The Secret World of Arrietty (2012):

The Secret World of Arrietty (2012):

Let's get this out of the way: Hayao Miyazaki's “The Secret World of Arrietty” is definitely just an adaptation of The Borrowers. But it has enough Miyazaki countryside charm to stand out. It's about a tiny family who lives by stealing things from humans. But one day, a human discovers Arrietty while she's out gathering sugar. Sho (Shawn in the English dub.) is a sick child who has some form of heart condition. I think Arrietty is like an inch tall. It's a cute movie, and not too long.

After discovering her, the sick boy wants to help Arrietty. He brings her sugar, and out his mom's old dollhouse for them to live in. But, it makes things worse for her family...because more humans notice them. Being so small, almost everything is a threat to the Borrowers. I like how it plays with perspective. A needle is a sword to Arrietty. A cat is like a dragon. One drop of tea fills her little teacups.

There are some gross scenes I thought, but that's because the Borrowers (Arrietty, and her parents, Homily and Pod.) are so small. People are giants. Bugs are huge and scary. Crickets, pillbugs, spiders...gross. But, Arrietty can fight them off with a needle. Humans are by far the biggest threat to the Borrowers though. The boy's caregiver Haru (Hara in English.), kidnaps Arrietty's mom, and calls pest control. So the last part is them saving her, and moving out.

Arrietty's parents warned her to stay away from Sho, even though he needs rest, and so won't be much trouble. Pod hurts his leg while out looking for Homily, and discovers a wild Borrower named Spiller who says they can live with him on the other side of the river. So, Arrietty and Sho say a tearful goodbye, as the Borrowers float down to the other side of the river in a teapot.

Overall, it's a cute movie about an unlikely friendship and unintended consequences. It doesn't overstay its welcome, has loads of charm, tons of playful perspective shots, and a good story. Plus, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett voice Arrietty's parents in the English dub. I always liked them. Arrietty is voiced by Bridgit Mendler. Anyway, give it a watch if you can.

The Boy And The Heron (2023):

The Boy And The Heron (2023):

“A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.”

Well, I might as well explain my experience of another Hayao Miyazaki movie. I've read a lot of articles saying that this will be his last movie, and it feels like a farewell. To be honest, I think he's been saying every movie will be his last movie since about 2013. We'll see if he makes another movie, but I'm not going to write another post dissecting the farewell symbolism.

With that in mind, the message I got from this movie is that birds are evil. All jokes aside, it's a movie about a boy who discovers a heron who leads him to a tower where his mother who died might still be alive but as a young girl. Birds try to eat him. None of this logic is explained. I think we're just supposed to accept that this fantastical adventure takes place because it is a fantasy movie.

The boy (named Mahito.) tames the heron with a bow and arrow. He then reveals himself to be a shapeshifting dwarf spirit. They go to a lighthouse where a woman guards a fire spirit who might be his mother. There, the birds eat spirits of people yet to be born into the world. He finds his mother protecting the lighthouse with fire magic.

A burned crane explains to him that they are trapped on the island of the dead, and the spirits are all they have to eat. Meanwhile, the parakeet king tries to come into the world of the living, and every bird tries to eat Mahito. They meet a wizard who might be his reclusive uncle in the other world, who tells him he must stay or the balance of the world will be destroyed.

Before the parakeet king can break into the other world, he says goodbye to his mother so she can stay behind, and he can return and she can be reborn as his mother again. If it's about anything, it's really about the cycle of death and rebirth through the mind of a child. And yes, I know it's based on a popular Japanese children's book. But, honestly, I think even without that context, it's still a fun watch...overall, I'd say check it out.

Nausicaä Of The Valley of The Wind (1984/2005 English Dub):

Nausicaä Of The Valley of The Wind (1984/2005 English Dub):

“Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.”

After the Seven Days of Fire, the world was divided between tribes with an ever-growing threat: The Toxic Jungle. Only one place in the land is safe. A place known as The Valley of The Wind. Princess Nausicaä tries to restore harmony to this apocalyptic world. She discovers that the wind and irrigation in the Valley keeps them safe.

But, others have different ideas of what will bring peace. The Tolmekian Princess Kushana seeks to annihilate the other superpower tribe Pejite with a destructive weapon from the Seven Days of Fire, the Giant Warrior. It's a race against time as Nausicaä teams up with the Pejite Prince Asbel to bring peace.

Nausicaä and Asbel are kidnapped by Kushana, along with her father Lord Yupa. Tolmekia resurrects the Giant Warrior and does battle with the giant bugs (called Oms.) of the Toxic Jungle. Nausicaä, being a pacifist turns them back and is able to demonstrate that her way calms the Oms and in fact can restore nature.

It's a fantastic journey full of wonder, post-apocalyptic tech (Hover-gliders, robots, tanks, gas masks, flash grenades, and guns.), and Miyazaki's trademark environmental themes, and anti-war messages. It's not without violence, but there is also a message of hope and rebirth. A feeling that peace will come even when it seems like evil will win.

This was a bold message for 1984, and it's easy to see that Tolmekia and Pejite are stand-ins for the global superpowers in the Cold War, with the Giant Warrior being not a giant robot, but a nuclear arsenal. Its themes and story still resonate today, with the need to be in harmony with Earth, and with need for something like Nausicaä's pacifism and curiosity.

Today, part of what makes Nausicaä fun to watch for me is the 2005 Disney English voice cast, which includes Uma Thurman, (Kashana) Shia LaBeouf, (Asbel) Mark Hamill (Pejite Mayor), and Patrick Stewart (Lord Yupa). Princess Nausicaä is Alison Lohman. If you have time today, give it a watch! It holds up!

Flying Phantom Ship (1969):

Flying Phantom Ship (1969):

“Hayato's peaceful life with his parents and his dog is brought to a dramatic, terrible end when a giant robot, said to be sent from a flying ghost ship, devastates the city, killing hundreds including Hayato's parents.”

It all begins with a fishing trip where Hayato's dad encounters the ghost ship captain in a haunted castle. The captain is actually there to scare his company's boss, who is in the castle, but they don't know that. So, after saving his dad's boss from the castle, a giant golem attacks Tokyo, claiming to be from the captain. Hayato's family dies in the attack, and he finds out they aren't his real parents. So, what began as a playful Scooby Doo mystery takes a hard turn into Japanese monster movie territory. Hayato tells his dog to get lost, and soon discovers that the boss (named Kuroshio.) was behind the golem attack, not the pirate captain, after he reveals his underground lair. Turns out, the attack is a ploy to promote Japanese industry and get everyone addicted to Boa Juice, Hayato's favorite soda pop.

The soda is actually produced by a sea monster Boa, who sends a giant crab monster to Tokyo and turns Kuroshio into soda for failing to disguise the attack. Meanwhile, Hayato joins the ghost ship captain, who is actually a defender of Japan. His ship is actually a robot ship, equipped with lasers and forcefields.

On the ship, Hayato vows to defeat Boa, and give up his favorite soda to defend the people. The pirate captain takes off his skull mask, and reveals himself as Hayato's real father. We're introduced to Tori, his daughter (and Hayato's sister.) who motivates him to find Boa. This movie wears a lot of different hats. On one hand, it's a mystery, then a monster movie, then an adventure.

As it turns into an undersea adventure, we see that Boa is a giant squid. His body is invulnerable to torpedo and laser attacks. Tori discovers by accidentally hitting an EMP pulse button during a crash that Boa is actually a robot, and they can defeat him with electromagnetism. The monster goes haywire, and buries itself after crashing into a cave wall. Hayato is congratulated back home by his new family, and becomes the new ghost ship captain.

So, is this all worth watching? Yes, but only because it's very short: 61 mins. It's exciting, but never really picks a tone. It's exciting, but I wish it were more focused. As it is, it's a good adventure flick. I'd say give it a watch anyway you can. It's worth it just to see all the craziness.

It wears a lot of the trends of 1960s Japan: Monster attacks, robots, environmentalist themes, family switcheroos...but it wears them all like a finely-tailored suit. Trivia: for its anti-capitalist themes this was the first ever Japanese anime shown in Russia (USSR), and the animation on the ship was done by Hayao Miyazaki.

Princess Mononoke (1997):

Princess Mononoke (1997):

“On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.”

Prince Ashitaka has to stop an evil demon plague from taking over the forest, and his arm. Meanwhile, there's a war brewing between animals and humans. Some people want to destroy the forest spirit. (Mononoke means “forest spirit”) Some want to destroy the humans, and some want to destroy the animals, and let technology grow unrestrained.

Ashitaka wants to bring balance between nature and humans. But, he's got all these obstacles in his way. Luckily, he gains an unlikely ally in San, the human princess raised by the Wolf Queen. He has to unite the animals and convince them to make peace, if it's even possible. Also, Lady Iboshi and her gun-wielding ladies of Iron City (Tatara) have hired a mercenary monk and others to kill the forest spirit.

Of all Hayao Miyazaki's films, this is definitely the most violent. There's tons of action, blood, and war. But, I feel it's all balanced out by the beauty of the Ghibli art style, and the ecological message. This is the anime I usually recommend to friends who are just getting into Miyazaki, since it's more like traditional anime, with the over-the-top level of action.

Of course, the real hero here is the art. It's all hand-drawn, the movements are all slow and human (As opposed to fast and exaggerated, as in other anime.) ,and it really lets you take in the awe of the forest, animals, and nature. As well as showing the horror of war, and the destruction technology can cause when unrestrained. The more the forest is off-balance, the more the evil plague grows. If you have time, it's a fantastic film. Definitely worth a watch. Check it out!