DISCLAIMER: BigMrJosh Enterprises has a workforce of one, so it’s actually just my picks. I thought it sounded more important if I called it staff picks though. I’m allowed to make that sort of executive decision, cos I’m the boss.
DISCLAIMER, The SECOND: Be aware that I am going to indulge my inner fanboy here. If anime is not your thing, then just look at the pictures and then move on, okay, Mum? If a list of anime films is the most unusual thing you’ve ever read about in a blog then you obviously don’t have an RSS feed at savagehermaphrofights.com. Which means you now have something to do after reading this post.
Disclaimer, The Third. This will be the last disclaimer. Sorry if you don’t like disclaimers. I have to protect my staff.
If there’s one thing the Japanese love, it’s cartoons. And I respect that. If there’s another thing the Japanese love, it seems to be young girls getting raped by alien tentacles. That, I’m not so fond of. But the good news is that Studio Ghibli – my favourite Japanese animation studio – don’t really go in for that whole rapey tentacle thing. If that’s what you’re after, this will not help you. But then, if tentacle rape is what you’re after, you are probably beyond my help anyway. What was I saying? Oh yeah, Studio Ghibli rocks. Most of their films are good for the whole family. Not that I care, since I don’t have a family, but I’m always impressed when entertainment can appeal to a wide age range. I think that’s got to be tough. In fact, most Studio Ghibli films feature children as the main characters, so they can be quite inspirational for a young audience.
Without further ado, here are my top 5 favourite Studio Ghibli films. You owe it to yourself to see at least one of these if you haven’t already. They can usually be found in the kids section at the video store, a place that I am always slightly ashamed to peruse, which is not fair!
My Neighbour Totoro – This film has such a sweet story about family and belief. I think everyone should watch this film as part of their training to be a human. That being said, even if this was a 2 hour video of Mei giggling, it would still be the best Studio Ghibli film ever. But you also get the Catbus, the soot sprites and Totoro himself. Great stuff. There’s a reason why Totoro is the official Studio Ghibli mascot, because this is about the coolest movie ever.
Kiki’s Delivery Service – It’s well documented that witches are the brides of Satan, but Idon’t know how to reconcile that with the story of Kiki, a 13-year-old witch who just wants to achieve some independence. Like just about every Studio Ghibli film, Kiki’s Delivery Service features a cute sidekick. Jiji is Kiki’s cat and he kind of steals the show. 
Spirited Away – If you’ve heard of any Ghibli movie, odds are this is the one. The only anime to win an Academy Award. That feat earned it a small cinematic release here in New Zealand, and I’m really glad I got to see it in a theatre. It’s about a girl who is moving house with her parents. They all get lost, the parents turn into pigs and she enters the spirit world. So you can see how I would feel some personal connections to the story.
Princess Mononoke – This is where it all started for me. I suspect the memory increases my love for the film. I first saw Princess Mononoke at a fringe film festival in Dunedin that I originally hadn’t even wanted to go to. I’m glad I did. Isn’t it funny how something unexpected, or even unwanted, can be quite influential? The cut that I saw that night was heavily edited to make it more palatable to western audiences. I didn’t even realise how savage the film was until I bought it on DVD many years later. This one is definitely not for kids, unless your kids are well-versed in things like bloody exploding heads. I like that no holds barred approach to the film’s environmental message; if anything’s going to make me get serious about recycling, it’s a giant pissed-off unkillable boar.
Honourable Mentions
Pom Poko - Raccoons have magical testes. The movie is called Pom Poko because that’s the sounds raccoons make when they’re using their testicles as drums. The End.
Howl’s Moving Castle – Takes a book that makes no sense and... well, the movie also makes no sense, but at least it looks good!
Grave of the Fireflies – I haven’t seen Grave of the Fireflies for a good ten years. I’ll have to watch it again before I go to Japan. Why? Because it deals with the firebombing of Kobe during World War II. Last time I watched it I could never have imagines I would go there to live one day. Everyone remembers Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but because it was a simple firebombing Kobe doesn’t get that kind of attention. I’m looking forward to seeing the memorials when I get there. Sucky Mentions
You can’t hit a home run every time. Especially when you're playing golf, but that's another story. The following Studio Ghibli movies... just suck. Avoid.
Porco Rosso – “Pigs will fly before Studio Ghibli make a bad movie.” I present to you Porco Rosso, a stupid movie about a pilot who also happens to be a pig. But he’s not really a pig, it’s actually a curse or something. Rubbish!
The Cat Returns – The cat should have stayed away. You suck, cat!
Laputa Castle in the Sky – I’m going to ruin the ending of this one for you. In the final scenes, the female lead uses love to dodge bullets. Yikes.
If by miraculous happenstance you either a) take my advice and view one of these fine films, or b) terrorists kidnap you and force you to watch Porco Rosso on pain of death, please drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment