Forum - View topicPeople who claim "Howl" is their fave Ghibli.
|
Goto page 1, 2, 3 Next |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
ailblentyn
 Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
|
||
|
Essentially: What are they thinking?
I ask because it is not at all uncommon to see people online say that Howl's Moving Castle is their favourite Ghibli film, and every time I read it I wonder anew. What is it about this film that attracts such a keen following, when simultaneously it is widely (and, for my money, correctly) regarded as particularly weak? I find it less understandable than reading that The Cat Returns is someone's favourite, because at least in that case the explanation is often clear: the person in question is a little girl with no developed critical faculty. But what's the explanation in the case of Howl's Moving Castle? Who loves it, and what do they love it for? |
|||
|
|||
John Casey
 Posts: 1853 Location: In My Angry Center |
|
||
|
Sorry...but this reeks of a troll thread. It's no different than starting a topic saying "How can you people love Black Lagoon? Don't you see how it pales in comparison to other stuff?"
|
|||
|
|||
|
ailblentyn
Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
|
||
|
No, it's a serious question.
I wonder if the film has a very distinct fanbase, who passionately go against the critical consensus as I see it. Who is the fanbase and why? Are they all people who were some special age when the film was released? Was it a particular moment in pop culture when the character of Howl struck a timely chord with a group of people? |
|||
|
|||
marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
|
||
|
I just find the story and characters in Howl to be vastly more compelling than any of the other Ghibli movies I've seen. If I could pick any Ghibli movie to watch again and even own, it would be this one.
In contrast, I can't stand Princess Mononoke. I find it preachy and the characters boring. I don't care about a single one of them (except maybe Eboshi but I still wouldn't be phased for her to fall off a cliff). Howl's just has more for me personally to connect with. I've liked other Ghibli movies (Kiki's Delivery Service and Laputa were very good) but definitely Howl's is my favourite of what I've seen (I also have seen Spirited Away and The Cat Returns). |
|||
|
|||
Imperialkat
 Posts: 227 |
|
||
|
Sorry, I have to agree with John Casey. Having seen Howl and a few other Ghibli films I can easily see why someone would name Howl their favorite. It's a fantasy starring a homely girl who gets swept up into the fantastic world of a mysterious man. It's fun, whimsical and touching, and yes, it may speak to others more than it spoke to you. I assure you that Howl isn't so inferior compared to the rest of Ghibli's catalog that NO ONE could call it their fave.
|
|||
|
|||
Touma
 Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
|
||
|
So, you are asking why so many people like a show that not many people like???
That reminds me of Yogi Berra: "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded." |
|||
|
|||
Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
|
||
|
I think it generally comes down to the visuals and the characters. There's no denying that "Howl's Moving Castle" is stunning on a visual level and it has that sense of adventure, the exotic and the fantastic you just don't see enough of anymore. It demonstrates that you can have all the pretty graphics you want like "Final Fantasy VII", but that substance will still win out in the end.
Then there's the characters. The characters in the film were just very likeable and enjoyable, and I would say their charisma is at the center of much of the films positive points. If you can get attached or even relate to a character it can go a long ways towards your enjoyment of a story. All in all though, I actually still agree with the OP. Visually the movie was stunning and the characters really helped it along, but on the other hand the story was a pacing nightmare and narrative mess that utterly collapsed in to sheer failure with the borderline nonsensical conclusion. In the end it's still a story that is being told, visuals and personalities aside, and if it can't do that then all the other elements combined can't compensate. I still like to see it from time to time for the beauty of the content, but I've never cared for the story and its massive quantity of flaws. |
|||
|
|||
|
SgtMustang
Posts: 158 |
|
||
|
It's pretty good. But Nausica FTW
|
|||
|
|||
|
TheSwedishElf
Posts: 300 |
|
||
|
Just for the record, I think the best Ghibli films are Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbour Totoro and The Cat Returns.
|
|||
|
|||
Mister V
 Posts: 1000 |
|
||
|
As far as I remember, when I watched it I thought it was about as nice as the rest of Ghibli movies, and more entertaining than Kiki, for instance. Nothing beats Nausicaa in my book, though.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Lupica
Posts: 90 |
|
||
|
Howl is my favourite. I'm old so it's nothing to do with a particular time in my life, it's just I don't really like Ghibli films. Sorry, some people don't. I don't completely hate them, but I don't find them the wonderfully absorbing experiences I know most people do. Therefore the less 'Ghibli'-style Ghibli films are more entertaining for me.
I also like Earthsea >.> |
|||
|
|||
Teriyaki Terrier
 Posts: 5689 |
|
||
I also agree with John Casey. I watched the film and while it was fun and energetic, compared to his work's, it wasn't nearly as good. It's really just a story about a run of the mill girl who somehow enters a fantasy with a mysterious man. It's not such a bad film, but that is about it. |
|||
|
|||
Dessa
 Posts: 4438 |
|
||
|
I think my response to the people bringing up Nausicaa is the perfect example of people having their own tastes: Ugh, Nausicaa.
I hated Nausicaa (the movie, that is). I turned it off halfway through, because I thought it was that bad (and yes, I was watching Nausicaa, not Warriors of the Wind). While Nausicaa herself was interesting, and it's a good story, too much of the movement of the film was contrived or simply "not there", with little to no explanation of how she got from Point A or Point B, or where Important Item X came from (since said item was supposed to be gotten from Important Character Y, who didn't exist in the anime). Is Howl my favorite? Mmmm, probably not. I love the book*, but I'm not big on war stuff. Which is why I don't like Princess Mononoke, either. I certainly like it better than Spirited Away, which was good the first time, but I have no interest in rewatching it other than several years apart, if that. Laputa I've only seen once, but it might be my favorite if I watch it again. Nah, Kiki's Delivery Service (which I was lucky enough to get on the collector's edition subbed VHS) is probably my favorite. *I read the book after watching the movie. I believe part of my problem with Nausicaa is that I read the manga before I watched the movie, so I knew the story elements that were missing from the film. I haven't seen every Ghibli film, but I'd probably rank my top 3 as Kiki, then Laputa, then Howl. As loathe as I am to agree with him, John Casey has a good example, though the particular anime can be replaced with anything. Me? There's tons of stuff I can't stand, but going with one of the most popular, how could anyone say Inu Yasha is their favorite anime? It has horrible pacing, all of the characters are introduced and fully developed far too quickly, and from about episode 50 or so it's just so repetitive that it becomes painful to watch. Does that stop people from enjoying it? No. I guess what I'm trying to say is that anime, like all artwork, is subjective. You like what you like, you don't like what you don't like, and while there may be patterns on liking/not liking certain styles or themes, everyone is different, and it's in no one's place to say "how could you like this?" or "how can this be your favorite?" just because they don't like it/don't like it as much. |
|||
|
|||
TatsuGero23
 Posts: 1277 Location: Sniper Island, USA (It's in your heart!) |
|
||
|
I still like Howl's Castle, but I do agree with the sentiment that it seemed a bit weaker compared to other Ghibli films. But Ponyo takes the weakest for me. It's nothing exact but the film doesn't really resonant with me like other Ghibli films have. Maybe the humanization of the characters were off for most people. Or the character growth for Sophie was too drastic or maybe even level headed for people to connect too as the change in Howl as well. Like others have said, they aren't dislikable characters, but you don't seem to connect with them as much as past Ghibli characters. Or those moments when the characters grow closer together as a family seem a bit thin and almost just put in ala "okay now they are a family" even though you really didn't see them connect or understand one another like in other films.
But I do have to say that Sophie is one of my favorite Ghibli characters. Also Whispers of the Heart is probably my favorite Ghibli movie that I could watch over and over again. |
|||
|
|||
Sanosuke_Inara
 Posts: 1662 |
|
||
|
That's a pretty good question, actually.
Don't get me wrong--unlike a load of other people, I don't hate Howl's Moving Castle. Hell, I actually really like that movie. For me, it didn't devolve into as much of a mess as people told me before I actually saw it, and I was interested enough in the characters in the story to actually care about became of them. I thought it was a good movie. That said, while still good, it pales in comparison to a good number of Ghibli's other films. Films such as Nausicaa, Grave of the Fireflies, and--especially--Princess Mononoke are far better than Howl's in practically every aspect(story, characters, film message, etc). Also, Howl's(as well as a number of Ghibli's later movies, such as Ponyo which--FTR--I also liked) lacks that epic quality present in some of their earlier films(which obviously isn't necessary for enjoyment of an anime, but the climax of the movie left a good bit to be desired). And I will admit that some of the plot twists it took were kinda weird and a tad bit confusing, but it didn't ruin the experience for me. There are other problems, but those were the main ones I can remember ATM. So, yeah. HMC is a good movie, but it's far from Ghibli's best. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group