Studio Ghibli Films

[KristinCB]

So up until recently I had never watched any of the studio ghibli movies.. I always just assumed they wouldn't really be my thing since I'm not hugely into anime or animation.

However when Leo was home for Christmas break we watched spirted away together and I was so impressed by the storytelling and the art/animation. Who knew?! (lots of people... just not me)

We've since been watching them "together" while he is back up in the city and i'm at home we just play at the same time and converse while watching. We watched Howl's moving Castle last night and it is my favourite so far (spirited away, my neighbor totoro and howl's are what we've currently watched) it's our goal to go through them all.

Also while watching last night i was getting weird nostalgic vibes with the movie the last unicorn and it turns out a lot of the animators that work/ed for studio ghibli also worked on the last unicorn as well.

Does anyone else like these movies?

[Robin Carlton]

So we're big into anime in my house. Started with Emily being into it when she was in HS and us watching a few with her, and now Adriaan and I watch way more than she does. It's our snuggle up in before before sleeping routine. We've seen sooo many series at this point.

Studio Ghibli is just ok for me, but I haven't seen all of them. I think I've seen Totoro (waaay just ok for me and the kids agree but Adriaan raved about it), Kiki's Delivery Service (adorable) and Spirited Away which I don't think we finished. They're undeniably gorgeous, but just a little boring for me. Maybe I should give them another try. It has been a couple of years since we watched anything.

Also, I love that you and Leo watch things together remotely. Katie is only 8 mins from me, but we watch things remotely (and chat on discord) too! I really do wish we had a chatroom on discord for SSD, I think it would be so fun lol

[wendyp]

I only ever have watched Ponyo where I never really knew what to think about. I don't hate it, but I don't really love it either

[KristinCB]

Robin - what are your favourites to watch?

I haven't watched ponyo yet.

I definitely liked Howl's the most - it had a good story. Christian Bale is the voice of Howl lol.

[Tree City]

Ponyo is cute, but Totoro is our household's fave. We tried Spirited Away, but it scared the kids (they were probably 7 and 11 at the time). We didn't want to *make* them watch it, but I wonder what they'd think now, almost 4 years later?

Kiki's Delivery Service is good, too. Actually so was The Secret World of Arietty. I guess we haven't seen a "bad" one...just one that made my kids freak out at the start of the pandemic.

[Robin Carlton]

So Fruits Basket (2019) is the anime that really got me to realize that anime is "not just cartoons in Japanese"... it was hands down the gateway drug to anime for me. Just really beautiful, complex storytelling with fantastic characters... so so sooo good. 63 episodes... so it's a journey!

Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer are both awesome if you like action / supernatural stuff.

Komi Can't Communicate is a silly high school drama about a girl who has so much social anxiety she can't really communicate with her peers in a normal way, but she WANTS to and they want to, so each episode is all the hijinks that come about as her classmates try to get to know her and she tries to come out of her shell. Adorable!

Haikyuu is an absolutely epic sports anime about a volleyball team, but it's so much more than that. Adriaan and I watched this and raved about it for months, maybe even years to Emily before she finally broke down, stopped calling us annoying and watched it, and now it's one of her absolute faves and one we've rewatched together multiple times. Wholesome, amazing storytelling, heartbreak and disappointment and accomplishment and overcoming things as a team... just incredible. 85 episodes and two movies coming out this spring to finish the story, so there's time to catch up before then haha

Blue Period is about a kid who wants to be an artist and it is just beautiful.

Sound Euphonium is about orchestra in high school and again, it's wonderful storytelling, gorgeous music during their competitions... just awesome.

Your Lie is April is heartbreakingly beautiful and a major tear jerker.

I could go on and on... I honestly love the storytelling in anime a lot more than sitcom or drama shows.

Also, I only watch subtitled anime with the Japanese voice actors because while a LOT of shows are dubbed in english, I tend to find that the english voice actors tend to overact things and it feels harsher / sillier / more "cartoony" than the soft and subtle sounds of Japanese. It's makes a big difference to me.

[Robin Carlton]

Also... sorry for the novel haha

[KristinCB]

Thank you, novel appreciated LOL! I feel like it's a rabbit hole you can easily fall into haha. I know fruits basket is one leo has watched for sure.

I do understand what you mean about the voice actors - I have subtitles on for everything even in english and with all three we've even noticed the words they are saying in english don't even always match up with what the subtitles are saying.

[KristinCB]

I think i'm actually going to try and watch your lie in april because I have a weird like with sad shows LOL

[Scrap-therapy]

I watched the Grave of the Fireflies when I was a teenager but makes me cry so much….

[YepBrook]

We aren't exactly anime fans, but we all LOVE studio ghibli! My husband introduced me to studio ghibli back in the early 2000's. All of the movies give me a sense of nostalgia. They are so relaxing to watch. My personal favorite is Spirited Away, but Grace's is Howl's Moving Castle. We used to watch Ponyo weekly and at one point is was my favorite, but Spirited Away gets my vote now because of the strange sense of sadness in it... it just resonates with my life right now. Hard to explain. The movies are sometimes exactly what we need on certain evenings... they just feel right. Once again, it's hard to explain.

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by YepBrook

We aren't exactly anime fans, but we all LOVE studio ghibli! My husband introduced me to studio ghibli back in the early 2000's. All of the movies give me a sense of nostalgia. They are so relaxing to watch. My personal favorite is Spirited Away, but Grace's is Howl's Moving Castle. We used to watch Ponyo weekly and at one point is was my favorite, but Spirited Away gets my vote now because of the strange sense of sadness in it... it just resonates with my life right now. Hard to explain. The movies are sometimes exactly what we need on certain evenings... they just feel right. Once again, it's hard to explain.

aww I love that brook. I fell down a hole on reddit reading all about these movies and the differences between ghibli and traditional disney/pixar movies and I thought this was a nice writeup:

"Ghibli's stories are often much smaller and more personal. Even when the set pieces are incredible. Sure, some of their most famous movies are fantasy epics.

But look at this subreddit. When people ponder Ghibli, they often fondly think of farmhouses under blue skies and fluffy clouds explored by little kids. A teenage witch setting out to find her place in the world. High schoolers scrambling to save their clubhouse.

Ghibli's movies, even when steeped in fantasy, show us the world as we saw it when we were kids. They let us reminisce about the time when being a good man was as simple as being an honest pig who respects women and does the right thing. About the purity of a dream to make humanity fly. The awkwardness of young love, where you rush to catch a falling girl but then don't know what to do with her.

Or how whatever it is you're into as a teenager feels like the most important thing in the world. Especially if that thing is a dusty clubhouse you share with other high school kids who are into things far less interesting than your thing.

A magic house that gives people superpowers is really cool and I enjoyed that Disney movie a lot. But I can't relate to that.

What I can relate to, with the most tender part of my heart, is that absolute perfect moment of racing your bicycle down a hill. With the girl you have a crush on sitting on the back. The sun in your face, the wind in your hair, the blue sky above you. And her laughter sounds like music behind you.

That first time you learn that it is possible to have a moment where everything just fits together perfectly and you'll remember it for a lifetime.

Ghibli gets those moments."

[YepBrook]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

aww I love that brook. I fell down a hole on reddit reading all about these movies and the differences between ghibli and traditional disney/pixar movies and I thought this was a nice writeup:

"Ghibli's stories are often much smaller and more personal. Even when the set pieces are incredible. Sure, some of their most famous movies are fantasy epics.

But look at this subreddit. When people ponder Ghibli, they often fondly think of farmhouses under blue skies and fluffy clouds explored by little kids. A teenage witch setting out to find her place in the world. High schoolers scrambling to save their clubhouse.

Ghibli's movies, even when steeped in fantasy, show us the world as we saw it when we were kids. They let us reminisce about the time when being a good man was as simple as being an honest pig who respects women and does the right thing. About the purity of a dream to make humanity fly. The awkwardness of young love, where you rush to catch a falling girl but then don't know what to do with her.

Or how whatever it is you're into as a teenager feels like the most important thing in the world. Especially if that thing is a dusty clubhouse you share with other high school kids who are into things far less interesting than your thing.

A magic house that gives people superpowers is really cool and I enjoyed that Disney movie a lot. But I can't relate to that.

What I can relate to, with the most tender part of my heart, is that absolute perfect moment of racing your bicycle down a hill. With the girl you have a crush on sitting on the back. The sun in your face, the wind in your hair, the blue sky above you. And her laughter sounds like music behind you.

That first time you learn that it is possible to have a moment where everything just fits together perfectly and you'll remember it for a lifetime.

Ghibli gets those moments."

I think for me, it's the scenery in the movies and the sound effects (like the sound of water, wind, etc) and music soundtrack. The music is just right. Also the sense of magic is just enough to bring back the child in me.

[Leablahblah]

I love his movies! My favorites are Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Ponyo.

And the food they make always looks so yummy! lol

[Robin Carlton]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

I think i'm actually going to try and watch your lie in april because I have a weird like with sad shows LOL

If you watch it, lmk what you think <3

[cherrygutz]

Wow, yes! If you want to watch a light and heart warming anime, it's Studio Ghibli! The three of us here love to watch Studio Ghibli movies and we realy love them! Once of our fave is Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, Totoro. I love Liam Neeson, so I really liked Ponyo's dad, and we love all the songs!

[ninigoesdigi]

Originally Posted by Scrap-therapy

I watched the Grave of the Fireflies when I was a teenager but makes me cry so much?.

It still does for me. I don't advise to watch when you are not feeling well... even if feeling 100% it is heart wreaking.

[ninigoesdigi]

Originally Posted by wendyp

I only ever have watched Ponyo where I never really knew what to think about. I don't hate it, but I don't really love it either

Same here. Definitely not the best one in the batch IMO.

[ninigoesdigi]

Hubby rented Totoro for me when I wasn't even speaking Japanese and fell in love at once. I remember only understanding the little sister shouting "oneechan"! (big sister!) and it still makes me smile now.

I think my favourite is Chihiro (I think it is Spirited Away), the music, the colors, the story of course. Everything is just wonderful to me.

I visited the Ghibli museum for the first time last year with my friends and it was full of poetry. The reproduction of Miyayaki's atelier was the best part, unfortunately no pictures allowed.
Only this outside spot

[Scrap-therapy]

Originally Posted by ninigoesdigi

It still does for me. I don't advise to watch when you are not feeling well... even if feeling 100% it is heart wreaking.

Nini, I think I was too sensitive so you confort me that this movie is really heart wreaking!
I should watch another!

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by ninigoesdigi

Hubby rented Totoro for me when I wasn't even speaking Japanese and fell in love at once. I remember only understanding the little sister shouting "oneechan"! (big sister!) and it still makes me smile now.

I think my favourite is Chihiro (I think it is Spirited Away), the music, the colors, the story of course. Everything is just wonderful to me.

I visited the Ghibli museum for the first time last year with my friends and it was full of poetry. The reproduction of Miyayaki's atelier was the best part, unfortunately no pictures allowed.
Only this outside spot

wow!!! that's amazing!!

[KristinCB]

I'm using a tracker I found online to mark down what we have watched.. we plan to watch kiki's delivery service tomorrow

So far my favourite is actually the secret world of arrietty mostly for the beautiful animation. It is everything I want in real life - the house and the garden and everything if I could choose to live in a place it would be right there. The movie reminded me of thumbelina a bit as well

[karriel]

ohhh i love studio ghibli

[TraceyM]

I've watched Howl's Moving Castle & Spirited Away years back with my daughter. She is all about anime and manga. Spends lots of her free time working on cosplay outfits for the cons. I never would have known who did those movies and only heard of Studio Ghibli here in the forums. Sounds like I need to explore a little more.

And I love that you guys watch movies with your kids being in a whole different place.

[Robin Carlton]

I love that tracker KCB! Too cute!