Image by Jubayer Abdullah from Pixabay As someone who grew up watching a select number of Disney and Pixar animated films over and over again (looking at you, “Toy Story” and “Cars”!), I felt like I had explored the pinnacle of animated storytelling in feature films. But that all changed when HBO Max launched earlier this year.
Not only did I discover dozens of classic films that I was never exposed to as a child thanks to my humble backroad hick routes, but I was also exposed to the films of Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. Over the past couple of months, I have consumed the works of famed Japanese directors and animators like Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, among others, in an attempt to familiarize myself with how animation transcends cultures and has become a staple of Japanese cinema. Honestly, I was nervous about watching twenty plus anime films for someone who did not consider themselves a connoisseur of anime, Japanese culture, or cinema in any way, shape or form. I was unsure if I would connect with this genre of storytelling, but I remained open-minded. So, after watching almost all of the works of Studio Ghibli, did I regret my decision? You’ll have to read on to find out my answer. (I’m such a tease! 😊) For now, let’s start my reflection on Ghibli with the titan of anime himself. [DISCLAIMER #1: I watched the English dubs of all of the films that I will be talking about.] [DISCLAIMER #2: I did not watch the made-for-television Ghibli film “Ocean Waves” nor Gorō Miyazaki’s directorial debut “Tales from Earthsea.”] The Films of Hayao Miyazaki Honestly, my admiration for Miyazaki’s films tends to lean more into the visual excellent of the animation than the story itself. Evidenced by my ranking of the Ghibli films at the end of this blog, I find many of Miyazaki’s films, with regards to story and character, to be less than interesting. However, I want to be clear that I think almost all of his films are stunning to look at and rich with detail and graceful visual storytelling. So, to begin with Miyazaki’s first feature film, “The Castle of Cagliostro,” released in 1979. While technically not a Ghibli film, I include it here because I think it is a place of humble beginnings for Miyazaki. Without his own house to control the animation, he provided his own take on Kazuhiko Katō’s acclaimed manga series Lupin III. This film is one of the few exceptions to what I said in the previous paragraph. In other words, I found the story of “The Castle of Cagliostro” to be of a higher quality than its animation. Ultimately, the film is old and outdated from a visual standpoint and remains a fun romp but will not end up very high on my list due to the many superior films that came later. Next, we have Miyazaki’s second and final pre-Ghibli film “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.” For me, this was a massive improvement from both an animation standpoint and a storytelling standpoint. Not only is Nausicaä one of the best protagonists of any of the Ghibli films due to her spunky, confident, and capable persona, but Miyazaki does an excellent job of balancing the more personal narrative arcs of the film with more subtle world building without the plot becoming too bloated. Needless to say, “Nausicaä” ends up being one of my favorite Miyazaki films (which says something about much of his later work). Finally, we have the first official Studio Ghibli film: “Castle in the Sky.” Released in 1986, this is one of the few anime films that I had heard about before beginning my personal odyssey with Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. So, naturally, I expected a lot from it. And I found myself realizing about halfway through that I lacked much interest in the steampunk genre. For those of you who are somewhat familiar with Miyazaki’s portfolio, this would come back to haunt me multiple times with future films. Now, onto what is easily my favorite Miyazaki film. The 1988 family-friendly anime “My Neighbor Totoro” is, in my opinion, the most personal that Miyazaki’s films ever become. Partially inspired by a portion of Miyazaki’s childhood when he and his brother moved to be closer to their tuberculosis-stricken mother, the more personal and touching story of “Totoro” shines through thanks to the charming and brilliant sister-duo of Satsuki and Mei (easily one of my favorite character duos of all the Studio Ghibli films). Ultimately, the films that followed struggled very much to live up to “Totoro.” On the backs of “Totoro,” I was excited for Miyazaki’s fifth feature film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” And while I enjoyed watching it almost all the way through, I felt like its central narrative arc was lacking direction about two-thirds of the way through the film. Which sparked my interest into how Miyazaki plans the stories for his films. And with a quick Google Search, I learned that he in fact forgoes traditional screenplays in favor of storyboarding without knowing the ending to his films. Suddenly, I started to understand why I struggled to connect with most of Miyazaki’s films. While I enjoyed “Kiki’s,” I started asking myself how long it would take for me to begin losing interest in Miyazaki’s works. It began with “Porco Rosso” and essentially continued from there. I have little to say about the rest of Miyazaki’s filmography. “Porco Rosso” was just weird enough to keep me engaged for 94 minutes. “Princess Mononoke” was an overly long and complex story within the first 20 minutes that left me utterly disinterested throughout, and tended to remind me how “Nausicaä” just did the same story much better. “Howl’s Moving Castle” was even more outlandish than “Castle in the Sky,” which made me lose interest relatively quickly. “Ponyo,” while it certainly echoed back to “Totoro” in terms of another great Ghibli duo in the form of Sōsuke and Ponyo, fell mostly flat in the end regarding the emotional journey of the characters. Those who are familiar with Miyazaki’s works may have noticed two notable films missing thus far. “Spirited Away” was the first Miyazaki film I ever saw. And while I was taken aback quite a bit by the strangeness of the world, I really appreciated how much these elements of fantasy and supernaturalism told a very grounded, coming-of-age story for Chihiro. I also loved how much Japanese animism shined through with the visualization of the many spirits unfamiliar to be yet fascinating nonetheless. Truth be told, “Spirited Away” remains my runner-up for Miyazaki. The last of his films I ever saw was, in fact, his final movie to date: “The Wind Rises.” While certainly no action-packed thrill ride á la “Nausicaä” or “Mononoke,” I found Miyazaki’s intended swan song to have some of the best storytelling of any of his films. I appreciated its reliance on more personal touchstones and relationship-building with Jiro and Naoko that made “Totoro” so great. I also thought the animation was some of the best that Miyazaki had ever done. And while it is not my favorite Ghibli film, I will remember quieter, character-driven moments of “The Wind Rises” in a more positive light than much of the rest of Miyazaki’s portfolio of films. So, at the end of the day, what do I think of Miyazaki’s repertoire? I think he is an important figure in the world of animation storytelling whose energies have spent more time developing impressive visuals and a staggering list of empowered female protagonists than competent storytelling for all ages. And, I find him to be an inferior director to Isao Takahata. The Films of Isao Takahata Let me be more specific. Of the eleven Miyazaki films I watched, most of them were underwhelming stories with stunning animation and visuals. The five feature films of Isao Takahata, on the other hand, I have a much more interesting experience with. So, without further ado, let us begin with his first two films. In an effort to save many of my thoughts for a future blog, I will be devoting less time to Takahata’s 1988 directorial debut “Grave of the Fireflies.” To be clear, this is not because this film does not deserve all the praise that it gets. Having little expectations other than knowing that this film took place during the twilight months of World War II, I was unsure of what my reaction would be. I cannot express how much this movie affected me. Watching teenage boy Seita do everything in his power to keep his little sister Setsuko alive and happy while surrounded by the maelstrom of war is both awe-inspiring and heart wrenching. Takahata’s approach to animation to tell such a grounded, human story is perhaps the most fascinating thing about “Grave of the Fireflies.” It is not only an incredible animated film, but also a poignant and powerful anti-war film. (Hold that thought!) Three years later, Takahata released his second feature film: “Only Yesterday.” While not as soul-crushing as its predecessor, this film is a touching look at choosing a path in life to satisfy yourself and not others, about looking to your past for answers about your future, and about finding love for life in the unlikeliest of places. On top of the well-crafted story and well-rounded characterization (namely the budding romance between Taeko and Toshio), “Only Yesterday” has in my opinion some of the most gorgeous frames of animation I have ever seen. Namely, the sunrise over the field. (Just watch the movie; you’ll know what I’m talking about). I cannot recommend this film enough. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for the rest of Takahata’s filmography. First, his third feature “Pom Poko” which may be the strangest cinematic experience I have ever undergone. It is the story of generations of raccoons trying to save their forest from human encroachment. Sounds pretty simple and straightforward, right? Well, I thought it would be, too. I was wrong. “Pom Poko” is so bizarre that, unlike Takahata’s first two movies, I found it difficult to believe that this one was made by the same director. All I will say is if you want to watch two hours of animated raccoons doing things, then be my guest. Otherwise, this film is not for you. Five years after “Pom Poko,” Takahata released his fourth film: “My Neighbors the Yamadas.” A series of vignettes about the eponymous family and their series of misadventures, I certainly appreciated it more as a movie about relatable things like family and relationships. That being said, the story was far less ambitious than Takahata’s last three films and the visual style of the animation was just a bit too jarring for me. But, it was better than “Pom Poko.” Finally, after fourteen years without directing a feature film, Takahata released one last piece before his death in 2018. This film, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” was a fascinating and fitting end to my journey with Studio Ghibli. Unlike “Yamadas,” the animation style here works much better and the story, while feeling familiar, is also enjoyable. The journey of Princess Kaguya is heartwarming, complex, and overall fulfilling. Furthermore, I greatly appreciate this movie as a celebration of Japanese culture and folklore. Ultimately, it is not high on my ranking but it remains an interesting film that I may revisit at some point in the future. So, why do I think that Miyazaki is not as good a filmmaker as Takahata? Well, a few reasons. First, Takahata is more careful in making movies. While Miyazaki’s films often feel too repetitive (three movies about castles?? C’mon, man!), no Takahata film is like the other. Furthermore, while many of Miyazaki’s films look good from an animation standpoint, Takahata is more of a risk-taker visually speaking. Not only do his first three films embrace the best of the traditional anime art style, but his last two push the boundaries of what can be drawn and animated into something that viewers will resonate with. Third, and perhaps most of all, the two best Takahata films have more humanity in them than most Miyazaki flicks. The Other Ghibli Films Having talked about sixteen Ghibli films, I want to wrap up this blog by addressing most of the non-Miyazaki/Takahata movies. I start with the first Ghibli directed by neither of them: Yoshifumi Kondō’s “Whisper of the Heart” released in 1995. Apparently, the hope was for Kondō to become Miyazaki and Takahata’s successor at Studio Ghibli before his sudden death in 1998. It may have even been a contributing factor of Miyazaki’s initial retirement announcement. After watching his first and only directed feature film, I can see why. “Whisper of the Heart” is a touching coming-of-age story with great covers and original takes on one of my favorite songs of all time. The animation is stunning, the characters are lovely, and the writing is effective at telling the tale of young Shizuku and her crush Seiji. Honestly, I have to theorize that Miyazaki believed Kondō understood what Studio Ghibli and animated storytelling is about better than even Miyazaki does. At least I believe that, because “Whisper of the Heart” goes down as one of my favorite Ghibli films hands down. Seven years later, a spiritual sequel to Kondō’s film was released entitled “The Cat Returns” and directed by Hiroyuki Morita. Before even watching this one, I was very anxious about this film based on the premise alone: the main character, the Baron, was merely a figment at Shizuku’s imagination in “Whisper of the Heart” but is now a real anthropomorphic cat in this film. I was very concerned that this movie would never manage to justify its existence. And yet, Morita proved me wrong. While it is by no means my favorite Ghibli film, I enjoyed watching it as a fun adventure with quirky characters that is worth your time if you have under 76 minutes to laugh at a cat with a top hat and bowtie. The next film is 2010’s “The Secret World of Arriety,” directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi who has since left Studio Ghibli and founded his own animation studio. Which is upsetting for me, because I liked both of his additions to Ghibli’s filmography. First, “Arriety” is a delightful film about a fairy (referred to in the film as “Borrowers”) whose family survives by taking what they need from a country home and she befriends one of its human residents, Shō, who is sick and spending time resting in the countryside. While I enjoy the story and the characters, the score of this film is unlike any other Ghibli film (thanks to the French harpist and composer Cécile Corbel). Before getting to Yonebayashi’s second film and the most recent Ghibli release, I want to address Hayao Miyazaki’s son Gorō’s 2011 film “From Up on Poppy Hill.” Due to his directorial debut “Tales from Earthsea” being the only rotten Ghibli film on Rotten Tomatoes, I was very nervous about this one. Luckily, my expectations were subverted. “Poppy Hill” is an enjoyable time capsule of a movie about Japanese students in the early 1960s whose story has a lot to say about the complexities of love and the power of family in a way that helps the viewer see the world through Umi and Shun’s eyes. Needless to say, I am mildly excited for Gorō’s third Ghibli film “Earwig and the Witch.” Finally, we come to the end. The most recent release from Studio Ghibli, entitled “When Marnie Was There” and directed by Yonebayashi once again. A much quieter film than most of Ghibli’s work, I think anyone who enjoys more meditative animation á la “The Wind Rises” and “Poppy Hill” will enjoy this. But, for everyone else, set your expectations realistically because “Marnie” is no action-packed adventure. Rather, it is an introspective character study about teenage angst, our relationship with the past, and finding ourselves through our passions. WHEW!! SO MANY MOVIES!! Finally, we come to the end. Below is my ranking of (nearly) every single Studio Ghibli film and the first two films of Hayao Miyazaki:
What are your favorite Studio Ghibli films? Are you more interested in exploring Ghibli films after reading this? Which of my opinions about Studio Ghibli do you find utterly misguided or moronic? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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