Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) is the story of two young girls who befriend a mysterious wood spirit during the post-war years. The film is an animated fantasy film that explore two girls who meet a creature as they discover a world of adventure and hope. Featuring the voices of Chika Sakamoto, Noriko Hada, and Hitoshi Takagi. Tonari no Totoro is a majestic and enchanting film from Hayao Miyazaki.
Set in the late 1950s in Japan, the film revolves around two young girls who move into a rural area of Japan with their father as they befriend a mysterious wood creature who can bring magic as they’re only seen by children. It’s a film that play into these two girls who are awaiting for the return of their mother who is recovering from a long-term illness as they adjust to their new surroundings but also meet this creature and the world he lives in. Hayao Miyazaki’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it’s more about these two girls who are living in their new surroundings and try to make the best of it as well as lament over their mother’s absence. The youngest in Mei (Chika Sakamoto) would see a small creature that would turn invisible but then would appear as she would follow that and a creature that’s a tad bigger into the woods with this big tree at the center of it. There she meets this gigantic creature she would call Totoro as she tells her older sister Satsuki (Noriko Hada) as she would meet the creature and be amazed by its powers.
Miyazaki’s direction is full of beauty in its presentation of not just the world of rural Japan but also this fantasy world of forests and creatures. With the aid of supervising animator Yoshiharo Sato, Miyazaki creates a world that mixes fantasy and reality as if they’re the same though it’s only seen through the eyes of these two young girls. The look of the landscapes as well as the tree in the middle of this small town add to the wondrous look of the film as it play into the mystical elements of the world that includes a cat bus that Totoro and his family would ride on sometimes. With the help of art director Kazuo Oga and cinematographer Hisao Shirai in creating certain looks into the lighting and in the landscape, Miyazaki brings a lot of attention to detail in his hand-drawn, two-dimensional animation style as showcases some of the emotions of the characters as well as the look of the creatures including soot-like creatures and Totoro himself.
Miyazaki also play into these mysterious moments as it relates to the girls’ relationship with Totoro but also coping with some growing pains as it relates to their mother’s absence and their father having to go to city university for work. The usage of the wide shots play into this growing uncertainty for the two girls while the medium shots and close-ups play into their interaction with Totoro and his family as well as other characters including Kanta Ogaki (Toshiyuki Amagasa) who seems to have a crush on Satsuki. The film’s third act does play into this air of dread and harsh realities as it would allow Satsuki to go to Totoro for help as it would play into not just this air of fantasy and intrigue but also in how it would deal with reality. Overall, Miyazaki crafts a riveting yet exhilarating film about two young girls befriending a mysterious yet whimsical forest creature.
Editor Takeshi Seyama does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward to play into the air of excitement in the world of fantasy as well as knowing where to slow things down for the dramatic moments. Sound mixer Shuji Inoue does amazing work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the way wind and rain would sound. The film’s music by Joe Hisaishi is incredible for its soaring and majestic orchestral score that feature some low-key synthesizers in the background along with usage of woodwinds arrangements to play into the music that Totoro and his friends play while its music soundtrack features a few songs sung by Azumi Inoue.
The film’s superb voice cast feature some notable small roles from Masashi Horose and Hiroko Maruyama as Kanta’s parents, Naoki Tatsuta as cat-like purrs of the cat bus, Tanie Kitabayashi as Kanta’s grandmother who would take care of Mei whenever Satsuki would go to school, Toshiyuki Amagasa as a neighbor boy in Kanta who dislikes Satsuki though it’s really a front for the fact that he likes her, and Sumi Shimamoto as Mei and Satsuki’s mother who is recovering at a hospital. Shigesato Itoi is terrific as Mei and Satsuki’s father as a man trying to get his daughters adjust to their new home while being away for work and to check on his wife. In the voice of the titular character, Hitoshi Takagi provides some unique sounds for the character as he never speaks yet his grin and growls do provide a lot of personality to the character. Finally, there’s the duo of Noriko Hidaka and Chika Sakamoto in brilliant voice performance in their respective roles as the sisters Satsuki and Mei as two young girls who are trying to adjust to their new situation as well as befriend this mysterious creature as they have an air of energy and excitement in their voices that carry the air of innocence.
Tonari no Totoro is a magnificent film from Hayao Miyazaki. Featuring a great voice cast, gorgeous visuals, a touching story, a whimsical mix of fantasy and reality, and a soaring music score and soundtrack. It is definitely a film of wonders and magic that manages to do so much in the realm of animated films as well as provide a lot of innocence to the world of fantasy. In the end, Tonari no Totoro is an outstanding film from Hayao Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki Films: (The Castle of Cagliostro) – (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) – (Castle in the Sky) – (Kiki’s Delivery Service) – (Porco Rosso) – (Princess Mononoke) – Spirited Away - (Howl’s Moving Castle) – (Ponyo) – The Wind Rises - (How Do You Live?)
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away is the story of a young girl who moves to a new neighborhood as she encounters a magical world where she encounters dark magic and hopes to find ways to free herself and her parents back to the real world. A mixture of fantasy with elements of drama and humor, the film is told in an anime style that is filled with dazzling images that play into the world of fantasy and reality. Featuring the voices of Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, and Bunta Sugawara. Spirited Away is a spellbinding and evocative film from Hayao Miyazaki.
The film revolves around a young girl who enters a fantasy world filled with spirits as she is suddenly trapped in that world, along with her parents who turn into pigs, where she tries to find ways to get out and save her parents. It’s a film that plays into this young girl not only dealing with new changes in her life but also being forced to grow up as she enters this new world that is full of mysticism and wonder. For this young girl in Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi), she has to do things by working in a bathhouse where its guests are strange creatures as it’s run by an old woman named Yubaba (Mari Natuki) in order to find a way to free herself and her parents. In this world where there’s frogs and creatures that talk along with all sorts of strange things where humans are sort of frowned upon. Chihiro would endure the struggles she takes while helping the woman’s apprentice Haku (Miyu Irino) who is trapped in his duties as he also tries to help Chihiro.
Hayao Miyazaki’s screenplay is filled with ideas of a fantasy world where it begins with Chihiro feeling sad over the fact that she’s moving to a new town as her parents are suddenly lost on their way to their new home. By stumbling into a mysterious tunnel and a place that they think is an old amusement park, things suddenly go wrong where Chihiro’s fears definitely come true as she realizes she can’t escape and is trapped. While Haku would help her and try to keep her away from Yubaba, she has trouble adjusting to her new situation as she is also given a new name where Haku has to remind her to not forget her old name. While there’s a few individuals that do provide Chihiro with some comfort, there’s also these strange creatures she encounters as it’s part of this world of fantasy with elements of reality due to the severity of the situation she‘s facing.
Miyazaki’s direction is definitely magical which sort of understates exactly what he’s trying to do. In fact, it’s beyond that since is full of dazzling images and landscapes that is created where it has this mixture of reality and fantasy all rolled into one. Much of it involve these wide shots of the locations along with compositions and angles into the world that is set which includes this extravagant bathhouse that Chihiro has to work at. With the help of animation director Masashi Ando, Miyazaki creates images and creatures that play into the world of fantasy as there’s elements that can be funny. Plus, there’s these moments that are thrilling as well as exotic in its imagery and the texture of the animation. Especially in some amazing sequences in the bathhouses that is extravagant as well as full of adventure. All of which plays into a young girl dealing with her situation and finding a way to return home. Overall, Miyazaki creates a truly sensational yet touching film about a girl who enters a mysterious world.
Cinematographer Atsushi Okui does excellent work with the lighting schemes for some of the interior sequences in the film to play into its rich look. Editor Takeshi Seyama does brilliant work in creating some unique rhythms including a few montages that play to some recurring dreams that Chihiro would endure during her journey. Production designer Norobu Yoshida and art director Yoji Takeshige do fantastic work with the look of the places that Chihiro goes to including the town and the design of the bathhouse. The sound work of Kaz Hayashi does superb work with the sound to play into the sound effects in the film along with some mixing to convey the sense of adventure that is prevalent in the film. The film’s music by Joe Hisaishi is amazing for its quaint yet majestic piano score with some lush string arrangements and traditional Japanese percussion music as it’s a highlight of the film.
The film’s voice cast is incredible as it features notable voice performances from Takashi Naito and Yasuko Sawaguchi as Chihiro’s parents, Ryunosuke Kamiki as Yubaba’s baby son Boh, Yumi Tamai as the worker Lin who helps Chihiro, Akio Nakamura as the mysterious spirit No-Face, and Takehiko Kamijo in a funny role as the bathhouse assistant manager. Bunta Sugawara is excellent as the spider-like man Kamaji who runs the boiler room as he helps out Chihiro. Mari Natsuki is superb in dual voice work as the greedy witch Yubaba who runs the bathhouse as she hopes to own Chihiro as she is also the voice of the more generous witch in Zenbiba.
Miyu Irino is fantastic as Haku as a young apprentice who helps Chihiro in coping with her situation as he tries to figure out how to help her while being trapped as Yubaba’s apprentice. Finally, there’s Rumi Hiiragi in a brilliant voice performance as Chihiro as this young girl who enters a fantasy world as she tries to get out as she later gets the courage to do whatever it takes to free herself and her parents.
Spirited Away is an absolutely magnificent film Hayao Miyazaki. Not only is it one of the finest films from Studio Ghibli and in the world of animated films. It’s also a film that manages to be so much more as it has something for everyone where it’s adventurous, romantic, and funny as it’s supported by some of the finest work in animation. In the end, Spirited Away is an outstanding film Hayao Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki Films: (The Castle of Cagliostro) - (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) - (Castle in the Sky) - My Neighbor Totoro - (Kiki’s Delivery Service) - (Porco Rosso) - (Princess Mononoke) - (Howl’s Moving Castle) - (Ponyo) - The Wind Rises - (How Do You Live?)
© thevoid99 2014
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki from his manga, Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises) is a fictionalized bio-pic about the life of Jiro Horikoshi as he was the man that designed the Mitsubishi A5M and its successor A6M Zero that played a key part in World War II. The film is a more dream-like portrait about Horikoshi’s life with some dramatic embellishments while not deviating too much from the real-life story. For the American-dubbed version of the film that is supervised by Gary Rydstrom, the voice cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, William H. Macy, Elijah Wood, Stanley Tucci, Mae Whitman, Mandy Patinkin, Jennifer Grey, and Werner Herzog. Kaze Tachinu is a mesmerizing film from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki.
The film is fictionalized bio-pic about the life of Jiro Horikoshi that is presented in a dream-like fashion where it goes from Horikoshi as a young boy to becoming the man who would design the Mitsubishi A5M and its successor the A6M Zero that would become the key planes used in World War II. With a mixture of reality and a dream-like world, the film plays into Horikoshi’s desire to create the ultimate airplane that can endure wind resistance and not be intimidated by the advanced technology of other countries. Even as Horikishi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) seeks the advice of the famed Italian plane designer Giovanni Battista Caproni (Stanley Tucci) in his dreams. Through Hayao Miyazaki’s screenplay, the film does have a conventional narrative in terms of structure that plays to Horikoshi’s life but he infuses with bits of surrealism and dreamy textures to make it much more interesting.
Notably as the film plays into key events that would mark Horikoshi’s development from his encounter at the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake as well as his trip to Germany to see how the Germans created their airplanes. These moments would drive Horikoshi to see if he can create a war plane for Japan that would define them as they endure the Great Depression and such. While there would be some failures along the way, Hirokoshi would eventually find more inspiration when he re-meets Naoko (Emily Blunt) whom he had met years ago during a train ride with her sister where they encountered the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. His relationship with Naoko would prove to be a major catalyst to Horikoshi’s development as a man and as an engineer where he would try to balance both roles and later deal with his what he’s achieved.
Miyazaki’s direction is definitely dazzling in the way he creates Japan in the early half of the 20th Century as it’s a world that is trying to catch up with the modern world. Especially as he infuses bits of surrealism into the dream sequences that Horikoshi would have as it features some vast scenes of planes flying around and all sorts of things. Notably in the designs of the planes and how imaginative they look as it plays to what Horikoshi would want to create. The look of Japan from its different backgrounds of mountains, forests, and cities are presented with such great detail as there’s aspects in the background that are just as mesmerizing to look at. Even in the design of the characters which have all of the quintessential elements that is expected in Miyazaki’s work as an animator.
With the aid of cinematographer Atsushi Okui to help in the lighting where much of the animation is in 2-D hand drawn animated style with some computer-based animation for some of the backgrounds. Miyazaki creates something that is truly rich in scope but also infuse it with such artistry in the way the planes are flown as well as the way nature is presented as if it has the feel of a live-action film. Even in some of the compositions and camera work where it has a sense of action but also some drama and humor that just adds to the beauty of the film. Overall, Miyazki creates a truly evocative and sensational film about a dreamer who would create one of the greatest designs for a plane despite the fact that it’s being used as an instrument of war
Editor Takeshi Seyama does amazing work with the film‘s editing in its approach to rhythm for some of its action scenes as well as the dream sequences as it features lots of jump-cuts and disjointed rhythmic cuts to play into that sense of surrealism. Sound designer Koji Kasamatsu and sound editor Gwendolyn Yates Whittle (for its English version) do fantastic work with the sound in creating some of the sound effects used in the film with Whittle providing some low sound textures for some of the English dialogue as background textures. The film’s music by Joe Hisaishi is brilliant for its mixture of lush orchestral pieces with some playful and offbeat music driven by accordions and string instruments.
For the film’s English-language version, the cast includes some contributions from Elijah Wood as a co-worker of Horikoshi, Jennifer Grey as Mrs. Kurokawa, Darren Criss as another worker in Katayama, Mandy Patinkin as one of Horikoshi’s top bosses, Mae Whitman as Horikoshi’s sister Kayo, Zach Callison as the young Horikoshi, William H. Macy as Naoko’s father, Edie Merman as Horikoshi’s mother, and Werner Herzog in a superb voice performance as a German tourist Horikoshi meets in a retreat in the famed Magic Mountains in Japan. Martin Short is very funny as the comical boss Mr. Kurokawa who provides some humor as well as some guidance for Horikoshi while Stanley Tucci is brilliant as the famed Italian plane designer Giovanni Battista Caproni as Tucci sports an Italian accent as he displays warmth and humor into the role of the man who would guide Horikoshi.
John Krasinski is excellent as the voice of Horikoshi’s close colleague Kiro Honjo who aids Horikoshi in some of the designs as he would create his own planes that would also revolutionize planes in Japan. Emily Blunt is wonderful as Naoko as this woman who Horikoshi would meet early on as a young girl and later as a woman who would provide an inspiration and drive for Horikoshi after some of the failures he had to deal with. Finally, there’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing fantastic voice work as Jiro Horikoshi as this young man who dreams of designing an airplane that would define Japan in all of its glory though he is aware of what they’re being used for as he hopes they can provide some meaning into his life.
Kaze Tachinu is a remarkable film from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. It’s a film that is filled with rich images and a captivating story that manages to be wondrous as well as somber for what Jiro Horikoshi wanted to make. While it has some dark elements, it is balanced by the themes of being a dreamer which makes the story far more engaging. If this film is to become Miyazaki’s final contribution to cinema, he at least goes out with a winner. In the end, Kaze Tachinu is a phenomenal film from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
Hayao Miyazaki Films: (The Castle of Cagliostro) - (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) - (Castle in the Sky) - My Neighbor Totoro - (Kiki’s Delivery Service) - (Porco Rosso) - (Princess Mononoke) - Spirited Away - (Howl’s Moving Castle) - (Ponyo) - (How Do You Live?)
© thevoid99 2014
