Porco Rosso (1992) – [subtitled]
For the next few weeks I’ll be watching all the Studio Ghibli films. Some again, some for the first time.

This film will transport you to through the clouds and back to Europe in the 1930’s! You’ll cheer at the heroics of a Bogart-ish, WWI flying ace, who just happens to be a pig and laugh at good-hearted sea pirates stealing children for ransom! There is so much packed in this film, love, adventure, honor, curses, hidden coves, dogfights, bare-knuckle boxing, fascists, bounty hunters, pirate gangs, and a final duel that determine the fate of everyone. This film cannot help but lift the spirits of its viewers. But unlike any Miyazaki film that’s come before, there is a real sense of fun. Also, unlike past films, it feels like it’s aimed slightly more to a grown-up, mature audience.

Porco Rosso is a perfect mix of reality and fantasy, Casablanca with a splash of Beauty and the Beast. It’s less about plot than it’s about ambiance, although it explores some very interesting ideas. Shame, not accepting one’s self and how we continuously punish ourselves. Forgiveness, and how putting the past behind us is the only way to grow and change. Love, both the old, wise, grown-in kind, as well as the infatuation and eagerness of a newly discovered gem. And strong women, it’s so fantastic to see this trend continue in Miyazaki films, and in Porco Rosso it’s even more prominent.

Once again, Miyazaki delivers exactly the same wonderance in a very different package. I highly recommend everyone checking out Porco Rosso.

Only Yesterday (1991) – [subtitled]
For the next few weeks I’ll be watching all the Studio Ghibli films. Some again, some for the first time.

Isao Takahata’s follow up to Grave of the Fireflies is just as dynamic and powerful, yet vastly more uplifting. You will be moved, heart warmed, fall into childhood memories, smile, cringe, and perhaps, like me, cheer with eyes blurred.

The film is an empathic look at the plight of women, especially in Japanese society. That said, this film will affect anyone who has ever questioned the direction of their lives, felt like their life has been shaped and guided by the memories of past, and how we reconcile who we were as a child to who we’ve become as an adult.

Similarly to how Totoro and Fireflies mirror each other thematically, yet are extremely different films in style, as well as narrative, Only Yesterday is a perfect coming-of-age companion to Kiki’s Delivery Service. There is no magic, no airships, no chase scenes, no evil villains bent on world domination, just a young woman unsure about her future, as she peers into her past.

Only Yesterday is a slow burning, intimate, introspective, life-affirming, near perfect piece of cinema. I laughed, cried, and was touched by every scene. Everyone should experience this film.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) – [subtitled]
For the next few weeks I’ll be watching all the Studio Ghibli films. Some again, some for the first time.

The fact that this came out right after ‘Grave of Fireflies’, shows the amazing range of Studio Ghibli and hints at the masterpieces yet to come.

This film is not only artistically beautiful, but also thematically. It is a fantastic, uplifting, coming-of-age adventure in which a most loveable, delightful young girl must figure out the world on her own. Like Totoro there are no villains, and for the most part, nor external problem to overcome. There is just a girl from the country and her hilarious cat, now in a bustling city trying to find
her path, create friends, and for better and worse, handle the responsibilities of her new life. It’s simple and it’s perfect.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) – [subtitled]
For the next few weeks I’ll be watching all the Studio Ghibli films. Some again, some for the first time.

As I type this, I choke up, my eyes begin to water, I pause. This film will pummel one’s emotions to a pulp and haunt you.

Grave of the Fireflies is one of the greatest animated films of all time, a most hauntingly beautiful and devastating film. You will not leave it unscathed. Fireflies hits hard since we all know the fates of our characters, as it’s how we are introduced to them. As we grow to know and love them, Seito and Setsuko, brother and sister, emanate beauty and love in the face of horror.

We watch, slowly, as childhood innocence burns away, leaving husks in its wake. We see a hero born in Seito, the epitome of brotherly love. We see the devastations of war ravage a society on a heartbreakingly intimate level. We see the fragility of life and youth eroded by social displacement and isolation. We watch helplessly.

This film, based on a true story, broke my heart into thousands of tiny pieces. ‘Heart-wrenching’ doesn’t seem strong enough. It’s an utterly beautiful, touching film which powerfully communicates the strength of the human spirit to carry on against overwhelming odds. As difficult as it may be, it’s a must watch. Simply one of the best films I’ve ever seen.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) – [subtitled]
For the next few weeks I’ll be watching all the Studio Ghibli films. Some again, some for the first time.

As time sweeps past us, we can forget and lose the innocence, wonder, and magic that defined us as a child. With Totoro, Miyazaki transports us back to that perspective of sheer delight in the most life-affirming, adorable, charming, carefree, beloved story I’ve ever watched.

The film embodies a time when everything was new and interesting and beautiful, from a crumbling porch to a hidden path between bushes. When we lived in a magical world, with endless possibilities, where we appreciated everything, where all new things are embraced.

It’s impossible not to fall in love with four-year-old Mei. Smiles burst from our face with her every word and action. She is brave and curious, exploding with raw emotions, energized movements, and a confidently booming voice. This is her world, one without limits, and she aims to adventure. Mei’s sister, ten-year-old Satsuki, is at that critical age where innocence can become lost. She is our mirror. Our passage back to innocence.

This is a film with no antagonist role, no moral lessons, no trite story, no pop-culture reference, and no breaking out into song. It’s simply a film that plucks the magical harp strings of childhood and lets adults hear a song they might have forgotten. And one children sing along to. A song which brings a smile to the face unlike any other. One painted from pure joy. From the innocence, wonder, and magic of being a child.

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Mei and the Kittenbus (2002) – [subtitled]
If you can find it, this is a perfect little nugget of smiles. Not thinking it was possible, Mei becomes even more delightful in this short. At 13-minutes, it wasn’t enough, but nothing ever would be.