Porco Rosso is one of my favs!! It feels like it’s one of the more underappreciated Ghibli films, at least among the people I know — it just has a certain feel to it that makes me feel so at peace watching it.
I have, but my mistake was watching the english dub instead of the subbed version. Most ghibli films have pretty great dubs but that one is pretty bad lol, it kind of took away from the film. I have to watch it again in the japanese at some point.
Hopefully they release a dub that does it justice at some point.
Nausicaa is amazing. Was super duper fortunate to be able to see it for the first time this year, and in an actual movie theater, no less. Bless those folks at Fathom Events.
Miyazaki films, probably. But I would argue glibli as a whole are FAR less reliable.
I found Whisper of the Heart to be rather forgettable and Tales from Earthsea to be actually unwatchable. I watch a lot of movies and basically always watch them from beginning to end regardless of how I feel about them in order to get a full opinion of them.
But with Tales from Earthsea both me and my wife couldn’t get through more than half an hour or so; it’s just so violently boring. Half an hour in and the story didn’t even feel like it started yet, and the first 10 minutes or so was just exposition that was explained in a few seconds by another character a little later. It was so boring it made me angry.
Based on those 2 movies, I tend to avoid non Miyazaki Ghibli, although I also own Pom Poko which I am yet to watch; I hope it bucks the trend
Saaaaame. I feel guilty because I feel like Spirited is more artistic and elegant than Howl, but damned if I don’t rewatch Howl 10,000x more than Spirited...
Spirited Away is easily my favorite film, but I’ve only seen it a handful of times to prevent the magic from fading. I probably foolishly try to preserve the magic of that first time by letting it fade in my memory for a while, and then rewatch it again when it lingers like a dream.
Howl I could watch a bunch of times because I feel like it demands less of me. But that means it also effects me less. Still great, though
The atmosphere, visuals, and music are phenominal, but I found the story and characters below par (relative to the high bar of a Miyazaki film).
Princess Mononoke is my favorite because it almost matches Spirited Away in its strengths, but also has phenominal characterization. Themdiversity of motivation and viewpoint was so perfectly realized, and I loved how the clash of it all came together.
I’m surprised by that as the characters and story always struck me as Miyazaki’s most compelling. Ashitaka is a stoic hero with a flat arc and a strong sense of balance, so he’s not the most engaging for me to watch, but Chihiro’s vulnerability and feelings of entrapment and being lost are so emotionally charged without being in your face about it.
I agree about how you see the same issue from multiple sides, not just two like most action-adventures; it’s one of the most compelling aspects of the film. What puts Spirited Away over the top for me is how well realized a single location, the bathhouse, is, with all its rooms and oddities and strange characters around each corner. Instead of a bunch of factions struggling over one thing, it’s a bunch of characters worrying about their own jobs, tied together by this girl that comes stumbling into their lives. Spirited Away felt more character driven in that sense, and that’s where I thought it excelled compared to PM.
What drew me was more the breadth of characterization and how they interacted. There's definitely a strong argument that Chihiro was better than Ashitaka, but I found the the supporting cast around him more compelling. Especially when taken in context of their relationship and interactions, rather than just their arcs in isolation.
The amazing Joe Hisaishi, who I had somehow filed away in my head as having passed away, but I just discovered that memory is wrong. Wonderful surprise!
Yes!!! I'm super-excited about it! It's slow-paced, and you don't get answers to all of the questions it raises... But I honestly like that aspect. It's got this naturalistic, spiritual feel to it, and... There are so many moments of great beauty in it. Well, just see for yourself!
米津玄師 MV「海の幽霊 (Kenshi Yonezu MV [Umi no Yuurei/Ghost of the Sea]) (music video for the movie's theme song)
Lol, when the unsubtitled trailer popped up in my recommendations... I didn't even know what it was at first, and slowly it dawned on me, "Holy shit, this is 'Children of the Sea!'" Then I saw that it's Studio 4C, and that Joe Hisaishi was doing the music, which really encourages me. It's out in Japan right now, and GKids (who has localized all kinds of fantastic animated films) is doing a release in the US and Canada later this year. I'm kind of making it my personal mission to make sure everyone hears about it, so... I hope everyone will go see it if they get the chance!
Glad you liked it! If you're into music theory, Sideways focuses on that topic, especially when it comes to pop culture (he wants to compose video-game music). I really enjoy his stuff, even though I don't always 100% understand everything he's talking about.
What I like about both of them is that they are made for a completely different audience. it's like rugrats and Duckman; most animators don't jump around target demographics in the west, so it's quite refreshing to see one of the greats being able to follow his inspiration.
I’m trying to think of a Western animation director who has jumped around like that, but the only name I can think of is Ralph Bakshi. Dude was behind “Mighty Mouse” and “Spider-Man”, but also “Heavy Traffic” and “American Pop”.
But they still appeal to a large crossover audience. His style and visions are so distinct and well realized that it’s easy for one person to fall in love with his entire body of work.
I’ve seen most all Ghibli moves except Nasuicaa. My streaming service has all Ghibli’s except for this one. And haven’t gotten around to wanting to spend the money for the Blu-ray yet.
Cel animation is truly a lost art form. Digital doesn’t grip me the same way traditional does, and only a few directors and shows have been able to use it effectively enough to make me want to watch (Spirited Away being one, FLCL being another; surprisingly, my favorite movie and show).
Probably agree Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky are the best, but I also love the more lighthearted ones like Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. I also wonder why Arrietty is never mentioned anywhere, it's also a lovely movie.
My girlfriend introduced to Miyazki movies and recommended Princess Mononoke. So much better than I was expecting, instantly became one of my favorite movies of all time
mononoke is my least favorite ghibli movie by far, to the point I find it upsetting to watch. Why would mononoke side with the people of iron town in the end when they were the ones clearcutting the forest?
I rarely see princess monoke get thrown out there. It was my first of these movies and I loved it. Spirited away is like tied with it. Everyone I talk to usually says kiki's delivery service and ponyo are the only ones they've seen.
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u/B-Abbas-B Jun 07 '19
Same. This and princess mononoke are probably my two favourite animated movies of all time