The first Studio Ghibli film I ever watched was "Spirited Away," and unlike some of my peers, I did not fall in love with it right away. I was quite frightened by the sight of the evil witch Yubaba with her dramatically enlarged features, as well as the spider-like boiler-man Kamaji, and don’t get me started on the creepy faceless creature known as No-Face. After several years, the only other film I had seen was "Ponyo," which was an adorable tale that had me singing “Ponyo, little fish in the sea!” for hours (I vaguely remember also watching "Kiki’s Delivery Service," but I think I’ll have to re-watch it to find out).
This past summer I had taken note of the many Hayao Miyazaki films that my friends were reminiscing over as they re-watched them with adoration and nostalgia. I then decided that it was my turn to give the famous Japanese animator’s films a try. After finding a list online of what are considered his best films from over the years, as well as taking recommendations from my peers, I made a plan to watch them all before college commenced.
I began with the popular 2004 film "Howl’s Moving Castle," which was widely revered by fans of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki’s work. With the humorous and multi-dimensional characters, as well as the absolutely breathtaking graphics, I quickly fell in love with the movie. By the time it was over, I was practically in tears, because I felt so emotionally attached to the storyline that I was not ready for the credits to roll (for the most part, that sums up how I felt after every Miyazaki film).
The next film I watched was the 1988 film "Grave of the Fireflies," which is about the World War II experience from the perspective of the Japanese. My friends had warned me beforehand that it was very depressing, and now that I have seen it, I definitely deem it as the most depressing movie I have ever watched. It is quite the tear-jerker, so beware. Afterward, I watched a few more of the pre-2000 films, and I was rather caught off guard by the endings. It was clear to me that the emotional attachment was getting out of hand.
The last film I watched was the 1984 post-apocalyptic film "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," which I was rather skeptical about at first. It is one of the lesser known films and came out prior to the creation of Studio Ghibli, but one of my friends recommended it among other films, so I gave it a try. There is a notable difference in the graphics in comparison to modern animation. The film kind of reminded me of a video-game, and the emotional impact wasn’t as strong as the other films I had watched. Hence, it isn’t one of my favorites, but it is still worth watching.
After this experience with the Studio Ghibli films and Hayao Miyazaki’s work, I appreciate Japanese animation more as an art form, and truly believe that there is remarkable beauty in the graphics and creating emotional connections with storylines that exceptionally mimic reality. I highly recommend watching any of Miyazaki’s films, or any of the Studio Ghibli films, especially to those who love animation or animated movies. I have become quite the fan, and display my deep love by having the charming Totoro from the 1988 film "My Neighbor Totoro" as my phone’s lock screen.
If that doesn’t say enough, I don’t know what does.
