My general impression is that while they have made some absolutely wonderful movies, they have a few stinkers, too. The only one I haven't seen (including Ocean Waves and this one) is the Cat Returns, so I can't comment on it. My least favorites are Nausicaa, Laputa, and Only Yesterday.
Favorites are Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, Yamadas, Spirited Away and Castle of Cagliostro.
I bought this a year ago and was the only studio ghibli i hadnt watched(own them all) but like you i was bitterly dissapointed and rate this as one of the worst(the end was good though with all her memorys of old school friends on the train making her get off as the song the rose plays), the only other 1 i dont like is my neighbour the yamadas.
I loved Omohide. And I've seen all Ghiblis xcept the last one.
my vote history: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=23949572
My least favorite Ghibli film is definitely Pom Poko. It was WAY longer than it needed to be, and the pacing was terrible. It certainly isn't an awful film, but it's less great than all of Ghibli's other stuff.
shareWell, Ghibli never makes a horrible film, just incomprehensible ones like Howl's Moving Castle or Ocean Waves that only have points to them after you look at it with a mental squint.
I'm going to expand my little list here to include some other famous anime films that aren't in the Ghibli canon at all, just on a whim.
***highest***
Spirited Away
Grave of the Fireflies
Princess Mononoke
Whisper of the Heart
Porco Rosso
Kiki's Delivery Service
Angel's Egg (Oshii)
Only Yesterday
Millennium Actress (Kon)
Tokyo Godfathers (Kon)
Castle in the Sky
My Neighbor Totoro
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Hosoda)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
Pom Poko
The Cat Returns
5 Centimeters Per Second (Shinkai)
Howl's Moving Castle
Horus: Prince of the Sun (except for Hilda, who deserves a better movie)
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Tales from Earthsea
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (Shinkai) (I must've missed something)
Ocean Waves/I Can Hear the Sea
***lowest***
Constructed in a few minutes without much premeditation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpXwPdJIOJY
Best thing ever.
I've seen them all - my favourite is Mononoke (which is also my favourite film of all time). I love most of the others.
The only ones that left me a little meh were Porco Rosso and Tales From Earthsea, although my son (11) loves Porco Rosso. My daughter's (7) favourite is Kiki's Delivery Service.
We are slight Ghibli obsessives in our house. We even have two parrots called Totoro and Kiki.
I love Only Yesterday, for me it's one of the all time Ghibli greats. But i very much like the slow, thoughtful, introspective type films. Good characterisation is also important.
This is how i would rank them:
(Most beloved)
My Neighbour Totoro
Princess Mononoke
Only Yesterday
Ocean Waves
Kiki's Delivery Service
Porco Rosso
My Neighbours the Yamadas
Laputa
Whisper of the Heart
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle
Grave of the Fireflies
Pom Poko
Nausicaa
The Cat Returns
Gedo Senki
(least)
I really appreciate the messages found in Graves and Nausicaa, but i just didn't enjoy watching them that much. The less that that is said about Gedo and Cat Returns the better, they are a blemish on what would be an almost perfect record. Funny how 'bad' Ghibli films are still better than most films in general.
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Really don't agree with you... I agree on Laputa a bit, but NOT on Nausicaä or Only Yesterday. I disagree with you on the best ones as well :P Castle of Cagliostro was just a normal almost western animation with a little more too it. Yamadas was just dull, but it was a looong time since I saw that one.
My favourites are probably My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Whisper of Heart. My least favourite is Grave of the Fireflies which was just appallingly bad... I don't get why people like it, it's a simple "Feel sorry for them" movie. But I don't feel sorry for them when they act incredibly stupid in most situations plus sound like 20 annoying ducks having a fight or something.
THE CAT RETURNS FAVORITE ONE! ITS GREAT!
shareStudio Ghibli Films I've Seen:
Porco Rosso
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Ponyo
Grave of the Fireflies
The Cat Returns
KiKi's Delivery Service
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Only Yesterday
Castle in the Sky
My Neighbor Totoro
Whisper of the Heart
Princess Mononoke
Howl's Moving Castle
Pom Poko
Spirited Away
The Best one is the underrated WHISPER OF THE HEART. The movie is simple but moving. The movies music, scenery, and realism are some of the best i've seen. And a sweet ending too. SPIRITED AWAY is no doubt a masterpiece. Whimsical, imaginative, and uplifting. MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS is also one of my favorites. It is original, and I love the animation. I love that movie. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE is sometimes unexplained, but I love it. Beautiful animation and totally re-watchable. THE CAT RETURNS is my 2nd all-time favorite movie. Not the best, but I literally love this movie. There is something about it that cheers me up whenever the *beep* i dang watch this film. KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE also one of my favorites. I've seen it countless times and it never gets old. PORCO ROSSO is one of the funnier films, and also has some beautiful moments. GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES is a tricky one. It was touching, and fantastic. But incredibly depressing. NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND has some great messages.
ONLY YESTERDAY was a touching and nostalgic film, but I found it down in comparison to Takahata's Whisper of the Heart and My Neighbors the Yamadas. I still thouruoghly enjoyed it. Would have like it more if I were older most likely (I'm 15!). MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is an amazing film. It is the most iconic, and I love it, but sometimes unfairly regarded as the best. Still a masterpiece. CASTLE IN THE SKY is one I've only seen a handful of times, but it is still a wonderfully fantastical tale. PONYO is not as big on morals or depth, but it is fun, enjoyable, and I love it.
PRINCESS MONONOKE is a fabulously made film. For some reason although I like it and acknowledge its greatness, I don't find it as re-watchable. POM POKO is the only movie from Studio Ghibli I do not like. Every other film should be in the Top 250. It is not bad though.
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