Studio Ghibli Part 2!

Part 2! Let's do this.

So Pom Poko is being skipped for now because I'm talking about it in its own post. It's all kinds of crazy, it deserves that. Moving on-

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

The only film directed by Miyzaki and Takahata's protege Yoshifumi Kondo before he died of a brain aneurysm at 47.

This is a very lovely film about a young girl named Shizuku who wants to be a writer and her relationship with a boy who wants to be a violin maker.

The movie gets extra bonus points for featuring John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads," including the ONJ (Olivia Newton John to you non-Xanadu fans out there) cover heard at the beginning of the film.

Break it down, Shizuku:

Princess Mononoke (1997)

So I watched this movie back in junior high and remember being kinda traumatized. Mostly because there's this human to human/mother bird feeding her baby bird regurgitation scene. I honestly couldn't remember that much about the film, but man, did that regurgitation part stick.

What about watching it all these years later? Still traumatizing. The regurgitation part didn't even get to me so much this time (probably because I was expecting it). But there are definitely decapitations and lopping off of limbs happening that I didn't remember. Yes, it's brilliant, but I like my Studio Ghibli films with a bit more whimsy.

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)

At the beginning of the trailer, you'll see Mrs. Yamada wearing a tsunokakushi (see wedding post). You'll also see the family sitting under a kotatsu! Hooray, learning about culture!

So this is a movie of little vignettes about a quirky Japanese family. Two hours of vignettes. I mean, it's cute at the beginning, but boy, this movie drags on and on. But seriously, if you want to see a cartoonified depiction of modern Japanese life, this is the way to go.

Spirited Away (2001)

Amazing. A masterpiece. I love the magic, the spirits, the spectacle, everything about this movie is perfect.

The Cat Returns (2002)

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita, this is a sort of sequel to Whisper of the Heart, but not really. This movie features an enchanted cat statue named the Baron (who also appeared in Whisper of the Heart) who comes to the rescue of a girl named Haru who is kidnapped and brought to the Cat Kingdom.

It's a pretty freaking weird movie. You probably won't trust cats after you watch this.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

In love with the magic in this movie. I loved the spectacle. Magic scarecrows, talking fires, wicked witches, what more could you want. It's amazing to compare the magic in this film to the magic of Miyazki's movies from the 1980s. He really takes it to another level here.

I also love the main theme. I've been trying to learn it on my accordion, but I've been pretty unsuccessful, probably because I suck at music.

Ponyo (2008)

Miyazaki's latest. Adorable and sweet. And it's based on The Little Mermaid, a story from my Danish people. Although there isn't any of Miyazki's trademark flying sequences, he's able to use the same techniques for the underwater scenes and when Ponyo is running on the waves.

Note: So I didn't get to watch Tales from Earthsea (2006, directed by Miyazaki's son Goro). But after an unenthusiastic review from my friend (he couldn't even finish it), I decided to wait to watch that one.