Their Best One - Studio Ghibli - The Bear and Badger

LivDiv

When I did my degree in Animation Ghibli came up a lot as you would imagine, which is fine and to be expected.

Except there were three or four students who were obsessed. Every conversation, every lecture, every presentation they did their best to angle everything back to Ghibli before arguing repeatedly whether the best was Spirited Away or Princess Mononoko. Fuck anyone trying to get an education for their 10 grand, just fucking nerd debate.

These cat eared losers ruined Ghibli for me. Spray it in deodorant then burn it all.

Could be worse though, the year above had a similar group but replace Ghibli with Sonic.

hylian_elf

Fuck. So hard to choose. I love most of them. For me, it's between Totoro, Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies. I think I'll go for...

Grave of the Fireflies

ZMM

GurtTractor wrote:

If I had to make an argument for which one is 'objectively' the best it would be Princess Mononoke. I think it has the most interesting story philosophically/allegorically, and is a perfect antidote to the saccharine manichean nature of a lot of the classic animated films from the likes of Disney.

You certainly wouldn't see someone get their head shot off with an arrow in Sleeping Beauty.

I'm going to have to go for Ponyo as my favourite, because it's got an important message about protecting the environment and also some of the most beautiful sea animation/artwork you'll ever see.

davyK

Very difficult task - so far I've watched Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies. I simply couldn't pick one from that.

Spirited Away is probably the most accessible but that doesn't mean the best. The imagination on show in Howl's is superb while the other two are outwardly at least the more thoughtful - but they all have a deep meaning running through them.

MattyJ

The one I've watched the most is Totoro, because my kids ended up getting into it and watching it nonstop for a few weeks.

Spirited Away was my intro to the studio, and is always up there... But I think I'd go for Porco Rosso. Damn that pig can fly.

GurtTractor

My personal favourites are Nausicaa, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, couldn't really pick between them. Depends on the day and my mood. I find Nausicaa's world and setting to be the most compelling, that far-future decay/weird creatures/rebuilt civilisation thing is something I always love in fiction. I adore Porco Rosso's romantic depiction of the freedom and excitement of the golden age of flight's final days. Mononoke is just an absolute masterpiece.

No one has mentioned Laputa Castle in the Sky yet, and I guess it's fair for it not to qualify next to the rest as the story is definitely much more comic book and straightforward. I still like it a lot though.

Also check out this epic concert playing the themes from the films over the years -

Olimite

Never seen one. On to the next!

afgavinstan

Dark Soldier wrote:

Lol at this one have at it lads

*whispers* I've only ever seen Spirited Away I think, I only picked this cos I wanted ENGAGEMENT lololol

afgavinstan

DS & Oli granted SPECIAL next subject picking privileges.

GurtTractor

Some absolute nutter made a real life Nausicaä glider -

And a model version of a "flaptor" from Laputa -

I would never have guessed that that thing is even remotely viable as a flying machine, but there you go.

g.man

I'm an idiot. When I name checked Nausicaa earlier, I actually meant Laputa.

Doh!

hylian_elf

I love so many of them. Pom Poko is another great one. I also love the likes of Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart, also The Cat Retunrs. The list goes on. Kiki is probably one of the weakest but still enjoyable.

GurtTractor

Pom Poko was weird and good. I need to watch Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro again at some point. Apparently David Hayter was in the dub.

GurtTractor

Fuck yeah.

g.man

hylian_elf wrote:

Kiki is probably one of the weakest but still enjoyable.

What sort of crazy talk is this!?

regmcfly

Porco Rosso dubbed with Keaton

hylian_elf

g.man wrote:

hylian_elf wrote:

Kiki is probably one of the weakest but still enjoyable.

What sort of crazy talk is this!?

Weakest as in least good. Or at least for me. They're all good.

g.man

hylian_elf wrote:

g.man wrote:

hylian_elf wrote:

Kiki is probably one of the weakest but still enjoyable.

What sort of crazy talk is this!?

Weakest as in least good. Or at least for me. They're all good.

It's absolutely one of the best!

ZMM

I didn't like My Neighbour Totoro, those shrieking kids, so annoying, I couldn't finish it!

From Up On Poppy Hill is an underrated gem.

Hopefully we can agree on Japanese audio forever, dub version never, Japanese audio forever, dub version never

nick_md

I like to watch the dubbed versions but with Japanese subtitles.

GurtTractor

The dub version of Laputa is way different to the Japanese original audio track. There's a lot of added music in scenes which had none which really changes the vibe and makes it feel less impactful IMO. The Japanese VA can be really grating at times, on balance I prefer Pazu's VA to the English dub where he sounds much too old/big, but neither is quite right. I'm usually all about the original Japanese audio.

It can be weird though if you've got used to seeing a film dubbed, like Akira where I quite liked the weird old psychic kids raspy voices in the English VA, but going to the otherwise superior JP audio they're just shrill children.

tin_robot

As G says it's a bit like being asked to name your favourite child. I love Nausicaa, Laputa, Howl, Kiki, Price Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Lupin... Spirited Away is, I think, the most technically accomplished for me - both in terms of animation, as well as themes and narrative complexity (like Mononoke there's surprising depth in there).

But... it's My Neighbour Totoro.

It has to be.

I still maintain that Totoro is the greatest kids movie ever made. It absolutely perfectly captures childhood - both for children, and from that place of nostalgia occupied as an adult. It's also one of those rare films that has no villain, there's no antagonist barring the struggles of simply being alive (and the fear of losing those we love). Most such films flounder without an "enemy" to drive things forwards, but Totoro presents a world in which simply exploring and experiencing are reason enough. The film has morals it wishes to teach, but it never particularly labours those points, content that we will observe them for ourselves

My kids loved Totoro growing up, and love it still now they're adults. I've watched it so many times, with my own kids, and with the children of friends, and it has never failed to delight them. I'm still not bored of watching it with them. Totoro himself is an extraordinary creation - and again relatively unique in that he is never particularly explained, he just is.

So, yeah, Sprited Away is a towering classic of animation. But, for me at least, Totoro is something even more - simple, beautiful and profound.

hylian_elf

thumbsup.gif

davyK

Must check Totoro out.

GooberTheHat

No love for the Borrowers (Arriety)? Not the best but still pretty good. For me it's Howl's Moving Castle, but the the top ones are all incredibly close.

tin_robot

GooberTheHat wrote:

No love for the Borrower's (Arriety)? Not the best but still pretty good. For me it's Howl's Moving Castle, but the the top ones are all incredibly close.

I like Arrietty, but it's B - tier I think. Way above Earthsea (which was a huge disappointment, particularly when you place it next to Howl) but not likely to trouble the best. In my head it sort of sits alongside The Wind Rises, The Red Turtle or Princess Kaguya as films I admire, but have no real intention of watching again.

jdanielp

Spirited Away

regmcfly

jdanielp wrote:

Spirited Away

My dude that's the worst

g.man

*splutter*

Eric

Grave of the Fireflies for me. One of gentlest and most touching films I have ever seen. Love Princess Mononoke too, my gateway drug in Ghibli.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories