Sea-Sea-Sea its the season to see YOU

A set of friendly film reviews for my favorite films! (listed in chronological order based on release date)

I have a film set with 27 different ghibli films, please reccomend which I watch next!

My Neighbor Totoro (8/10)

The first time I watched My Neighbor Totoro, my friend had the CD at her house and I expressed some interest in it, yet no one else wanted to watch. I ended up watching a baby movie in my friends basement while she and the other friends she had brought over watched another show. I will admit that watching it with my sister in the comfort of my own home highly enhanced the experience, but it still felt slower than I personally prefered. Still, it is a must-watch due to its cultural significance and beautiful art.

Kikis Delivery Service (9/10)

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Porco Rosso (10/10)

There are two ghibli films (and a manga) about planes, one of Miyazaki great interests. Porco Rosso is one of them, and you can see his pure love and care for the subject throughout. The anti-war messages that Ghibli is known for are strong within the film, theres no wonder why the films most known line is, "I'd rather be a pig than a facist", but watching the silent growth of facism when Marco visits Italy pre WWII is just as facinating. Speaking of Marco, Porco Rossos protagonist is grump who I can't help but love, despite his negative qualities (calling himself heartless and sexist several times throughout the film). Marco also has one of the most noticable character arcs I have seen in a Ghibli film. Overall a delightful film that I have watched several times, which has become one of my favorite.

Princess Mononoke (10/10)

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Spirited Away (10/10)

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The Cat Returns (7/10)

As of now, I have not watched Whisper Of The Heart, which The Cat Returns is a sequel of; however I wasn't confused watching the film as a standalone. Unfortunately, I found many of the jokes to be in poor taste and frankly fatphobic. Furthermore, I noticed that things just tend to happen to Haru, and that many of her problems just happen to get solved- she has almost no agency throughout the film. It stands alright as its own movie, but I don't see it as a film I will watch again in the near future, espically when I have so many other Ghibli films at my disposal.

Howl's Moving Castle (9/10)

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Ponyo (9/10)

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The Secret World of Arietty (AKA: Arietty the Borrower) (8/10)

Since the film goes by several names, I'm just going to call it Arietty for the rest of this review. Arietty is one of my favorite ghibli films in terms of just aesthetics. It reminds me of my childhood facination with fairies and small creatures (funnily enough, I was also terrified of bugs at this age), showing us the world through the eyes of a borrower, tiny humanoids who borrow goods from humans to survive. Though there are points where its story feels a little predictable, and I was not a fan of Spinners potrayl, being one of the few characters in a ghibli film (or anime in general) who isn't paper white while also shown to speak in fragmented sentances and seen as "dirty" by Arietty's mother, I overall did enjoy the film dispite its rocky points.

The Wind Rises (10/10)

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When Marnie Was There (8/10)

Earwig and the Witch (5/10)

The first fully CG film done by Studio Ghibli, Earwig and the Witch isn't as visually polished as the rest of Ghiblis roster. However, I found its visuals and story charming. My biggest critique of the film is that it feels as if it was designed for a sequel to be made, you're left with lots of questions that feel perminately unanswered, but at the same time I don't know if I care enough to want the answers. Also, Earwig is one of the less interesting characters in the film, I would have much prefered a film centering around the Mandrake, Bella Yaga, and definately Earwigs Mother. Though it is the film I have the most critiques of, I don't think its as bad as many fans make it out to be, as evident by its 4.0 score on IMDB and 29% on Rotten Tomatoes.