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Hawkeye_a · Apr 14, 2006, 05:04 AM

Like some of you may know ive neveer been a fan of Japanese Animation. But after a good discussion with some of you here in a thread over a year ago, i took a chance with "Spirited Away" ..... then came "Howl's Moving Castle" ...made by the same Studio (Sudio Ghibli) (and directed by the same dude... Miyazaki).

I rented "Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind" yesterday ...... it's an animated movie from 1984... same studio, same director as well. And it delivers.

The story is amazing, the animation beautiful, and something i recommend to anyone. In fact if your never been a fan of Japaneses animation....take a chance and rent out any of the 3 movies mentioned here. you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Also on a side note....the musical scores of these films are absolutely beautiful..... different, not bad different, great different. And something id love to add to my music collection.

Anyway, if you havent already, check this movie out.

Cheers

IFLY2HIGH · Apr 14, 2006, 05:15 AM

Cartoon Netowrk has been playing his films every Saturday evening and I caught bits and pieces of it. I need to go buy it so I can watch the entire film now. If you liked those others, you'll also like then Princess Mononoke as well, one of my favorites.

Spliff · Apr 14, 2006, 05:42 AM

Awesome film! Also check out Porco Rosso (it's fun and lightweight) and especially "Laputa: Castle in the Sky."

The Internet · Apr 14, 2006, 06:08 AM

Someone timeline him. God.

Hawkeye_a · Apr 14, 2006, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by IFLY2HIGH

Cartoon Netowrk has been playing his films every Saturday evening and I caught bits and pieces of it. I need to go buy it so I can watch the entire film now. If you liked those others, you'll also like then Princess Mononoke as well, one of my favorites.

Yup, Princess Mononoke is a great movie as well. i love the whole 'nature' theme in Miyazaki's movies.

Millennium · Apr 14, 2006, 09:54 AM

Just about anything by Miyazaki is good. He's one of the best in his field, and his work seldom if ever fits any of the common anime stereotypes.

Daveecee · Apr 14, 2006, 10:00 AM

I like most of Miyazaki's work. Heck, I even enjoyed Panda Go Panda!

Rev-O · Apr 14, 2006, 07:48 PM

Nausicaä is an awesome flick. I first saw it as a Japanese language bootleg video shortly after its Japanese release. It has long been one of my favorites and with the newish release of Nausicaä and the Valley of the Wind, I get to watch this show with my daughter. Miyazaki's films are always in heavy rotation with my family.

Side note: I see Miyazaki's son is directing an anime version of Wizard of Earthsea... sounds promising.

Chuckit · Apr 14, 2006, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by The Internet

Someone timeline him. God.

It's still 10 times better than any of your threads.

Miyazaki is a great filmmaker, and Nausicaa is probably his best work. Not necessarily the most complex, but a really good movie overall. I'll second (or seventh or whatever) the recommendation.

JoshuaZ · Apr 16, 2006, 08:43 AM

The manga is one of the best reads I've ever had. If you can find it, read it. Its long, complex, and well drawn.

But who doesn't love My Neighbor Totoro?

FeLiZeCaT · Apr 16, 2006, 11:20 AM

I really loved that movie, and I also greatly appreciated the manga. Wonderful.

ReggieX · Apr 16, 2006, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by Spliff

Awesome film! Also check out Porco Rosso (it's fun and lightweight) and especially "Laputa: Castle in the Sky."

Seconding Porco Rosso

Hawkeye_a · Apr 23, 2006, 09:41 PM

I watched 'My Neighbour Totoro' yesterday. it was.....different. I really liked the way they portrayed the relationship between the two sisters...very realistic imo. i didnt get teh whole totoro thing...didnt make much sence to me. but it's a beautiful movie (visually) to watch.

Cheers

hart · Apr 24, 2006, 01:22 PM

we were just watching "Spirited Away" yesterday which I find very ominous but which my kids, 5,7 and 10 don't seem disturbed by, altho, a 5 yr old friend finds the coal sprites terrifying. These movies seem to strike the mind at a more symbolic rather than literal level so making sense isn't always the point. Maybe my children's subconcious minds are less timid than mine.

I think I'll go get Princess M. and see it myself.

anyway, if I have to consider one more "humorous" computer-animated movie about smart aleck animals going wild/escaping/having an adventure in NYC/being forced to go on some kind of trek etc etc I think I'm going to scream. We seem to be in a painfully repetitive streak of copy-cat movies made by people who for some reason are convinced that if a computer made it it must be good. Miyazaki, save me!!

Rev-O · May 14, 2006, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

I watched 'My Neighbour Totoro' yesterday. it was.....different. I really liked the way they portrayed the relationship between the two sisters...very realistic imo. i didnt get teh whole totoro thing...didnt make much sence to me. but it's a beautiful movie (visually) to watch.

Cheers

Just sat down with my daughter and watched Totoro today for the first time.
Fantastic show!

from me,

from my 5 year old daughter. Perfect for curling up with a kid and escaping.
So far everything I've seen by Miyazaki is golden. I'll have to get Porco on of these days.

FeLiZeCaT · 06:47 AM

Miyazaki is one of those modern storytellers we can forget only with difficulty. Stories are unlike any others, protagonists are coming out from dreams, and there is kindness along the way in the most unlikely places.

I love it.

Scifience · May 14, 2006, 09:33 PM

Everything Miyazaki does is pretty amazing.

Nausicaa is absolutely great. It is a shame that it never (AFAIK) got a run in the theaters here in the US. It seems that the major American distributors are afraid of anime, for the most part.

Howl's Moving Castle is actually one of my least favorite Miyazaki movies; the story simply doesn't seem to hang together as well as in some of the others. Of course, from a visual aspect, it is outstanding, just like all of Ghibli's other stuff.

Totoro is, well, Totoro. Not much else to say about it. Wonderfully charming, but very different from most movies. A note: do not buy the US Fox release. It is terrible. The Japanese DVD is R2, but has English subtitles/audio and is a much better DVD. Fox cut scenes out for the US release.

One of the most under-appreciated Ghibli films is Neko no Ongaeshi (roughly "The Cat's Return," I don't know the actual English title). While it isn't directed by Miyazaki (IIRC, he was the executive producer), it has the same charm to it as all of his own films. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend it. Amazon.jp link: http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/...600883-8362626

Another somewhat less 'popular' Miyazaki film is Majo no Takkyuubin (roughly "Witch's Express Delivery Service"). Another very charming Ghibli film that I highly recommend. Amazon.jp link: http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/...600883-8362626

Chuckit · May 14, 2006, 09:53 PM

The English title of Majo no Takkyuubin is Kiki's Delivery Service. I don't think Neko no Ongaeshi was released for English audiences, though I could be wrong.

cpt kangarooski · May 15, 2006, 12:46 AM

Chuckit--
It's out on video. Don't recall it in theaters, though.

Anyway, all this and no one's mentioned Castle of Cagliostro? For shame.

OwlBoy · May 15, 2006, 02:58 AM

Scifience - The new Disney release of Totoro is great.

I recomend viewing all his films too.

-Owl

Scifience · May 15, 2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by cpt kangarooski

Chuckit--
It's out on video. Don't recall it in theaters, though.

Anyway, all this and no one's mentioned Castle of Cagliostro? For shame.

That one was before Ghibli, which is why I think I forgot to mention it. Oops.

Scifience · May 15, 2006, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by OwlBoy

Scifience - The new Disney release of Totoro is great.

Ah, didn't know that was out yet. That's good to know for telling other people, even though I'm perfectly content with my R2 release. Thanks.

olePigeon · May 15, 2006, 01:35 PM

I just really don't like anime style of animation. I tried to watch that other movie he did and I couldn't get past 10 minutes.

OwlBoy · May 16, 2006, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I just really don't like anime style of animation. I tried to watch that other movie he did and I couldn't get past 10 minutes.

What bugs you that much about it?

-Owl

wataru · May 16, 2006, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by Scifience

One of the most under-appreciated Ghibli films is Neko no Ongaeshi (roughly "The Cat's Return," I don't know the actual English title).

Ongaeshi is repayment for a favor done, not "return." I don't think it has an official English title, but I'd translate it as "The Cat's Appreciation" or something like that.

Stradlater · May 16, 2006, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

I just really don't like anime style of animation. I tried to watch that other movie he did and I couldn't get past 10 minutes.

Odd. I'm not a big anime fan, but the Ghibli style is far from [stereo]typical of the fare. It's really something different entirely.

The one anime-styled anime I could get into was Cowboy Bebop. Fantastic soundtrack; fun show.

Scifience · May 16, 2006, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

Ongaeshi is repayment for a favor done, not "return." I don't think it has an official English title, but I'd translate it as "The Cat's Appreciation" or something like that.

That's what I was trying to get at. "Return" meaning "return a favor." Thanks for clearing it up; I make a bad translator.

olePigeon · May 16, 2006, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by OwlBoy

What bugs you that much about it?

-Owl

It reminds me too much of stop motion or a flip book.

wataru · May 16, 2006, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by Scifience

That's what I was trying to get at. "Return" meaning "return a favor." Thanks for clearing it up; I make a bad translator.

"The Cat's Return" makes it sound like a sequel to "The Cat"

olePigeon · May 17, 2006, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

"The Cat's Return" makes it sound like a sequel to "The Cat"

That's the third movie. You have:

The Cat
The Cat 2: The Revenge!
The Cat 3: The Return!

wataru · May 17, 2006, 02:18 PM

Where does "Son of The Cat" fit in?

Chuckit · May 17, 2006, 02:29 PM

That would be the direct-to-video sequel released several years later without any of the original cast.

G Barnett · May 17, 2006, 02:39 PM

And for the past few days, I've had that "Ohmu Theme" from Nausicaa stuck in my head. Whistling, humming, you name it. Oh, well. Could be worse pieces of music to have lingering around.

This is indeed, one of my absolute favorites.

olePigeon · May 17, 2006, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

Where does "Son of The Cat" fit in?

The Cat 4: Son of The Cat
The Cat 5: The Litter
The Cat 6: Return of the Jedi

Hawkeye_a · May 18, 2006, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by G Barnett

And for the past few days, I've had that "Ohmu Theme" from Nausicaa stuck in my head. Whistling, humming, you name it. Oh, well. Could be worse pieces of music to have lingering around.

This is indeed, one of my absolute favorites.

Hehehe....i know what u mean. i get the Howl's moving Castle and Nausica theme stuck in my head all the time. Maybe cause i listen to em all the time.

Hawkeye_a · Jun 2, 2006, 10:52 AM

Just watched Laputa: Castle in the sky and Porco Rosso ..... Laputa was amazing.

you kind of notice a common 'theme' between his movies. flight is always given a high standing in his movies. here's also a subtle theme on the importance of nature and the futility(is this a word?) or 'technology'.

I also started to notice the evolution of character design between his movies.

Porco Rosso, was ....different.....very different. it was enjoyable if a bit slow at times, but definately entertaining.

I definately recommend Laputa if you enjoyed Nausicaa, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke.

Cheers