Epic and Whisper of the Heart

[osprey_archer]

“That’s not a house. That’s termites holding hands,” protests the taxi driver, when he drops MK off at her father’s house. MK also looks at the house with trepidation, although not for the same reason: she hasn’t seen her father in ages, ever since her father wrecked his career and his marriage because of his belief that tiny people live hidden in

Comments

[kikainausagi]

I saw Epic on an airplane, and since I didn't feel like paying for headphones, I saw it with the sound off. I felt it said something that I could follow the plot without any of the dialogue. ;) It was pretty, but as an avowed bat-over (they're SO CUTE) it annoyed me that the evil dudes rode bats. Poor bats, always getting the bad rap.

Whisper of the Heart, on the other hand, I really like. I'm not always a fan of the young love stories that Studio Ghibli is so fond of - they're sweet! And I like watching them, but my inner cynic/pragmatism points out that people change as they grow, etc etc. One of the things that sold me on Whisper of the Heart was the scene where they're riding the bicycle up the hill, and Shizuku insists on helping push the bicycle. It was a good metaphor for relationships, in which all parties must be willing to work for it when the going gets hard.

[asakiyume]

I like what you say about the bicycle pushing being a good metaphor ♥

[osprey_archer]

It is fairly predictable, although I think the fact that it makes sense without sound also shows that they got the body language right: you don't have to hear what they're saying to know that MK is disappointed with her Dad or the queen is flirting with the grumpy warrior or whatever.

I did go a little O.o when Shizuku and Seiji plighted their troth to each other, at the age of thirteen, after knowing each other for like two weeks...but middle schoolers aren't middle schoolers without dramatic gestures, I suppose.

[asakiyume]

amanen and the ninja girl can sing the Japanese version of "Country Road."** In a probably impossible hypothetical future when we all meet up, maybe I could persuade them to do it.

**It's also hugely sad--it has the words 帰りたい、帰れない (kaeritai… kaerenai) "I want to go home … I can't go home...

[osprey_archer]

Someday I will be in Massachusetts! Someday. At some point.

[asakiyume]

--At which point *they* will probably be in Japan, one or the other of them. Amanen comes back here in September, but the ninja girl leaves in April and won't be back for at least a year.

Still! You and some combination of them would be great :-)

[osprey_archer]

Aw, that is too bad. But I might be in Boston in May of this year, so I might at least be able to see you. :)

[egelantier]

hah, i was SO ANNOYED by the whole thing with mk and her father in this movie. what does it matter that his tiny people were real? he abandoned her and her mother! he left her to grieve for her dead mother alone because rawr his manly scientific (looking to be utterly useless) pursuits were of course so much more important.

the cutest part of this movie were the queen and the grumpy older warrior; i wish there was more of them.

[osprey_archer]

I know, right? He's so bad at being a parent. There's a moment in the middle of the movie where he almost seems to be realizing this and starts destroying his stuff, but then he realizes the tiny people are real and he never considers his very real issues ever again.

The queen and the grumpy warrior were adorbs, though.