Ghibl-me this, Ghibl-me that...
Yesterday I watched both Kiki's Delivery Service and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds. Both were good, though neither were my favorite Studio Ghibli work. While it certainly also all depends on mood, I think I can break it down by fuzzy-lined tiers:
Tier 1: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro
Tier 2: Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbors the Yamadas
Tier 3: Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa of the Valley of the WInds
Tier 4: Pom Poko (While it doesn't help that I don't understand a lot of the folklore references, it was also just...odd.)
(I'm pretty sure I've also seen The Cat Returns, but I really don't remember enough about it, or whatever it was I saw, to put it on the scale.)
That isn't to say that Mononoke or Nausicaa are bad movies (or even Pom Poko for that matter), they're still certainly better than a lot of movies as is , but I just don't like them as much as other Gibli work, what with the being much more depressing up until the last minute or so of the movie. Also, yes, technically speaking Nausicaa was made before the studio was founded, but it's still considered the "first work" of Ghibli.
Also, on a side note, what I find interesting is how much I like Howl's Moving Castle, because I also love the book, and while the plots are similar, they certainly have some major differences...and usually when that's the case I'll like one more than the other. But I think they're both awesome as is...Also also of note, is Howl's is one of the few that I demand I watch in English, because even though usually I'm a subtitle person, oh my goodness, Billy Crystal makes the perfect Calcifer. Even when I read the book I hear it in his voice. And Chrisitan Bale as Howl isn't too bad either. But come on, Billy Crystal!
Tier 1: Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro
Tier 2: Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbors the Yamadas
Tier 3: Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa of the Valley of the WInds
Tier 4: Pom Poko (While it doesn't help that I don't understand a lot of the folklore references, it was also just...odd.)
(I'm pretty sure I've also seen The Cat Returns, but I really don't remember enough about it, or whatever it was I saw, to put it on the scale.)
That isn't to say that Mononoke or Nausicaa are bad movies (or even Pom Poko for that matter), they're still certainly better than a lot of movies as is , but I just don't like them as much as other Gibli work, what with the being much more depressing up until the last minute or so of the movie. Also, yes, technically speaking Nausicaa was made before the studio was founded, but it's still considered the "first work" of Ghibli.
Also, on a side note, what I find interesting is how much I like Howl's Moving Castle, because I also love the book, and while the plots are similar, they certainly have some major differences...and usually when that's the case I'll like one more than the other. But I think they're both awesome as is...Also also of note, is Howl's is one of the few that I demand I watch in English, because even though usually I'm a subtitle person, oh my goodness, Billy Crystal makes the perfect Calcifer. Even when I read the book I hear it in his voice. And Chrisitan Bale as Howl isn't too bad either. But come on, Billy Crystal!