Forum - View topicI've yet to see a Ghibli film that "Wows" me.
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ethanftw
 Posts: 107 |
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As the title states, I've yet to see a Ghibli film that really leaves me at the end like "damn that was really awesome". I mean, so far I've only managed to watch 3 of them, and I actually own all 3.
Howl's Moving Castle Spirited Away Princess Mononoke Don't get me wrong, they are all good movies, I gave them all excellent ratings. They are all movies that are worth seeing, worth owning, and worth watching again in the future in my opinion. I just haven't yet saw a Ghibli film that really left me in awe at the end. I would say my favorite was probably Howl's Moving Castle, but Princess Mononoke was a close second. Then again Spirited Away isn't far behind either. Is anyone else like this? Liking Ghibli films but not really loving them? |
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wanderlustking
 Posts: 449 Location: Bozeman, Montana |
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[EDIT: No need to get snippy. Just make an argument rather than attack the guy. -TK]
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Well, I've given perfect scores to Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday and Grave of the Fireflies, so I guess they wowed me, in a quiet sort of way. But I hated Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and both Kiki's Delivery Service and Laputa: Castle in the Sky were good but not great. I've never quite understood why all three (but especially the latter*) are held in such high esteem. Although, I am someone who was disappointed with Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise and thought Akira was an overhyped and confusing mess, so not following the populist norm is not unusual for me.
* I once said that I found Laputa: Castle in the Sky to be boring. Everyone jumped on me for that, but really, it is so forgettable that for vast tracts of the movie I can only hazily recall details. The film absolutely made no impact on me. I can remember more of Wolf's Rain's first five episodes (i.e. first DVD) that I watched after forty hours without sleep than I can about the adventures of Sheeta and Pazu (whose names I had to look up in the Encyclopedia) whose movie I viewed in the early evening. That's a pretty damning indictment. |
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Shenl742
Posts: 1526 |
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I've seen the majority of them and The Cat Returns was the only one I walked away from thinking "Well, that was pretty entertaining".
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ailblentyn
 Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
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For a start, you should see more of them.
I'm a big fan of Ghibli, and you haven't yet seen any of the ones I personally consider truly great (Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart, Totoro, Kiki, Nausicaa, Grave of the Fireflies). Maybe you have favourites in store. Sidenote: So Howl's Moving Castle was your fave? 
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Hypeathon
Posts: 1176 |
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@ Ethanftw: What I would like to know is when you saw the 3 Ghibli films you saw, did you like what you saw enough to want to rewatch them again at some point? Or did you feel like you only cared to watch these once even though you liked them? And if you're leaning more owards the former, then I'm honestly curious to know why a Ghibli film needs to wow you if you feel like watching the films again sooner or later anyway?
Last edited by Hypeathon on Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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I've never been under the impression Ghibli films were meant to 'wow' us- that implies something with a lot of spectactle and little substance, like a fireworks show.
I've always felt like Ghibli films were meant to either inspire a sense of nostalgia, or a quiet contemplation of how we interact with each other and our world. You're not supposed to sit there awestruck at the end... you're supposed to feel like calling a friend and getting a recycle bin. Or, at the very least, be annoyed that Miyazaki is shoving his enviromentalism down your throat again. 
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I think by "wow" ethanftw means actually seem like the masterpieces of animation they are supposed to be because people tend to go on and on about how wonderful Ghibli movies are. The issue here is that they don't live up to the hype for him and, as some people on the board may already know, I'm pretty much the same.
I've seen a few more than you and, to address Hypeathon's question, there is only one I really want to see again, which is Howl's Moving Castle. I wouldn't mind watching Kiki's Delivery Service again but I wouldn't go seeking it out. In contrast, I never want to see Princess Mononoke again (I've had to rewatch it once). |
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ethanftw
Posts: 107 |
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Yes, this is true, I have only saw 3 of them. Also, yes, Howl's was my favorite but they were all pretty good. I just liked how entertaining Howl's was and the animation was beautiful.
Yes, I would watch all the films again. But it's the same way with regular movies. Haven't there been movies that you thought were pretty good but not amazing that you have watched again? The same principle applies.
You are exactly right. I enjoyed all the movies and I'm sure if I watch more Ghibli films, i'll enjoy those too. I just have yet to walk away from a Ghibli film saying "masterpiece". I think we are in the same boat marie-antoinette. |
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bravetailor
Posts: 817 |
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What is "wow" though? I mean, a lot of people have different definitions of "wow". For some people, "wow" means Gurren Lagann "wow", where the story goes through time, space, and the dimensional fabric to create a "wowsers" epic scope that really makes audiences go, well, "wow." But does something have to be mindblowingly epic to make you go "wow"? People say that they want to be "moved". Do Hitchcock films "move" you? Do they leave you with your jaw hanging, rattling on the floor as it copes with the awesomeness of their "wow" factor? I would wager for even his most hardy fans, the answer is no. So what makes them great? It's the sophisticated filmmaking techniques, the pleasure of watching a pro having complete mastery over his medium and letting him lead you smoothly through the narratives he has created. That is "wow" for some.
Ghibli films I feel are the animated equivalent of that statement. Their stories may not leave your jaw slamming the floor as your pleasure and emotion buttons are caressed to their maximum potential, but they DO display sophisticated filmmaking, animation, art, narrative, and you do feel like you are watching animators with complete mastery of their medium, leading you through their narratives with the sure hand of a master guide. The path may not be smorgasboard of existential delights, but you know you've got a good hand leading you through it.
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darkhappy1
 Posts: 495 Location: PA |
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Out of the few Ghibli movies I've seen, there are two that have wowed me. To answer bravetailor's prompt of what is "wow" to me when it comes to movies, it is having one's view of the world is either expanded significantly or refreshed, enough that it all seems just a tad different.
I'm not as impressed by Miyazaki as others are, but the only movie made by him that I love is Kiki's Delivery Service. Maybe I love it because it was more grounded to reality (ignoring the flying and talking cat) than the other Miyazaki movies, which made it easier to take in that Miyazaki charm. It also felt more like a story of growing up than the magic of an innocent fantasy, but what do I know. Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke didn't do much for me, but I'm interested in Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky. Hopefully they're good. The other Ghibli movie I loved was Grave of the Fireflies, though I can't really say it was enjoyable... It was heart-wrenching and left me tearing up just a bit, screaming phrases like "No, Don't Do It!", "Don't Eat That!" and "GO DIE AT A TRAIN STATION, IDIOT." But it struck a chord, and that is what makes it so powerful. I'm sure I'll like more Ghibli films once I watch more; I expect to love Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday. Nevertheless, I just need to make the effort. If my favorites and "I'm interested in this" picks are already matching ailblentyn's, then I guess that's incentive enough. |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7995 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Not a big Ghibli/Miyazaki fan personally. Most of them I find to be worth watching but not all that memorable, the only exceptions being Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which I thought were great because they were a bit darker in tone.
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dragoneyes001
 Posts: 873 |
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Ghibli airs the most artistic movies we get a chance to see. that alone gives them a major thumbs up from me.
what you need to get a WOW factor may not be available in anime movies everyone has different wants from entertainment. I loved kiki's delivery service, Howls moving castle, castle in the sky...etc.... they all had artwork that surpasses the current at the time of release anime and movies have more stand alone story lines which can be good and bad depending on the movie in question. Akira was revolutionary at its release sure its dated now because you have hundreds of series which have diluted, ripped off from and surpassed it since. the same could be said of titles like Heavy metal which at its release rivaled anything in its genre. |
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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I don't think there is much one can do to convince someone a certain film, or producer of that film is great. The only thing you can do is introduce great films to others if you feel they are missing out by not seeing them. Whether they actually are impressed by it is entirely up to the viewer themselves and outside intervention can do little to change that. You can point out things about a movie to give different perspectives or background on it that may lead to increased appreciation, but each movie means different things to every individual.
For example I love Ghibli movies but I've found that many Ghibli fans don't like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (which is not actually a Ghibli movie anyway) as much as some of Miyazaki's other works. Nausicaa is not only my favorite Miyazaki movie but is my most favorite animated movie ever made. Lots of people seem to like the rather obscure Ghibli film Only Yesterday, I do as well, it is my favorite Ghibli movie not directed by Miyazaki and probably 2nd favorite overall. Other well appreciated Ghibli movies that are much further down on my list are Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and Whisper of the Heart (probably among my least favorite Ghibli films but they were ok). |
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ThePoliced
Posts: 130 |
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Aite look.
Those 3 movies u saw weren't that great compared to the rest of his work. I think you really need to watch his 3 key movies: Laputa: Castle in the Sky(Semi-action driven) Nausicaa(Environmental warriors) Grave of the Fireflies(Reality in a very crude way, like a cow just killed-way) now, if u dont like any of these, well u just dont like Miyazaki. Maybe you should watch Akira, GITS or the girl who leapt through time. |
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