, causing the Moon to start falling out of orbit and the tides to grow dangerously stronger. Reunited with Ponyo, Sousuke must pass an ancient test to restore order in the world and let his companion live on as a human.
Story:
Ponyo is a simple love story at it’s heart. And I say "love" in its purest sense, because it’s not quite familial love, but it’s not quite romantic love as well. The relationship between the two kids is unique and full of life. If Sosuke is a bit disturbed by Ponyo’s fish roots, or her tendency to look like a chicken when she’s drawing upon her magical powers, he doesn’t let on at all. Conversely, Ponyo’s love is pure dedication as she literally transforms from a fish into a human and travels across the oceans to get back to Sosuke. The love story is cute, sweet and free from all the typical angsty drama.
Unfortunately, there’s also a more supernatural and dramatic element to the story which is woefully underdeveloped. There’s no backstory to why Ponyo’s father cast aside his humanity to retreat to the seas. There’s also no backstory on what Ponyo’s mother is and what she does. But more egregiously, we’re told at the end that Sosuke’s true love for Ponyo saved the world from annihilation. Why or what that annihilation was is a complete mystery. I think it had to do with the moon getting too close to Earth, but I have no clue, and it’s a curious missing piece from the story.
Animation:
It’s beautiful. Stunningly beautiful. Maybe not as steampunk detailed like Howl’s Moving Castle, or as bizarre and otherworldly as Spirited Away, but the attention to detail is amazing. You’ll notice an interesting detail, or a flourish of movement in every scene. It’s mind-boggling to me that all this was done without CGI. The character designs are interesting, but typical Miyazaki. But I did like Ponyo in goldfish form actually. She was just so adorably cute.
Sound:
If the story was somewhat lacking, the animation and sound more than make up for it. The opening sequence reminded me of Fantasia, with the orchestral background and the myriad of sea creatures on screen. From there, it’s just orchestral bliss throughout. It feels like there’s never a moment where there’s not at least a woodwind or a violin playing quietly in the background. You definitely notice it every step of the way, but not because it’s distracting, but because of how good it sounds, and how it always seems to complement the mood so fittingly. I didn’t recognize any of the voice actors, but the VA work is solid, and I especially liked Ponyo’s seiyuu, especially when she’s saying "I want ham!"
Characters:
Ponyo is a movie for kids, so there’s not a whole lot of character development. Ponyo is a headstrong, high-energy, heart on her sleeve goldfish. Sosuke is the naive but bright-eyed and good natured kid. Risa is the strong backbone of her family and community. While Ponyo’s parents balance out the eccentricity scale. They are what they are, and they don’t change too much during the movie. But the chemistry between all the characters feels so natural, that the characters don’t feel like cardboard cutouts, and instead everything feels natural – even when you’re literally a fish out of water.
TOP 9: The tale of princess kaguya 9.3/10%
Synopsis: Deep in the countryside, a man named Okina works as a bamboo cutter in a forest, chopping away at the hollow plants day after day. One day, he discovers a small baby inside a glowing shoot. He immediately takes her home, convinced that she is a princess sent to Earth as a divine blessing from heaven. Okina and his wife Ouna take it upon themselves to raise the infant as their own, watching over her as she quickly grows into an energetic young girl. Given the name Kaguya, she fits right in with the village she has come to call home, going on adventures with the other children and enjoying what youth has to offer.
But when Okina finds a large fortune of gold and treasure in the forest, Kaguya's life is completely changed. Believing this to be yet another gift from heaven, he takes it upon himself to turn his daughter into a real princess using the wealth he has just obtained, relocating the family to a mansion in the capital. As she leaves her friends behind to enter into an unwanted life of royalty, Kaguya's origins and purpose slowly come to light.
Studio Ghibli have always been at the very forefront in the anime film industry. Their creations have been able to reach out to any and all demographics with great success for decades, and have numerous masterpieces under their belt by now. Most of these are creations of the one and only Miyazaki Hayao, however Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies) released back in 1988, one of the most critically acclaimed Ghibli films was written and directed by the studio's co-founder Takahata Isao. But this was something that was known as a one-hit wonder, as his other works never got anywhere near the same level of praise and attention as his first one did. This changes now however. 25 years after Grave of the Fireflies was released, Takahata's new work titled Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of Princess Kaguya) hit the cinemas, and this time he once again got it right, because this movie is sincerely a true work of art.
Story
Kaguya-hime (I'll refer to it as such henceforth) is based on The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, a famous story from Japanese folklore. In this rendition, an elderly bamboo cutter finds a tiny human-like baby within the folds of a bamboo shoot one day, and takes it as a sign from the heavens that it is his duty to raise the mysterious child. However he and his wife quickly discover that the child is far from a normal human, as she grows at an insane speed. She goes from crawling to walking in a split second, she learns to talk in no time at all, and within months she's as big as the older children who used to play around with her. Meanwhile, the bamboo cutter finds even more miraculous gifts within the bamboo shoots in the forest such as gold, gemstones and expensive clothing. He comes to the conclusion that the task the heavens has provided him is not just about raising the child, but about turning her into an actual princess of the land.
The majority of the story then takes place in the capital and follows Kaguya's blistering journey through her youth as her foster parents are doing everything within their power to try to turn her into a real princess, although Kaguya herself is mildly enthusiastic about this idea. Now the idea of having a wild tomboy being forced to become a "proper" woman is nothing new, but I still think this story showcased one of the best renditions of that concept that I've seen in a while. Kaguya's character herself is superbly written and her reactions to everything going on around her feel very realistic and enjoyable to witness. She shows in full that she is very talented and fully capable of carrying out all the modest and appropriate ways of behaving for a noble woman, but at the same time very clearly gets the message across that despite all that she only really wants to live her life freely and play around. She's a very relatable character as a whole, and her enthusiastic spirit is perhaps the biggest reason as to why the film is so captivating throughout.
Characters
The supporting cast primarily consists of Kaguya's foster parents, her mentor, her childhood friends as well as all kinds of rich nobles that are interested in her. None of them feel needless in any way, but it's pretty clear that this story is about Kaguya herself and no one else, as the focus is always on her alone. In a way this can be considered a bad thing since the rest of the characters don't get very much in the way of depth and back story, but I personally didn't ever feel particularly bothered by that. Kaguya is really the only one that truly matters in this movie, and as far as that goal goes the movie executes it brilliantly.
What is definitely worth mentioning about this story though is the ending of it. While I obviously won't spoil any details, let's just say that the conclusion of this story is... unexpected. It is very unusual, spontaneous and just plain strange in a lot of ways. Was it bad then? Honestly I'm not entirely sure if I liked it or not, but it was definitely not what I ever thought I'd see in a Ghibli film at least. Personally though, I always appreciate when stories diverge from the norm and decide to go a little bit crazy, so regardless of which I respect it for what it did on principle. However I know from experience that whenever a movie comes along which takes a sudden unexpected turn close to its ending, there will always be heavily split opinions on it. Therefore I can guarantee that there will be a lot of people who will really dislike the climax. Just a warning.
Sound
As far as the production value goes, the soundtrack is for the most part rather ambient but it is very on-point for the atmosphere of the story. Some of the instrumental tracks in it however were very catchy and pleasing to listen to. In addition Kaguya also plays a little music on her own within the movie itself so it was quite diverse in that department. The voice acting is typical Ghibli in terms of feel and quality, which is of course always a great thing. I'd praise it more, but honestly I'm more or less expecting it from a Ghibli film at this point.
Animation
The animation however is where Kaguya-hime really goes way off what you'd ever expect to see in an anime movie released as late as 2013. The art style takes a very old school, classical approach which makes it feel hand-drawn most of the time. Sketch lines are intentionally left in, and at first it looks like the movie wasn't actually finished in its current state since common sense says it requires quite a lot more polishing. But this is the style the movie utilizes throughout on purpose. At first it takes a while to get used to, but once you do it's actually really captivating to witness. It makes the movie seem so much more atmospheric somehow, and helps beautify it as the icing on the cake. Where the animation really shines though is during the sequences of the movie which has a lot of rapid movement. When Kaguya runs throughout the mansion or the forests, or when the camera simply "flies" throughout the landscape, it looks absolutely mesmerizing. I'm not even sure how to explain it since it was so unorthodox; it's something you really have to see in person and experience for yourself.
TOP 10: Castle in the sky 9.1/10%
Synopsis: In a world filled with planes and airships, Sheeta is a young girl who has been kidnapped by government agents who seek her mysterious crystal amulet. While trapped aboard an airship, she finds herself without hope—that is, until the ship is raided by pirates. Taking advantage of the ensuing confusion, Sheeta manages to flee from her captors. Upon her escape, she meets Pazu, a boy who dreams of reaching the fabled flying castle, Laputa. The two decide to embark on a journey together to discover this castle in the sky. However, they soon find the government agents back on their trail, as they too are trying to reach Laputa for their own greedy purposes. Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa follows the soaring adventures of Sheeta and Pazu, all while they learn how dreams and dire circumstances can bring two people closer together.
he story from beginning to end is one that I loved between our characters, to the fact that the plot never stops moving. There's an importance to every scene and it transitions so well to the next one. Nothing is wasted here. It somewhat plays like an adventure game, in that we take steps to get from one point to the other, only to know there's more to it. There's a lot of detail in the old mining town and it all meshes together really well. It even has its own lighthearted and funny moments mixed in there too.
One exceptional part of this movie is that it doesn't stay in one spot for too long - we get to see so much about the world, something Studio Ghibli films frequently do. This is why I was comparing the movie to an adventure story. Sheeta and Pazu go to so many places, meeting so many different people and they're all likable. The story also very clearly tells us about the legends that Pazu was chasing, and it's wonderfully told. Simply put, its story is excellent. (10/10)
Characters
We don't get to know much about Pazu's past, but his dream takes a gigantic step when Sheeta literally falls into his arms. This can come off as too much of a coincidence, but it does ignite our story. He's extremely noble, something that was likely instilled in him in his work. He's a solid character for this tale and an excellent companion for Sheeta. Something you can appreciate is that even though we're in a bit of a fantasy world, he does of limitations, most of which are physical. He's not a complete weakling because of his job though. The film does a good job at tempering expectations. Sheeta is the mysterious girl who possesses knowledge of a civilization from legends, Sheeta tells Pazu, in somewhat of reluctance, why people are after her. However, she doesn't want to burden others, rightfully so, with her problems. What I do like is that she's not some helpless princess, who can't do much on her own. This is further reinforced in the middle portion of the movie. She has great morals and is very much willing to learn from others. She puts on a brave front, regardless of the situation. Her, along with Pazu, act older than their actual age - and it makes sense considering their upbringing. This makes the film so much more believable, even though we see them as kids.
Muska is one of the villains in this film, keeping Sheeta hostage in the beginning of the film. His role gets elevated as the film goes on and he's actually a pretty smart one. His role stays pretty unknown to us for most of the film, but we see why later. Dola & the Pirates have a role in the film that ends up being pretty important and you do learn about them about halfway through. I'm glad they took the time to go through who they are because it adds so much. They're a ton of fun. No, this doesn't feature the most expansive cast, but they're all done really well. (9/10)
Animation
For a film that's as old as this one, the art actually does hold up today on Netflix. It looks really nice. Studio Ghibli's style is pretty easily recognizable, at least in the early years, and this does keep that type of feel to it. It does boast more of its graphical prowess as the film carries on as well. (8/10)
Sound
Some of the tracks really add to the film while others just kind of feel like they are there. The ending theme matches the ending to the film really well too. The VOs back then definitely pull this off really well
Next time i'll try to continue top 11-20
