They’re both great, and which is better depends on what you’re looking for. Spirited Away is a little lighter in tone (although by no means light throughout), and I at least find it less narratively focused. Princess Mononoke is much more political and much more horrific and has a more linear plot (although again it’s not exactly a hold-your-hand narrative), and that’s all my jam, so I preferred it. It was also the first Miyazaki movie I saw, so that probably figures into it.
Hmm…just be aware that while the movie does have a plot, it’s much more about the stops along the road than about the road itself. I think if you go into it wanting a really clear story, you might be frustrated.
I first started noticing that when I was also noticing the “foxes eating faces” one, so kept trying to parse the former acronym as the latter phrase: “Foxes Ate Faces Obviously”? Now the latter seems to have vanished off the stage as quickly as it had come (was in reference to Repub voters being surprised that they were next in the oppression conga line), while the former seems to have stuck, for whatever reasons.
No, no — I’m cool with abstraction and works that simply “are.” Most my musical taste has artists with lyrics that don’t come close to a story and often are just cool words and images that sound good together, so I’ll be fine. I meant more that I can get over my ambivalence to the artistic style of the journey is interesting.
For anyone who hasn’t seen them, don’t let the fact that they are animated discourage you. The animation is simply the medium. These are not children’s movies, although I highly recommend them for children as well as adults.
Late to the party, but consider me another that is flabbergasted that so many here were unaware of Studio Ghibli…
ETA: And definitely, if you’ve not seen it, let me also recommend Princess Mononoke (which I prefer to Spirited Away, which is itself a cinematic masterpiece).
I saw the dub of Princess Mononoke when it was in theaters. Non Spoilers- Most of the voice actors were great. Keith David (Spawn, Gargoyles, Krapopolis) was exceptionally good. Billy Bob Thornton was terrible. He sounds just like an American backwoods yokel.
I really love those forest spirits with the rattling heads. I cannot remember the name for them. I made a friend a doll using a stuffed cloth doll body I bought at a thrift store (I sewed the ends of the arms shut rather than sewing on doll hands. I used a fabric marker to make the white cloth green) and a quart milk bottle for the head. I even put something (I forget what) in the milk bottle to make it rattle.
Ponyo, yes, it’s sweet but childish. But there’s something about My Neighbour Totoro that transcends that - it’s as much for the child buried deep in the adult as it is for actual children. (You know you want to ride the Catbus. Don’t lie to me.)
I’ve yet to watch all of Princess Mononoke and am avoiding Grave of the Fireflies by a wide berth, but I’ve seen eight Ghibli films including Spirited, Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle (plus the pre-Ghibli The Castle of Cagliostro). You don’t have to be a fan of anime to enjoy many of them, although it helps.
Not disagreeing with your info about Japanese or how the studio wants their name pronounced.
But FYI all, several other things around the world are named Ghibli, mostly from Italy. And the Italian pronunciation is more or less GEE-blee with a hard G sound.
People are annoyed with you because your statement that “someone who hasn’t heard of [Studio Ghibli] pays extremely little attention to the film industry” is objectively false and reflects a self-centered view of the world. And your assertion that it’s the same as someone having never heard of Disney is just ridiculous.
I watch a lot of movies. I’m a movie junkie. I watch the Oscars every year and am generally aware of most of the nominees and winners in the major categories, and have usually seen most or many of them. I’ve heard of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away many times, though I haven’t seen them. Yet I’d never heard of Studio Ghibli until this thread.
If you’d asked me to name the best animation studio, I’d have said probably Pixar, especially from the standpoint of innovation. In contrast to your gushing over Studio Ghibli films having won the Oscar twice, Pixar has 23 Oscar wins, 11 of them for Best Animated Feature. But for overall quality, I’d say it’s probably a toss-up between Pixar and the venerable Walt Disney Animation Studios, both of them now subsidiaries of the Walt Disney Company.
But I’m not really a big fan of animation in general, although I’ve long admired gems like Toy Story (Pixar) and The Lion King (Disney). Not everyone has the same tastes and interests, and that isn’t grounds for ridiculing them. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your particular interests.
Meanwhile, I love animation. Cartoon Network is probably the cable channel I’ve watched the most, and I love the Pixar movies. My free time is sometimes spent watching old episodes of BoJack Horseman, Archer, Family Guy, South Park, Rick and Morty, classic Simpsons, Smiling Friends, Bob’s Burgers, F is for Family, etc. I couldn’t name any of their studios myself (outside Pixar, which I already named.) So it’s not like I’m somebody averse to animation. It’s a preferred genre for me. Just anime never caught my eye. We’ll see how my viewing of Spirited Away goes.
When I said I’m not a big fan of animation, I was referring to animated feature films (although as I mentioned, Toy Story and The Lion King hold a special place in my heart. I associate them with my kid’s childhood, and they’re each genuinely beautiful in their own right. The music in The Lion King is extraordinary, too.
I’m fine with many TV cartoon shows, especially the adult ones like Family Guy, South Park, Simpsons, etc. I even appreciate Bugs Bunny, which although intended for children sometimes can’t resist throwing in subtle adult-level humour.
Funny you should mention that. I’m planning on watching it, too. The subtitled version, not the dubbed one.
But I’d rather watch it as originally made, not as re-dubbed into English.