Questions for Miyazaki fans (1 Viewer)

[Brian"Thomas"]

Hey everyone. I am a newbie here and I have a question about Hayao Miyazaki's films. I have heard he is a tremendous animator, and I was curious as to what his top 5 films were? Also, are his films childish and don't appeal to adults. I'm a 20 year old with no kids and am a big animation fan, as long as there is stuff I can enjoy. I don't like stuff for kids only. Some of his movies APPEAR to be childish, so I was curious if they are or if i'm pre-judging. Any help appreciated. Thanks

Brian

 

[RafaelB]

Hello and Welcome Brian!

As I'm sure you'll get a few replies about the wonder of Hayao Miyazaki's films, to answer your questions. His films aren't childish yet they are full of a child-like wonder that appeal to young and old alike. Some of his best movies are:

Spirited Away
My Neighbor Totoro
Kiki's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
Princess Mononoke (probably his most adult-oriented film)

all the above are available in region 1 (Totoro in a pan and scan only dubbed version).

Hope this answers your questions. Oh, and for the record, I'm a single man in my early thirties who can't get enough animated fare.

Rafael

 

[Matt<>Broon]

To start with I'd recommend picking out Princess Mononoke (I always want to carry the 'on' a bit further with that title... Monononononoke *ahem* I digress :b)

Anyway, Mononoke and Spirited away are probably his most accessible films (although a spirited debate about the 'explanations' surrounding spirited away and a seeming lack of cohesiveness currently rages elsewhere on these forums).

All the films in the list given by Brian are excellent although I feel Totorro is more explicitly youngster orientated.

Anyway I'm twenty something myself and I love them. I hope that's some recommendation!

Edit : Oh, and WELCOME!

 

[Joseph Young]

Welcome to the Forum, Brian!

a big animation fan, as long as there is stuff I can enjoy.

There is a great maturity behind H. Miyazaki's films, but he often chooses to tell stories from the perspective of younger characters. His themes are adult, but his vessels are sometimes seen as less mature.

If you are looking for something more in the vein of 'Akira' or 'Ghost in the Shell,' Miyazaki should probably not be your first choice (although he did animate a music video which has some pretty violent imagery).

Again, welcome!

~J

 

[Brian"Thomas"]

Akira or Ghost in the Shell never really interested me for some strange reason. Does that mean that I won't like Miyazaki's films?

 

[Matt<>Broon]

Akira or Ghost in the Shell never really interested me for some strange reason. Does that mean that I won't like Miyazaki's films?

Quite the opposite I would think. They're poles apart with very little in common.

(I quite like both of those films too though to be honest.)

 

[Eric_E]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind yet. It's a gorgeous film and a bit more mature than some of Miyazaki's others. The score by Joe Hisaishi is absolutely phenomenal. I'm not sure what the status of that film is for release on video or DVD, but if you can manage to get your hands on it somehow, check it out because it's wonderful.

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about Miyazaki and his work, check out the definitive website for all things Miyazaki: http://www.nausicaa.net

 

[Steve Christou]

I'm in the Akira/Ghost in the Shell camp myself, but I loved 'Spirited Away', an exquisitely animated fantasy, it deserved it's Oscar win.

Miyazaki also made 'Porco Rosso' which is prob the odd one out of his films, no child protagonist or fantasy world, but has the usual great animation, and is quite funny too.

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>I can't believe nobody has mentioned Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind yet.

 

[Joseph Young]

Eric,

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind yet.

Absolutely. And Steve Christou, another great reference with Porco Rosso. I am lucky enough to have both 'unfettered' versions and they are truly great. I've always seen a similarity between Nausicaa and Mononoke.

Porco Rosso has a lot of drinking and smoking and fighting (you know, the good things in life), so yeah, I wouldn't call it a 'kiddie film.'

Brian, if you don't care for Ghost in the Shell or Akira, chances are you will really like Miyazaki (although I like both, hehe).

~j

 

[Stephen_L]

I'm 45 years old and have loved Miyazaki films back when I could only watch it in unsubtitled Japanese; I don't understand a word of the language but I still loved the films. Now with the Disney dubs which are think are excellent and subtitled Ghibli collections available these films can be readily appreciated by everyone. They are stunning visually, very magical. All include a particular weakness of mine; spectacular flying sequences. I'd place the following films at the top of my Miyazaki list (in descending order of preference)

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Kiki's Delivery Service

 

[Malcolm R]

Akira or Ghost in the Shell never really interested me for some strange reason. Does that mean that I won't like Miyazaki's films?

I saw "Akira" years ago and really didn't care for it. That's mostly what's kept me away from the Miyazaki films, thinking they'd be similar. They're really not.

I just had my first Miyazaki experience last night with "Spirited Away" and it was fantastic! Now I can't wait to watch the other three I have on DVD (decided to take the plunge based on a good price for the entire Miyazaki set).

If you like animation anyway, you're sure to love at least "Spirited Away" and probably the others as well.

What are some of the animated titles you enjoy? Perhaps that would give us a better idea of your tastes.

Also, given that "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke" are two of the highest grossing movies ever in Japan, they must appeal to a wide audience and not just children.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Woo Jae]

Two other suggestions:

Castle of Cagliostro - this is a Miyazaki film based on the long running anime series about the child of a infamous French thief name Arsene Lupin. But in typical Miyazaki fashion, he creates a story using those existing characters and makes us care for them in this fun romp. Still holds its own against many a animated feature today.

His studio, Studio Ghibli, also has another director of note: Isao Takahata. Takahata directed the very moving and famous adaptation of the tale of two young Japanese brother and sister into Grave of the Fireflies. The characters in it will make you cry as you have never cried before. Get the two disc Collector's Edition.

 

[Brian"Thomas"]

I enjoy some of the REALLY good Disney films, my favs being The Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. My favs (not movies) are the animated Fox shows (Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, King of the Hill).

 

[Eric_E]

Brian: If you like The Lion King, you might find this thread interesting.

P.S. I was lucky enough to see Spirited Away in Tokyo on the second day of its release in the summer of 2001. It was an incredible moviegoing experience. I took pictures of the lines at the theater - they wrapped around the block. After the movie, news crews were interviewing people who saw the film to ask their opinions of it. It wasn't just a movie, it was an event.

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

You really can't go wrong with Miyazaki; even his weakest Ghibli film is still heads above most animated movies.

My personal Miyazaki favorite is Castle In The Sky, but Kiki, Totoro, Nausicaa, Mononoke, and Spirited Away are all either classics or, at the very least, really really good (I still think Princess Mononoke is about 20 minutes too long.) Porco Rosso is slight but so wonderfully funny and charming that it's always worth watching.

People praise Grave of the Fireflies, and rightfully so; it's magnificent. But my favorite Ghibli film is Whisper of the Heart, directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo. It's a touching and beautifully-rendered coming of age story. If you're a Miyazaki fan, definitely check this one out too.

 

[Cary T]

The weakest of Miyazaki is better than most best. I prefer the weakest of the Miyazaki to any of Disney stuff. With that being said, here is my personal ranking of Miyazaki's films.

1. Kiki's Delivery Service
2. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
3. Laputa
4. Totoro
5. Porco Rosso
6. Mononoke Hime
7. Spirited Away
8. Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro

Miyazaki also directed a music video called On Your Mark which is excellent as well.

 

[Tony-B]

Akira or Ghost in the Shell never really interested me for some strange reason. Does that mean that I won't like Miyazaki's films?

Not at all. Those are more sci-fi, while Miyazaki tends to do more fantasy related films.

I personally feel that his most "adult" movie would be Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke). I would check that one out first. Then I would move on to Spirited Away. If you are just getting into anime, check out my recommendations list (shamless self-promo).

 

[TheLongshot]

But my favorite Ghibli film is Whisper of the Heart, directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo. It's a touching and beautifully-rendered coming of age story. If you're a Miyazaki fan, definitely check this one out too.

Particularly since Miyazaki wrote it.

My ratings of Miyazaki films:

1) Porco Rosso
2) Kiki's Delivery Service
3) Princess Mononoke
4) Lupin III: Castle Of Cagliostro
5) Nausicaa
6) Totoro
7) Spirited Away
8) Castle In The Sky

Also, don't miss Ghibli's "other" director, Takahata-san. His films are great in a different way. "Grave Of The Fireflies" is the only one that is currently available in the states and is probably his greatest work. "Pon Poko" and "My Neighbor The Yamadas" are pretty darn good as well. I still haven't seen "Only Yesterday" yet, tho.

Jason

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm amazed everyone familiar with Miyazaki ranks "Spirited Away" near the bottom of their lists. Makes me look forward to the other titles even more.