The Studio Ghibli (JP) Discussion Thread

[svenge]

Originally Posted by ChichiriNoDa

Defending myself for putting Mononoke at the bottom list is like being persecutad of such a heinous crime.

Putting Mononoke at the bottom of the list and believing Earthsea to be a tolerable, let alone good film may not be a crime, but it certainly could be considered as grounds for involuntary commitment.

At the very least, your TV should be removed to foster care in order to prevent any further damage to be inflicted by a lousy film whose director got the job only due to blatant nepotism and the sheer desperation of an aging Hayao Miyazaki to have someone, anyone take over the studio once he and Isao Takahata die.

It's a damn shame that Yoshifumi Kondō (director of "Whisper of the Heart") died so young, because if he were alive then Goro Miyazaki would still be designing shrubberies instead of directing.

[Norbie]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

Sweet! I just got my Poppy blu from YesAsia. Three layers of bubblewrap and it looks to be in mint condition. I'm busy today and maybe tomorrow, but I will have watched it before the weekend is over at least.

Three bubble wraps for me too. They could be usefull, might keep them

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

Question: What is the general consensus regarding the Totoro/Grave of the Fireflies combo pack? Does it include both of the films in separate silhouette cases? What have you ordered? Separate releases or the combo?

I personally went for the combo pack, and looking at the press release and how they look I might change my mind. The only. Reason so far for the decision is the external extra brochure. But you never know what it will look like, who knew the LE of Poppy contained the silhouette version. I've seen a few people upset by that considering for five extra dollars they could have the silhouette version along with the LE extras.

Originally Posted by Drakul

wow I'm surprised how anyone could pout Porco Rosso and Granve at least favorite but to each his own.

For me the worst is BY FAR Pom Poko.

I have a feeling that those who put Graveflies last isn't because it's the worst movie from Ghibli, but the most painful to watch. I think that everybody could agree that it's a great film, just not one you'll watch again - not counting watching the upcoming Bluray.

Originally Posted by ChichiriNoDa

1] Whisper of the Heart
2] Only Yesterday

Interesting. The two movies that are the most real-life films.

Originally Posted by jala12

Princess Mononoke...Boring? I respect opinions and all but I just don't understand how Tales From Earthsea could possibly be more entertaining than Mononoke. Characterization and plot elements are way more engaging in that movie than whatever happens in Earthsea.

So is the Illiad

Originally Posted by svenge

It's a damn shame that Yoshifumi Kondō (director of "Whisper of the Heart") died so young, because if he were alive then Goro Miyazaki would still be designing shrubberies instead of directing.

Ive often wondered why with so many anime directors available they would go with someone whose never directed a film?

I think this has a lot to do with the producer Suzuki (I think that's how it's spelled?). He knows that Hayao won't be around forever, and in order for Ghibli to survive he need the Miyazaki name - almost like a Brand. And looking at the special features on the bluray, you would never have thought that it was Goro who directed Poppy, Hayao is everywhere.


Be nice

[ALLIED_GOONIE]

Originally Posted by svenge

At the very least, your TV should be removed to foster care in order to prevent any further damage to be inflicted by a lousy film whose director got the job only due to blatant nepotism and the sheer desperation of an aging Hayao Miyazaki to have someone, anyone take over the studio once he and Isao Takahata die.

I don't think I'm the only one who believes that you might have gone a bit too far there. I'd personally take that as an insult. This is just silly behavior,... and why? Beacuse ChichiriNaDa (who appears to have a taste in Ghibli films similar to my own) happens to have placed the film you consider to be the best as his/her least favorite Ghibli film? You admit yourself to not having seen all films, then could it not be possible, theorethically, that there is a whole bunch of films that you consider to be "worse" than Tales From Earthsea...OR...(wait for it)... better than Princess Mononoke?

As for the claim that Goro Miyazaki was appointed director of Tales From Earthsea because of "blatant nepotism": That's simply not true. Just watch the interviews done for Earthsea and Arrietty and you'll see how wrong you are. Which brings me to Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of Arrietty, who, as an animator, was just as untested as Goro (albeit a bit older) and, according to Hayao Miyazaki, a bit of a gamble. There's an excellent interview on the Arrietty disc (at least on the Otimum/Studio Canal release) that you need to see. The sheer honesty on display from Miyazaki's side in this interview is almost unsettling as he disusses the state of the animation industry in Japan today and the fact that there are far too few people that make the cut to become great directors of animation nowadays.

Finally: It would be interesting to hear what you thought of Goro's From Up on Poppy Hill. Did you think it was just as bad as you consider Earthsea to be? Was it better? ...and if so, are you ready to give Goro another chance?

[svenge]

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

You admit yourself to not having seen all films, then could it not be possible, theorethically, that there is a whole bunch of films that you consider to be "worse" than Tales From Earthsea...OR...(wait for it)... better than Princess Mononoke?

Unlikely. The only ones I haven't seen are a couple of Takahata's films (as his work has never really connected with me; it seems they really don't "translate" well to foreigners, with the exception of Grave of the Fireflies) and Ocean Waves, which is technically a TV special.

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

As for the claim that Goro Miyazaki was appointed director of Tales From Earthsea because of "blatant nepotism": That's simply not true. Just watch the interviews done for Earthsea and Arrietty and you'll see how wrong you are. Which brings me to Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of Arrietty, who, as an animator, was just as untested as Goro (albeit a bit older) and, according to Hayao Miyazaki, a bit of a gamble.

At least Yonebayashi was doing animation work for the last 15 years at Studio Ghibli with increasing amounts of responsibility (from in-between animation, to key animation, to animation director for a short film) before being given the helm for Arrietty. What was Goro up to for the last 15 years before Earthsea? Designing shrubberies. If that's not nepotism, what is?

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

Finally: It would be interesting to hear what you thought of Goro's From Up on Poppy Hill. Did you think it was just as bad as you consider Earthsea to be? Was it better? ...and if so, are you ready to give Goro another chance?

I'm not about to spend $70+ to see a Goro Miyazaki film. Fools and their money are too easily parted these days.


On a related topic, I'm starting to believe that Studio Ghibli will fold within 5 years of whenever Hayao Miyazaki dies. Hayao wrote 4 of the last 5 Ghibli movies' screenplays (with Earthsea being the obvious outlier), not to mention that Isao Takahata is already 76 and hasn't directed a movie in over 10 years (although they say he's working on one currently.)

There's just no sure-fire successors to carry on the studio's legacy (Yonebayashi did have a good debut; however the less said of Goro, the better.) They could try to poach an outside director, but the last time Studio Ghibli tried that (with Mamoru Hosada), it didn't work out. Considering the state of Japan's animation industry and its economy in general, I don't think that Studio Ghibli would be able to survive an extended period of mediocrity similar to what happened to Disney after Walt died. The Ghibli Museum's profits wouldn't be able to prop up the company like Disneyland did.

[GC Riot]

Well, here's my list as of having just seen Poppy Hill...

1. Princess Mononoke
2. Howl's Moving Castle
3. My Neighbor Totoro
4. Spirited Away
5. Only Yesterday
6. Whisper of the Heart
7. Arrietty
8. Grave of the Fireflies
9. Kiki's Delivery Service
10. Tales From Earthsea
11. Ponyo
12. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
13. From Up on Poppy Hill
14. Porco Rosso
15. My Neighbors the Yamadas
16. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
17. Pom Poko
18. The Cat Returns
19. Ocean Waves

I think I might have to give it some more time and rewatch it at least once more as I have a feeling that it's a film that will grow on you with time, but for the moment, I'm placing it below Earthsea.

Don't get me wrong, it's a very endearing film, easy on the eyes and ears with some fantastic animation and outstanding score. I admire that they made such a low-key film when audience's patience grows thinner for each passing day. It does however drag a bit and isn't quite as engaging as I had hoped. Having just seen the excellent 12 episode series Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon), which was set in roughly the same time period sort of raised the bar quite a bit, and Poppy Hill couldn't quite match that I thought when it came to characterization and plot.

I do recommend it, but maybe not as a blind buy as I feel this is quite an aquired taste and may not suit everyone. I'd compare it to Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart, and as you can see, I've rated both of them higher than Poppy Hill.

[ALLIED_GOONIE]

Originally Posted by svenge

Unlikely. The only ones I haven't seen are a couple of Takahata's films (as his work has never really connected with me; it seems they really don't "translate" well to foreigners, with the exception of Grave of the Fireflies) and Ocean Waves, which is technically a TV special.

I see. I just assumed that you'd seen only the 10 you listed. Didn't really think there; sorry!

Originally Posted by svenge

At least Yonebayashi was doing animation work for the last 15 years at Studio Ghibli with increasing amounts of responsibility (from in-between animation, to key animation, to animation director for a short film) before being given the helm for Arrietty. What was Goro up to for the last 15 years before Earthsea? Designing shrubberies. If that's not nepotism, what is?

Being an animator and being a director are two entirely different things. Sure, I guess you get some, if limited, control over your characters or effects as an animator, but in the end you have to take your orders from the director. As the son of one of the greatest directors of all time you're apt to learn more than a couple of things from your father. Even if he HAS spent a lot of time "designing shrubberies", which I'm not saying he has, it doesn't automatically make him less fit to direct as what you think of his directing of Tales From Earthsea in the end is entirely individual. I can certainly understand some of the things people complained about regarding this film, especially regarding the pacing of it, but I still feel that it's a great film. You clearly don't. That's your opinion and I respect that.

Originally Posted by svenge

I'm not about to spend $70+ to see a Goro Miyazaki film. Fools and their money are too easily parted these days.

(Again with the insults...) Does he not deserve a second chance? The general consensus regarding Tales From Earthsea is that it's a more than OK film, with a 6.5/10 score on IMDb. I hear From Up on Poppy Hill is even better.

Originally Posted by svenge

On a related topic, I'm starting to believe that Studio Ghibli will fold within 5 years of whenever Hayao Miyazaki dies. Hayao wrote 4 of the last 5 Ghibli movies' screenplays (with Earthsea being the obvious outlier), not to mention that Isao Takahata is already 76 and hasn't directed a movie in over 10 years (although they say he's working on one currently.)

There's just no sure-fire successors to carry on the studio's legacy (Yonebayashi did have a good debut; however the less said of Goro, the better.) They could try to poach an outside director, but the last time Studio Ghibli tried that (with Mamoru Hosada), it didn't work out. Considering the state of Japan's animation industry and its economy in general, I don't think that Studio Ghibli would be able to survive an extended period of mediocrity similar to what happened to Disney after Walt died. The Ghibli Museum's profits wouldn't be able to prop up the company like Disneyland did.

I fear you might be right about this, at least if we speak of Studio Ghibli as it is today. The worst possible scenario would include Studio Ghibli ending up being swallowed by Disney.

[Sinthetic]

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

Just ordered the Japanese versions of:

Tales From Eathsea, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Whisper of the Heart, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

My order for Ponyo and Arrietty shipped earlier this morning and I'm expecting to get From up on Poppy Hill on Monday as it appears as though I won't get it today.

Question: What is the general consensus regarding the Totoro/Grave of the Fireflies combo pack? Does it include both of the films in separate silhouette cases? What have you ordered? Separate releases or the combo?

Did you order from YesAsia? It says 7 - 14 days to be sent. I'd like it if you could let me know how long it takes for them to actually be sent. Would you mind?

[ALLIED_GOONIE]

Originally Posted by Sinthetic

Did you order from YesAsia? It says 7 - 14 days to be sent. I'd like it if you could let me know how long it takes for them to actually be sent. Would you mind?

No of course not, I'll let you know as soon as I get them. I did order all of them from Yesasia, yes. (except for Poppy Hill, which I orderd from CDJapan.co.jp) Arrietty, Ponyo, Tales From Earthsea and Howl's Moving Castle shipped within 2 days of order. The rest are still being processed.

[Sinthetic]

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

No of course not, I'll let you know as soon as I get them. I did order all of them from Yesasia, yes. (except for Poppy Hill, which I orderd from CDJapan.co.jp) Arrietty, Ponyo, Tales From Earthsea and Howl's Moving Castle shipped within 2 days of order. The rest are still being processed.

Super mate. Hope they arrive quickly and safely. Thanks again.

[sailor53]

Out of the Ghibli films I've seen/own here is my list:

01.) Kiki's Delivery Service
02.) Laputa: Castle in the Sky
03.) Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
04.) Spirited Away
05.) My Neighbor Totoro
06.) Princess Mononoke
07.) Grave of the Fireflies
08.) Pom Poko
09.) Whisper of the Heart
10.) From Up on Poppy Hill
11.) The Borrower Arrietty
12.) Only Yesterday
13.) Howl's Moving Castle
14.) Tales From Earthsea
15.) Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea
16.) Porco Rosso

[nusilver]

So I have 4 of the Japanese BDs and finally decided to order the remaining 7...looking forward to all of them shipping from Amazon Japan on July 17th/18th when Totoro and Fireflies comes out. This is definitely the way to go if you can afford to buy them in bulk - ordering them as singles from any of the usual sites would cost around $85-90 per title, to the USA (or between $600-630) - but with shipping on 7 titles from Amazon being only around $40, my total was $462. And I'm *very* happy about that!

Anyway, I thought I'd chime in with my own ranking of the Ghibli films, because hey, it's fun, right? The gaps in the numbering represent that each group consists of titles that are semi-equal in terms of my love for them. Laputa is alone because, try as I might, I've just never been able to love it.

1. Princess Mononoke
2. Kiki's Delivery Service
3. Ocean Waves

4. Ponyo
5. My Neighbor Totoro
6. The Borrower Arrietty

7. Spirited Away
8. Grave of the Fireflies
9. My Neighbors the Yamadas

10. Only Yesterday
11. Pom Poko
12. From Up On Poppy Hill
13. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

14. Whisper of the Heart
15. Howl's Moving Castle
16. Tales From Earthsea
17. The Cat Returns
18. Porco Rosso

19. The Castle in the Sky

[Anamnesis]

Just adding to the list of which titles I like and in what order:

01. My Neighbor Totoro
02. Whisper of the Heart
03. Kiki's Delivery Service
04. Spirited Away
05. Grave of the Fireflies
06. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
07. Howl's Moving Castle
08. Arrietty
09. From Up on Poppy Hill
10. Princess Mononoke
11. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
12. Ponyo
13. Porco Rosso
14. Tales From Earthsea
15. Only Yesterday
16. My Neighbors the Yamadas
17. Pom Poko
18. The Cat Returns
19. Ocean Waves

[ALLIED_GOONIE]

Here's some shipping info for you for my first JAP BD (Kokuriko-zaka kara LE + Charms):
__________________________________________

Ordered: June 26th (CD Japan with EMS shipping)
Shipped: June 27th
Arrived: July 2nd (Sweden)
Delivery time: 3 working days
Sales Tax: 157.00 SEK (22.67 USD/14.46 GBP)
Customs Fees: None
Condition: MINT! (Yay!)
__________________________________________

For future reference, it would be useful for a lot of people if others provided the above information as well, if possible.

As for the film itself:

I was going to watch only a few minutes as I had other stuff to do but ended up watching the whole film with only five minutes to spare before having to go to work.

From Up on Poppy Hill is absolutely captivating, it's gorgeous to look at and it has the most wonderful story. Others might disagree, but for me, I'd say it rivals Whisper of the Heart.

My list: (Revised and re-evaluated):

1. Kiki's Delivery Service
2. Whisper of the Heart
3. From Up on Poppy Hill (NEW)
4. Ponyo
5. Howl's Moving Castle
6. My Neighbor Totoro
7. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
8. Princess Mononoke
9. Spirited Away
10. Ocean Waves
11. Arrietty
12. Grave of the Fireflies
13. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
14. Tales From Earthsea
15. My Neighbors the Yamadas
16. Pom Poko
17. Only Yesterday
18. The Cat Returns
19. Porco Rosso

[Futurhythm]

This has probably been addressed before, but anyone else think it's weird that they'd pair Totoro with Fireflies as a set? When I think about it I can see simularities in themes and stuff between the two, but I still find it a bit weird to pair them together as a set.

Anyway, since everyone else is doing it, here's my list best first:

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
My Neighbour Totoro
Princess Mononoke
Kiki's Delivery Service
Porco Rosso
Whisper of the Heart
Ponyo
Howl's Moving Castle
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
From Up on Poppy Hill
Pom Poko
Spirited Away
Arrietty

I've also seen Grave of the Fireflies but I can't rate that properly because I have a personal issue with war movies.

[OrlandoEastwood]

Originally Posted by Futurhythm

This has probably been addressed before, but anyone else think it's weird that they'd pair Totoro with Fireflies as a set? When I think about it I can see simularities in themes and stuff between the two, but I still find it a bit weird to pair them together as a set.

It's because they were released together as a double bill in Japan in 1988.

[Futurhythm]

Originally Posted by OrlandoEastwood

It's because they were released together as a double bill in Japan in 1988.

Wow, I had no idea. *Adds it to his pile of pointless trivia

Thanks for the info.

[Sinthetic]

I've had one or two of these Ghibli BD's turn up with minor scuffs and I've been mailing YesAsia about them checking them before they leave the warehouse. They told me it was all luck if I received a perfect copy. I am pretty sure that some of these are flawed during the factory process and not due to shipping. They are high quality products, but they seem to be easily marked.

So, I mailed CDJapan and they told me that if I mailed them my order number, they would ensure the warehouse pickers inspected my copies to make sure they are absolutely pristine. That's my kind of customer service.

At the end of the day, I'd rather pay the extra few £ from CDJapan and get them in the condition I am after, than save some money and get them possibly scuffed from YesAsia.

Anyone have any idea how long SAL delivery from CDJapan takes to get to the UK?

How about FedEx, EMS and Registered Air Mail?

Are they customs free no matter which delivery method you use?

[ALLIED_GOONIE]

Originally Posted by Sinthetic

How about FedEx, EMS and Registered Air Mail?

Are they customs free no matter which delivery method you use?

Took three working days to get my Poppy Hill BD with EMS shipping to Sweden and we're practically neighbours so...I don't know how things work in the UK regarding customs but here in Sweden, you don't have to pay any customs fees for importing BDs/DVDs if the total sum, including shipping is less than 1400 SEK which is about 127 GBP. You do however have to pay sales tax for everything imported. It's not very often that you actually have to pay sales tax in reality though. To be perfectly sure about what the situation is in the UK, just call UK customs, they'll happily provide you with the information you want.

[wesslan]

Originally Posted by ALLIED_GOONIE

Here's some shipping info for you for my first JAP BD (Kokuriko-zaka kara LE + Charms):
__________________________________________

Ordered: June 26th (CD Japan with EMS shipping)
Shipped: June 27th
Arrived: July 2nd (Sweden)
Delivery time: 3 working days
Sales Tax: 157.00 SEK (22.67 USD/14.46 GBP)
Customs Fees: None
Condition: MINT! (Yay!)
__________________________________________

That sales tax is why I always order with Yesasia to Sweden since it gets overall cheaper even with higher price. 100% sales tax free so far Amazon/cdjapan seems to always get stopped in customs.

[jala12]

Mine supposedly shipped out on the 20th, but it still hasn't arrived yet. I hope it didn't get stopped by customs...(even though I ordered from yesasia)