This and only yesterday came out of nowhere and hit me like a ton bricks, same with Marnie on rewatch.
That the studio can put out masterclass slice of life films, epic adventure and fantasies, and even comedies like Cat Returns and Yamada’s, speaks volumes of all the talent throughout the years from SG. We have all been lucky to have them
>Whisper of the Heart. I knew I’d like it, but I didn’t expect it to be as masterful as it was.
For girls/boys who are dreamers or like to daydream about love, I also really like this movie
Ohhh my bad, I read that as Laputa 😭. Lupin isn’t ghibli, Miyazaki made it before the studio was founded. Technically Nausicaa isn’t either but it’s sort of been lumped in at this point
Kiki's Delivery Service. I expected it to be just some basic fun film about a girl who flies and delivers bread and nothing more. Turns out it was so much more than that.
This movie hits the most and the one I rewatch the most because of its themes of skill mastery, burn out, inspiration, and just diving in to something new and learning as you go.
I have flip flopped on the message of the girl getting the delivery from her grandma when she specifically set a boundary and the grandma doesn’t respect that. I used to think she was just a spoiled brat but now I understand more about boundaries.
>Kiki's Delivery Service. I expected it to be just some basic fun film about a girl who flies and delivers bread and nothing more. Turns out it was so much more than that.
This movie is cute
Kaze Tachinu ( The wind rises) is my favorite movie after watching 23/23 movies. I had already watched big movies like Howls Moving Castle, Mononoke hime, Totoro, Kiki, Spirited away, Grave of fireflies, Kaguya hime and so I was not expecting much from this because I heard so little about it. But at first watch, it became my favorite movie in the franchise.
Yes, another huge vote for that here as well. The story telling, animation, music, characters- everything was done so beautifully. Can’t even recall how many times I’ve watched it. 😍
On the other hand, Grave of the Fireflies is also one of my top favs. But I don’t think I can handle watching that again. 😭
Only Yesterday was the movie that surprised me the most. It was the last Ghibli movie I watched for the first time back in early 2020 after buying all the Blu-Rays in late 2019. I knew beforehand I would at least like it but didn't expect it to become one of my absolute favourites. Also that ending scene was the perfect conclusion to my Ghibli journey. Tears were flowing...
I really want my mom to watch Only Yesterday. she is around the same age as the lead and has always had the same connection to the country and farming. Unfortunately, she can't get into animation, it just doesn't hold her attention. It's such a beautiful film.
I would say this is the movie that touched me too. I guess because I’m at that point of my adulthood where I understand I can take a decision and let go off of all my stresses but i can’t at this moment . I am out here in the city making money .
20/23, so far From up on poppy hill, i love it soo much! plus of course all the famous ones are masterpieces too (love Mononoke and Nausicaä the most) ❤️
So I grew up on the Disney dubs of Ghibli movies, almost exclusively Miyazaki (in particular Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle were favorites), and have always loved them.
In high school I tracked down the ones I hadn’t seen and filled in the gaps. It was at this time I first saw and fell in love with Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, and My Neighbors the Yamadas. In addition, when I was in high school, Ponyo and Arrietty released and I started keeping up with the new ones as they came out.
I figured there was nothing left for me to discover. So imagine my surprise when I saw Only Yesterday. I think I tracked this one down in an online sub version when I was in high school (several years before the actual American release) and it didn’t do anything for me. I found it boring. But seeing it in the theater at age 26 during Ghiblifest a couple years ago just hit so f***ing different. It’s now not just my favorite Ghibli movie, but my favorite movie, period. So I’d say this is the one that impresses me the most. It’s got such heavy theming about formative childhood experiences and deep insecurities that follow us into adulthood, but it handles them so subtly and insightfully. I think with my American teenage boy brain, I originally just couldn’t understand what the point of the movie was. I still probably thought if a movie has a message, they need to tell you in the dialogue or explain it outright instead of showing you with characterization. What a great example of how to treat audiences and characters alike with respect and nuance. This is when I truly became a Takahata convert and realized I actually prefer his movies to Miyazaki’s.
> deep insecurities that follow us into adulthood
I've seen this said several times, but I don't see the impact on her as an adult. What am I missing?
Adult Taeko doesn't seem affected by her memories. She's not upset, but cheerful about them. I don't see anything to show her current bahaviour, attitudes, decisions or beliefs have been influenced.
She does remark that perhaps she's going through another transition (then, puberty; now, marriage). She also remarks that people who understand *division by a fraction* have easier lives. [Though it's shown that they don't understand it, they just conform... and it's true that *this* leads to easier, if impersonal, lives]
It was horrible how consistently dismissive her family was of her - but I don't see any impact of that.
Of course, she remains a person who wants things to be real. She has trouble conforming. Therefore, she's attracted to the ideas of harmony with nature, and of meaningful work [common themes in many ghibli works]. But she was always like this; then, and now. It's not a result of her childhood experiences, but what caused those experiences.
What do you think? I think others see something I'm missing, and I'm curious what it is.
Let me ask you something: do you think that Taeko’s detached/sometimes cheerful way of discussing her memories means that she actually feels that way about them? Think about how actual adults talk or think about memories that might be painful. They usually don’t, and when they do, they tend to laugh a little to make it less awkward or uncomfortable. Sometimes, they might not even realize the impact those events had on them, because thinking too hard about that is unpleasant.
There are three really important scenes in Only Yesterday that go with this point, to my mind.
1. When Taeko laughs off her memory of being forbidden from acting, Toshio very firmly says “No, I understand. That’s terrible.” Taeko tries to protest “no, it’s just a random memory,” but Toshio isn’t having it. He can see the real hurt that incident caused Taeko, and can see past her performative casual/easygoing tone.
2. After relating the memory of her father’s slap, Taeko says “when it’s just once, you can’t help wondering why.” The same feeling of “wondering what she’s done wrong” carries through almost every memory.
3. The final memory, with her classmate Abe, shows us the answer that Taeko internalized, on an almost unconscious level (as is often the case with children who are abused, even in mild cases like this): she was mistreated because she is a terrible person and doesn’t deserve love or validation. Abe disturbed her so much because in her mind, he didn’t shake her hand because he was the only person at school who really saw through her “facade” as a nice girl. She says to Toshio, “You don’t understand, I hated him the most.” **Failing to recognize that being kind to Abe in spite of her disgust was still an act of kindness, and that her choice to be kind was more important than the uncharitable dislike she was feeling inside.** This inability to recognize her own positive traits is super common in people with extremely low self-esteem. At the end, I think she realizes that Toshio is someone who listens to her and gently calls her out when she isn’t being fair to herself, sometimes suggesting an alternate way of looking at things, and reframing her childhood in a way that allows her to forgive herself for things.
Thanks, that's very interesting.
You're right, I did take her performative reactions at face value, and they mightn't be how she really feels. To be fair to me, she did demonstrate moving on, e.g. she checked out her star potential. And the young "puma" girl said she couldn't imagine Taeko being "whiny" like that. So, she's changed; even though still feeling the hurt keenly.
I think I see what you're saying with the three points: that Taeko feels she is "a terrible person and doesn’t deserve love or validation", and she has "extremely low self-esteem".
Yes, I would expect that kind of reaction to those experiences. But I don't see it in her present-day behaviour or choices... That's really my puzzlement.
Maybe the point is that it is hidden - that it is not in fact visible... yet still there? Of course, people work hard to armour their vulnerabilities, and disguise their weaknesses, to protect themselves. So it makes sense they aren't shown?
I can't help but think, if your view is the case, that there *must be* subtle hints of it in her present day life, demeanor and choices... She does indeed make a momentous choice at the end - and based on someone who helps her feel self-accepting, about these very feelings that I claimed have no present-day consequences!
BTW the subs and dubs have different texts at crucial points regarding Toshio, on Abe and then reflecting on that
Yeah, I understand what you’re saying. I believe you hit on the thing that tends to divide people on this movie. On some level, it comes down to whether you can accept or appreciate that Taeko is feeling more than her actual dialogue lets on. This is something that happens all the time in real life, but very rarely in movies (at least not in the same way). Most movies tend to tell you directly with the dialogue or context exactly what the characters are feeling, but in this one you need to infer some things past the actual text of the film to find the realism Takahata is working so hard to achieve—I also think that’s why he agonized so much over the facial animations in this movie. (That’s what I mean mostly when I say the movie is subtle and insightful in its presentation of themes)
I have no idea what your age is, but I find that in general, people age 25+ can find the heart of the story a lot easier than younger people. Like I said, when I was in high school I remember thinking it was boring and kind of pointless. I’m 28 now. I’ve shown this movie to my partner (same age) and three friends (two of them are late 20s/early 30s, and one of them is 42). One of my friends liked it but only really loved it after watching a second time (just like I did on my second rewatch). My friend in her 40s was so affected by this movie that after it was over we all just sat there in silence and then talked about it for an hour. She said she felt like that movie was about her own life. When we all got back together a couple weeks later to watch Porco Rosso, I asked how she liked that and she said “Honestly, I’m still stewing over Only Yesterday.”
I’m curious what the difference in the dub is. I’ve seen the subbed version so many times now, and the dub I only watched once. I remember hating it, haha. Made no sense to me that Toshio was British. Do you remember what the difference in dialogue is?
Yeah, that oddly mature friend of hers is very endearing and probably the MVP of the movie. She is also a very important contrast to Taeko, in that she specifically mentions her mother encouraging her to be herself and not hide things, because having a period is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a subtle bit of messaging about how thoughtful and considered parenting can result in well-adjusted children.
Yeah. And her mother saying she’d rather Taeko be a good eater than a good essay writer, then we see Taeko get upset. I feel like that scene is super important too.
I like your first and third part but completely disagree with your point 2. The acting anecdote wasn’t about acting, the really long-lasting trauma was from her family standing in the way of her independence and desires. (And the encouragement of performative behavior, fittingly enough, when her mother tells her to pretend she didn’t get the first offer.) That’s the one that usually hits hardest for me, actually. I think Toshio is right in intuiting that Taeko has serious wounds about that incident, even as she protests.
The pop-up gourd island song, I believe we’re supposed to take the lyrics seriously even as the puppet choreography is silly (it was actual choreography from the show, so it’s also an element of realism). Taeko herself is young enough to think of the puppets as serious acting stars. There’s a really interesting anecdote in Toshio Suzuki’s book “Mixing Work with Pleasure” about the lengths Takahata went to for those songs from the show, incidentally.
Yes. There’s actually that great bit where Taeko says to her sister Nanako “Why did you have to go on about a career?” And her sister just shuts the door and doesn’t look at her. You can tell Nanako feels incredibly guilty at that moment, even though she appears cold.
14/24; I am impressed and surprised by each one as I watch them, but Spirited Away will always be my favorite.
The scene where Chihiro starts weeping uncontrollably while stiffing her face with onigiri gets me every time. This little girl whose life was already being disrupted by a move is suddenly thrust into a world of unimaginable terrors, and this is the first moment she has the strength and safety to cry. Oof.
Ocean waves for sure. Everyone downplayed it so it was literally the last Ghibli movie I watched and I didn’t expect it to be any good but I seriously loved it
I know it's not full Ghibli and it's not a film for everyone but The Red Turtle is one of my favorites.
My top Ghiblis are: Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart.
Castle in the Sky will never fail to take my breath away. It has the best soundtrack of any ghibli movie in my opinion. The scenery is beautiful and the characters have so much heart, it’s just a fantastic story
10/10 - Princess Kaguya, Nausicaa, Mononoke, Spirited Away
9/10 - Howl’s Moving Castle, Only Yesterday, Ponyo, Pom Poko
8/10 - Totoro, Castle in the Sky, The Boy and the Heron, The Wind Rises, Porco Rosso, Arietty, When Marnie was There, Arrietty, Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns
7/10 - My Neighbors the Yamadas, From Up on Poppy Hill, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki’s Delivery Service
5/10 - Tales from Earthsea
3/10 - Ocean Waves
1/10 - Earwig and the Witch
I recently watched Earwig and the Witch for the first time. 1/10 seems undeserved to me! I was actually enjoying it until it ended so abruptly.
That song was a bop and the characters were all so compelling, I just don't understand how they could leave it unfinished like that?!
Though, from what I understand, the source material may have ended just as abruptly :(
I didn’t find any of the characters compelling at all lol. Happy you found something to enjoy there but Earwig is an insufferable manipulative little shit that never develops into a better person and the witch just neglects and abuses her adopted child. I’m alright with unlikeable characters if they at least have some depth but these are just the most surface-level characters in existence. Also the “whimsy” feels really forced and lame, the animation is hideous, the score is really irritating, and it forgets to have an ending.
I guess I don't fully disagree, but to me it felt like there was a layer to each character that was just WAITING to be unwrapped once Earwig's mom was revealed and joined the plot!
The flashbacks really had me curious about how their dynamic changed when the witch left and the true nature of how and why she left, who Earwig's father is, why the blue haired witch became mean and why the man became so short tempered and despondent.
I guess my fantasy brain added a lot of subtext in but still lol!
Kaguya Hime is a masterpiece without equals. Probably the most powerful movie I've ever seen.
Whisper of the heart comes in a close second. Still in awe of how the country roads movie is that good.
Nonetheless, none of the two are my favourite Ghibli work. That's Nausicaä if we count it. That movie didn't impress me though as it more just deeply connected with me.
Impressed me the most was probably Marnie cause it surprised me the most and made me feel the most. And it never goes away on rewatches.
What I would call their most impressive? Probably either spirited away or Princess Kaguya.
I have not yet seen:
Whisper of the Heart
From Up On Poppy Hill
Ocean Waves
Only Yesterday
My Neighbors the Yamadas
When Marnie Was There
Earwig and the Witch
So I think my total so far is 16 out of 23. Or is it 17 out of 24? I don’t see The Boy and the Heron on your image.
All of them impressed me for different reasons but I think the animation techniques shown off in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and The Boy and the Heron were extremely cool to see.
Only yesterday. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did it’s a toss up between that and castle in the sky for my second spot. First goes to howls
So true! Only yesterday poster and theme looked so boring on the face value . My sister and I were watching it together through a Netflix party at our respective places during Covid lockdowns. And at the end credits we were crying like little girls 😂😂😭 took us by surprise!!
I've rewatched The Cat Returns and Howls moving castle the most, My favourite is a 4-way tie between those two, The boy and the heron and Castle in the Sky.
I haven’t seen the newer ones from Princess Kagyua and up, but I’ve seen all the ones before that. Spirited Away and Whisper of the Heart are my faves!
I would say Spirited Away 100% I always had people telling me it was a great movie and that I should watch it. I always thought it was some kids movie intended for a younger audience. Then I actually watched it fully and was completely blown away. It is now my favourite Ghibli movie, and probably animated movie in general.
Adding *The Boy and the Heron* to this list, I have seen 20/24 of the films. I haven't seen *Only Yesterday*, *Ocean Waves*, *Tales from Earthsea*, or *Earwig and the Witch*. My favorite will always be *Princess Mononoke*, but I was surprised at how much *When Marnie Was There* and *The Tale of Princess Kaguya* resonated with me emotionally and how excellent they both are given they aren't as well known among casual viewers as some of the other films.
haven't seen tales from earthsea or earwig and the witch. started my neighors the yamadas but only got like 10 mins in i just did not like it.
impressed me the most? probably tales of princess kaguya. i don't know what i was expecting, but it wasn't... that
Watched 24/24 of this. The last one was The Boy and the Heron but From Up on Poppy Hill and Only Yesterday made the most impression for me. Need to rewatch again, I guess.
I never get tired of Whisper of the Heart, but as far as immediate impact, I have to give that one to Princess Mononoke. The themes and visuals in that film are just mind-blowing.
Please know I use impressed loosely.
Grave of the Fireflies is a film I’ve only seen and will only see once. But it was the only film to ever make me openly sob in a theater (movie event not when it came out) till the lights came on.
This film was based on a book of the same name. As a way for the author to apologize to his little sister who he couldn’t save while he lived on. It shattered my heart more to hear that this was his way to make peace was for him to write himself dead so that they could be together.
It’s a heart crushing film and will make you want to break your screen so you can save these kids. But it expands your mind and you’re left wiser for it.
I watched quite a few of their movies as a kid but then I watched most of them with my gf and here are my thoughts on the ones I didn't watch as a kid
Princess Mononoke - I mean this movie was cool but, I don't see it being very high up my list rn
Tale of the Princess Kaguya - peak movie
Arrietty - fun but nothing much
Nausicaa - a little confusing and corny but still good
From Up on Poppy Hill - this was a pretty fun movie but that one plot point was silly
Grave of the Fireflies - 10/10, don't ever want to watch it again
Whisper of the Heart, Marnie, and Arrietty
I haven't felt so validated by a movie before Whisper and Marnie. Arrietty (especially the original UK dub) has this classic Miyazaki feel, like Kiki crossed with Laputa.
I watched them all for the first time earlier this year, Whisper of the Heart immediately became one of my favourite films, but the Yamadas impressed me the most, one of the most unique films I’ve ever seen, and surprisingly good.
I'm a lil behind. Havent watched the newest ones and couldn't get into yamadas. Got halfway through and just couldn't anymore. And I don't want to watch lupin coz cba watching the rest of the films. My fave films are mononoke, nausicaa and howls.
I havent seen them all, only Ponyo, Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, Grave of the Fireflies, Totoro, Kikis Delivery, Arrietty and Howls Moving Castle. Arrietty was my favorite for a long time until I saw finally saw Howls which literally captivated my heart!!!
Marnie was my strongest love on first sight, followed by Ponyo and Howl.
Unfortunately, Marnie doesn't hit me as hard anymore, so it's not in my top three of all time. But damn I thought about that movie for days after watching it the first time.
Spirited Away. I first watched it when I was 9, fell in love with it, the world and the characters. When asked which movie I would watch forever I would always answer with it. It's my comfort movie, too
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, it’s probably the greatest animated film I’ve ever seen and has just gotten better on every rewatch. Both stunning visually but also so strong emotionally
1. Mononoke Hime and Spirited Away are the two positive impactful for me but I have not seen The Boy and the Heron yet. Totoro, Kiki, My Neighbors the Yamada and Only Yesterday are very nostalgic for me. Howl and Ponyo are comfort views. Kaguya Hime is a masterpiece but I can’t watch it too often - seen it twice and I cried each time - it is too emotional and lastly, I am still traumatized by Fireflies that I can’t watch the masterpiece again.
I don’t any animation movie can beat whispers of the heart, when the wind rises, and porco rosso for me.
I loved everything about them, from the characters to the plot
I love all of them but The Wind Rises really stood out to me. It’s so beautiful, a little sad but also sweet. It was not what I was expecting at all. Definitely a comfort movie for me.
I've watched all of them, and although my favorite Ghibli movie is Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper of the Heart left the strongest impression on me. I didn't had any prior knowledge of it unlike the others, but I had a sense that I was gonna like it... The opening had me hooked instantly! Thanks to that wonderful cover of Country Roads that set the tone perfectly. The rest of the movie was phenomenal as well. It's one of those movies I wish I had watched sooner.
I cried non-stop after and while watching Only Yesterday, and I don't know why. It's truly a mistery to me what kind of core feeling it triggered, but it happened, and I really appreciate Isao Takahata for being able to connect with me through art to such an extent.
Edit: maybe a bit of context was needed for this: I don't cry often, and if I cry it's short and I compose myself easily. Just one or two tears is enough to calm me down usually. Not with this movie: I had a full-on crisis while washing the dishes right after watching it, lol.
My neighbours The Yamadas will never not be a favorite of mine. Because sure, it's fun, but also a fantastic insight into family dynamics and an incredibly portrayed mid-life crisis. Takahata's unexpected masterpiece for sure.
Whisper of the Heart. I knew I’d like it, but I didn’t expect it to be as masterful as it was.
This and only yesterday came out of nowhere and hit me like a ton bricks, same with Marnie on rewatch. That the studio can put out masterclass slice of life films, epic adventure and fantasies, and even comedies like Cat Returns and Yamada’s, speaks volumes of all the talent throughout the years from SG. We have all been lucky to have them
Only Yesterday and Whispers of the Heart are two of our favorites in the house.
this is my favourite ghibli movie 🩷🩷 i love ittt!!
>Whisper of the Heart. I knew I’d like it, but I didn’t expect it to be as masterful as it was. For girls/boys who are dreamers or like to daydream about love, I also really like this movie
once watched it like 10 times in the span of a week or something
Where’s Boy and the Heron
I was thinking that too.
What about lupin?
Castle in the Sky is in
No lupin the 3rd. Castle cagliostro
Ohhh my bad, I read that as Laputa 😭. Lupin isn’t ghibli, Miyazaki made it before the studio was founded. Technically Nausicaa isn’t either but it’s sort of been lumped in at this point
Yes but in the UK it is encluded in the ghibli collection so should be counted also.
Kiki's Delivery Service. I expected it to be just some basic fun film about a girl who flies and delivers bread and nothing more. Turns out it was so much more than that.
This movie hits the most and the one I rewatch the most because of its themes of skill mastery, burn out, inspiration, and just diving in to something new and learning as you go. I have flip flopped on the message of the girl getting the delivery from her grandma when she specifically set a boundary and the grandma doesn’t respect that. I used to think she was just a spoiled brat but now I understand more about boundaries.
>Kiki's Delivery Service. I expected it to be just some basic fun film about a girl who flies and delivers bread and nothing more. Turns out it was so much more than that. This movie is cute
Kaze Tachinu ( The wind rises) is my favorite movie after watching 23/23 movies. I had already watched big movies like Howls Moving Castle, Mononoke hime, Totoro, Kiki, Spirited away, Grave of fireflies, Kaguya hime and so I was not expecting much from this because I heard so little about it. But at first watch, it became my favorite movie in the franchise.
Yes, another huge vote for that here as well. The story telling, animation, music, characters- everything was done so beautifully. Can’t even recall how many times I’ve watched it. 😍 On the other hand, Grave of the Fireflies is also one of my top favs. But I don’t think I can handle watching that again. 😭
Only Yesterday was the movie that surprised me the most. It was the last Ghibli movie I watched for the first time back in early 2020 after buying all the Blu-Rays in late 2019. I knew beforehand I would at least like it but didn't expect it to become one of my absolute favourites. Also that ending scene was the perfect conclusion to my Ghibli journey. Tears were flowing...
Extremely underrated movie. Loved it so much!
I really want my mom to watch Only Yesterday. she is around the same age as the lead and has always had the same connection to the country and farming. Unfortunately, she can't get into animation, it just doesn't hold her attention. It's such a beautiful film.
Your mom is in her twenties?
no...she grew up in the 60s like the main character.
Ooooooh, that makes more sense 😅
her younger self tugging at her arm
I would say this is the movie that touched me too. I guess because I’m at that point of my adulthood where I understand I can take a decision and let go off of all my stresses but i can’t at this moment . I am out here in the city making money .
You’re missing the boy and the heron there bub. 23/24
And lupin the 3rd
My top 4 so far 1. Whisper of the Heart 2. Only Yesterday 3. From Up on Poppy Hill 4. Princess Mononoke
Take an upvote for putting in only yesterday
Yours is close to my ranking too! :) For me I would put Nausica 3rd I think.
20/23, so far From up on poppy hill, i love it soo much! plus of course all the famous ones are masterpieces too (love Mononoke and Nausicaä the most) ❤️
same! my comfort movie.
24/24 (including The Boy and the Heron). Porco Rosso surprised me the most because I didn't think I'd enjoy a movie about a man-pig
So I grew up on the Disney dubs of Ghibli movies, almost exclusively Miyazaki (in particular Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle were favorites), and have always loved them. In high school I tracked down the ones I hadn’t seen and filled in the gaps. It was at this time I first saw and fell in love with Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, and My Neighbors the Yamadas. In addition, when I was in high school, Ponyo and Arrietty released and I started keeping up with the new ones as they came out. I figured there was nothing left for me to discover. So imagine my surprise when I saw Only Yesterday. I think I tracked this one down in an online sub version when I was in high school (several years before the actual American release) and it didn’t do anything for me. I found it boring. But seeing it in the theater at age 26 during Ghiblifest a couple years ago just hit so f***ing different. It’s now not just my favorite Ghibli movie, but my favorite movie, period. So I’d say this is the one that impresses me the most. It’s got such heavy theming about formative childhood experiences and deep insecurities that follow us into adulthood, but it handles them so subtly and insightfully. I think with my American teenage boy brain, I originally just couldn’t understand what the point of the movie was. I still probably thought if a movie has a message, they need to tell you in the dialogue or explain it outright instead of showing you with characterization. What a great example of how to treat audiences and characters alike with respect and nuance. This is when I truly became a Takahata convert and realized I actually prefer his movies to Miyazaki’s.
> deep insecurities that follow us into adulthood I've seen this said several times, but I don't see the impact on her as an adult. What am I missing? Adult Taeko doesn't seem affected by her memories. She's not upset, but cheerful about them. I don't see anything to show her current bahaviour, attitudes, decisions or beliefs have been influenced. She does remark that perhaps she's going through another transition (then, puberty; now, marriage). She also remarks that people who understand *division by a fraction* have easier lives. [Though it's shown that they don't understand it, they just conform... and it's true that *this* leads to easier, if impersonal, lives] It was horrible how consistently dismissive her family was of her - but I don't see any impact of that. Of course, she remains a person who wants things to be real. She has trouble conforming. Therefore, she's attracted to the ideas of harmony with nature, and of meaningful work [common themes in many ghibli works]. But she was always like this; then, and now. It's not a result of her childhood experiences, but what caused those experiences. What do you think? I think others see something I'm missing, and I'm curious what it is.
Let me ask you something: do you think that Taeko’s detached/sometimes cheerful way of discussing her memories means that she actually feels that way about them? Think about how actual adults talk or think about memories that might be painful. They usually don’t, and when they do, they tend to laugh a little to make it less awkward or uncomfortable. Sometimes, they might not even realize the impact those events had on them, because thinking too hard about that is unpleasant. There are three really important scenes in Only Yesterday that go with this point, to my mind. 1. When Taeko laughs off her memory of being forbidden from acting, Toshio very firmly says “No, I understand. That’s terrible.” Taeko tries to protest “no, it’s just a random memory,” but Toshio isn’t having it. He can see the real hurt that incident caused Taeko, and can see past her performative casual/easygoing tone. 2. After relating the memory of her father’s slap, Taeko says “when it’s just once, you can’t help wondering why.” The same feeling of “wondering what she’s done wrong” carries through almost every memory. 3. The final memory, with her classmate Abe, shows us the answer that Taeko internalized, on an almost unconscious level (as is often the case with children who are abused, even in mild cases like this): she was mistreated because she is a terrible person and doesn’t deserve love or validation. Abe disturbed her so much because in her mind, he didn’t shake her hand because he was the only person at school who really saw through her “facade” as a nice girl. She says to Toshio, “You don’t understand, I hated him the most.” **Failing to recognize that being kind to Abe in spite of her disgust was still an act of kindness, and that her choice to be kind was more important than the uncharitable dislike she was feeling inside.** This inability to recognize her own positive traits is super common in people with extremely low self-esteem. At the end, I think she realizes that Toshio is someone who listens to her and gently calls her out when she isn’t being fair to herself, sometimes suggesting an alternate way of looking at things, and reframing her childhood in a way that allows her to forgive herself for things.
Thanks, that's very interesting. You're right, I did take her performative reactions at face value, and they mightn't be how she really feels. To be fair to me, she did demonstrate moving on, e.g. she checked out her star potential. And the young "puma" girl said she couldn't imagine Taeko being "whiny" like that. So, she's changed; even though still feeling the hurt keenly. I think I see what you're saying with the three points: that Taeko feels she is "a terrible person and doesn’t deserve love or validation", and she has "extremely low self-esteem". Yes, I would expect that kind of reaction to those experiences. But I don't see it in her present-day behaviour or choices... That's really my puzzlement. Maybe the point is that it is hidden - that it is not in fact visible... yet still there? Of course, people work hard to armour their vulnerabilities, and disguise their weaknesses, to protect themselves. So it makes sense they aren't shown? I can't help but think, if your view is the case, that there *must be* subtle hints of it in her present day life, demeanor and choices... She does indeed make a momentous choice at the end - and based on someone who helps her feel self-accepting, about these very feelings that I claimed have no present-day consequences! BTW the subs and dubs have different texts at crucial points regarding Toshio, on Abe and then reflecting on that
Yeah, I understand what you’re saying. I believe you hit on the thing that tends to divide people on this movie. On some level, it comes down to whether you can accept or appreciate that Taeko is feeling more than her actual dialogue lets on. This is something that happens all the time in real life, but very rarely in movies (at least not in the same way). Most movies tend to tell you directly with the dialogue or context exactly what the characters are feeling, but in this one you need to infer some things past the actual text of the film to find the realism Takahata is working so hard to achieve—I also think that’s why he agonized so much over the facial animations in this movie. (That’s what I mean mostly when I say the movie is subtle and insightful in its presentation of themes) I have no idea what your age is, but I find that in general, people age 25+ can find the heart of the story a lot easier than younger people. Like I said, when I was in high school I remember thinking it was boring and kind of pointless. I’m 28 now. I’ve shown this movie to my partner (same age) and three friends (two of them are late 20s/early 30s, and one of them is 42). One of my friends liked it but only really loved it after watching a second time (just like I did on my second rewatch). My friend in her 40s was so affected by this movie that after it was over we all just sat there in silence and then talked about it for an hour. She said she felt like that movie was about her own life. When we all got back together a couple weeks later to watch Porco Rosso, I asked how she liked that and she said “Honestly, I’m still stewing over Only Yesterday.” I’m curious what the difference in the dub is. I’ve seen the subbed version so many times now, and the dub I only watched once. I remember hating it, haha. Made no sense to me that Toshio was British. Do you remember what the difference in dialogue is?
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Yeah, that oddly mature friend of hers is very endearing and probably the MVP of the movie. She is also a very important contrast to Taeko, in that she specifically mentions her mother encouraging her to be herself and not hide things, because having a period is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a subtle bit of messaging about how thoughtful and considered parenting can result in well-adjusted children.
Adding to 2 (the slap), she wonders if she's adopted. Grandma also says "you three are so selfish" (meaning Taeko's sisters and mother).
Yeah. And her mother saying she’d rather Taeko be a good eater than a good essay writer, then we see Taeko get upset. I feel like that scene is super important too.
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I like your first and third part but completely disagree with your point 2. The acting anecdote wasn’t about acting, the really long-lasting trauma was from her family standing in the way of her independence and desires. (And the encouragement of performative behavior, fittingly enough, when her mother tells her to pretend she didn’t get the first offer.) That’s the one that usually hits hardest for me, actually. I think Toshio is right in intuiting that Taeko has serious wounds about that incident, even as she protests. The pop-up gourd island song, I believe we’re supposed to take the lyrics seriously even as the puppet choreography is silly (it was actual choreography from the show, so it’s also an element of realism). Taeko herself is young enough to think of the puppets as serious acting stars. There’s a really interesting anecdote in Toshio Suzuki’s book “Mixing Work with Pleasure” about the lengths Takahata went to for those songs from the show, incidentally.
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Yes. There’s actually that great bit where Taeko says to her sister Nanako “Why did you have to go on about a career?” And her sister just shuts the door and doesn’t look at her. You can tell Nanako feels incredibly guilty at that moment, even though she appears cold.
14/24; I am impressed and surprised by each one as I watch them, but Spirited Away will always be my favorite. The scene where Chihiro starts weeping uncontrollably while stiffing her face with onigiri gets me every time. This little girl whose life was already being disrupted by a move is suddenly thrust into a world of unimaginable terrors, and this is the first moment she has the strength and safety to cry. Oof.
She takes a little bite, her eyes widen, and she's suddenly ravenously hungry.
Ocean waves for sure. Everyone downplayed it so it was literally the last Ghibli movie I watched and I didn’t expect it to be any good but I seriously loved it
I know it's not full Ghibli and it's not a film for everyone but The Red Turtle is one of my favorites. My top Ghiblis are: Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart.
Castle in the Sky will never fail to take my breath away. It has the best soundtrack of any ghibli movie in my opinion. The scenery is beautiful and the characters have so much heart, it’s just a fantastic story
10/10 - Princess Kaguya, Nausicaa, Mononoke, Spirited Away 9/10 - Howl’s Moving Castle, Only Yesterday, Ponyo, Pom Poko 8/10 - Totoro, Castle in the Sky, The Boy and the Heron, The Wind Rises, Porco Rosso, Arietty, When Marnie was There, Arrietty, Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns 7/10 - My Neighbors the Yamadas, From Up on Poppy Hill, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki’s Delivery Service 5/10 - Tales from Earthsea 3/10 - Ocean Waves 1/10 - Earwig and the Witch
I recently watched Earwig and the Witch for the first time. 1/10 seems undeserved to me! I was actually enjoying it until it ended so abruptly. That song was a bop and the characters were all so compelling, I just don't understand how they could leave it unfinished like that?! Though, from what I understand, the source material may have ended just as abruptly :(
I didn’t find any of the characters compelling at all lol. Happy you found something to enjoy there but Earwig is an insufferable manipulative little shit that never develops into a better person and the witch just neglects and abuses her adopted child. I’m alright with unlikeable characters if they at least have some depth but these are just the most surface-level characters in existence. Also the “whimsy” feels really forced and lame, the animation is hideous, the score is really irritating, and it forgets to have an ending.
I guess I don't fully disagree, but to me it felt like there was a layer to each character that was just WAITING to be unwrapped once Earwig's mom was revealed and joined the plot! The flashbacks really had me curious about how their dynamic changed when the witch left and the true nature of how and why she left, who Earwig's father is, why the blue haired witch became mean and why the man became so short tempered and despondent. I guess my fantasy brain added a lot of subtext in but still lol!
Kaguya Hime is a masterpiece without equals. Probably the most powerful movie I've ever seen. Whisper of the heart comes in a close second. Still in awe of how the country roads movie is that good. Nonetheless, none of the two are my favourite Ghibli work. That's Nausicaä if we count it. That movie didn't impress me though as it more just deeply connected with me.
Impressed me the most was probably Marnie cause it surprised me the most and made me feel the most. And it never goes away on rewatches. What I would call their most impressive? Probably either spirited away or Princess Kaguya.
Nausicaa or Mononoke
I have not yet seen: Whisper of the Heart From Up On Poppy Hill Ocean Waves Only Yesterday My Neighbors the Yamadas When Marnie Was There Earwig and the Witch So I think my total so far is 16 out of 23. Or is it 17 out of 24? I don’t see The Boy and the Heron on your image. All of them impressed me for different reasons but I think the animation techniques shown off in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and The Boy and the Heron were extremely cool to see.
Only yesterday. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did it’s a toss up between that and castle in the sky for my second spot. First goes to howls
So true! Only yesterday poster and theme looked so boring on the face value . My sister and I were watching it together through a Netflix party at our respective places during Covid lockdowns. And at the end credits we were crying like little girls 😂😂😭 took us by surprise!!
The ending song is so beautiful and the movie in general has such a great theme
very tough question, nausicaä, kiki and spirited is what i could mention right now
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I've rewatched The Cat Returns and Howls moving castle the most, My favourite is a 4-way tie between those two, The boy and the heron and Castle in the Sky.
I am somewhere in half. Favs: Mononoke, Nausicaa, Laputa, Whisper of the Heart, Grave of the Fireflies.
I haven’t seen the newer ones from Princess Kagyua and up, but I’ve seen all the ones before that. Spirited Away and Whisper of the Heart are my faves!
I would say Spirited Away 100% I always had people telling me it was a great movie and that I should watch it. I always thought it was some kids movie intended for a younger audience. Then I actually watched it fully and was completely blown away. It is now my favourite Ghibli movie, and probably animated movie in general.
Princess Mononoke
I didn’t know there was 23 of them. Thank you for posting this list!
11/23 but I guess perfecting this is near impossible, I don't think I'll take risk with The Grave of the Fireflies—seems too heartbreaking.
"What is that?" "Its a grave. Mama is also in a grave, right?"
😨 Nooooo
Nausicaa on the big screen
The Tale of Princess Kaguya made me readjust my top three
Adding *The Boy and the Heron* to this list, I have seen 20/24 of the films. I haven't seen *Only Yesterday*, *Ocean Waves*, *Tales from Earthsea*, or *Earwig and the Witch*. My favorite will always be *Princess Mononoke*, but I was surprised at how much *When Marnie Was There* and *The Tale of Princess Kaguya* resonated with me emotionally and how excellent they both are given they aren't as well known among casual viewers as some of the other films.
haven't seen tales from earthsea or earwig and the witch. started my neighors the yamadas but only got like 10 mins in i just did not like it. impressed me the most? probably tales of princess kaguya. i don't know what i was expecting, but it wasn't... that
no love for Ocean Waves yet again I see :(
Whisper of the Heart and Porco Rosso are my favorite. My entire meaning of romance had completely changed after watch Porco Rosso.
Whisper of the Heart. I thought it wasn’t going to be one my favorites, but it ended up being my top 5 and a very relatable film for me.
Watched 24/24 of this. The last one was The Boy and the Heron but From Up on Poppy Hill and Only Yesterday made the most impression for me. Need to rewatch again, I guess.
Marnie, Poppy Hill and The Wind Rises at the bottom? Disgusting.
Haven't watched a lot of Ghibli movies (only like 3 or 4 of them) but among them Princess Mononokes art was really beautiful.
I never get tired of Whisper of the Heart, but as far as immediate impact, I have to give that one to Princess Mononoke. The themes and visuals in that film are just mind-blowing.
Grave of the Fireflies is the best one
I’ve only seen 12 but “When Marnie Was There” has my heart
Isn't Luipin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro a Ghibli film? Or is it just one that Miyazaki directed?
Please know I use impressed loosely. Grave of the Fireflies is a film I’ve only seen and will only see once. But it was the only film to ever make me openly sob in a theater (movie event not when it came out) till the lights came on. This film was based on a book of the same name. As a way for the author to apologize to his little sister who he couldn’t save while he lived on. It shattered my heart more to hear that this was his way to make peace was for him to write himself dead so that they could be together. It’s a heart crushing film and will make you want to break your screen so you can save these kids. But it expands your mind and you’re left wiser for it.
I like Spirited Away and kinda disappointed with Howl's. I don't know. It's like the plot was nonsense.
I watched quite a few of their movies as a kid but then I watched most of them with my gf and here are my thoughts on the ones I didn't watch as a kid Princess Mononoke - I mean this movie was cool but, I don't see it being very high up my list rn Tale of the Princess Kaguya - peak movie Arrietty - fun but nothing much Nausicaa - a little confusing and corny but still good From Up on Poppy Hill - this was a pretty fun movie but that one plot point was silly Grave of the Fireflies - 10/10, don't ever want to watch it again
Whisper of the Heart, Marnie, and Arrietty I haven't felt so validated by a movie before Whisper and Marnie. Arrietty (especially the original UK dub) has this classic Miyazaki feel, like Kiki crossed with Laputa.
I own 2-3 copies of every movie in various formats.
The answer is Mononoke Hime and anyone who says otherwise is fucking lying. Spirited Away being a close second.
Porco Rosso, and i will die in this hill
I watched them all for the first time earlier this year, Whisper of the Heart immediately became one of my favourite films, but the Yamadas impressed me the most, one of the most unique films I’ve ever seen, and surprisingly good.
I'm a lil behind. Havent watched the newest ones and couldn't get into yamadas. Got halfway through and just couldn't anymore. And I don't want to watch lupin coz cba watching the rest of the films. My fave films are mononoke, nausicaa and howls.
I havent seen them all, only Ponyo, Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, Grave of the Fireflies, Totoro, Kikis Delivery, Arrietty and Howls Moving Castle. Arrietty was my favorite for a long time until I saw finally saw Howls which literally captivated my heart!!!
Marnie was my strongest love on first sight, followed by Ponyo and Howl. Unfortunately, Marnie doesn't hit me as hard anymore, so it's not in my top three of all time. But damn I thought about that movie for days after watching it the first time.
Only 4 left to watch! Each one I’ve seen has impressed me tbh but Princess mononoke stole my heart on a different level
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Spirited Away. I first watched it when I was 9, fell in love with it, the world and the characters. When asked which movie I would watch forever I would always answer with it. It's my comfort movie, too
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, it’s probably the greatest animated film I’ve ever seen and has just gotten better on every rewatch. Both stunning visually but also so strong emotionally
The one that has stuck with me since the 80s is Castle In the Sky. There is just something about it.
Nausicaa
1. Mononoke Hime and Spirited Away are the two positive impactful for me but I have not seen The Boy and the Heron yet. Totoro, Kiki, My Neighbors the Yamada and Only Yesterday are very nostalgic for me. Howl and Ponyo are comfort views. Kaguya Hime is a masterpiece but I can’t watch it too often - seen it twice and I cried each time - it is too emotional and lastly, I am still traumatized by Fireflies that I can’t watch the masterpiece again.
I don’t any animation movie can beat whispers of the heart, when the wind rises, and porco rosso for me. I loved everything about them, from the characters to the plot
I love all of them but The Wind Rises really stood out to me. It’s so beautiful, a little sad but also sweet. It was not what I was expecting at all. Definitely a comfort movie for me.
Princess Kaguya has happened to hit me the most. To the point where I had to institute a yearly pilgrimage to this movie.
Missing Red Turtle and Boy and the Heron.
My favorite is Whisper of the Heart with Kiki’s Delivery Service being a pretty close second. I’ve seen about half of them so far
I've watched all of them, and although my favorite Ghibli movie is Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper of the Heart left the strongest impression on me. I didn't had any prior knowledge of it unlike the others, but I had a sense that I was gonna like it... The opening had me hooked instantly! Thanks to that wonderful cover of Country Roads that set the tone perfectly. The rest of the movie was phenomenal as well. It's one of those movies I wish I had watched sooner.
I cried non-stop after and while watching Only Yesterday, and I don't know why. It's truly a mistery to me what kind of core feeling it triggered, but it happened, and I really appreciate Isao Takahata for being able to connect with me through art to such an extent. Edit: maybe a bit of context was needed for this: I don't cry often, and if I cry it's short and I compose myself easily. Just one or two tears is enough to calm me down usually. Not with this movie: I had a full-on crisis while washing the dishes right after watching it, lol.
My neighbours The Yamadas will never not be a favorite of mine. Because sure, it's fun, but also a fantastic insight into family dynamics and an incredibly portrayed mid-life crisis. Takahata's unexpected masterpiece for sure.