But, having been here in JapLand for coming on two years now, I figured it was about time to drop the Englishness and investigate exactly what the Nihon answer to nineties nostalgia is all about.
So, with a set of subtitles and an open mind, this week we ventured into the works of legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, Japan’s answer to the late Walter D, and a fellow who loves dragons, dust bunnies and seems to have a rather disturbing affinity for young girls…
Fun times.
Tonari no Totoro(My Neighbor Totoro)
(Hayao Miyazaki, 1988)
4 Stars
Probably Miyazaki’s most recognisable creation, this delightful little fairytale follows impetuous young girl Mei and her sister Satsuki as they struggle with lurking dust bunnies and an ailing mother. Along the way, they befriend giant fluffy monster Totoro and his bizarre and rather scary Cat Bus companion.
Though not the shiny happy fairy story that perhaps one would expect from an American studio, Totoro is certainly a sweet and moving tale, perfectly capturing the personalities of the young girls, both of whom really feel like real kids, whilst at the same time creating a lovely little world where cuddly beasts help us through our most difficult times. Quite frankly, I know I could’ve done with a Totoro through a lot of my childhood years.
The true wonder of Totoro, however, is not in its beautiful storytelling, but in the sheer spectacle of the animation itself. Whilst Disney studios at the time were experimenting with CGI and rather overstretching themselves with that oft-forgotten period that spawned such forgotten low-sellers as The Black Cauldron, Oliver and Company and the tragically under-rated The Great Mouse Detective, Miyazaki’s Gibli studios were concentrating on making simple yet startling back-drops on which poignantly drawn characters could play. The result is an animated feature that would not look out of place in cinemas even now; as clean-cut and shiny as the day of release.
A beautiful start to our threesome.
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi(Spirited Away)
(Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
4.5 Stars
This is the big one, I guess… The one that made Miyazaki if not famous, at least somewhat well known in the West.
The one what Disney bought and then dubbed over.
Spirited Away is the wickedly enchanting tale of a young girl, Chihiro, who, whilst on a family vacation with her somewhat idiotic parents (who quite deservedly, in my opinion, get turned into pigs within the first ten minutes of the film), finds herself whisked up by an evil witch who steals her name (a recurring theme in Miyazaki it seems) and sets her to work in her magical bathhouse for the Gods.
It’s a bizarre tale, filled with some of the freakiest and most disturbing characters I think I’ve ever come across in a kids’ film (The Dark Crystal might be the exception), and at two hours long, it’s also quite an epic, especially when struggling to keep up with the ever-convoluting storyline.
But it’s worth it. Chihiro’s annoying petulance rapidly turns into a rather lovable heroicness, whilst the character arc for the initially terrifying “No-Face” is of touching ingenuity. And trying to figure out the shape-shifting Haku’s true intentions is an intriguing delight.
The Stink God also rocks my socks.
All in all, a truly epic adventure in Japanese fairytale, which really does live up to the hype. Just remember never to eat an old lady’s dinner…
Hauru no Ugoku Shiro(Howl’s Moving Castle)
(Hayao Miyazaki, 2004)
4 Stars
The final trip down Miyazaki highway this week is the critically acclaimed Howl’s Moving Castle, based on Welsh writer Diana Wynn-Jones’ book of the same name.
Another story of a young girl lost in a magical land, this movie sees heroine Sophie bewitched by an evil hag (who for some reason subsequently becomes her grandmother…), turning her into an old woman. In her quest to break the spell, she meets a living scarecrow, a talking fire and falls in love with shape-shifting wizard. Oh, and there’s also one of the most adorable cartoon dogs ever illustrated.
I must admit, I did try watching the English dub a few years ago, whenst my then flatmate Sean was going through one of his many peculiarly idiosyncratic obsessions. At the time, I was not all too impressed, but watching it in its original format, one can truly understand the appeal.
Hollywood remakers should take note…
The one let-down, however, is something that seems to plague all of Miyazaki’s films; the too-quickly-over ending. In a two hour long animated feature, is there really any need to cram an ending into thirty seconds? Especially with all of the ridiculous long shots of crowds and boat and othersuch unnecessary gubbins.
That said, Howl’s is still an impressive feat of animation, fully worthy of all its praise.
A week well spent with Miyazaki-san.
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