The Cat Returns tells a story about a typical Japanese girl, Haru who seems to have a nack in getting in mishaps.
One day, she saves a cat from being run over by a truck. The cat turns out to be the prince of the Cat Kingdom and, in return of the favor, the king has decreed that the whole kingdom would try its best to repay her kindness.
Haru and Baron
Unfortunately for her, none of the "gifts" were fitting for a human, and to add to her troubles, she was also decreed to be married to the prince that she saved.
The Cat Returns is similar to the critically-acclaimed movie Spirited Away in the sense that it begins in normal Japan and shifts to parallel world later in the story. There, the similarity stops and a whole new adventure begins.
the eccentric king of Cat Kingdom
This film in general borders along humor and fantasy, leaning more towards the former. Haru's naiveness and the antics of the cats put a smile on my face and made my laugh. No one is evil and there are no bad guys. In fact, the worst character is simply and over-eccentric father whose acts seems to be more on the naughty side than evil.
Baron, Muta and Haru
The storyline is simple yet entertaining, the animation splendid as is the trademark of Studio Ghibli. I personally despise cats but it's hard not to like this film. And although it is not the same level as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, this film should not be missed.
It may not be a Miyazaki movie, but it is still a Ghibli movie, and that alone is reason enough to watch it ;)
Grave of the fireflies is based on an autobiography by Akiyuki Nosaka. In the film, it is set during the bombing of Japan during World War II. It centers around Seita, a loving, headstrong Navy soldier's son and his innocent little sister, Setsuko.
Their fatal struggle for survival begins right at the start when both are bombed out of their home and their mother is seriously wounded. They found her wrapped in bandages in a hospital where she died shortly after that.
The children moved to Nishinomiya to stay with their cold, bitter and self-serving aunt. After butting heads with their aunt long enough, the children decided to run away, setting up shelter in an abandoned cave by the lake. Both try by all means to live off of vegetables or whatever food they can afford to trade or steal to no avail.
dying Seita
Seita and Setsuko
This is certainly one of the more serious Studio Ghibli titles as it revolves around the victims of war. It is such an emotional experience that it's difficult, nearly impossible for many to make it through one sitting. Take one pivotal scene,
*spoiler alert*
the children's aunt is persuading Seita to give up his mother's garments so they can be sold. Setsuko awakens to see her aunt taking the clothes, and starts screaming; she comes completely undone. Seita is struggling to hold her back and he's coming undone. The kicker is that Setsuko does not know yet her mother had died. All the while, Seita's ghost is watching as he silently narrates and he's coming undone because he could not bear to hear his sister's cries.
The first time I watched Fireflies, I was so overcome at one point of the film that I had to turn the film off. It took me a few days to return to it because it was so hard to watch. Even now, years and several viewings later, it is still suffering to watch it in one sitting. Grave of the Fireflies will always remain a deep, touching experience.
Sophie, a young woman working in a hat shop who encounters a mysterious wizard named Howl in the streets one day finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is subsequently transformed into a 90-year old woman by the wicked Witch of the Waste.
Journeying into the unknown on a quest to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl's magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Howl's apprentice Markl and the hotheaded fire demon, Calcifer.
This film is a visual feat because of the stunning animation and characteristically vivid colors. In addition to the beautiful colors, the strong and wonderfully diverse cast of characters is also the film's greatest strength. Though I must say that the characters are more or less stereotypical.
Howl
Howl's apprentice, Markl
Sophie is the vintage vulnerable protagonist while Howl is the brooding guy with a heart of gold, Calcifer is the spastic sidekick and Markl is the curious assistant cum apprentice. These characters are both easily identifable in the roles they fill, while charmingly original in the flair they bring to those roles.
Calcifer, the talking fire
90 year old Sophie
It is not the best Studio Ghibli's production but still it comes down as one of my favorite animation.
