Favourite Ghibli film and why?

Started by Mr Cat Dog June 21st, 2011 2:30 AM
  • 1531 views
  • 23 replies
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Fave Ghibli film?

Esper

California
Seen June 30th, 2018
Posted June 30th, 2018
Nausicaa really should be included anyway, but eh, not my favorite so I won't gripe. I'm assuming I can vote for my favorites since the option's there.

Porco Rosso
This movie is a lot of fun. Like, loads of fun. Great characters and setting - pilots and pirates in the early days of fascist Italy. It's kind of like watching Casablanca with an animated pig instead of Humphrey Bogart. And talk about a beautiful movie. Every frame of it is gorgeous. Mostly it doesn't take itself too seriously and is a straightforward adventure drama, but there are little things here and there that add a surprising depth to it. This is one I'd recommend to people since I think it's one of the most accessible and likable.

Whisper of the Heart
I can really relate to Shizuku (the main girl) and her struggle to write her story and deal with her confidence issues. Really, everything she went through - feeling her parents didn't understand her, her awe and wonder upon entering the shop and seeing the statue of the baron - was something I've felt and it just made the movie really human and down-to-earth. I love all the little side stories that all weave together. It's just a sweet movie.
Male
Seen February 27th, 2023
Posted July 28th, 2022
563 posts
12.2 Years
I have not watched all films in the list, but maybe my favorite is Spirited Away. I like the storyline of this film, which is mysterious and flowing smootly, and coupled with good background music and character.

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'

Age 97
Shimoda City
Seen 2 Days Ago
Posted January 25th, 2022
9,705 posts
15.5 Years
Whisper of the Heart was my favorite, I just found it so touching and inspirational. I also enjoyed Spirited Away for its fantasy world and many memorable characters.

Elite Overlord LeSabre™
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Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best

Age 32
Male
London, UK
Seen September 29th, 2017
Posted July 12th, 2017
11,344 posts
19.1 Years
Might as well do mine:

Spirited Away is one of my favourite films ever. Its moral ambiguity towards pretty much every character is a cinematic feat generally unexplored in animation (speaking of, the animation is really, really good) and whenever I watch it, I get enveloped by the epic nature of script and direction the way the best films do.

Yet, a part of me also like the almost polar opposite, small-scale adventure in The Cat Returns. I'll be the first to admit that it has problems on both the narrative, animation and character design level... and yet I'll always watch all of it if it comes on TV. I like the interactions between all the characters and, personally, that goes a long way personally.

Miz en Scène

Everybody's connected

Male
The Wired
Seen 1 Day Ago
Posted August 30th, 2016
1,645 posts
14.7 Years
In rank order: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, and Ponyo. Howl's Moving Castle is at the top because I just loved how it played out, even more so than Spirited Away.
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Well if you were counting Nausicaa I would say that's my absolute favorite, but since you're not I would go with either Castle in the Sky or Princess Mononoke. I really don't remember why I liked those two the most since it has been about two years since I've seen any of them. Although I remember there being a lot of adventure. Not to mention I found the characters to be really appealing to me.
Age 30
Male
Northern Virginia
Seen 1 Week Ago
Posted May 26th, 2018
1,184 posts
15.3 Years
I can understand not having Castle of Cagliostro on the list, but Nausicaa really should be there. The team that made Nausicaa pretty much became Studio Ghibli for that very reason, and Ghibli owns the movie and considers it its first film now.

But even if Nausicaa were on the list I would have still picked Princess Mononoke. This is partially because it contains several of the most (including the single most) dazzling animated sights I have ever seen. The one in particular that really stuck with me was the way that the Forest Spirit walks. It was impressive how all the flowers and other plants grow up around its feet when it takes a step, but what really had me astounded was how all those plants wither and die when it lifts its foot again. In one masterfully animated stroke, Miyazaki both pleases the eyes and sums up the entire idea behind the Forest Spirit, which is that it's the god of both life and death; it is life itself. There are few directors who can show and tell so much with one little shot.

Aside from that, I think in Princess Mononoke Miyazaki handled his overall message with the most maturity and poignancy. I don't think this is just because it's made for older viewers. Nausicaa was addressed at about the same demographic, but its ideas and philosophy are naive by comparison. It's easy for a movie to say "Humans bad! Nature good!" but it takes more guts and more finesse to remind the viewer that humans have some legitimate needs at the expense of nature, and that nature at its core is more ruthless than cuddly. Both sides of the environmental struggle in Princess Mononoke appear at times equally noble and at times equally intolerant/short-sighted.

They can't get to releasing PM on blu-ray fast enough. I will be all over that like giant wolves on an injured human. ;D
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Section Eight
Seen May 19th, 2012
Posted May 18th, 2012
1,069 posts
13 Years
Kiki's Delivery Service
I don't know what it was about this film, but I loved it. I've seen it three times, which is something that few other films have accomplished. Perhaps it's the wonderful scenery, or the lighthearted characters, or the feel-good story that just reeked of innocence and fun. Or, maybe, it's just the magic. I like magic.

Spirited Away
This film really needs no explanation. It's a fairy tale, of the highest degree. It's mystical, interesting, and... well, the world that Miyazaki paints is a fascinating one. Even the brief glimpse is enough to make me hungry for more.


"I don't find my name tasteful next to Shanghai Alice."
-STRATOS99
Seen September 18th, 2020
Posted February 18th, 2018
7,741 posts
16.6 Years
I've only seen Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke, but I'll go with the latter. Lady Eboshi might just be my favourite villain of any film, and the part where Amukaka breaks up the fight between her and San actually had me in tears. As an aside, I like how the animals talk without actually moving their mouths, it seems to be more realistic and work better than if they were to, oddly enough.

moon

they/them
Seen 11 Hours Ago
Posted 6 Days Ago
37,443 posts
15.5 Years
Naaaaah, Nausicaa doesn't count as a Ghibli film? It's my favorite.


I love Spirited Away. It was the first Miyazaki film I watched and it made me love his imaginative worlds. But Howl's Moving Castle is more fun and exciting in several ways. I love the different characters, especially the scarecrow prince and the fire demon :3 Plus, everyone loves Spirited Away since if they've only seen 1 Miyazaki movie, it's most likely that one. I wanna be different ;)

I also like Kiki a lot I only saw that movie a couple of days ago (!) but it wasn't as boring as I thought it would be. Rather than be about a little witch girl and a cat, it was a deep story about friendship and growing up. In Miyazaki style. That's pretty cool.
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psyanic

pop a wheelie on a zeitgeist

Age 26
Male
USA
Seen April 10th, 2023
Posted June 30th, 2018
1,284 posts
12 Years
My Neighbor Totoro
It was my first Ghibli Film, and I loved that furry forest spirit. I also loved the main theme, and I got myself to find the sheet music and learn it.

Spirited Away
This is self explanatory. It had a great plot along with animation, filled with a few fantasies with a twist of mystery. I find this to be arguably the best anime movie ever made. It also had the most appealing soundtrack and background music.

Princess Mononoke
It had a great message with the dealings between humans and nature, with the former being the more dominant aggressors. It was more mature than the other films, along with Grave of the Fireflies, and the theme was very well placed.

These are just my top three, but I really came to love all the movies.