(the middle poster is proudly framed on my bedroom's wall)
Hoooo boy... Castle in the Sky might be one of the best fantasy-adventure movies ever conceived: the world is enticing, the characters are a joy to watch, the setpieces are incredible, the visuals are gorgeous, the symbolism is touching, the pace is pitch-perfect...
It might not be objectively perfect, but this type of movie, or might I say... Experience. Is something that very rarely comes up in media. It's a masterful union of 2 worlds: Miyazaki's philosophy about humanity and the environment, and his absolutely A+ action/adventure chops, gained after years of experience in the industry. I wish we had gotten SO much more of his adventure style.
This movie just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside: it's beautiful, whimsical, exciting, and most of all... Sincere.
Also, I'm morally obligated to tell you to go watch Future Boy Conan, one of Miyazaki's older works that served as a template for this movie, it's an absolute treat, if a bit old.
NEXT UP:
The movie in which Studio Ghibli's mascot made its debut on the silver screen: My Neighbor Totoro.
This movie screams "passion project", doesn't it?
I'm kind of at a loss for words on how to talk about Totoro, it's a delightful window into 1950s Japan countryside, with mystical animism sprinkled throughout.
And to be frank, this film is disgustingly delightful: the protagonists are energetic, cheerful and carefree, everyone around them is nice, the nature surrounding them is simple yet magical;
the only time the movie takes off its fluffy mittens (to replace them with slighty less fluffy mittens right after), is in the last 3rd of the movie, where any semblance of serious drama rears its head, to be then resolved in a feel-good fashion.
It may not be grand or mature, but hot damn does Totoro squeeze every last ounce of charm from its premise, and in a totally sincere matter at that.
NEXT UP:
Because I don't have access to Grave of the Fireflies (and I'm kind of not in the mood for it), we skip to a brand-new movie for me: Kiki's Delivery Service.
One of the only movies solely spearheaded by Miyazaki that I had not seen until now.
Kiki's Delivery Service is a delightful tale about growing up, self-doubt and becoming indipendent... And not much more for me.
Now, this movie does continue the streak set by Totoro of being painfully delightful, but I don't think I can muster to relate 100% to the struggles of a 13 year old girl (that's pretty freaking young don't you think?).
If I had been younger myself I think I would have enjoyed this movie much more, but as it stands, I'm not.
I think I liked Totoro more simply because I can relate to the feeling of admiring nature in an isolated home in the countryside, and appreciating the small, delightful things in life because of first-hand experience. Heck, you might as well throw in the theme of the fear of losing the ones close to you for good measure found in the last 3rd of the movie.
By comparison Kiki's climax is maybe a tad too grand in scope for such a down-to-earth movie (the irony of saying this about a movie with witches, but to be clear, I'm talking about its themes).
In the end, I was definitely delighted, but not blown away or awe-struck.
NEXT UP:
I continue my streak of never seen before movies with Only yesterday.
Here it is, the movie I knew the absolute least about out of all the movies so far, and what a pleasant surprise it was!
Only Yesterday's subject matter is the recollection of past memories, good and bad, and the struggle to find a place you belong in the world (be it literally or career-wise).
And damn does it personally hit close to home in some instances, both looking back at my childhood and peeking forward into the uncertainty of the future.
Everyone has those less than joyous old memories that sometimes spring back to mind: moments of pettyness, broken dreams or even (in this case mild) trauma; and looking back, it's difficult to say if all of that defines who you are in a discernible way, or you should just brush them aside as embarassing outliers. And don't get me started on the uncertainty of choosing a career, something I'm well familiar with...
I don't know if I'm making a logical point, but in any case, one thing I will say that I didn't like about the movie was how the art and animation portrayed "smile wrinkles".
Look, I get it, it's anatomically sound, but applied on Ghibli's rather (for a lack of a better word) "simple" faces, it's just distracting and takes me out of the movie.
Other than that, Only Yesterday caught me by surprise and delighted me with its relatable themes and charming execution. Pretty underrated if you ask me.
NEXT UP:
We return to Miyazaki's tried and true formula of applying the fantastical to the (sort of) commonplace, with Porco Rosso.
From a white alcove of a deserted island in the Adriatic sea, comes out a human-like pig wearing an aviator suit aboard an unspecified crimson seaplane of Italian manufacture (stated to be inspired by the SIAI S.21, but more visually resembling the MACCHI M.33), the plane takes off and soars above the azure sea and into the blue sky.
Yep, that's peak Miyazaki right there.
Porco Rosso feels like the most outspoken Miyazaki has been about his world views yet; a lot of his earlier works carried his philosophies, but never (allegedly, just covering my ass here) had he used a real world context to express himself.
Pacifism, anti-fascism, also feminism to a degree, all held together by the capstone of Miyazaki's deep (but complicated) love for aviation.
And with all of the above, Miyazaki's optimism and talent comes through and creates a disgustingly charming (seriously, how does he do it) movie, that can be enjoyed by all ages, but shines in particular brighter for the more mature.
There is no point in me gushing about almost every facet of the movie, so I'll say this: it's written "Non si fa credito", NOT "Non si fo credito" (No credit allowed). For shame Miyazaki, 0/10, worst movie ever... Actually it's definitely in the TOP 2 so far.
NEXT UP:
I begin my longest streak yet of never-seen-before movies with Ocean Waves.
Kept you waiting huh? Actually I'm on vacation but I managed to sneak in some time to continue the retrospective, and to write my thoughts on my cellphone (so no pretty posters this time).
Ocean Waves (1993)
I knew next to nothing about this movie going into it, but I've gotta say, as with Only Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised.
Also in line with Only Yesterday we have ourselves a love story, well, more so than the former at least. As a fan of shōnen media I might have comically low expectations for love stories, but I quite enjoyed the story and thought it was quite original and refreshing.
As for visuals, this has got to be the most subdued (and short) movie yet from an animation standpoint, it does employ an interesting visual transition with the white frames, but other than that, the only time I was wowed by the visuals was right at the end, which coupled with the subduedness was probably on purpose, so I can't really fault the movie for that; to be clear it's not bad at all, it's just something I noticed.
One insignificant nitpick I have about the movie lies in the title: Ocean Waves... Ok... But where were they exactly? It just doesn't strike me as a relevant title at all (unless it was so in the source material), but oh well, whatever.
Other than that... Very solid movie if I say so myself, definitely recommended.
NEXT UP:
I take a look at one interesting title to say the least: Pom Poko.
(yeah, pouches...)
Pom Poko is a movie about environmentalism, modernity Vs. tradition, survival and mortality, but it's also really freaking funny. Out of all the movies thus far, Pom Poko has to be the one that got the most laughs out of me.
The main "thing" of the movie is that it's ABSOLUTELY CHOCK-FULL of references to Japanese folklore an myths; thanks to the (small) contact I've had with Japanese media, I did catch a couple of references, but the amount of nods and winks that flew over my head must have been astronomical.
Another thing this movie excels at is the animation, or to be more precise, the amount of imagination and creativity put into, the tanuki's transformation skills are a sublime way for the animators to flex their muscles, and flex they sure do hot damn.
The general feeling of the movie, I don't know how to describe it, kind of reminded me of Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, I guess I have a thing for movies about a rag-tag group of animals trying to mantain their style of living.
If I had to criticize something I would say that the final part of the movie feels a bit aimless, there's a handful of plot threads that end without much "oomph", I guess?
It's realistic that they didn't go for a feel-good ending, but the lack of finality left me wanting just a bit more.
Oh well, still a very good movie, I think I would put it in the middle of the ranking thus far.
NEXT UP:
I finish my brand-new streak with Whispers of the Heart.
First things first, let me tell you that during the 1st act I had to double-check if I was watching the right movie, because the setup REALLY reminded me of The Cat Returns (another Ghibli movie I haven't watched, but know the basic gist of), and lo and behold: that film is actually a SPINOFF to Whisper of the Heart, so I guess I'll look forward to that in the near future.
Anyway, Whisper of the Heart is a gem, it feels like the most "Ghibli" out of all the movies set in a realistic context thus far, and that's quite the feat for a brand new director for the studio: Yoshifumi Kondō, may he rest in peace.
The movie revolves around bookworm and lo-fi hip hop listening Shizuku Tsukishima, as she struggles with such things as creative purpose and love, the former which I'm very familiar with; I will admit that the surprise side-love triangle made me a bit wary of the second half of the movie, but THANFULLY the public drama waz non-existant, and instead the movie focused on the self-loathing side of things, which I'm thankful for.
The music side of the movie is also disgustingly charming, so much so that I would advise to watch the movie in japanese, also no one can hate Country Roads.
The first 3rd/4th of the movie does feel a bit sluggish, but after a certain point the movie finds its footing and improves quite a lot pacing-wise.
The animation is especially worthy of praise, the animators REALLY flexed their talent muscles for this movie, you can almost see glimpses of the future Studio Ghibli style for the turn of the millennium onward (I got some Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl vibes).
All in all, Whisper of the Heart lands quite nicely in the stronger tier of Ghibli's outings, it has charm, imagination, heart and a good dose of relatability, it's definitely a winner in my book.
NEXT UP:
We arrive to what is the biggest break-trough for the studio thus far (if not ever, boxoffice wise) in the industry: the 2+ hour(!) long Miyazaki epic Princess Mononoke.
Here it is, the Ghibli movie I have watched the most out of all of them (on DVD), but that was quite some time ago, so what are my thoughts now all these years ago?
One thing is clear, Princess Mononoke lands quite snugly in (my) S-tier Ghibli movies, it is without a shadow of a doubt a landmark in animation history, Miyazaki definitely chose to exit the industry after making one hell of a splash (spoiler alert: he didn't).
I will spare you a basic plot rundown, Miyazaki approaches the theme of Man Vs. Nature in a shockingly bold way: I could try to put it into words, but the iconography of the Deer God sprouting plantlife and immediately withering it as he walks on the earth explains more than words can say (seriously, absolutely GENIUS, and iconic imagery).
Lady Leboshi also quite succinctly sums up the human side quite nicely, greedy, calculative and ultimately arrogant, but caring and pointed towards progress (both technical and social).
Now this leaves us with the actual main duo of the movie, Ashitaka and the wolf princess San.
And I honestly can't quite put a label on them, but I think that's on purpose, they both live out of the pre-established harmony, they're a compromise, or maybe an abhorrent mistake, but thanks to their unnatural circumstances they're the only ones who can put an end to the cycle of suffering, and ultimately LIVE!
I think that's a good way to summarize the movie's message, breaking the cycle of death, but still accepting its inevitability, and thus valuing all life even more so.
And the best part is that the "villains" are not beaten into this morality, but humbled.
Now, I could go on about how much this movie's symbolism kicks ass, but I do have some complaints:
The thing that sticks out the most to me is how some of the gore is handled (oh BTW, this is the goriest Ghibli movie by far); it's wonderfully animated most of the time, but this movie has a tendency to split body parts apart in a shockingly and kind of ridiculously clean fashion. How am I even supposed to feel about it? Towards the beginning it's used well to show the curse's frightening power, but other times it straight up takes me out of the movie, it's a minus IMO.
The last complaint I have in mind is that the 2 protagonists' personalities and "relationship" (it's not openly romantic, and I appreciate that) feels kind of meh.
To start, Ashitaka kinda feels like one stiff (but noble and badass) plank of wood, and San feels a bit underdeveloped (due to pacing reasons, and mistery factor I guess).
Also how Ashitaka and San first come to terms gives me a bit of pause... "You're beautiful"? Really? I guess I can buy that San was missing some human contact (at least I think that's what they're going for), oh well...
Anyway, dope-ass film, it's universally praised for a reason, I can't add much more to "It's so goooooooood".
(good lord I wrote a lot didn't I?)
NEXT UP:
I endure severe tonal whiplash and a brand new movie with My Neighbour the Yamadas.
Now that I'm back home, the posters are back! (also please check my thoughts on Mononoke above, I would like to hear more opinions!)
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
From one of Ghibli's most ambitious films ever, to one of the most peculiar and "out-there".
Based on a 4-panel newspaper comic, My Neighbours the Yamadas strays away from the studio's roots, not only in artstyle, but also being the 1st fully digital movie of theirs, and on top of that, it doesn't have a traditional plot structure, but is rather a collection of vignettes.
While lacking in grandeur and spectacle, MNtY (look, the title is too long) makes up for it with sheer hilarity and bucketloads of charm.
The family life comedy dynamic is a tried and true formula, it's been done countless times, and rather than trying to spin the formula and employing some kind of gimmick, the movie (as far as I can tell, there's not a lot of information about the source material) sticks with the episodic gag nature of the comic almost through its entire runtime, and it's pretty refreshing if you ask me.
About the animation, it's done in a very simplistic artstyle with (digital) watercolour-esque coloring, and while it stays grounded for 90% of the movie, there's a few instances of the ambition of the artists shining through with all-around gorgeous scenes with smart use of CG and even a temporary artstyle change.
All in all, I don't have much to add about the movie, it's cute, incredibly charming and hilarious while always being earnest, probably in the higher half of my rankings.
NEXT UP:
We come to the most critically acclaimed Ghibli movie of all time, Spirited Away.
Here it is, THE most critically acclaimed Ghibli movie of all time, and what could be considered Studio Ghibli's highest peak.
Putting aside the film's contents for a moment, Spirited Away might be THE most important release from a western point of view; I wasn't around at the time, but the ramifications of this film's Oscar nomination (and win) cannot be understated, I would have probably NEVER experienced Ghibli's library as a child if it weren't for the wave of demand for japanese animated movies (and general goodwill towards them) generated by Spirited Away.
As for myself, it took me a surprisingly good while to finally watch the movie at the time, and what do I think of it nowadays? It's definitely a landmark in animation, but it's not my top favourite.
Looking back at the movie, it's shocking how little it feels like an almost 20(!) years-old release, there is some less than exceptional use of CGI, but other than that, it's pretty much timeless.
I honestly don't know what else to add, Spirited Away is so iconic that its imagery, iconography and themes are generally well understood and so universally celebrated that it's not worth repeating myself over. I will say that I have a personal bias towards Miyazaki's more adventure-oriented works, so as exceptional as Spirited Away is, it doesn't crack my top favourite spot.
NEXT UP:
I go into uncharted territory with a new novelty for Studio Ghibli, a spinoff to Whisper of the Heart: The Cat Returns.
I know previously I said that Spirited Away could be considered the highest peak of the studio, but damn, I didn't expect to be proven so right by sheer comparison so soon, because... Where do I begin...
As a bit of behind-the-scenes info, this film apparently started as a short film for a theme park revolving around cats, and good ol' Miyazaki envisioned the animation to star the "character" Baron from Whisper of the Heart and 2 new characters; eventually things fell through and in some way or the other, the project was repurposed into the film we know today, and as a """"""""spin-off""""""" to Whisper of the Heart, does The Cat Returns make an impression? NOOOPE.
The Cat Returns starts promising enough, airheaded high schooler Haru saves the life of a cat, that ends up being quite the important figure amongst its kind, and to thank its saviour, the cat tries to make her slightly awkward life better via hijinks-ensuing over-the-top cat-like actions.
BUT THEN, and I can pinpoint the exact scene (the one in the school's backyard), the film nose-dives into a B/C tier fantasy Disney movie, and I end up losing 50% of my interest and stick around to the end because of basic courtesy.
I'm probably being a bit too mean-spirited, the film clearly doesn't have as much man power and budget behind it compared to other Ghibli films, but the things I outright enjoyed about the movie can be counted on one hand: the protagonist was decently charming and Muta was a riot in places, that's pretty much it. Also Baron is shockingly misused and all around wasted.
All in all, this movie for me is dead last out of the whole bunch seen thus far, I think you're better off watching something like a Don Bluth flick instead of this... Sadly unremarkable movie, and I'll leave it at that.
NEXT UP:
I hopefully move to greener pastures with Howl's Moving Castle, I wonder how my opinion will change after many years of non-viewing.
I'm finally back after an exam, hopefully I can keep a constant schedule in the future (don't count on it).
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Looking back, I think this was the 1st Studio Ghibli film I ever saw in theaters, and boy was it not that good of an idea TBH, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie at the time, but this is definitely not what I would consider a totally apt movie for children (AKA past me).
But now, nearly 16 years later, what did I think of Howl's Moving Castle?
I'm not so sure where to even start, so I guess I'll just cut to the chase: this movie's plot and characters feel like they're being held by paper glue.
I'm not sure if this is a shared take, but some of the stuff in this movie is so undercooked even Calcifer (best character) can't simmer it, not limited to but most importantly the ""romance"" between Howl and Sophie, you know, the main driving force behind the whole freakin' plot.
I know I'm being a bit of a hardass, but I'm genuinely surprised how little chemistry I felt between the two, and don't get me started on the whole war subplot that gets unceremoniously resolved in the last 2 minutes of the movie.
While I don't hold the highest regard of what you could call the "meat" of the movie, pretty much everything surrounding it is extremely good in my book: the animation, the setting, the magic and technology, it's all just fantastic, even the characters despite my misgivings I consider pretty entertaining.
I really don't know how to cap off this commentary, so I'll say that Howl's Moving Castle is a good movie, but it just leaves me starving for more substance in the main-relationship department, and ultimately a bit disappointed.
NEXT UP:
Hoo boy, what is considered the black sheep of the Ghibli Library, poor Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea.
I'll try to keep an open mind for Goro's (unfortunate) sake.
Tales from Earthsea is a movie with a lot (and I mean A LOT) of baggage surrounding its production and even its release; it's frankly a mess I will not try to unravel, but judging solely from the quality of the movie itself (and from a biased point of view), I will say that Goro Miyazaki was done a bit dirty if you ask me.
So yes, Tales from Earthsea is flawed, it's a movie directed by a novice in the industry that ultimately tries to (allegedly) make a hodge-podge of its source material and ends up feeling unfaithful and meandering.
But still, I can sense greatness seeping through the cracks of this movie, so much so that I can't bring myself to dislike it.
I'm finding it very hard to write about this movie, so instead of embarassing myself I'll try to be as concise as possible, via bullet points:
The first 3rd of the movie is pretty well done, easily the best and most consistent part of it.
From the beginning of the movie to the capture of Arren I was genuinely delighted by the pacing and general quality of what was presented, shoutouts in particular to the design of that port city: that hodge-podge of Greeek, Mediterranean and Byzantine aesthetics coupled with the flamboyant colours was just so appealing and well done, kudos all around.
Arren shows a lot of potential as the MC, but ultimately leaves me lukewarm.
I don't have much positive to add other than Arren is a very unconventional main character for Studio Ghibli, also the animation of his facial expressions in top-notch, especially that creepy smile he gets when driven to violence, it's really worthy of note IMO.
But by the end of the movie he ends up being just a bit lackluster, not helped by the fact that he has close to no agency until Therru finally snaps him out of his depression.
I think also a bit of backstory would have gone a long way into fleshing out his character more, runtime not-withstanding.
The whole last 3rd of the movie is pretty mediocre and doesn't live up at all to the first 3rd.
Paper-thin villain, rushed last-minute resolutions, disappointing locale, you name it. I think this part of the movie is pretty infamous amongst fans, and no matter how you slice it, it's just mediocre at best.
Art wise, Tales from Earthsea doesn't disappoint.
I think remember hearing that people were not fond of the animation, but I strongly disagree, while less technically advanced than Howl's Moving Castle, I think this movie is no slouch animation-wise, that final collapse of the tower comes to mind as being REALLY impressive, also the dragons were wonderfully animated.
I already praised the design of that one port city, but I also really like the gothic/nordic edge this movie has from time to time.
And the soundtrack is very good! Easily the most consistent part of the movie.
All in all, to repeat myself Tales from Earthsea is a movie that disappoints on many fronts, but there's just enough good hidden inside it that I can't bring myself to dislike it, but it also makes me sad for what could have been if things had fallen into place better.
Oh well, at least it's not the worst Ghibli movie ever! Maybe not even second-to-last! Better luck next time Goro! I simpathize with your struggle!
EDIT: to be frank, I was not satisfied at all with what I wrote previously, but here's the original text for posterity:
Tales from Earthsea is many things: flawed, meandering, misguided, and even disrespectful to the source material; but in spite of all of this, I can't bring myself to write off the whole movie and leave it at that.
To get the elephant out of the room: I have no experience with the original Tales from Earthsea work, BUT, from what I've gathered from a quick search, the movie doesn't even stick that close to the source material, leaving us wondering what was the point of the whole production then. But alas, it is how it is, and I'll leave it at that for the sake of my own sanity.
So, as already stated this movie is flawed, hella flawed the majority concurs, but in between the muck I can see glimpses of greatness, which makes the whole work that bit more tragic if you ask me.
If I had to abridge my thoughts on the structure of the movie, I would say that it shows a lot of promise in the first half, but fails to live up to that promise in the latter half.
In fact, I will go one step further and say that the beginning of the movie is handled really well, it's a very intriguing incipit.
God, the more I think about it, the more I find this common thread of: "shows a lot of promise, doesn't quite deliver" in a lot of this movie's aspects, most emblematic of all the protagonist Arren.
Arren is such an uncommon sight in animated movies, a tainted soul, corrupted by an evil force and driven to do horrible things? That shows so much potential! But sadly it doesn't leave that huge of an impact by the end of the movie.
(also the villain is sooooo mediocre, at times even surpassed by his lackey)
One thing that really stood out to me as very well done was the animation of the character's expressions, Arren steals the show on that front, that possessed smile is just so well conveyed.
Another thing I really like about the movie is that one city's design, that hodge-podge of Greeek, Mediterranean and Byzantine aesthetics coupled with the flamboyant colours is just so freaking cool.
All in all, sorry for the mess of thoughts I've vomited here, to repeat myself Tales from Earthsea is a movie that disappoints on many, many fronts, but there's just enough good hidden inside it that it makes me pretty sympathetic towards it, but also very sad for what could have been.
Oh well, at least it's not the worst Ghibli movie ever! Maybe not even second-to-last! Better luck next time Goro!
NEXT UP:
As of now the second-to-last movie solely spearheaded by Hayao Miyazaki himself: Ponyo.
Well... How the heck do I write a ""critique"" (massive quotations marks needed) about Ponyo? I can almost feel my sad soul collapsing on itself at the thought.
Being more serious though, Ponyo (on the Cliff by the Sea, your mileage may vary) is arguably the lowest since Totoro Studio Ghibli has ever aimed for demographic-wise, which makes my """job""" of talking about it in a straightforward manner a bit more difficult.
But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, so I'll just say it:
Ponyo is so friggin' CUUUUUUTE
The genius Miyazaki does it again and crafts a fairy-tale whose appeal is near-universal, and is just a joy to the eyes, ears and even soul.
Sure, it may be a little simplistic and naive, but that's the WHOLE POINT, I feel; it's not a movie chock-full of symbolism or morals (well except for the underlying environmentalist message), but its simplicity is honestly sooo refreshing.
If I would define Castle in the Sky as the adventure formula nearly perfected by Studio Ghibli, Ponyo would be similarly the fairytale formula nearly perfected as well, and my internal indecisiveness about placing Ponyo amongst the S-Tier Ghibli Movies speaks more about my personal preferences rather than my perceived quality of it.
(well that was a mouthful wasn't it?)
Anyway, the only "collar tugging" thing I can think of about this movie is how floods are a significant part of it and... Floods kill people y'know... I don't know, it just feels that (very VERY) slight bit wrong, just a thought at the back of my head.
So yes, this movie is a joy and well worth seeing with your kids, everyone will love it I'm sure.
NEXT UP:
The last Studio Ghibli film I've already seen, after Arrietty, it's all new stuff for me!
Man... I distinctly remember discovering the imminent release of this movie from a children's magazine. Ten years huh?... We're slowly approaching the finish line.
This film, as others from Studio Ghibli, falls into the: "Miyazaki and Takahata wanted to adapt a book for a loooong-ass time" category. As for myself I have, again, no experience whatsoever with the original work except for its basic premise, but reading a plot summary on Wikipedia, I can assume that it's an amalgamation of different elements from the various books.
Because words are failing me, I'll be straight to the point: Arrietty is a neat movie, and its major strength is how well it capitalises on its concept in the animation and design department; because damn is this movie wonderfully rendered, it deserves a lot of praise on that front.
Agh, I just love all the little touches, for example, how Arrietty sheats her pin-sword by "pinning" it in her dress, wonderful stuff.
That leaves us with the movie itself, and I don't know what to say other than that it's good, not exceptional, but good nonetheless.
I guess I'm left that way because there isn't much teeth for me to sink to in terms of themes and such, it's a children's fantasy novel through-and-through, there is that faint hint of nihilism from Shou in that one scene, but in general things are kept pretty "subdued" for the sake of brevity (and Shou's heart, if you catch my drift).
All in all, I really don't feel strongly towards this movie one way or the other, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I reckon that if we had spent more time with the main characters I would have had a bit more to say, still gorgeously animated though.
NEXT UP:
Goro Miyazaki's second and (as of now) last movie, From up on Poppy Hill.
What can I say? Goro Miyazaki has redeemed himself as far as I'm concerned.
From up on Poppy Hill takes place in a period of change: between the past, scarred by war, and the future, ever-evolving and pointed towards progress. In this turbulent setting two high-schoolers meet each other and various drama ensues.
I can't say I was expecting this kind of underlying theme for the movie at all, but Poppy Hill (shortened because it's too long of a title) manages to mix this with the main romance plot in a wonderful and charming way.
One of this movie's greatest strengths is its slower-burn kind of pacing in my opinion: the movie deliberately spends a fair bit of time showing and not telling things, it really makes the characters seep into your subconcious, and elevates those rare moments of strong emotional release; all things done wonderfully with the main character Umi.
As for the characters themselves, I have no complaints whatsoever, the leads are enjoyable and their chemistry down to earth but very believable, and the side characters are also very charming and memorable for the little time they get.
To summarize: Poppy Hill was quite the pleasant surprise, a film with a ton of heart and care put into it, an interesting take on the Modernity VS. Tradition theme full of charm and emotion, and the best non-(Hayao) Miyazaki movie since Whisper of the Heart I may add.
I'm a bit sad I can't find more words to talk about this movie, but I guess what matters is that, all in all, Goro managed to prove himself as a capable director, and while I'm not too crazy about the teaser image for Earwig and the Witch, I wish for the best of luck to you, Goro.
NEXT UP:
The last movie ever produced so far by Hayao himself, and about a topic very close to him: The Wind Rises.
Because right now I don't have access to the usual system on which I watch Netflix, I decided to take a detour and finally tackle Takahata's directorial debut for Studio Ghibli, because honestly it wouldn't have been an optimal finale to the retrospective thematically, and I had to endure this movie sooner or later.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Jesus effin' Christ, this movie doesn't pull ANY punches right from the get-go huh?
Big surprise, this movie is a war tragedy, but tackles the topic of civilian Japan during WW2 in a bit more nuanced way than average I think.
First of all, Grave of the Fireflies does not attempt to ease you in a false sense of security at all, and makes it crystal clear that this story does NOT have a happy ending.
Secondly, the protagonist of this story is not a hero, nor morally righteous, it's a boy that painfully falls further and further from grace due to the circumstances around him, leading to the demise of his sister and himself.
Not to mention the uncomfortable, but understandable pride of his father, and by association Japan as a nation.
To be honest, I cried a bit during the first scene (and at times throughout the movie), and was ready to call this movie "emotionally manipulative" or something, but I think it does earns the right to be like that because of that "sincerity" I mentioned, it's commendable, really.
And that ending, simple yet powerful.
Also worth mentioning how (apparently) the decision to leave the aunt's house can be interpreted differently depending on culture (and context), that's pretty interesting if you ask me, and makes that plot point that more nuanced.
All in all, Grave of the Fireflies is painful to watch, it made me so sad I considered the possibility of fast-forwarding through the last third of it just to make it end quicker, and while I wouldn't consider that an "enjoyable" experience, at all (kinda reminds me of the beginning of Oliver Twist), it is very much so one worth seeing at least once in your lifetime.
NEXT UP:
Don't worry, it's gonna be The Wind Rises for realsies this time.
Well, here it is, the current last movie Miyazaki has ever directed as of now (fingers crossed for his next picture: "How Do You Live?").
While the crux of the plot centers around the life of real-life plane engineer Jirou Horikoshi, The Wind Rises is in fact a blend of several things: Horikoshi's biography, the novel "The Wind has Risen", and most profoundly Miyazaki's self-reflection about his life, passions and career.
This biopic nature of the movie is probably its most contentious aspect: some people will not like how lightly the topic of war is handled, while others will appreciate the commentary about fulfilling your dreams and the corruption of beauty.
And where do I stand? Somewhere in the upper middle I think.
To be blunt: I very much enjoyed The Wind Rises, it's a wonderfully made movie, but it ultimately doesn't reach Miyazaki's highest highs because (other than me being a massive sucker for Miyazaki's adventure style) it falls short in fleshing out its 2 main leads, at least that's my gut-feeling.
While I do think that Jirou and Naoki's relationship is handled pretty well and the chemistry feels genuine (also they're just so cute together), what is ultimately missing is meat on the bone, but what's more disappointing is how little conflict and adversities Jirou himself faces throughout the movie.
But even so, is the movie really interested in that kind of thing? Haven't we had countless of biopics like that, and isn't this movie more about reflecting on the relation between life, art and passion? I genuinely don't know, maybe time will tell, because these right here are takes fresh-off my first viewing.
Speaking of things I'm more certain of: the animation of this movie is S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R, no ifs or buts, technically the best movie Studio Ghibli has ever produced (so far, but I'm not holding my breath).
Also, small aside, but in the original audio I was immediately drawn in by Jirou's main VA, and how particular but good he sounded; and then, I took a trip to Wikipedia, and lo and behold, Jirou's VA is actually Hideaki fucking Anno, the animator that all the way back in 1984 helped Miyazaki with the animation on the legendary God Warrior scene (but mainly known for Evangelion), and they have been best buds ever since, which explains how he got the part.
To cap-off my thoughts, The Wind Rises is a very good movie, but for me it just doesn't shine as bright at Ghibli's top masterpieces.
NEXT UP:
Isao Takahata's last movie as of now, and what is the biggest change stylistically for the Studio since My Neighbor The Yamadas: The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
EDIT: I am a fucking idiot, I had forgotten Takahata had passed away, may he rest in peace.
I'm moving up a gear because university is starting soon, so here's:
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is the adaptation of one of, if not the oldest example of Japanese prose: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter; it was also the last directorial undertaking of late Isao Takahata, as he passed away in 2018.
From the little I've parsed through the original folktale and judging from quotes of Takahata himself, Princess Kaguya aims to make the original tale more humanizing and in general up to the standards of modern society, while staying as faithful as possible to it.
And to be frank, this admirable effort of faithfullness is the movie's weakest link.
I can almost see the new elements added to the story trying to slip through the cracks of the antiquated narrative, and each and every one of them is simply of wonderful quality, and really helps fleshing out the character of the Princess.
But as stated, it's just all restrained by the boundaries of the original story.
That's not to say that the plot itself is of bad quality, far from it, it's pretty entertaining all things considered, although it admittedly takes a fair bit of time to get the crux of the story, which I (personally) think is about the appreciation of the fleeting beauty of life in all of its imperfections, and the simple things in it.
Now, I may sound like a broken record, but... THE ANIMATION!!
It's stupenduous, it's beautiful, it's a work of art! And it perfectly serves the source material. What more can I say?
To wrap up: The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a movie that tries to and succedes in elevating the original tale for new and modern audiences, but is at the same time held back by its narrative and elements, and at the end of the day is still a film chock-full of charm, all held together by outstanding animation and art-direction, it's kind of similar to The Wind Rises in that regard.
Rest in Peace Isao Takahata, you were an outstanding figure in the field of animation.
NEXT UP:
The finale, the end of this journey, and judging by how little I've heard about this last movie, I don't know what to expect from When Marnie was Here (and I haven't got that good of a feeling about this).
Here we are, as of september 2020, the last ever theatrical release by Studio Ghibli... Christ, their last film was 6 years ago huh?...
When Marnie Was There (2014)
I was kind of worried about this movie, having heard close to nothing about it for all these years, but I was honestly pleasantly surprised by it, and as a bonus it's thematically and contextually a fairly nice capstone to this whole retrospective (more on that later).
When Marnie Was Here is something of a drama/mystery/supernatural story, and I was NOT expecting that at all; even so, even if the buildup and pacing can be kind of slow, I was fairly captivated right from beginning to end.
...Ironically enough, as this movie and Arrietty share the same director (Hiromasa Yonebashi), I too share the fact that I can't find much to talk about both of them, I think it's because I'm not a huge fan of dramas?
I don't think both movies are bad at all, but I just find it difficult to come up with stuff to talk about; although one thing is clear in mind, Marnie is an improvement over Arrietty, not by a huge amount, but still an improvement nonetheless.
One thing I liked about this movie is how it keeps you second-guessing about the nature of Marnie and the house, it does a good job in blurring the line between what's real and what's not.
The animation was pretty good, the music too; I don't really have any noteworthy negatives about this movie, other than that the supernatural element kinda rubs me the wrong way in regard of the final self-discovery?
Aaand I guess that's all I can muster about this movie! You may be disappointed, but not as much as I'm disappointed at myself!
FINAL RANKINGS:
Time to subjectively rank this filmography, B tier is without a doubt the one I'm most uncertain on, its elements could switch places without notice depending on my mood to be honest.
(maybe I'll make a separate thread about my ranking in the near future, for more discussion)
FINAL THOUGHTS AND RAMBLING ABOUT THE FUTURE
It took me almost 2 months, but I'm finally at the end, and what can I say? Studio Ghibli is celebrated for obvious reasons, but if I have to be honest with myself, the main reason I love Studio Ghibli is because of Hayao Miyazaki himself.
His works have a certain energy, charm and magic to them that I can't find anywhere else, the way he manages to mix great action with great characters and emotions is simply incredible, and the work that symbolizes that the most for me is undoubtedly Castle in the Sky.
As for the future of Studio Ghibli, I'm not really sure, right after the release of Marnie they went on an hiatus to carefully consider their future as a company, and Yonebashi left soon after to establish his own animation studio: Studio Ponoc.
So for the near future, Studio Ghibli has basically become the Miyazaki company, with both of their 2 future projects being spearheaded by them, and I guess we'll have to wait and see how they will turn out.
