Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli

[James]

Who here is a fan of Hayao Miyazaki? I think his films are equivalent to the Pixar of Japanese Animation. I have come to cherish his stories so much as they are released that I pick them up without feeling a need to research their quality (a habit similar to my unwavering faith in Pixar, choosing to watch their movies no matter how silly they appear, or how they are reviewed).

Some of his famous movie titles include:
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

[Baiko Arashi]

princess mononoke and spirited away are amazing.. ive seen most of spirited away though..but ive seen all of princess mononoke several times

[Marc]

I've got Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, plus Howl's Moving Castle somewhere. One DVD shop in town had pretty much all Studio Ghibli films, but they closed down a few weeks back.

But yes, Miyazaki's work is just as good, if not preferable, to Pixar.

[Josh]

Mr. Miyazaki possesses great talent in story telling. I believe most of his stories are on a different level from rivaling animation studios. My personal favorite is Castle in the Sky (1985). However, I must mention that Spirited Away was a work of no human effort! Mr. Miyazaki is like a God of his fantasy/imaginary world. He can shape his characters and stories so well. I am disappointed in myself. I have not yet seen My Neighbor Totoro (1988). I still have aims to buy it in the near future, but Japanese animation seems to cost a hefty price. Other than Tonari no Totoro (<--- I am showing off my ability to google its japanese name) I have seen all of Mr. Miyazaki's works, and they deserve thunderous applause.

[Tigger of Kai]

I've only seen one, Princess Mononoke, it was trippy and I'm glad I saw it on the big screen. My parents didn't know what to think. A Miyazaki film festival would be cool, I don't really want to watch these films on video.

So which film is your favorite, James?

[James]

So which film is your favorite, James?

Oh wow… that’s a tough choice. I guess if I go with the first title that comes to mind, I would have to say <i>Spirited Away</i>. Not only was it the first Studio Ghibli film I ever saw, it was my first introduction to his… incredible imagination. Not only that, I thought to myself how wonderful it would be for children to grow up with some of these films in their lives—they teach lessons in profound ways that western cartoons can’t seem to manage anymore.

<i>Princess Mononoke</i> is also my favorite in a different way. While I have seen <i>Spirited Away</i> numerous times, <i>Princess Mononoke</i> is the sort of movie I can enjoy watching in the background while working. For this reason, I have seen it quite a few more times. (Movies I enjoy in this way are few and far between.)

Finally, I love watching <i>My Neighbor Totoro</i> with my daughter.

I am disappointed in myself. I have not yet seen My Neighbor Totoro (1988). I still have aims to buy it in the near future, but Japanese animation seems to cost a hefty price.

Isn’t that the truth. I have been slowly building my Miyazaki collection over the past few years. I always check for them at reputable used DVD stores (here in CA we’ve got Rasputin’s, and in UT we had Gray Whale), buy them as soon as they come out (it is easy to find them for $16–$20 if you do that), and keep an eye out for Miyazaki promotions (sometimes stores place a whole set of Miyazaki films on sale, which is how I found old classics like <i>The Cat Returns</i> and <i>My Neighbor Totoro</i> at reasonable prices). If I find any I don’t have under $20, I tend to buy them. And yeah, the prices are pretty high—Japanese Animation tends to be expensive as is, and when you add Disney to the mix…

Hehe… don’t go too far back. <i>Panda go Panda</i> was a nightmare!
Movies made before he controlled their production can be <i>very</i> strange.

[Lafeel]

How about "Castle of Cagliostro"? It was, supposedly, his first film, or rather the first one he directed..So far it is the only one by him I have seen from start to finish, but I absolutely love it.

[Ranbir]

His films are nice. The only of the japanese cartoons I admire. Yes yes, come to correct me about 'anime'. No no, all those 'anime' are nothing but cartoons.

But Miyazaki's are excellent works of animation. And it just makes so damn sense that Disney's subsidiary is helping them here. The english voices are absolutely perfect, so I'm not all elitist on hearing it in a language I: don't understand or : can't tell if the Japanese quality is actually any better than the English.

Mononoke is a clear favourite of mine.

[Lady Wu]

Castle in the Sky was the first one I watched.

My favourites, in order, are:

- Totoro
- Nausicaa
- Mononoke

Spirited Away and The Cat Returns didn't really do much for me (even though I did watch Whipsers of the Heart for background info for Cat).

By the way, the new Disney-dubbed Totoro DVD has absolutely horrid English voice over. I would go with the older VHS dub if you really want to see it dubbed. However, Disney's French track is absolutely brilliant, and I consider it one of the best dubbing in any language I've come across.

[cresentdragon92]

I love Spirited away....it's one of my favorite anime movies.