MovieChat Forums > Hoshi o Ou Kodomo (2011) Discussion > This is a sincerely love letter to Ghibl...

This is a sincerely love letter to Ghibli (No spoil)


You'll found many references to Ghibli's films, plus Shinkai 'space theme' style.

I'll not say that it's copycat because you know, we've already passed the point where we say A copying material from B or stealing idea from C. People enjoy movie because it's good, not because it's original (even though it's better to watch originally good movie).

It's alienate, but heartwarming. Dare I say, brainless, but tearjerker.
It has all of what you expected from this visionary director.

I hope it manage to find a release in USA so critics can 'judge' it's value like other movies had, thus making general audiences easier to find and see this.

Besides Mamoru Hosoda and Satoshi Kon (who died too early), Makoto Shinkai is also the one to challenge Ghibli's throne position.

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Not to challenge Ghibli's throne, but to succeed it. :)

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"Besides Mamoru Hosoda and Satoshi Kon (who died too early), Makoto Shinkai is also the one to challenge Ghibli's throne position."

Challenge? Watch Studio Ghibli's latest "The View from Poppy Hill" and see the difference-- they still have more resources and experience...

Of course, it is always great to see someone take the same kind of care in lighting, framing and composition that Studio Ghibli does when it comes to animation-- so it is never a bad thing for anyone to follow Studio Ghibli's footsteps...

I mean, I was pleasantly surprised by how familiar many of the visual, audio as well as narrative "cues/beats" were and enjoyed the way they were used.

But what "Hoshi Wo Ou Kodomo" really reminded of is the PRE-Studio Ghibli stuff-- when the crew who would form Studio Ghibli were still making more or less conventional (by anime standards) "juvenile" shojo or shonen adventures...

For me, Studio Ghibli's features really differed from conventional/commercial anime in that they follow their internal rhythm/pacing and don't quite care about hitting all standard/necessary (dramatic/action/etc.) "cues/beats"-- Spirited Away is a prime example of how to start off "loud" and end off "quiet" with lots of "anti-climaxes" along the way...

If you care enough to go around telling people you don't care... you obviously care.

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This movie is farcical and embarassing. So far I liked Makoto Shinkai's movies, but this doesn't either work on its own and the Ghibli homage is limited to gimmicky and fawning imitations of random scenes, behaviours, tropes and concepts, only debasing the originals in the process. It has no soul of its own and the homage verges on the parodistic, but it's certainly a parody of itself. If you know anything about the Ghibli-"mindset", then pointless imitations and re-assembling in a negligible, confused story of its own is the worst homage possible. You can only cover your eyes and shake your head had it or if you have no special expectations, regard it as one of the countless harmless but meritless animations out there. Don't look at it as a lover of cinema or good storytelling, but as two fairly "nice" hours of keeping children calm (but a feeling of "niceness" is all what a movie on par with Ghibli amounts to for some, it seems).

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I don't think the movie was quite up to Studio Ghibli standards but it's still very enjoyable, if at times flawed. To say it had not soul is doing it a great disservice. The movie had soul but lacked that little something that gives Ghibli movies more heart. Some parts were certainly reminiscent of their movies but it had its own identity. In short, yes, it's storytelling is flawed but the movie is above average.

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I didn't like Avatar and Prometheus was heavily flawed but interesting.

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Your pointless, cherry-picked comparisons don't prove a thing.



I'm the grim reaper, lardass, and you're my next customer.

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The tropes, concepts and mythology present in both this film and a lot of Ghibli (specifically Miyazaki) works were old hat even when Ghibli were doing them. The concepts presented in neither are original; it's the work put into the story and interpretation, and putting your own twist on otherwise old mythology and themes, that make both shine.

Both Miyazaki and Shinkai have drawn heavily on ancient mythology and east asian animism and spiritualism when creating these kinds of worlds for their stories to inhabit. The reason people see it as a straight up lifting is because they're not aware of just how pervasive these concepts are in the culture.

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am I the only one who thinks the character designs in this movie look a bit like Ghibli? Especially that Shin guy when he cut his hair off... just looked kinda familiar o_O

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Lets enjoy the work of both directors without arguing about who's best :)

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you mean what a ripoff

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Faith is not a good thing, and organized religion is nothing but a detriment.

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Not at all.

Let's be bad guys.

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