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The Big Miyazaki Thread
mrdobalina
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Do you know this guy?
He's hands down the best animated storyteller alive today. Even if you don't know him, you might know some of his works. In fact, one of his movies is playing at a theater near you RIGHT NOW.
That's right, Ponyo has been released and if you have yet to see it, shame on you. It's a story about a fish with a human face that grows chicken feet and falls in love with a boy but is chased by David Bowie (voice by Liam Neeson). How did you miss it?
Maybe you saw one of his other big movies?
This was featured in Roger Ebert's BEST MOVIES EVAR!
He's also responsible for two of the best animated films to ever be released (#62 and #131 on the imdb top 250 of all time):
Spirited Away
and Princess Mononoke
So, ITT we talk about Miyazaki's work. The scope can also include Studio Ghibli in general, but should not expand into general Anime talk (there's a separate thread for that).
Bonus points are given for discussing how great Ponyo was, how SyFy fucked us over with Earthsea, or how Ronaldo Moon (Muta) is the single best character ever featured in any movie ever released.
He's hands down the best animated storyteller alive today. Even if you don't know him, you might know some of his works. In fact, one of his movies is playing at a theater near you RIGHT NOW.
That's right, Ponyo has been released and if you have yet to see it, shame on you. It's a story about a fish with a human face that grows chicken feet and falls in love with a boy but is chased by David Bowie (voice by Liam Neeson). How did you miss it?
Maybe you saw one of his other big movies?
This was featured in Roger Ebert's BEST MOVIES EVAR!
He's also responsible for two of the best animated films to ever be released (#62 and #131 on the imdb top 250 of all time):
Spirited Away
and Princess Mononoke
So, ITT we talk about Miyazaki's work. The scope can also include Studio Ghibli in general, but should not expand into general Anime talk (there's a separate thread for that).
Bonus points are given for discussing how great Ponyo was, how SyFy fucked us over with Earthsea, or how Ronaldo Moon (Muta) is the single best character ever featured in any movie ever released.
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Spirited Away or Nausicaa.
Although then you'll be starting with his best and working backwards, but that's ok.
Well, considering his worst is still "pretty damn good"...
Amen to that.
I for one loved Porco Rosso. A WWII-era Italian flying pig?
Awesome.
Totoro is the best thing, but not everybody appreciates it. Maybe you should start with Nausicaa or Howl's Moving Castle.
You could also start with Grave of the Fireflies. However, you would then have to kill yourself, so you wouldn't be able to see the others.
And then, it put its hooks into me. I am now a confirmed Miyazaki fan. The combination of wonderful storytelling, developed characters, and crazy bizarre randomness (to my narrow Western mind) is just amazing.
Totoro and the Cat Returns rank very high on my list.
"then you'll be with To-to-ro, To-to-ro..."
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Howl's Moving Castle seems to be bagged on more than any of his other films, but I thought it was brilliant.
What gives?
Spirited Away.
If you don't get a little bit misty at that one scene then you have no soul.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I dunno. How can you argue with the genius of the Catbus? I found myself howling with laughter several times during that movie. Genius, I tell you!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Is Porco Rosso is pretty great too.
Well, the scene in the rain with the umbrella is a certified classic of cinema.
That said, Totoro, great as it is, lacks the wow factor of some of his other films.
Why can't you all just pick one thing that is the best for a first timer to see?!
EDIT: I know that that is a good thing.
Okay, agreed. The unbrella scene is pure gold... please, for the love of God, watch the movie for this scene alone. However, you are right, the wow factor is missing.
For that, I'd vote Spirited Away. It has it all, and is perhaps a bit more palatable to the uninitiated. While the rest of us might be willing to suspend disbelief even if Miyazaki told us his next movie was going to be about earthworms, the newbie might need to ease into this world first.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Castle of Cagliostro may be a licensed movie for the Lupin the 3rd series, but it was an amazing adventurous movie.
It's based on a book and changes a bunch of things which naturally results in some bad blood regardless of the quality of the final product?
Spirited Away then.
I wouldn't say one Miyazaki film stands head and shoulders above the rest. Everyone ranks their favorites differently. About the only Miyazaki movie I wouldn't recommend to a first timer is Princess Mononoke. It's good, but the pacing is rather slow, and it lacks a bit of subtlety.
I noticed someone mentioned Grave of the Fireflies, but that is actually not Miyazaki. It was directed by Isao Takahata, who also directed the wonderful Only Yesterday.
Another fantastic Ghibli film is Whisper of the Heart, the only film directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo.
This is what got me into anime. Still one of my top ten movies.
Plus at that point Miyazaki had previously made arguably his best film twice in a row, people were expecting him to keep upping it.
Howl's Moving Castle was pretty good. I really enjoyed the beautiful scenery and steampunk designs.
Princess Mononoke is probably the most action packed one.
Nausicaa is great. The airship designs are really cool as well as the poisonous forests.
I still need to watch Totoro, Laputa, and Kiki's Delivery Service sometime, and whatever else I haven't seen yet
I did go to see Ponyo the other weekend in theatres. The art as usual was gorgeous, but it did feel a bit more aimed at younger audiences, not that I didn't enjoy it though.
Spirited Away...something bugs me about some stuff that happens at the end that I don't like
He becomes very friendly and offers her a big pile of gold. But she's seen what greed is doing to the other members of the household, but she doesn't want to hurt his feeling so she gently tells him...
...scratch that. She looks at it like she's being offered heroin or Sauron's Ring, rambles "I have no use for this! I have no use for this!" and No Face's feelings get hurt and he goes on a rampage.
Umm...she's a good person now?
I'm surprised nobody has brought up Castle in the Sky yet. It's probably my son's favorite.
But Spirited Away is fucking SPECTACULAR film!
Also, I wanted to buy BlazBlue the instant I saw that Arakune looked like No Face
But is it as cute and otherwise awesome as Totoro? I don't remember thinking Kiki's was great, and so I haven't been too hot to see Ponyo in theaters.
Well Arakune is an evil motherfucker who is made of insects. I don't play bad guys, but he's just too awesome.
EvErYoNe ShOuLd DiSsaPpeAr!
For non-Miyazaki Ghibli I like My Neighbors The Yamadas.
Edit: My first Miyazaki flick was Spirited Away and my second was Princes Mononoke, I'd recommend that order to others.
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What's the equivalent to "secret herbs and spices" in anime?
What? Pretty much EVERYTHING Miyazaki does is slow-paced to some extent or another. Princess Mononoke is one of his more fast-paced ones. Kiki or Totoro are downright glacial by comparison.
Still damn fine, but very, very slow and methodical.
Illicit herbs and fungi to stimulate creativity?
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Ponyo made me smile. A lot. It's not as good as Totoro though.
i still have my VHS copy, bought from blockbuster since my dad got sick of renting it over and over and over.
this will be the first movie my kids watch.
The first one I watched was Totoro. I think I saw it on TV when I was around 14. I was all "Hey anime on TV HOLY CRAP". What a great movie, and perfect for kids.
So Ponyo is good, hmm?
Right next to Speed Racer & Coraline.
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