Tag: Studio Ghibli
REVIEW: Pom Poko (1994)
Released in 1994, Pom Poko is based on a true story of urban development in 1960s Japan. The film details how the destruction of sacred forests affected tanuki, or wild Japanese raccoon dogs. Like many of Isao Takahata’s films, Pom Poko presents its story without message or judgment, leaving t...
Read MoreREVIEW: Ocean Waves (1993)
Ocean Waves is the rare Studio Ghibli movie that I’ve not only never seen but never heard of before. Released as a TV movie in 1993, Ocean Waves was directed by Tomomi Mochizukim, marking the first Ghibli film not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata, as well as Mochizukim’s only movie wi...
Read MoreREVIEW: Porco Rosso (1992)
In 1992, Studio Ghibli released Porco Rosso. In some ways, Hayao Miyazaki’s historical fiction fantasy is more reserved than his earlier efforts, but it still maintains a sense of magic in the world. The film has a unique tone, balancing slapstick comedy with serious subject matter. Miyazaki has a...
Read MoreREVIEW: Only Yesterday (1991)
1991 saw the release of Isao Takahata’s second film for Studio Ghibli, Only Yesterday. Hayao Miyazaki was inspired by a manga of the same name, which detailed the everyday life of a little girl named Taeko. However, he didn’t think he could adapt the episodic, vignette-style comics to fe...
Read MoreREVIEW: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Studio Ghibli released two movies in 1988. After Isao Takahata’s first film with the studio, Grave of the Fireflies, explored the aftermath of WWII in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s next was a decidedly more light-hearted venture. Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky were a mixture of fantasy and steampunk, ...
Read MoreREVIEW: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Based on a 1967 autobiographical short story of the same name, 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies would be Isao Takahata’s first film at Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki’s work often overshadows that of his late, lifelong collaborator. However, I think Takahata’s filmography is equally as impressive...
Read More
