Help me do the Miyazaki.
November 16, 2007 7:48 PM Subscribe
Can someone give me a list of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films? I've checked on Wikipedia and Google, as well as some of the previous questions here, but I'm not entirely clear and am turning to the hive mind for further help.
Over the summer, I got to see Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, both of which I loved and had been meaning to see for quite some time. Since then, I've wanted to own and watch all of Miyazaki's other films. However, trying to find a list hasn't been as easy as I'd hoped. I'm not clear on which films Miyazaki has been involved with in the same way as the two I've mentioned. Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke are definitely on my radar, but beyond that it's a little unclear. Can any resident Miyazaki experts help me out here? It's bothering me enough that I'm using this week's question to settle the matter. Thanks!
Over the summer, I got to see Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, both of which I loved and had been meaning to see for quite some time. Since then, I've wanted to own and watch all of Miyazaki's other films. However, trying to find a list hasn't been as easy as I'd hoped. I'm not clear on which films Miyazaki has been involved with in the same way as the two I've mentioned. Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke are definitely on my radar, but beyond that it's a little unclear. Can any resident Miyazaki experts help me out here? It's bothering me enough that I'm using this week's question to settle the matter. Thanks!
Best answer: Here you go (possibly the same list as on IMDB, only in English).
posted by grabbingsand at 7:58 PM on November 16, 2007
posted by grabbingsand at 7:58 PM on November 16, 2007
I LOVE Miyazaki's movies. Here are some favorites of mine:
1) Kiki's Delivery Service
2) Castle in the Sky
3) Whispers of the Heart
4) My Neighbor Totoro
You are in for a real treat with these films!
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 8:02 PM on November 16, 2007
1) Kiki's Delivery Service
2) Castle in the Sky
3) Whispers of the Heart
4) My Neighbor Totoro
You are in for a real treat with these films!
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 8:02 PM on November 16, 2007
Response by poster: grabbingsand, that'll do the job. Thank you. Time to go make my Christmas list!
posted by phaded at 8:02 PM on November 16, 2007
posted by phaded at 8:02 PM on November 16, 2007
Whisper of the Heart isn't technically a Miyazaki film, per se. He was the screen writer. It covers some of the same territory and uses some of same characters from The Cat Returns.
Totoro is amazing.
Also, Nausicaa was really good, as was Princess Mononoke. Both of those are good watches for the excellent environments and monsters/creatures.
Many of the Studio Ghibli films that are not Miyazaki are good as well. Grave of Fireflies was sooooo good, but so astonishingly melancholy and sad. I sobbed.
This collection from Amazon also includes films not released by Disney in the US, like some of Ghibli's short films.
posted by santojulieta at 8:22 PM on November 16, 2007
Totoro is amazing.
Also, Nausicaa was really good, as was Princess Mononoke. Both of those are good watches for the excellent environments and monsters/creatures.
Many of the Studio Ghibli films that are not Miyazaki are good as well. Grave of Fireflies was sooooo good, but so astonishingly melancholy and sad. I sobbed.
This collection from Amazon also includes films not released by Disney in the US, like some of Ghibli's short films.
posted by santojulieta at 8:22 PM on November 16, 2007
Porco Rosso is great too (and has many of the Miyazaki tics).
posted by hattifattener at 8:49 PM on November 16, 2007
posted by hattifattener at 8:49 PM on November 16, 2007
The best source for this kind of query is Anime News Network.
Here's his page there.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:31 PM on November 16, 2007
Here's his page there.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:31 PM on November 16, 2007
By the way, consensus is that Howl's Moving Castle is one of his worst.
If you don't mind mild spoilers, I wrote a page which is a sort of mini-review of all his films.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:34 PM on November 16, 2007
If you don't mind mild spoilers, I wrote a page which is a sort of mini-review of all his films.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:34 PM on November 16, 2007
I'd stay away from Kiki's Delivery Service, with its OVER ONE HUNDRED panty shots of a little girl, unless you're into that sort of thing. Seriously, whoever the hell was responsible for that should be shot.
posted by InnocentBystander at 10:00 PM on November 16, 2007
posted by InnocentBystander at 10:00 PM on November 16, 2007
Totoro is, indeed, the bestest, and should be your introduction to Ghibli. Only Yesterday, while not Miyazaki, is another Ghibli release that I found very pleasing, and I suggest you'd be remiss to overlook it. Oh, and I've no recollection of Kiki being a perverted upskirt pantyfest, so don't let InnocentBystander's comment overly prejudice you. Sometimes we see what we want to see.
posted by mumkin at 11:25 PM on November 16, 2007
posted by mumkin at 11:25 PM on November 16, 2007
I'd stay away from Kiki's Delivery Service, with its OVER ONE HUNDRED panty shots of a little girl, unless you're into that sort of thing. Seriously, whoever the hell was responsible for that should be shot.
It's strange that this is what you took away from this film. "Kiki's Delivery Service" is a great film. In fact I would be so bold as to say that it is a great film with wonderful themes for young girls. I very happily bought this one for my nieces and watched it with them (I also own a copy). Miyazaki's films often center on caple young girls who navigate their way through problems. This is a refreshing perspective in films in general.
posted by anansi at 11:28 PM on November 16, 2007
It's strange that this is what you took away from this film. "Kiki's Delivery Service" is a great film. In fact I would be so bold as to say that it is a great film with wonderful themes for young girls. I very happily bought this one for my nieces and watched it with them (I also own a copy). Miyazaki's films often center on caple young girls who navigate their way through problems. This is a refreshing perspective in films in general.
posted by anansi at 11:28 PM on November 16, 2007
Ignore IB. He's trying to find a reason to be offended. "Kiki's Delivery Service" isn't remotely like what he's saying. It's actually one of the better ones.
Disney did something really weird on that one, by the way: the ending credits are entirely different if you've chosen the English dub than they are if you've chosen the original Japanese soundtrack, and the Japanese version, which runs under the credits, is actually the end of the story.
(When it comes to the "Sub versus dub" war, I'm firmly in the sub camp.)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 12:21 AM on November 17, 2007
Disney did something really weird on that one, by the way: the ending credits are entirely different if you've chosen the English dub than they are if you've chosen the original Japanese soundtrack, and the Japanese version, which runs under the credits, is actually the end of the story.
(When it comes to the "Sub versus dub" war, I'm firmly in the sub camp.)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 12:21 AM on November 17, 2007
The damn girl in Nausicaa doesn't wear pants at all the whole damn time. C'mon girl! Get some undies!
posted by wemayfreeze at 1:26 AM on November 17, 2007
posted by wemayfreeze at 1:26 AM on November 17, 2007
That's not true - she's just wearing pants that are close to the color of her skin.
posted by concrete at 1:45 AM on November 17, 2007
posted by concrete at 1:45 AM on November 17, 2007
Suprisingly enough Kiki... is one of my favourite films of all time, and I've never noticed any of the pantie (knicker) shots, but in the end its a film aimed at younger girls, so i doubt they were noticing either. The film is beautifully created and alot of the skyskapes that Ghibli is so famous for will blow you away.
Its a beautiful film especially, (if like me) you still love watching films in a similar vein to the good disney (Little Mermaid, Lion King etc) ones.
First post :)
posted by Neonshock at 3:41 AM on November 17, 2007
Its a beautiful film especially, (if like me) you still love watching films in a similar vein to the good disney (Little Mermaid, Lion King etc) ones.
First post :)
posted by Neonshock at 3:41 AM on November 17, 2007
anansi: That's just a lot of brandy. If you'd had too much brandy, you'd be typing with your nose.
Sub v. Dub: according to my Japanese, Miyazake-otaku wife, the subtitles are infinitely superior to the dubs, which tend to be terrible, often including superfluous dialogue to "explain" the action. If you run the Sub along with the Dub you'll see what I mean.
She also recommends the original Manga very highly, especially Nausicaa
posted by Grangousier at 6:22 AM on November 17, 2007
Sub v. Dub: according to my Japanese, Miyazake-otaku wife, the subtitles are infinitely superior to the dubs, which tend to be terrible, often including superfluous dialogue to "explain" the action. If you run the Sub along with the Dub you'll see what I mean.
She also recommends the original Manga very highly, especially Nausicaa
posted by Grangousier at 6:22 AM on November 17, 2007
"(When it comes to the "Sub versus dub" war, I'm firmly in the sub camp.)"
I agree with Steven C Den Beste--watch these in the original Japanese with the subtitles. In Kiki's Delivery Service, Disney changed some of the music for the English dub version, and it definitely is NOT a change for the better. Both the character voices and music are far better in the subtitled version of these movies.
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 9:40 AM on November 17, 2007
I agree with Steven C Den Beste--watch these in the original Japanese with the subtitles. In Kiki's Delivery Service, Disney changed some of the music for the English dub version, and it definitely is NOT a change for the better. Both the character voices and music are far better in the subtitled version of these movies.
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 9:40 AM on November 17, 2007
I cannot believe that there's no votes above for Spirited Away. That gets my vote as my all-time favorite of his films (with stiff competition of course) I love Totoro, Nausica, Laputa is amazing, but it's Spirited Away that blows my fucking mind every time. Honestly it's in my top 20.
I've watched it maybe 40 times with my kids and it's just stunning. Mononoke has grown on me over the years, and I didn't HATE Howl's moving castle, though I won't defend it.
Totoro is in a class by itself. Don't forget Porko Rosso.
I'm really glad for the info about the sub vs. dub thing. I'm going to try it this weekend.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
(subliminal jedi mind trick)
posted by asavage at 9:57 AM on November 17, 2007
I've watched it maybe 40 times with my kids and it's just stunning. Mononoke has grown on me over the years, and I didn't HATE Howl's moving castle, though I won't defend it.
Totoro is in a class by itself. Don't forget Porko Rosso.
I'm really glad for the info about the sub vs. dub thing. I'm going to try it this weekend.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
(subliminal jedi mind trick)
posted by asavage at 9:57 AM on November 17, 2007
Whoops!
Next time I'll carefully read EVERYTHING before I post. I'm so damn IMPULSIVE!
posted by asavage at 9:59 AM on November 17, 2007 [1 favorite]
Next time I'll carefully read EVERYTHING before I post. I'm so damn IMPULSIVE!
posted by asavage at 9:59 AM on November 17, 2007 [1 favorite]
Seconding Grangrousier - unless you're watching with a very young child perhaps - absolutely watch the subtitled version on the Disney releases.
If you get one of those big bootleg "Studio Ghibli" box sets that won't be an issue. (I got one back when Disney was basically sitting on the Miyazaki catalog like an oil company trying to bury a 100 mpg carburetor. But then Pixar suddenly had enough clout to make Disney do things and John Lasseter's a major, major Miyazaki fanboy, so they started trickling out and I bought the Disney versions. So my conscience is clear. But I digress...)
The dubs are actually pretty good for dubs. Disney put some serious voice talent on them. Princess Mononoke has Minnie Driver, Claire Danes and Billy Bob Thornton of all people. But that said, they do indeed make up a bunch of extraneous dialogue, both to explain stuff to the younger and dumber audience they think they're selling to, and I think just to put in more jokes to conform with the Disney four-quadrant marketing credo. Kiki's in particular suffers from this. Since the talking cat's lips don't move, they could get away with having him blather away about one damn thing after another throughout the movie when he actually speaks very sparingly in the original.
And, just to fuel debate, here's my ordering of the films from best to worst.
Laputa (Castle in the Sky)
Totoro
Spirited Away
Nausicaa
Princess Mononoke
Porco Rosso
Kiki's Delivery Service
Ponyo on a Cliff
Howl's Moving Castle
No, I haven't seen some pre-release cut of Ponyo on a Cliff or anything, just making the point that just the anticipation of a new Miyazaki movie that you haven't seen yet is better than Howl's Moving Castle. Just a huge misfire for some reason. Hopefully Ponyo will be a return to form.
posted by Naberius at 10:57 AM on November 17, 2007
If you get one of those big bootleg "Studio Ghibli" box sets that won't be an issue. (I got one back when Disney was basically sitting on the Miyazaki catalog like an oil company trying to bury a 100 mpg carburetor. But then Pixar suddenly had enough clout to make Disney do things and John Lasseter's a major, major Miyazaki fanboy, so they started trickling out and I bought the Disney versions. So my conscience is clear. But I digress...)
The dubs are actually pretty good for dubs. Disney put some serious voice talent on them. Princess Mononoke has Minnie Driver, Claire Danes and Billy Bob Thornton of all people. But that said, they do indeed make up a bunch of extraneous dialogue, both to explain stuff to the younger and dumber audience they think they're selling to, and I think just to put in more jokes to conform with the Disney four-quadrant marketing credo. Kiki's in particular suffers from this. Since the talking cat's lips don't move, they could get away with having him blather away about one damn thing after another throughout the movie when he actually speaks very sparingly in the original.
And, just to fuel debate, here's my ordering of the films from best to worst.
Laputa (Castle in the Sky)
Totoro
Spirited Away
Nausicaa
Princess Mononoke
Porco Rosso
Kiki's Delivery Service
Ponyo on a Cliff
Howl's Moving Castle
No, I haven't seen some pre-release cut of Ponyo on a Cliff or anything, just making the point that just the anticipation of a new Miyazaki movie that you haven't seen yet is better than Howl's Moving Castle. Just a huge misfire for some reason. Hopefully Ponyo will be a return to form.
posted by Naberius at 10:57 AM on November 17, 2007
Oh, and once you get the Miyazaki bug, look up Castle of Cagliostro, which was an early work for hire movie he did before he set up Studio Ghibli and started doing his own stuff.
It's part of a longrunning series of movies and anime shows about Lupin III, descendant of Arsene Lupin, a master thief and hero of a series of early 20th century French novels. So Miyazaki's playing in someone else's sandbox here, but it's still recognizably a Miyazaki film. Very capery, romantic and fun.
posted by Naberius at 11:02 AM on November 17, 2007
It's part of a longrunning series of movies and anime shows about Lupin III, descendant of Arsene Lupin, a master thief and hero of a series of early 20th century French novels. So Miyazaki's playing in someone else's sandbox here, but it's still recognizably a Miyazaki film. Very capery, romantic and fun.
posted by Naberius at 11:02 AM on November 17, 2007
As a resource for all of Studio Ghibli, I really like Nausicaa.net (a fan site in English). I've found this site to be a great introduction to the whole studio, with links to articles, etc, as well as a comprehensive guide to all of Miyasaki's, and all of Studio Ghibli's films..
I would also like to point out that film taste is very subjective, and I, for one, would not agree with Naberius' relative list of the films. Some Miyasaki fans prefer a certain stream of his films (such as the more serious Nausicaa or Mononoke), while others prefer the more whimsical films (such as Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle - my three favorites). Howl's Moving Castle seems to have been quite divisive - I really liked it, and it's my friend's favorite of them all. I'm a little luke-warm on Kiki, and I thought Porco Rosso was good, but could have been much better.
But I will always have a soft spot for Nausicaa - it was one of the first anime films I ever saw, and I actually wasn't even watching it - I was trying to sleep in the same room where it was playing, but it was so strange and fascinating that I kept putting my glasses back on to try to read the subtitles. For years later, I knew almost nothing about it, except that it had the most beautiful flight sequences and huge strange forest insects.
posted by jb at 11:51 AM on November 17, 2007
I would also like to point out that film taste is very subjective, and I, for one, would not agree with Naberius' relative list of the films. Some Miyasaki fans prefer a certain stream of his films (such as the more serious Nausicaa or Mononoke), while others prefer the more whimsical films (such as Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle - my three favorites). Howl's Moving Castle seems to have been quite divisive - I really liked it, and it's my friend's favorite of them all. I'm a little luke-warm on Kiki, and I thought Porco Rosso was good, but could have been much better.
But I will always have a soft spot for Nausicaa - it was one of the first anime films I ever saw, and I actually wasn't even watching it - I was trying to sleep in the same room where it was playing, but it was so strange and fascinating that I kept putting my glasses back on to try to read the subtitles. For years later, I knew almost nothing about it, except that it had the most beautiful flight sequences and huge strange forest insects.
posted by jb at 11:51 AM on November 17, 2007
Sorry - I see that Nausicaa.net's guide is linked above. But the rest of the site is very good, too.
posted by jb at 12:05 PM on November 17, 2007
posted by jb at 12:05 PM on November 17, 2007
I actually quite liked Howl's Moving Castle
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:08 PM on November 17, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:08 PM on November 17, 2007 [2 favorites]
I would also like to point out that film taste is very subjective
Well of course it is! Hell, get me on a different day and I'd rank them differently. And we're on such a rarefied level to begin with. It really bugs me to have to put Porco Rosso so far down the list because I'm a total drooling fanboy for period flying boats, but... Totoro! Laputa! It's only with Kiki that I start to go, "okay that was good, but not great." And even a bad Miyazaki film's better than a good day at work. I even like that weird music video he did where the two guys in the band rescue an angel from some underground city.
Actually, the first Miyazaki film I saw was sort of Nausicaa as well. I actually went to see Warriors of the Wind when it was released theatrically in the states. (Because I lived in a small town and when a science fiction movie presented itself, you damn well went to see it.) I was aware there was a country called Japan, but had no idea that they made animated films, or that one guy in particular was really good at it. I wasn't savvy enough to know I was supposed to despise it as a butchered abomination. I thought it was fantastic.
Then I didn't think about it for years until I saw a fansubbed tape of Totoro in college and just fell in love with Miyazaki. I saw the Streamline-distributed dub of Laputa in Baltimore back when that went around, and that's probably why Castle in the Sky remains my favorite. I loved it and spent so many years trying to see it again. And then I found someone who had Nausicaa and weird old memories started to bubble up and I suddenly realized, damn, this is Warriors of the Wind! And the other people in the room looked at me like I'd just killed someone's puppy. :-)
posted by Naberius at 5:44 PM on November 17, 2007
Well of course it is! Hell, get me on a different day and I'd rank them differently. And we're on such a rarefied level to begin with. It really bugs me to have to put Porco Rosso so far down the list because I'm a total drooling fanboy for period flying boats, but... Totoro! Laputa! It's only with Kiki that I start to go, "okay that was good, but not great." And even a bad Miyazaki film's better than a good day at work. I even like that weird music video he did where the two guys in the band rescue an angel from some underground city.
Actually, the first Miyazaki film I saw was sort of Nausicaa as well. I actually went to see Warriors of the Wind when it was released theatrically in the states. (Because I lived in a small town and when a science fiction movie presented itself, you damn well went to see it.) I was aware there was a country called Japan, but had no idea that they made animated films, or that one guy in particular was really good at it. I wasn't savvy enough to know I was supposed to despise it as a butchered abomination. I thought it was fantastic.
Then I didn't think about it for years until I saw a fansubbed tape of Totoro in college and just fell in love with Miyazaki. I saw the Streamline-distributed dub of Laputa in Baltimore back when that went around, and that's probably why Castle in the Sky remains my favorite. I loved it and spent so many years trying to see it again. And then I found someone who had Nausicaa and weird old memories started to bubble up and I suddenly realized, damn, this is Warriors of the Wind! And the other people in the room looked at me like I'd just killed someone's puppy. :-)
posted by Naberius at 5:44 PM on November 17, 2007
I saw Howl's Moving Castle in english and quite enjoyed it. The only thing that struck me is it had a bit of an odd ending.
I don't know the source of Miyazaki's other stories, but Howl's Moving Castle comes from a children's book by Diana Wynne Jones.
posted by so_ at 2:00 AM on November 18, 2007
I don't know the source of Miyazaki's other stories, but Howl's Moving Castle comes from a children's book by Diana Wynne Jones.
posted by so_ at 2:00 AM on November 18, 2007
This collection from Amazon also includes films not released by Disney in the US, like some of Ghibli's short films.
posted by santojulieta at 11:22 PM on November 16 [+] [!]
To be clear, that's a bootleg set if it matters to you.
Oh, and once you get the Miyazaki bug, look up Castle of Cagliostro, which was an early work for hire movie he did before he set up Studio Ghibli and started doing his own stuff.
It's part of a longrunning series of movies and anime shows about Lupin III, descendant of Arsene Lupin, a master thief and hero of a series of early 20th century French novels. So Miyazaki's playing in someone else's sandbox here, but it's still recognizably a Miyazaki film. Very capery, romantic and fun.
You are really underselling Cagliostro here. It's one of his best films, wherever the commission came from. I put it up there with Nausicaa and Totoro. Besides, Miyazaki had directed several episodes of the second run of the Lupin III TV series, so he wasn't a hired-gun outsider entirely unfamiliar with the characters, though he does move away from simple greed for money and adventure as their sole motivation (Fujiko and Lupin especially). Fujiko doesn't even physically look like the same character in Cagliostro, probably because her normally ridiculous proportions are at odds with Miyazaki's much more naturalistic female character designs.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 5:33 AM on November 18, 2007
posted by santojulieta at 11:22 PM on November 16 [+] [!]
To be clear, that's a bootleg set if it matters to you.
Oh, and once you get the Miyazaki bug, look up Castle of Cagliostro, which was an early work for hire movie he did before he set up Studio Ghibli and started doing his own stuff.
It's part of a longrunning series of movies and anime shows about Lupin III, descendant of Arsene Lupin, a master thief and hero of a series of early 20th century French novels. So Miyazaki's playing in someone else's sandbox here, but it's still recognizably a Miyazaki film. Very capery, romantic and fun.
You are really underselling Cagliostro here. It's one of his best films, wherever the commission came from. I put it up there with Nausicaa and Totoro. Besides, Miyazaki had directed several episodes of the second run of the Lupin III TV series, so he wasn't a hired-gun outsider entirely unfamiliar with the characters, though he does move away from simple greed for money and adventure as their sole motivation (Fujiko and Lupin especially). Fujiko doesn't even physically look like the same character in Cagliostro, probably because her normally ridiculous proportions are at odds with Miyazaki's much more naturalistic female character designs.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 5:33 AM on November 18, 2007
Nobody has mentioned his early masterpiece, Panda Go Panda ;-)
posted by johngumbo at 7:54 PM on November 18, 2007
posted by johngumbo at 7:54 PM on November 18, 2007
To fuel debate farther, here are the full-length films directed by Miyasaki listed by the IMDB rating, from highest to lowest rated. In the event of a tie, the films are in chronological order.
I added a couple of other Studio Ghibli films in italics.
Howl's Moving Castle, which seems to have inspired such controversy among Miyasaki fans (some love it, some hate it), is rated in the middle of the pack - which is where I think it belongs. One of the reviews of Totoro listed above talks about how it really doesn't have any plot and is boring except for small children, for whom it can be "Toddler Crack" - well, I must be three years old then, because that is the film I have watched the most times, and never find boring. Even just thinking about it starts the wonderful theme song running through my head ("... To - to - ro, Totoro!...").
Japanese names included because for extra fannishness, and because I could (by copying from the IMDB page).
posted by jb at 4:56 AM on November 25, 2007
I added a couple of other Studio Ghibli films in italics.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi / Spirited Away: 8.5/10 (57,095 votes)As bad as IMDB forums can be, I think these ratings do actually reflect the respective strengths and weaknesses of the films. They are not all perfect, though none are a waste of time - some are fun but flawed (Porco Rosso), while others are well-made but not so interesting (Kiki's Delivery Service). The only overall ratings I really disagree with is that for Grave of the Fireflies - it ought to be higher (objectively, it is a better film than any of the others, though emotionally very difficult) - and Whisper of the Heart, which is seriously over rated (it's okay, but the Cat Returns is better, and that's not saying a lot). I have a real soft spot for Only Yesterday, despite some glaring flaws (I just overlook the five minute lecture organic farming that happens about half way through, because I enjoy the rest).
Mononoke-hime / Princess Mononoke: 8.3/10 (39,076 votes)
Mimi wo sumaseba / Whisper of the Heart: 8.2/10 (3,795 votes) - screenplay by Miyasaki, directed by Yoshifumi Kondo
(TIE) Kaze no tani no Naushika / Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds: 8.1/10 (10,020 votes)
(TIE) Tonari no Totoro / My Neighbour Totoro: 8.1/10 (14,005 votes)
Hotaru no haka / Grave of the Fireflies: 8.1/10 (17,955 votes) - directed by Isao Takahata
(TIE) Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta / Laputa, or Castle in the Sky: 8.0/10 (11,611 votes)
(TIE) Hauru no ugoku shiro / Howl's Moving Castle: 8.0/10 (21,379 votes)
Majo no takkyûbin / Kiki's Delivery Service: 7.8/10 (8,516 votes)
Omohide poro poro / Only Yesterday: 7.8/10 (1,852 votes) - directed by Isao Takahata
Kurenai no buta / Porco Rosso: 7.7/10 (6,127 votes)
Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro / Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro: 7.6/10 (3,603 votes)
Neko no ongaeshi / The Cat Returns: 7.2/10 (2,972 votes) - directed by Hiroyuki Morita
Howl's Moving Castle, which seems to have inspired such controversy among Miyasaki fans (some love it, some hate it), is rated in the middle of the pack - which is where I think it belongs. One of the reviews of Totoro listed above talks about how it really doesn't have any plot and is boring except for small children, for whom it can be "Toddler Crack" - well, I must be three years old then, because that is the film I have watched the most times, and never find boring. Even just thinking about it starts the wonderful theme song running through my head ("... To - to - ro, Totoro!...").
Japanese names included because for extra fannishness, and because I could (by copying from the IMDB page).
posted by jb at 4:56 AM on November 25, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by nitsuj at 7:51 PM on November 16, 2007