Contemplating Studio Ghibli

As with TV Series, i'm not too keen on anime (series). More because of the commitment to wait for several hundred of episodes to wait for sometimes tiny and ignorable conclusions. It's a luxury i'm rarely able to afford. Well, anyway, i've always welcomed a single animation film. And Studio Ghibli quickly gets my attention during my still short-lived voyage into the realm of film appreciations.

I couldn't pin-point the exact 'whys' but you could easily marked any of the Studio Ghibli's product. There are some uniqueness that sets Studio Ghibli apart from others, but, really, i was oblivious if i was asked about what differentiates the Studio Ghibli's product from other similar. But the striking uniqueness was there, and it was easy to spot.

I had come to a possession of seven Studio Ghibli's so far, and every single one of the seven was revolved around a girl, and only three of them who has grown beyond the age of thirteen.

Another trait that marked the Studio Ghibli's animated films were its fantastic beasts. I simply love and adore them, be it in the form of huge, furry ball of troll (in Tonari no Totoro, also become the official symbol of Studio Ghibli shown in the above image), or a twelve-legged bus in a form of a cat with malicious grin not unlike that of Chesire cat's (also in Tonari no Totoro), or the simple translucent wood spirits (Mononoke Hime). If anything, these fantastic beasts remind me of the child in me who seen the world as a place full of wonder not some place stink with responsibilities that more often than not were full of shit.

I had initially planned to dedicate a week to contemplate these works in detailed manners. But, in order to so, i need to see them once again beforehands. For this post, i'm gonna list them (according to what i have anyway) in order of my preference.

Omohide poroporo / Only Yesterday (1991)

The review of this film should be close as i just reviewed this film several days (if not weeks, dunno, i forogt) ago, a warm story about a young female who found her love in a magnificent rural modern Japan, it features one of the probably best ending sequence i've ever seen in a film for quite some time. Hm, i need to put some kind of search mechanism here.

Hotaru no Haka / Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

So freakingly depressing. Roger Ebert had said that it was one of the best anti-war film ever made. And i couldn't agree more than him on this. I also had reviewed this film, only years ago instead of months. Based on a novel that was written by the World War II survivor which had intended to be the author's apology as he was blaming himself for the death of his sister. A tear jerking film, i had written that if you're not at least smitten or fighting the urge to cry when you seen this film, then probably you're a heartless bastard. No offense, just an opinion. But really, she made him a 'rice-ball', for dear's sake. Argh, curse the boy with his pride. I hate the brother in this film, really hate him.

Tonari no Totoro / My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Satsuki and Mei Kusakabe were two sisters. They were moved with their father to a rural Japan in order to get closer to where their mother (who had suffered from TBC) hospitalized. And to these kids, life is of course full of wonders, even the prospect of living in a haunted house doesn't seem to dampen their spirits. Borrows heavily from Alice in Wonderland, the film had heart-throbbing ending sequences where Mei (the younger sister, four years old) is missing and Satsuki stricken with panic and guilt search tirelessly for her.

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi / Spirited Away (2001)

A fantasy that had won the Academy Awards for the best animation, i'm more amazed than the creature creation in this film more than anything.

Mononoke Hime / Princess Mononoke (1997)

Can't remember much of it. I need to see it again.

Houru no Ugoku Shiro Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

I'm not really involved with the story. For me, it's merely an adventurous sequences among beautiful landscapes. Howl doesn't interest me that much, and i even stop caring about Sophie after a short while. If this film had a note, it would be a flat one.

Majo no Takkyuubin Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki is a thirteen year old witch who by tradition must travel to a big city to become a witch in training. She chooses a big city near ocean and started to help the townsfolk by offering delivery service (with her flying broom, that was easy). She met with a young boy, befriended him, grew careless and almost loses her ability, and found solace in a young female artist in solitude. Again, nothing interesting, nothing that make me cares about the characters, and as with Howl's Moving Castle, it ends in a flat note. However, the unmistakenly landscape of Europe (probably France) is beautiful to look at. And at least, it kept me awake.