# Miyazaki for a 3-1/2 year old **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988 "2009-12-04T15:41:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/1 "2009-12-04T15:41:19Z")
Two of my son’s absolute favorite movies are _My Neighbor Totoro_ and _Spirited Away_. We haven’t seen _Ponyo_ yet but plan on getting the DVD in (March?). I haven’t seen any of the other Miyazaki films and was checking them out at BestBuy. They all seem to be a bit more mature in their material than the two he has (i.e. they aren’t about children). Could you, or would you even, recommend any other for a 3-1/2 year old. _Princess Mononoke_ is rated PG-13 so I think thats out. _Nausicaa_ looked interesting but the story looks complex. _Howl’s Moving Castle_ looked to have a mature storyline. _Kiki’s Delivery Service_ looked tame enough but not that appealing to a pre-schooler. So do I just wait for Ponyo and wait till he gets older to watch the others? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/2 "2009-12-04T15:53:10Z")
**Kiki’s Delivery Service** is the best bet of those you listed for younger kids. **Ponyo** is aimed at the youngest children and should be a big hit at your house. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/3 "2009-12-04T17:53:35Z")
I haven’t seen Nausicaa, but of the others you list, I wouldn’t try any but Kiki’s Delivery Service for kids less than 8-10, though if he’s okay with Sprited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle might be okay too. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/4 "2009-12-04T18:08:52Z")
It’s not a Miyazaki movie, but it’s out of Studio Ghibli so is strongly influenced by him: [The Cat Returns](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_Returns) might appeal to a 3 or 4 year old. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/5 "2009-12-04T18:16:17Z")
Nausicaa is possibly the last one I’d recommend for little kids of the Miyazake films. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/6 "2009-12-04T18:17:24Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > **Kiki’s Delivery Service** is the best bet of those you listed for younger kids. Seconded. My two girls enjoyed it, nice songs too. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/7 "2009-12-04T20:02:59Z")
Not Miyazaki, Ghibli, but you could try _Pom Poko_ - depending on how you feel about racoon-dog testicles, that is… …or there’s always _Grave of the Fireflies_. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/8 "2009-12-04T20:05:40Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > …or there’s always _Grave of the Fireflies_. Which might emotionally scar a 3 1/2 year old for life. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/9 "2009-12-04T21:22:10Z")
My Neighbor Tortoro is also great for kids of any age. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/10 "2009-12-04T21:24:43Z")
my nieces… now 10 and 6 LOVED Howl’s Moving Castle. We watched it twice while I was there for Thanksgiving two years ago. So… maybe little too young but not by much. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/11 "2009-12-04T21:40:20Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I haven’t seen Nausicaa… See it! (Not for kids.) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/12 "2009-12-04T21:49:42Z")
I can’t imagine that **Pom Poko** would hold the interest of anyone under 10 years-old. It barely held mine. ---
**Author:** ![bytheway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bytheway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bytheway)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/13 "2009-12-04T22:59:19Z")
My kids loved “Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro” when they were around 5 or 6. Some mild profanity and violence though. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/14 "2009-12-04T23:17:48Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Could you, or would you even, recommend any other for a 3-1/2 year old. > _Princess Mononoke_ is rated PG-13 so I think thats out. > _Nausicaa_ looked interesting but the story looks complex. > _Howl’s Moving Castle_ looked to have a mature storyline. > _Kiki’s Delivery Service_ looked tame enough but not that appealing to a pre-schooler. > > So do I just wait for Ponyo and wait till he gets older to watch the others? All of the above are great movies but the only one I’d recommend for very young children is “Kiki”, which is utterly charming. You won’t regret picking this one up (and “Ponyo”, too, when its released). Unlike most anime, the english dubbing is excellent although I much prefer the title song on the Japanese soundtrack over the bland country-pop song of the english soundtrack. “The Cat Returns” is also a pretty entertaining Studio Ghibli (although not Miyazaki) fantasy adventure about a young girl who visits the world of cats but I’d rank it as second-tier Ghibli and not quite up to the superb standards of “Kiki.” ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/15 "2009-12-04T23:24:16Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Which might emotionally scar a 3 1/2 year old for life. Heck, I saw “Grave of the Fireflies” in my 30s and I think I’m scarred for life. It’s one of the best war movies I’ve ever seen; an emotionally devastating masterpiece. And I never, ever want to watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![\_xiao\_wenti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b782af/32.png) [@\_xiao\_wenti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_xiao_wenti)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/16 "2009-12-05T00:05:21Z")
Porco Roso is another one that kids won’t really like. Castle in the Sky, also, probably won’t be good fits. The best for that age (at least for my 3-4 yr old) are Howl’s, Spirited, and Totoro - and that’s the order that she picked. My first Miyazaki experience was Porco Roso in Japanese with no subtitles. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/17 "2009-12-05T00:09:24Z")
3+ Ponyo Totoro 5+ Kiki’s Delivery Service\* Pom Poko Spirited Away 8+ Castle in the Sky Porco Rosso Whisper of the Heart 11+ Castle of Cagliostro Nausicaa Princess Mononoke 14+ Grave of the Fireflies - Though note that Kiki is essentialy a story about a girl going through puberty. Even though it’s suitable for children of a fairly young age, it might not resonate. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/18 "2009-12-05T00:25:55Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Which might emotionally scar a 3 1/2 year old for life. Nah, kids that young simply wouldn’t get it. If you want to scar a kid for life, wait until they’re ten and understand dead is forever. ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/19 "2009-12-05T02:05:27Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > It’s not a Miyazaki movie, but it’s out of Studio Ghibli so is strongly influenced by him: [The Cat Returns](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_Returns) might appeal to a 3 or 4 year old. Let me second this recommendation. My three year old nephew loved this one. It ‘feels’ like a Miyazaki movie aimed at younger children. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988/20 "2009-12-05T02:38:53Z")
I’m far removed from a 3 1/2 year old but I still LOVE Kiki’s Delivery Service! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miyazaki-for-a-3-1-2-year-old/519988.md?page=2)