Discovering Miyazaki - Watching Every Miyazaki Movie For the First Time | The Director Project
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ย. 2020
- I have never watched a Studio Ghibli film. More specifically, I have never seen a single film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. So, I decided to change that. This past week I binged every single film directed by Miyazaki and this video contains all of my first impressions.
Warning, mild spoilers.
Timestamps:
My Neighbor Totoro: 1:06
Kiki's Delivery Service: 3:36
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: 6:59
Ponyo: 8:56
Howl's Moving Castle: 10:45
Castle in the Sky: 13:16
Porco Rosso: 14:33
Princess Mononoke: 16:32
The Wind Rises: 19:13
Spirited Away: 21:16
This video is part of the Director Project, a monthly playlist where a bunch of creators from all over the internet come together to discuss a chosen director.
Check out the full Hayao Miyazaki playlist here:
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Portions of this video were edited by my friends James and John.
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No Face only acted crazy because he was soaking in the greed of the bathhouse. The moment he left the toxicity, he returned back to normal.
Interesting
@@CenterRow i think no face was like a mirror and a child - since he is so empty/innocent, he reflects the emotions/personality around him. hence the name "no face" since he has no "personality" of his own. the main reason why the elder sister witch (forgot her name) allowed no face to stay with her was that she understood he is like a baby - by staying with her, he would learn how to be his own self. i definitely felt that was miyazaki's commentary about the importance of parenting. also probably a reason why chihiro was okay with no face following her.
Ohhh, that's fascinating!
Yes and when he was at grannies house he soaked up the kindness and such that were there
yes I agree. We do not see him start acting super greedy until he swallows the frog, and he then starts acting like each character he swallows. When he finally pukes them up and leaves the bathhouse, he goes back to normal and is more calm and gentle.
The Wind Rises is a masterpiece, as an aeronautical engineer it really touched me.
It makes me want to become one!
It's like in my top 3 Ghibli. I love how grounded it is, yet I was so invested.
It’s one of my favorites of his!
@@Bracketmeister how can a movie be about planes but also be grounded?
@@KeyaProductions Very good haha
Nausicca is like captain america her story isnt about how she changes but how she changes people and see the world how she has
That's a fair point!
If you can find the comic version of Nausicaa (10 volumes with some typos publishes by Viz in English) it is VERY WORTH IT. It's an epic of LotR proportions with a lot to say on morality, humans and the responsibility of technology.
@@warmgreytenpercent I got the comic version
@@emptylanternmedia2248
👍👍👍
@@warmgreytenpercent Second this, the original graphic novel/manga of Nausicaa is obe of my all time favorite written stories. The movie covers less then half of it, literally ending at volume 3 abouts.
Nausicaa, much like Ashitaka, is a flat arc protagonist (mostly), changes the world rather than changing herself. It gives her (and especially Ashitaka) an old heroic flare, like an untouchable idol, and I love it.
That's fair!
I agree I love Nausica. I think she’s classic
Yeah I think there is something about a character with such a hopeful outlook on the world who, after going through so much and seeing so many horrible things, retains that hope and uses it to inspire others rather than becoming cynical. I think it takes a great deal of strength to remain kind and hopeful in the face of a world that seems hopeless.
Well said!
There's definitely an appeal to relatably flawed, broken and characters, but sometimes I want to watch the selfless hero never give up on their ideals and stay consistently good. For me, Ashitaka and Nausicaa are two of my favorite (if not favorite) Studio Ghibli characters because I looked up to them, admired them, and saw them as role models. The way they struggled and felt sadness, despair, and rage made them human and relatable to me- despite how seemingly perfect they are otherwise.
The important thing with Miyazaki antagonists is that they are rarely one dimensional, or black and white, which is why in the end you may find them with the protagonists.
I noticed, it's a really unique choice!
This is especially noticeable when you look deeper into Mononoke, every character who seems antagonistic has their own reasons for doing what they do, like how Lady Eboshi is just trying to help her community, and wants to find a cure for those who are diseased
I really loved Lady Eboshi, what a great character
Especially with a character like No Face. Chihiro explicitly says at one point that the bath house was making him sick. "Spirited Away" is largely about identity (thus the importance of names) (and the presence of so many characters with dual identity; I think a major point of the movie is how capitalist society can make you forget who you are)/ No Face has, well, no face, no identity. He reflects his environment, and... He tries to make up for his own emptiness this with wealth and devouring others.
i think you are falling into the trap of looking at it in a too character-focused way. It's not about the characters and their conflicts as such. Its about beings-in-the-world, and the world around them. Often, when things confuse you, i think it's because you think too much in character-action/the-world-as-a-dead-background and good/evil-dualisms, and not enough in the gray area in between
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. You can tell he is more influenced and inclined to western movies because most western movies follow that trope. Miyazaki's films focus more on the quiet moments in the movies, the ambience and how it affects the characters. Really, the setting is it's own character.
Exactly. The characters are good, especially some of them, but the settings, the worlds, the VIBE of it all is a character in itself
I mean what he analyzed wasn't wrong though. When you take a closer look some of the protagonist do seem flat. There is no real character development. However sometimes there is like chihiro finally moving on and moving to a new place. However princess mononoke was just who she was from start to finish. Its a hit sometimes and sometimes it isn't. But I get what you're saying. Sometime he didn't look at the theme instead of the character but I don't blame him too because it took me YEARS to finally get what spirited away was about. Its about a kid who is moving but can't let go because she is scared. I'm the end she finds her courage to move to a new place. She created this whole new world where she was "spirited away". It's a lesson about learning how to move on with a twist of fantasy and other elements. When I first saw spirited away as a kid I was only drawn in to the asthetics. Now that I am 23 only can I fully see how cool this movie was. It captures you as a kid or a first time watcher with its pleasing aesthetics (just look at the food in EVERY hayao miyazaki film. Gorgeous). Them after a couple watches you start to feel different about the film. There are layers beneath layers of themes and meanings behind every shot, plot and scene. I believe the whole studio put all their effort in to making all these films, not just hayao miyazaki. So yeah I know what you mean when you tell him he's falling in the "trap" but the way I see it is he can't see what we do yet lol. He has to see it a couple times before he can see what you see
And sometimes falling in the "trap" can be beneficial. When he can see what we do he will say "how did I not pick up on this the last time???" he will laugh his ass off 😂😂
@@itsmesteve1081 Definitely, the aesthetics are what caught my attention in the first place but what really made me stay were the layers that the movies have. What I love about Studio Ghibli movies are that you can watch them over and over and over again and still get something new out of them. As one grows older and gains more experience from life, I feel like one learns to appreciate these movies more. On your thoughts about Princess Mononoke, I think San still changes in the movie, too. She begins to accept her more human side as she meets and spends time with Ashitaka. Even though we don't see her change completely, we see that she is beginning the process of her change. Which is also kind of cool, since the end of the movie basically says there will be another beginning.
The mother in Totoro, as in other Miyazaki movies, has TB. This is an echo from Miyazki's childhood, who witnessed his own mother contract TB.
Oh wow, I had no clue
@@CenterRow yeah that's why you see it appear time and time again. The same in The Wind Rises. And I agree, that's his best film, but rather more adult. You'll also notice how there are always chase scenes. That's because during his youth, Miaysaki was fleeing the bombing of his village in a truck. They were asked to pick up a young woman and child, but had to keep driving, leaving them to their fate. That's haunted him ever since
Holy crap that's intense
@@ichbinschanppi Damn, war is hell. Now I can see why he's so anti war and pacifist, he even didn't accept his Oscar for Spirited Away in 2003 in protest against the Iraq War.
@@anti-loganpaul7827 yeah, exactly. War is ALMOST always present but never glorified. It's always a background rather than the story. The levels of barbarity shown by both sides during that war must have a massive impact on a small child.
Re: all the flying in his films - his father was director of Miyazaki Airplane, and his childhood was immersed with flight
Oh cool! Did not know that!
Studio Ghibli is also named after an Italian aircraft.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caproni_Ca.309
I noticed that when they have a Ghibli engine in Porco Rosso!
Your perspective from someone who didn't watch these films growing up like I did is very refreshing. I grew up with Studio Ghibli and have a deep love for it but I can appreciate different viewpoints from other people.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Thats weird castle in the sky was always one of my favorites
To each his own!
Me too! I guess it goes down to personal taste.
Same! When I was 3 in preschool I would ask my mum to braid my hair so I could wear a purple dress and pretend to be sheeta. The setting, the concept, the idea of a crew of AIRSHIP PIRATES? all the yes.
It's my dream to be Captain Dola for Halloween 💥💣💍 or just in real life
@@ijornhribrudkrvir haha thats awesome. i always wanted my mom to make me eggs on toast the way him and sheeta did in the cave
5:08 - I actually live there. Big parts of that city are based on Stockholm, since Miyazaki fell in love with Sweden when he tried to visit Astrid Lindgren to get the rights to Pippi Longstocking (he failed). The building you see at 5:17 for an example is a slightly modified version of Stadshuset Tre Kronor, and you can read Swedish signs and see different streets of Gamla Stan throughout the film.
Oh wow, that's so cool!
A shame about Pippi tho. Its entire aesthetic just screams ghibli.
Would have been great
@@thayet actually as someone who grew up with Pippi being a big part of my childhood (i live in Scandinavia), as much as it seems like a perfect fit, i would be weary of it feeling weird to me... like, i don´t really think there´s much to add? and if he changed it too much it just... wouldn´t feel right to me probably. On the other hand, i think he would do an incredible job of adapting The Brothers Lionheart, another Astrid Lindgren book
@@estherbunny the adaptation of Ronja Rövardotter did not impress =/
Thank you for spreading the love for The Wind Rises. It’s fantastic and is among the most hauntingly beautiful films about World War II that I have seen. Jiro and Naoko make up one of my favorite movie couples.
Of course, it's so good!
i think you are doing yourself a disservice not watching these in Japanese. go give it a shot :D
I shall! Miyazaki said he'd prefer people to watch the dub so they can focus on the animation but now I want to see how they play in Japanese
Absolutely. In Japanese is your superior option, if possible. Love these films!
I watched them on HBO Max and I don't think it has an option to watch the Japanese versions, only the dub. I could be wrong though.
@@ModernMouse it does, but you have to click the Japanese play button before you start the movie
@@ryanm994 good to know
Dude just watch "castle of cagliostro". It works on its own.
Oh cool, maybe I will!
Hell yeah it does !
As a major lupin fan it’s what introduced me to the franchise and it definitely needn’t have and it still would have been one of my favourite Miyazaki films
@@CenterRow It really does stand out. It’s the reason the big wigs in Japanese entertainment trusted Miyazaki with their money long ago.
Interesting, you guys are all making me regret my decision to skip it!
Spirited Away is my favourite animated movie
No joke, I think it's incredibly well animated film, the music is fantastic and suits the film so well and the voice acting in both English and Japanese is really good
Overall, I'd give it 9.8/10
It's a masterpiece so I think that's a good choice
I'll be honest, I thought 25 minutes was long, but then after watching this I felt like 25 minutes wasn't enough. That just flew by and I'm in love with your concept of watching all of these. Glad you did it as there are still quite a few of these I haven't seen, but appreciate your take on them!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!
Haku finding out is name is important, it gives him his freedom and free will back. He says in the beginning to Chihiro is remember her real name because without it she loses herself, which is what happened to him.
Ah, that makes sense!
The Japanese voice actors really add a lot to these films.
Spirited Away & Princess Mononoke need to be seen with English subs
I'll check em out!
I'd say the same for Howl's Moving Castle
Princess Mononoke in Japanese is such a different experience. It pushed it to one of my favorite films of all time. There's more backstory alluded to as well, like Eboshi being a prostitute at one point in her past, and all the small bits of Japanese cultures (such as Moro having a male voice actor because in Japanese mythology all of the god-like creatures sounded male).
They all fucking do. That's like saying some movies watch the same if they were voiced in celtic scottish or pubjabi, it's not at all the same
For me personally, Haku in the jp dub always hit more hard since there was always an inkling of emotion and that he cared. I felt that in the eng dub his voice was just a bit too flat for my liking
As for spirited away and his name why thats important is: in a lot of fantasy knowing a dragons "true name" gives you power over them or can free them etc.
Ooooh
Duh
Its also something I frequently see in creature fantasy settings. Its not just in Dragons but also other spirits and demons. Example is from Natsume Yuujincho which basically having power over spirits through having their names. So Haku's name that was taken by Yubaba is like a slave brand signifying her ownership of him and him having lost much of his freedom, specifically, the freedom to leave and come home. Chihiro giving that autonomy back to him is big because, in a way, it's a reciprocation of his actions where he did his best to ensure Chihiro does not disappear before she finds a way to go back to her world, her HOME with her parents and not end up like him, enslaved and held to the whims of a greedy old witch.
Every '"Odd' thing you point out, are what actually make Hayayos art so intriguing. Every protagonist does NOT have to follow the recipe of being a main character; we just happen to follow the story of him/her. Not all bad characters are "bad" and not all good characters are "good". Nonetheless, great video!
Interesting perspective! And thanks!
My personal favorite Ghibli film movie is “When Marnie was there”. I even have a poster of it, as well as a Spirited Away poster and soon I’ll get a Ponyo poster
I need to see it!
@@CenterRow you definitely should! It’s kinda recent. Even the ending of it made me and my mom cry. It’s sad but truly a masterpiece. I don’t wanna spoil it to much.
@@Br00ke291 I'll check it out asap!
@@CenterRow yeah. I watched it on a website called dubhappy cause that’s where I watch anime when I can’t find a place to watch it. When you search it and find it and press the play button it will take you to another site so just click out of it and click on the tab you were on and keep trying until it works. Doesn’t take long for me.
You should check out all of the other Studio Ghibli films, my personal favorite is Whispers of the Heart
I think I will
Skip The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
@@maitreyimittal3742 Agreed.
@@maitreyimittal3742 WHAAAATTTT?!?! The Ghibli Princess Kaguya is amazing!
@@jasonblalock4429 the animation is utterly gorgeous, I found everything about the story frankly repulsive. Kaguya is so utterly drab. She does nothing herself - just things keep happening to her because of her Dad and men who lie to her and can't leave her alone. It didn't feel like a tragically profound story of struggle or anything, it just felt like I was supposed to pity Kaguya and think about her as "poor little rich girl has it so bad." She didn't have any character development through her whole life. Even her parents didn't learn anything. It was pretty pathetic.
I literally laughed out loud at "water Galadriel"
Thank you for that!
Thanks haha
I’m so happy you love The Wind Rises too, it is a movie that never fails to move me, wow me, and inspire me
It's so great!
How dare you make me watch Kiki’s Delivery Service. I had a good time and it’s your fault.
You'll watch your wholesome family movies and you'll like it!
You should watch Grave Of The Fireflies. It is the saddest movie I have ever seen. So good though.
It was really interesting hearing your impressions on these.
I actually just watched it, really good!
And thanks!
@@CenterRow I'd love to see a part 2 sometime with some other Ghibli films. Grave of the Fireflies is absolutely heart breaking. Arrietty has such an interesting but familiar world, a fun spin on a classic trope. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is one of the most beautifully drawn movies I've seen, proof that hand drawn animation should always have its place.
I might just! But only if this video gets enough views. Feel free to share this video around on social media if you want to see a follow up
No no no ... just no ... I have mental breakdown only from seeing name of this movie
O man Grave of the Fireflies will make anyone 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I understand the comment of liking the first half of Spirited Away more than the second half. I think the second half of Spirited Away definitely benefits from an intimate understanding of Japanese culture, particularly folklore and Shintoism to fully appreciate it. But, if you’re familiar with that, the Haku reveal and the character choices that feel weird to a westerners don’t feel so odd.
Interesting!
Castle in the sky is one of my favourites
Glad you liked it
So spirited away can confuse western audiences easily since it relies on Japanese folklore. For example no face reflects his surroundings in how he acts. Since the bathhouse is filles with greed and gluttony he becomes that. I think sen understood that so she wasn't concerned after they left the bathhouse.
Oooooh, makes sense, didn't realize that was a bit of folklore
Re: Dub vs. Sub with the Ghibli films: because the dubbing rights are (now) in the hands of Disney, the baseline quality of the voice talent and voice direction is far, far higher than your average dubbing studio, and with the exception of Liam Neeson as the dad in Ponyo which, yeah, is bizarre, I think all the dubs come out pretty damn great. What is perhaps lost in the transfer is the Ghibli tendency to cast voice acting newcomers and people without an anime background, which gives the original JP audiotracks this amazingly natural quality which always puts me that little bit more in tune with the world onscreen. Also to note is that some of the dubs change the tone and content of the originals in places, most notably Castle in the Sky changing some of the pirates' dialogue, vocally aging the two main characters, and completely overhauling and orchestralizing the more electronic original soundtrack, and Kiki's Delivery Service changing the gender and upping the quippyness of the cat Jiji, which also ends up changing the tone of the film's ending. All of these changes are Miyazaki approved and overseen, but it can make for a quite different experience watching these films across languages.
And if you're still reading, PLEASE watch Takahata's films as well, I would happily argue that he's an even better director than Miyazaki, almost all of his Ghibli work is straight up 10/10.
Interesting!
And I will definitely be checking his films out next
Absolutely loved the video, mate. Definitely looking out for your take on more Ghibli movies.
Thank you!
My mom and I watched The Wind Rises in theaters when it first came out. We love Studio Ghibli, especially Spirited Away and Howl's moving Castle. We were able to watch Spirited away in theatres, when they brought it back for Studio Ghibli's anniversary, but she passed away before we could watch Howl's Moving Castle. These movies will always hold a special place in my heart because these movies brought us together.
I'm really happy you took the time to watch them and were moved by them
2 Studios that I will watch every movie they create: Studio Ghibli and Pixar
Yup!
Even Tales from the Earthsea, My Neighbor the Yamadas, Cars 3 and The Good Dinosaur?
Also Walt Disney Animation Studios, Aardman, Laika, and Cartoon Saloon.
@@Zestrayswede Well, to be fair, I think the Yamadas just looses a lot for non-japanese audiences. I think it's just one of those rare movies, that are so localized that they don't really work for others. At least that's what I've heard.
But yeah, than again, that means you shouldn't necessarily watch it as a non-japanese. So not really disagreeing with you here, just thought I'd add that. :)
Haven't seen those Ghibli films, but I'd say The Good Dinosaur and Cars 3 are both at least worth a watch
I’m glad you finally gave Miyazaki a try! Also some of your commentary had me wheezing. Prayers for the mom’s long forehead.😂😂
Haha thanks!
I would absolutely like to hear you talk about the other Ghibli films!
Maybe I will! Though this video isn't doing too hot so who knows
This was a very fun video to watch. Well-structured and entertaining. Thank you for making it!
Thanks for watching!
Keep up the good work man, always excited for your new videos
Thank you!
I have watched every one of these movies so many times and ive never analyzed even one in the depth that he does. Amazing video!!
Thanks!
I'm surprised you weren't enthralled by Castle in the Sky. I thought it was the best Indiana Jones movie ever made.
Well when you put it in that way
what made me super happy is seeing my art used as the thumbnail by a youtuber I watch! Great vid, keep it up!
Oh my gosh, is that your piece? I thought it was a piece of promotional art by the studio! Please send me a link to your work and I'll link it in the description!
@@CenterRow I'm flattered! The image is still on DeviantArt (lord-phillock) but as I don't use it anymore, a simple twitter link would be more than appreciated! I'm glad you want to credit me, but even so it's awsome seeing it on yout channel! twitter.com/PhilDragash
I appreciate it, I'll put your Twitter in the description and hopefully snag you a few followers!
This video has such a unique view on Miyazaki films. I got a knee-jerk reaction with some of the comments, but that's just my passion for the films coming through. Great vid.
Thanks!
Who should we cover in next month's installment of The Director Project?
Check out the full Hayao Miyazaki playlist here:
th-cam.com/play/PL_XBsckzagj23_rA59PO3i1AcIb2Igv0I.html
Hope Walt Disney is gonna get a month
1 the mom had japanese encephalitis jk 2 the zeplin was carrying a nautical flag victor meaning I need assistance
@@Fealnographs1 Interesting!
@@jamesenglebert9149 We shall see, though he did more producing than directing.
You should inform the viewers that most of the pictures shown here are mirror image (i.e. right and left are swapped). I assume this is a workaround to the copy-right issue, but you still need to pay respect to the visual artist.
Noface works in a way where he adopts traits from around it. At first it's just watching everyone until it sees that the bath house workers want gold. Then as it eats the frog guy, the frog turns it into a greedy monster just like the frog and it also starts to speak in the frog's voice. It grows way greedier and more gluttonous as it eats more people until throwing up all of them and losing their greed and voices. I think Chihiro realized that when she said "it's not gonna hurt us" and I think that makes sense.
Interesting, a good point!
@@CenterRow It's nice that you respond to comments this actively. The back and forth is rare with channels that have more than 10k subs. Keep it up and thanks to you.
I try my best haha
Hahahha I love how you just casually describe my whole Porco Rosso thesis in like a minute. Great job man, glad you enjoyed them!
Thanks! Promise that wasn't on purpose haha I added a card linking to your video because it explores it better.
@@CenterRow Oh awesome! Thanks
Oh my ghosh man! I re watched all of Studio Ghibli's movies during the quarantine with my sis. We grew up with these! We were transported back to a simpler, warmer time. I'm glad you watched them.
Me too.
This is a great video and I really enjoyed your takes, but there are a few things I think you misunderstood; for example, Porco Rosso is a pig because of survivor's guilt and I don't think there was any indication that in the war he was only fighting for himself. Also, the reason No Face's character changes so much is because the point of his character is he adapts to the situation around him and has no personality of his own. That's why he is greedy in the bathhouse and nice in the swamp. There's a really underrated and intelligent podcast called the Nausicaast here on TH-cam I would recommend if you want to learn more.
Ah, that makes sense!
thank you for mentioning the love story aspect of The Wind Rises. I feel like it never gets the right amount of attention it deserves. I am not a romantic movie type but this one just hit different.
It's so great, I need more people to experience it
I'd be curious about your take on The Cat Returns and Pom Poko! Otherwise it was a nice romp through some beloved movies, great video.
Thanks! I'll give them a watch!
I’m jumping into these comments late, but The Cat Returns is a sequel of sorts to Whisper of the Heart, which Miyazaki did most of the behind the scenes work on (script, storyboards, etc.), but didn’t actually direct. You can watch The Cat Returns without having seen Whisper of the Heart (it only connects to the other film in a couple of places), but the first is a great film deserving a of a view.
Never was into "Anime" but stumbled across Spirit Away sometime in 2004 and have been a HUGE Miyazaki/Ghibli fan since!
I recomend reading "Nausicaa of the valley of the wind" manga written also by Miyazaki. There are only seven volumes. The movie is based on the two first volumes and with an original end written for the movie. The movie is great but pale compare to the manga. A curious thing is that the manga starts in 1982 (the film is from 1984
) and finish in 1995
. Takes a lot of time because it was a hoobie. He is a filmaker as a job and mangaka as hobbie but also a great one.
I'll definitely check it out!
@@CenterRow definitely check out the manga. You rightly point out Nausicaa’s lack of change in the movie, whereas in the manga she goes through drastic change, even if her core values don’t shift all that much. She’s true to herself, but has her world view challenged. Just read it
Will do!
@@CenterRow I came here to say this as well. If you like high fantasy and the world building in Nausicaa, you will love the manga for that alone. It adds a layer of complexity and detail not present in the movie, and you learn so much more about the world. It's a little slow to start, but stick it out and it's worth the read.
@@liamarie1661 I'll give it a read!
Ayyy, I actually got the noti
Edit after watching: ive never seen any of these films, but now i really want to. Your videos always do a great job of capturing my attention and keeping me engaged. I think thats part of why i love your vids so much. Keep up the good work
Hurray!
I like your easy going manner and amiable commentary.
Thank you!
Okay, this is a super charming video. Well done. I appreciate the honesty and the discovery, and felt like I was seeing it all through your perspective. And lol, the Alabama flag 😂
As far as Lupin III, The Castle of Cagliostro is Miyazaki’s take on the manga, not necessarily an adaptation. It’s its own thing, and not connected to a series. Like a new bond, Miyazaki makes the character and story his own.
Great video, I really enjoyed it man. Get some sleep, I know you were blitzing to get this one out. For what it’s worth, had I not known the time crunch, there’d be no way of knowing this was rushed. Great job!
Thanks man, that means a lot!
Oh really? Well now I wish I would have watched it!
i’m almost done my studio ghibli binge and i absolutely love almost all of the ones i’ve seen!! also i highly recommend checking them all out in japanese especially howls moving castle :3
I am so glad you enjoyed Porco Rosso! It’s one of my all time favorites but there are few I find who’ve seen it. (Took my mind a bit of work to wrap around it, too, but that’s part of the genius of it, in my opinion.) ❤️🐷✈️
It was so good, I hope more people check it out!
The trope is a soldier losing his humanity for all he witnessed/did.
And looking out for somebody else and rediscovering love is rediscovering his humanity.
@@unapatton1978 I saw it more as a tale of Survivor’s Guilt, myself. But the great thing about these kind of stories is that they can be related to on so many levels. ☺️
Awesome video! Definitely definitely definitely check out the other Ghibli movies, Takahata's films are fucking mind-blowing but they were always overshadowed by Miyazaki's in terms of popularity and such. Some other, newer directors also took really fantastic swings at Ghibli projects like Whisper of the Heart, When Marnie Was There, and From Up on Poppy Hill. Would love to hear your thoughts on the rest! Aside from a couple flops, pretty much every Ghibli movie is incredible in some way.
Also, super fucking glad TH-cam suggested this video to me, your channel is awesome 👌
Thank you so much! I will most certainly be checking out the others here in the near future
A small note about Ponyo. It is inspired a bit (not only) by the original story of the little mermaid, and that's where they, for example, got the idea that she would turn into sea foam, if she couldn't stay a human through the boys love.
Always glad to hear discussion about Miyazaki’s films, and you had really good takes on all of them! I’d be curious to know how you rank these films. Perhaps you could do another video, or just write it in the comments.
Also, you should definitely watch Cagliostro; it’s not a Ghibli film but it’s got Miyazaki’s fingerprints all over it, and fits right in with his catalogue. Very enjoyable watch!
Off the cuff, I'd probably go:
1. Spirited Away
2. Kiki's Delivery Service
3. The Wind Rises
4. Princess Mononoke
5. Porco Rosso
6. Howl's Moving Castle
7. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
8. My Neighbor Totoro
9. Ponyo
10. Castle in the Sky
@@CenterRow awesome, thank you so much! Spirited Away is def my favorite as well. It’s the most different and most imaginative of his movies.
So glad you finally watched them! Pretty much agree with your review. Also I thought you borrowed my copy of Nausica a while ago lol
I did, I fibbed on that one haha
@@CenterRow 😂
I am so happy for you haha i have watched by every Ghibli film and i love them i was just so glad to here your thoughts on it great video. The only thing tho is you should always listen to an anime or any other production i think in its original language first. You still have a few amazing movie to watch from Miyazaki do a in part 2 in Japanese ! I've just subscribed
I'll check them out again in Japanese. And thanks!
I would love to see more videos like this where you go through a filmmakers body of work and talk about each of their films. I would love to see you do this with people like David Lynch, the Coens, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg. Would also love to see you do the other Ghibli films. Great video and keep up the great work!
Not a bad idea! Sadly this video didn't do too great so idk if there's a market for it
Great video Ben! I have a monitor in my office that just plays Miyazaki movies on a loop. Also, I think Chihiro in the English dub for Spirited Away has the best voice acting of any of the Miyazaki dubs.
Thanks Ryan! Dang, I want a job where I can have Ghibli on in the background at all times!
I watched all of the Studio Ghibli movies on Netflix in the last half year, and I have become a huge fan! I watched them all in Japanese, with Norwegian subtitles, as I'm from Norway, and want authenticity. One of the things I love most about Hayao Miyazaki's movies, and Studio Ghibli as a whole, are that they are so human. The characters show strong qualities and character traits like empathy, courage and perseverance, which makes the characters and movies really optimistic and causes me to have more faith in humanity!
I would love a part 2 with the remaining movies! My favorite is When Marnie was There. Admittedly I haven’t seen a lot of these, but I plan on watching Kiki’s Delivery Service. Out of these ones, Howl’s Moving Castle is my favorite.
Kiki’s town is actually based off Stockholm, Sweden. Also Gotland Sweden. This because Hayao was planning on making a movie based off the swedish Pippi Longstockings which he later couldn’t.
If you search up Stockholm, or Stockholm gamla stan you will see places really reminiscent of Kiki’s town
Oh cool! I'll have to visit it!
God i love this. Haven't really found where to watch any of these since i was a kid and had the dvds, they all just have such a comfort and special place in my heart listening to someone express the beauty of these movies has the same feeling of cozyness, thank you so much for this video
Edit
When you talked about nausica i relized i have no memory or idea of what its about i watched it when i was like 5 or 6 and just remember how awesome it was. I just thought it was soo cool and i feel like it was the first time id even seen any type of animated carttoon with more focous on the visuals and art than like Looney tunes. I just remember being completely blown away by it.
Thanks for watching! They're all of HBO Max now!
Also on netflix, (outside of America).
Good to know
you know what they say "better late then never" actually im glad you did this! studio ghibli is really amazing something you can look back to whether your a kid or not :D espcially with what you said! i love this so much im gonna watch more videos from this channel :DDD oh frogot to add please watch Arriyeti and Grave of the fireflies both of the movies are so underrated tbh I watched them as a kid and no one has ever heard of arriyeti :"DD
help i cnat speak
Thank you and thanks for watching! I'll check them out!
@@CenterRow so late but np! :D also i love this series alot especially with how in depth you and one person can go and how we understand the movies/shows/etc we watch as we get older or younger and the ability to comprehend :D etc thank you again!! :D
@@UwU-lm9or Thanks and you're welcome!
@@CenterRow sorry so late again!! but noo thank youu!!
I really recommend for you to read the complete Nausica and the valley of the wind Manga. The movie barely covers the story, the complexity of the characters, it’s so much deeper then what was shown in the movie. The reason you felt the movie was incomplete is because it was, the Manga wasn’t complete at that point and Miyazaki was pressured into making an epic battle for the endings. Things are very different in the Manga. I really recommend for you to read it.
Also, as my personal explanation to why No Face is suddenly chill: Greed. Or rather, the lack of it. When No Face was inside the bath house he was constantly surrounded by corruption fulled by the greed of the people. Everyone wanted something in there, even Chihiro. Money, Power, Freedom, Escape. Mostly money, and that’s why he started to conjure gold everywhere. The moment Chihiro gave him the medicine, he literally started extracting the infection in his system, eta, he starting puking his guts out and everything related to it, meaning Everything/Everyone he ate. The moment he got out of such toxic environment with no corruption , he was much more calm and peaceful.
Dang, I will have to read it!
And fascinating!
I've never seen a Miyazaki film and I found this very useful. Now I have a good basis going into watching his films for the first time.
Happy to help!
Miyazaki, as well as Takahata, has a sense of realism in the movies, which probably comes as no surprise.
Most of the main characters are based on real people, such as Kiki's movie personality, based on one of the producers, Suzuki's daughter. The architecture is, as well, based on real life locations such as the Kusukaru Hotel from The Wind Rises based on Kamikochi Imperial Hotel .
But also, food is reflective of cultures as well, such as the Bento scene from my Neighbor Totoro reflective of daily life, or the food that Chihiro must eat to not disappear in Spirited Away. The food looks amazing to eat!
So cool, I didn't know any of that!
Oh yeah, people have no taste, The Wind Rises is my favourite Miyazaki.
Whisper of the Heart is a Miyazaki script and Ghibli's secret masterpiece. Definitely watch it.
I'll check it out!
I just love the spontaneous music scene.
Great thoughts! Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of Princess Kaguya are two other Ghibli films I highly recommend.
I'll check it out!
I think I should watch some of these movies when I get time to watch it. Because these movies sound really good from what I'm watching
Do it!
You seriously need to do it, i am now 34 and i will forever regret not watching these when i was a child.
Very simply, do
I watched a few of these movies in late teens but the rest in my 20's. I love all of them!!! You don't come across this storytelling anywhere else. I 1000% would've loved these movies when I was a kid but like some of us. I had to discover these for myself. Glad I did.
Me tooooo
Dude nausicaa is a fucking masterpiece, there so many little details , metaphors and ways to transfer it to out world its just so good
I’m a little a disappointed that you found Castle in the Sky underwhelming. It’s one of my favorite animated films period, much less, Ghibli films. I love adventure films and Castle in the Sky is one of the most fun movies in that genre.
bro same
Fantastic video, BUT.... where's 'Castle of Cagliostro'?? His first movie, and an excellent experience. I first saw it at a theater screening lately, and came out thinking it may be my new favorite.
i love castle in the sky its my favourite Ghibli film but yeah i understand your point of view on it also what Airships is your favourite across the films?
About Ponyo: I also don't really get some of the things. But the test and the sea foam thing is actually in the fairytale The Little Mermaid of which this is loosely based of! I also really like the mom, by the way, though she's being a little irresponsible sometimes. But she feels realistic to me. No parent is perfect and always acts super responsible. Instead I didn't really like Fujimoto, cause he wanted to lock his daughter up (kinda) and prevent her from exploring the world and becoming what she wants to. He's the overprotective kind of parent. Though the movie is a little weird, I think it's very cute and aesthatically pleasing.
Oh, interesting, hadn't realized that!
Porco Rosso is my absolute favorite Ghibli film. So much to chew on honestly.
So freaking good!
Definitely watch the rest of the Studio Ghibli films. There's a lot of hidden gems in there, some of which is VERY different than Miyazaki's work.
I’ve watched almost all the miyazaki films when I was kid and they all swept me away. I think most of them are aimed towards younger audiences and of course there’s the ones in between like Princesse Mononoke. I feel as if a majority of his movies were up lifting. More well put in my own words “slices of life in their own unique realm or fantasy”. They are uplifting and beautiful animations but also most of them come to a end where it’s just a tiny bit satisfying but yet... Relaxing. After all the fun enjoyment during the film they end with a relaxing note. His creations and movies have and will always make a big influence in the animation community. All in all they are masterpieces in their own ways in my opinion.
I'd concur!
As a child, Spirited Away was my favorite film in general, let alone Ghibli. To this day, I'm 99% sure I can recite the film frame by frame, line by line.
As an adult I've really come to appreciate the beauty in Howl's Moving Castle, and I think that it's slowly taking Spirited Away's place as my favorite!
But honestly, any Ghibli film is guaranteed to be a good time. Except Grave of the Fireflies, but we won't talk about that one (sobbing)
I could definitely see that! I just checked out Grave of the Fireflies and dang...
@@CenterRow BEAUTIFUL film, but yeah. (still sobbing)
Nobody does slice of life better than him man
Thank God we have a huge sync industry here in Germany. Every translation is so flawless and the voice actors are at least as good, as the original ones, often even better in my opinion!
If you’re curious nausicaä came out as a manga initially because miyazaki was given the task of making it into a manga before making a film of it. The ending for the movie does feel abrupt, but in the manga dives into a lot of the lore and a lot of the unanswered questions we got in the movie. Highly recommend checking it out it’s a pretty long story lol!!
I'll give it a read!
If you can find it and you're interested in reading a SECRET MIYAZAKI MASTERPIECE, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is actually based on a manga of the same name, also by Miyazaki, and I cannot recommend it enough. It's basically my favorite thing ever. It ran from 1981 to 1994, and the movie really only adapts the first quarter or so of it, cutting out huge chunks and completely rearranging the plot in order to be self-contained, while the manga continued on for a decade after. Needless to say, from the very start, the manga follows a longer, darker, and more intricate plot than the movie, and delves far deeper into the environmentalist philosophy that runs deep in his filmography than any of his movies do, to the point where movies like Princess Mononoke read almost like citations referring back to the primary text of Nausicaa. It's also the only environmentalist work of fiction I've ever read (at least, with human protagonists) that asks the question, "should humanity go extinct," and gives _serious consideration_ to the possibility that the answer might be "yes." And not even in an edgy villain way; in a "these issues are complicated, we're not the center of the universe, and this might very well be our destiny" kind of way. It isn't as simple as just "learning to live in harmony with nature." Nature has its own plans, and if it comes down to us vs. nature, nature has all the time in the world to win in the end. Nausicaa herself becomes a far more interesting protagonist, starting out as the bright hero we see in the movie, and eventually breaking down as the reality of the situation weighs down on her and growing ever more detached from humanity as she repeatedly fails to stop people from killing each other, ironically becoming less able to help those around her with every failure she faces. It's really something else, approaching environmentalism from a perspective that's only become more important as the years.
Also, it has tons of beautiful art, fantastical machines, sweet lore, giant swords, ancient supercomputers, psychic god-emperors, sassy old men, Kushana being possibly the most badass human in existence (at one point she marries a dude and then chops off his head and throws it off an airship while the severed head chides her for being a bad wife, it's great), Lord Yupa being _even more badass,_ body horror, yet more moral ambiguity, depression, and Nausicaa befriends a god warrior. If none of that interests you, then I don't know what else to say.
Well dang, you have my attention. I'll have to give this a read!
The Studio Ghibli films have been so tainted with nostalgia for me that I don't think any of the later ones could ever match the originals in my eyes
I can see that
Fun fact, the town by the sea in Kiki is basically a mix of Swedish cities, and contains several of our landmarks!
Cool!
Loved seeing someone experience Miyazaki's work all fresh and new. I grew up watching most of his films so my opinion is colored by childhood love. I legit can't pin point which Miyazaki film is my "favorite". They all have their own value and that's really just incredible.
There's also some non-Miyazaki films from Ghibli that I really think folks should take the time to watch: Grave of the Fireflies, Whisper of the Heart, and The Cat Returns.
Miyazaki's work is also now influencing other studios to make films similar to his style. One of them being A Whisker Away (imo, it doesn't quite reach, but I still enjoyed it.) and Mary and the Witch's Flower. (also doesn't just quite scratch the Miyazaki itch, but again, very much influenced by his work. I'm certain people who worked on Miyazaki's films also worked on the two I listed as well.) Both of these were on Netflix last time I checked.
Anywho, hi from the algorithm. It brought me here for some reason and I enjoyed your video very much. :)
Glad it brought you here! Thank you so much for watching, I'll check those out!
I was a movie subtitler for many years. I strongly believe that, if you want to experience a live action film as the director intended, you should watch it in the original language; after all, the director chose the actors for (among other things) their voice and manner of speaking, so even if you don't understand what they're saying, you still get some idea of the characters' personalities from how they speak (for instance, no director would cast Jennifer Tilly if they didn't also want her distinctive voice). This is not to disparage the many skilled dubbing artists but their voices are not necessarily what the director would have wanted and also might not suit the look of the actor. I also find the mismatch between the actor's lips and the dubbed voice distracting. However, I'm less rigid when it comes to animated films since the physical look of the original voice actor is irrelevant and all that matters is the voice, so there's no reason that well-selected dubbing artists can't do the job just as well (the mismatch between lips and voice is less of an issue for me in animation). And obviously if it's an animated film aimed principally at children, it makes much more sense to dub rather than subtitle. Having said all this, if people who wouldn't watch a subtitled foreign film would watch the same film dubbed then I guess that's better than nothing - I can't expect everyone to be as pedantic as I am (o:
The ending of Kiki's Delivery Service changes the perceived point of the movie depending on which one you're watching. In the version where Gigi talks again at the end it's because it was her being burnt out and temporarily losing her gifts that caused her to no-longer understand him, and hearing him speak at the end shows us that she's recovered from that block. Having grown up on that version as a child (because that was the version available in the US in the 1990's and early 2000's when I was growing up) I prefer that version, for more reasons than just that but now that I think about it, it really does change the movie.
It really does, kinda changes the whole theme and message in a way
The animation in Howl’s Moving Castle is incredibly beautiful
I’d definitely recommend checking out the other Ghibli movies because they really are special.
Will do!
i dont agree with you on some things but i respect you opinion. also isnt "the secret world of Arrietty" a miyazaki movie?
Miyazaki movies in a nutshell: bad technolgy vs. good technology vs. bad nature vs. good nature
Ha! Basically
Good stuff! I suggest you redo this with Isao Takahata's films. His movies are very different than Miyazakis, and in some ways even better.
I'll give them a watch!
You should absolutely watch these all again in japanese, american voice actors drop the ball pretty often when dubbing for animated movies and there's some translation differences between sub and dub(i dont think anything major, just things like the tone or manner of speech). Ghibli films are the type of movie that you need to watch multiple times to fully appreciate anyway, they all have big picture themes that I honestly still have trouble grasping after watching them all multiple times. I actually hadnt picked up on the imagination theming of totoro! About the strange characterization changes in some movies, expect that if a character has a physical transformation they have a mental one too.
Good to know, I might give them another watch in Japanese!
I like to think that Castle in the Sky takes place several centuries before Nausicaa, a few decades before the 7 days of fire. There's still industrial civilization in Castle in the Sky, but you see that the world is already well on the decline. Colonel Muska may have failed at harnessing the power of Laputa, but I think people like him eventually did manage to harness the power of the god warriors and bring about the world we see in Nausicaa.
I could definitely see that!
AWESOME
Thanks!