Princess Mononoke / Studio Ghibli

[Quokka]

Still haven't seen Princess Mononoke but Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflys and Kiki's Delivery Service would be favourites.

I noticed one today I hadn't heard of; The Cat Returns, think it's a kind of spin off of an earlier work Whisper of the Heart which I haven't seen either.

Has anyone seen either? I'll end up getting them to watch but was wondering how child friendly The Cat Returns is. My 6 yr old daughter loves Kiki but much of Ghibli's work is still too mature for her. Would be nice to introduce her to another Studio Ghibli animation to try and balance against the 3D Barbie influence .

 

[Wish]

Nausicaa and Spirited Away are head an shoulders above Miyazaki's other stuff.

Totoro and Kiki's are the ones you have to show your kids.

The Cat Returns and Whisper of the Heart are both fine films, but they're not Miyazaki, and it shows. A lot of kids probably wouldn't be too enchanted with Whisper of the Heart; it's very low-stakes and laid back. The Cat Returns is a winner, though.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

My daughter is Ghibli obsessed and we have the lot in various formats.

I like Howl's Moving Castle lol think he does fluff very well.

She watched Mononoke about two years ago at six and is just coming back to it at eight. She's watched it twice this week.

She watches the non-Miyzaki and actually i think Cat Returns and Whisper of the Heart are two of her favourites, along with Pom Poko (about racoon shifters) and the Yamadas (I so do not get that).

Nausicca is my favourite with Kiki second.

We still need to watch Arietty - I've bought it for her Easter present.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

The Cat Returns is sort of half-Ghibli. I liked it, though it doesn't have some of the Art of Miyazaki's other stuff. One other to mention is the absolutely fab Porco Rosso, which I love. And let's not forget Ponyo, which is great!

 

[HareBrain]

Has anyone here read the Nausicaa manga, by the way?

 

[Wish]

I have. Miyazaki's art is tremendous; his storytelling is less impressive, but it's just a bigger, deeper version of the feature film. There's just a lot more content, and that makes for a looser, less precisely-crafted experience.

It's very respectable - and even more so because it's relatively original in an industry dominated by derivation and exploitation. Which is my way of saying there's nothing else out there like it.

But on the other hand, where there's a strong feeling that the Nausicaa film isn't just Miyazaki's best, but simply *the* best as far as animated cinema goes, nobody ever says that about the manga. So while the manga is probably a classic, it's not regarded as a timeless classic of the same caliber as the film, if that makes sense. And I generally agree with that.

Don't let that stop you from reading it. It's worth the time, especially if you like the movie, and Miyazaki's art carries it even when his writing lets it down.

 

[HareBrain]

I have already read it (whoops, I should have asked "has anyone else ...")

I think it's brilliant. I actually prefer it to the anime (which I'd rate as third-best of his films, behind PM and SA). I love the huge, epic, loosely structured sprawl of it (though I'd agree that sometimes the art carries it. Wish it was in colour!) But I haven't come across anyone else here before who's read it.

But on the other hand, where there's a strong feeling that the Nausicaa film isn't just Miyazaki's best, but simply *the* best as far as animated cinema goes, nobody ever says that about the manga. So while the manga is probably a classic, it's not regarded as a timeless classic of the same caliber as the film, if that makes sense.

I'm not sure about that. I read an Amazon review of the box set that claimed it wasn't just the best graphic novel that reviewer ever read, but one of the best novels, and several others were almost as complimentary. I wouldn't go as far as some of those, but some people do rate it very highly.

 

[Wish]

And it deserves it, compared to a lot of manga out there. I hold Mononoke in lower regard because it's just a retread of the pacifist and environmental themes as Nausicaa - just over a decade later, and with more blood. A lot of westerners get real hype for Mononoke just because for a lot of them, it was their first exposure to Miyazaki.

Anyway, @ guy who asked about the manga - you'll have a hard time finding someone who'll tell you it's *not* worth your time. Whether it's the best ever like some say or just really good like I say, the Nausicaa manga is worth looking at.

 

[Anne Spackman]

I recently found (& remembered!) about a Studio Ghibli movie called "Castle in the Sky" which I'd watched & loved as a kid.
It's great

I also liked "Castle in the Sky" and "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" when I was really young. I enjoyed "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Spirited Away" more recently. Very imaginative films.