7. Castle in the Sky
Miyazaki created classic film after classic film for decades, in a streak that started with Lupin III and ended, I’d argue, with Howl’s Moving Castle. Often forgotten among the wonders is Castle in the Sky, a steampunk entry that is a joyous adventure, akin to Treasure Island but developed for an audience of both boys and girls. Sumptuous cloudscapes fill the screen, as do colorful characters with meaty roles, including a group favored by Miyazaki—pirates (in this movie, air pirates led by Dola, an older female). Reflective of Miyazaki’s ability to master genres, Castle in the Sky again crosses fantasy and sci-fi in perfect proportions, underscoring an uplifting tale with an apocalyptic story line.
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Husband. Dad. Occasionally Korean. Enjoys Star Wars, ASOIAF, and Meg Ryan movies. Tweets before proofreading. Ghibli. Oregairuuuuu. Jesus is King. Follow me on Twitter (@thetangles).
Latest posts by Twwk (see all)
With the Wind Rises, you meant to say WWII, rather than WWI.
Oddly, Japan was on the right/winning side in WWI.
Thanks for catching the error!
Nice to see the contrasting opinions on some entries. Would’ve loved to see more, but I can get why that isn’t the case.
It does kinda hurt to see two of my top three so low (those three being The Cat Returns, Yamadas, and Ocean Waves as 3rd, 2nd and 1st respectively.) I can get on board with the implied gap between Earthsea and every other entry on the list though. It’s definitely the low point.
I don’t think I ever felt that Pom Poko was any more obvious or overbearing with its message than say… Nausicaa or Mononoke. I suppose those two movies handled it more elegantly than Pom Poko however; I’ve always felt that Pom Poko is structurally very similar to The Cat Returns, having that fairly typical kids movie progression of conflict and resolution… Maybe that’s where the difference in perception comes from.
I suppose Iblard Jikan isn’t quite long enough to classify as a movie. Quite a shame really; I always love seeing what people think about that one.
This was a really good list, and even though (relative to how many of these I’ve seen, I didn’t get around to many after Arrietty) a lot of my opinions differ, you did a really good job of explaining your preferences. Even though From Up on Poppy Hill lacked supernatural elements, for instance, I adored its grounded nature and its tremendously beautiful art aesthetic even as its unorthodox and rather taboo plot driver might turn away some audiences (from an extraordinarily wonderful movie) and may have been why Disney didn’t distribute this film in the States. I also think Princess Mononoke is the best introduction for someone who’s new to Ghibli movies, because even though Spirited Away probably has more prestige, a lot of Miyazaki’s movies tend to get really weird (especially Howl), with Spirited Away being the foremost of those for me. I didn’t have this issue with Princess Mononoke. As for the “overrated” second opinion, I can see that logic, but I was so tremendously blown away by the hugely complicated story seamlessly weaving together its six factions (Ashitaka + San, Lady Eboshi, the ronin, the wolves, the boars, and the apes) that it never really occurred to me that the plot had or needed much room for improvement. I place Poppy Hill and Kiki’s Delivery Service at the top of my list. Particularly as a fan of aviation, I really liked Porco Rosso’s unique concept, even as (SPOILER) it’s basically Beauty and the Beast in World War I (SPOILER) with less elegant storytelling and a very challenging-to-like protagonist. Oh, and one more thing …
♫ PONYO, Ponyo, Ponyo, FISHIE IN THE SEA ♪
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