Posted by Saddletank on 09.08.2014, 06:57 AM:
quote: Originally posted by saviour2012
I see that all the romantic movies are in the top(top 6) of your list, is this intentional
(i mean you like them because they are romantic) or you just like them for no particular reason.
I honestly had not noticed that, but yes, you're right, and yes, I do enjoy romantic stories.
Having said that I see Spirited Away as having a strong romance element as of course does Howl's Moving Castle (which under the hood is entirely about love). One can argue for strong romance elements in Mononoke and Kiki as well.
On the other hand I don't see Porco as primarily a love story and the main reason I rate it highly is the wonderful semi-fictional world building Miyazaki did with his fantasy 1920s north Italy. I find the setting quite wonderful. The flight sequences are among the finest animation he has done as well IMHO.
Whisper has a strong romantic plot but for me the delight is in the struggles and growth of the lead character. Its one of Ghibli's few contemporary settings as well, people can be inspired by Shizuku's story and I know several who have been and there's value in the film for that.
Only Yesterday is a creature all on its own, out there with no rivals. Yes, the romantic story is key here but the green and environmental message is woven through it so skilfully and in scenes where nothing happens at all except a quirky and insecure young man talking that I think it's magical. The animation was drawn after the voice actors spoke their parts so the lip-synching and realistic faces make this feel quite different in a very good way. The music is also wonderful with lots of east European folk tunes. Add in the flashbacks to Taeko's childhood and that ending song you have one of Ghibli's most perfect films.
Laputa has that "fantasy meets an almost real world" mood as well, where steampunk collides with sci-fi in a Victorian world. More amazing flying sequences and more action and slapstick with less romance. I'd say this is a pure action movie with very little romance, though of course it is there, but as the two lead characters are about 12 years old the romance is necessarily limited.
There is something about Ocean Waves that completely draws me in. Its ordinaryness, its simple contemporary story, the artwork I find thoroughly engaging in such a simple way, the faces really are very basic but contain so much expression. The writers connected well I thought with the minds of teenagers and how socially inept they can be. How ugly messes can happen because people of this age group really are unable to connect and empathise. There's lessons here.
I agree with Theowne that one's list of Ghiblis can fall into a favourites group, a second tier group and an also-rans group and while movies tend to stay within their 'castes' their placings within those groups shift around. My list is the same.
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