CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

I've only included the ones released in the US. Which do you all like the best? Which is Studio Ghibli's masterpiece??

Man, of the ones I've seen I can't pick just one -- you should have made your poll so a person could pick more than one.

I've seen them all except for My Neighbors the Yamadas, The Cat Returns and Howl's Moving Castle -- but of what's left there, Pom Poko is probably my least favorite. The rest of them tie for first.

[Edit: I decided on Kiki's Delivery Service after some thought. ^_^ ]

Most of the titles you have placed up have one thing in common, they are all from Studio Ghibli. However, they were not all directed by Miyazaki. He may have had his hand in the production of some or most and even worked on Screenplays but some were directed by others.

Those directed by Miyazaki:
Nausicaa
Totoro
Castle
Kiki
Porco Rosso
Princess Momonoke
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle

Those directed by Isao Takahata:
Pom Poko
My Neighbors The Yamadas

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondou:
Whisper Of The Heart

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita:
The Cat Returns

My favorite feature directed by Miyazaki would be Kiki's Delivery Service. It just has a charm that I like. Thus how I voted on this list.

If I would pick just a favorite Studio Ghibli title it would be a tie between Whisper Of The Heart or Only Yesterday (not released yet on region 1 but keeping my fingers crossed).

Princess Mononoke.

Rev. Doc wrote:Most of the titles you have placed up have one thing in common, they are all from Studio Ghibli. However, they were not all directed by Miyazaki. He may have had his hand in the production of some or most and even worked on Screenplays but some were directed by others.

Those directed by Miyazaki:
Nausicaa
Totoro
Castle
Kiki
Porco Rosso
Princess Momonoke
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle

Those directed by Isao Takahata:
Pom Poko
My Neighbors The Yamadas

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondou:
Whisper Of The Heart

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita:
The Cat Returns

My favorite feature directed by Miyazaki would be Kiki's Delivery Service. It just has a charm that I like. Thus how I voted on this list.

If I would pick just a favorite Studio Ghibli title it would be a tie between Whisper Of The Heart or Only Yesterday (not released yet on region 1 but keeping my fingers crossed).

Yeah - I tried to fix it, but I don' think I can edit the poll...

No you can't But you can edit the title, I think.

AHHH

Miyazaki- A tie between Sprited Away and Howl's Moving Caslte

Ghibli- Whisper of the Heart

Nausicaa

TheMelodyMaker wrote:
[Edit: I decided on Kiki's Delivery Service after some thought. ^_^ ]

What do you and Rev. Doc like so much about Kiki? I think it's pretty cool, but I wouldn't have qualified it as my favorite.

I'm voting for Spirited Away. I think the animation in it is unparalleled, and the concept is unique. Though, I am torn between that and Mononoke...

Howl's Moving Castle is the only Ghibli film I've actually ENJOYED. Spirited Away would probably be second, but most of the others I really disliked, actually. =S

Ashley wrote:Howl's Moving Castle is the only Ghibli film I've actually ENJOYED. Spirited Away would probably be second, but most of the others I really disliked, actually. =S

What did you dislike about the others? Just wondering, cos I do that...

Mononoke. I can't explain it, but it gives me a sort of bitter-sweet sensation. I really like that the end wasn't the happy "everything's okay" that I was expecting while I was watching it.

I was hoping that Only Yesterday would be on the list since I really enjoyed it when it was on Turner Classic Movies during the week of Miyazaki.Plus it was different in that it was subbed only.So instead I voted for Whisper of the Heart which was a really sweet movie.

Castle in the Sky, followed by Whisper of the Heart, and then Spirited Away. Great movies.

Kokhiri Sojourn wrote:What do you and Rev. Doc like so much about Kiki?

Speaking for myself, I enjoyed the character interaction in Kiki more than I did in most of the other titles. This isn't saying I didn't like the others, I own most of them, I just found a charm and innocence in Kiki. While Kiki is a witch, it's more of a slice of life title (much like Whispers and Only Yesterday) and I like that type of feature. The others delved more into fantasy, which Kiki didn't go too deep into.

Mmm... Guess I'm the only one who liked My Neighbor Totoro. I loved that one. I think I'd put Howl's Moving Castle next. They're the only two I actually bought. And I bought a plushie Catbus when I was in Japantown in San Francisco in August. ^_^
I think I'd put Spirited Away behind those two. I wasn't crazy about Princess Mononoke. Most of the others I haven't seen.

What did you dislike about the others? Just wondering, cos I do that...

Eh, personal taste really. I found the others to be bland or just flat out boring. Overall I just find Miyazaki to be, as my boyfriend put it, "the anime equivalent of classical music."

my favorite will always be Howls moving castle. but after taht it would prolly be Totoro or princess mononoke. i love all of myazaki's films tho. (excluding pom pocco :p )

on a side note his films have some great music in it too. i love the orchestra peices that are in most of them.

I voted Nausicaa but I love all of them I've seen (excluding the very distracting Pom Poko). From best to least favourite:

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Spirited Away
My Neighbor Totoro
Castle in the Sky
Kiki's Delivery Service
Whisper of the Heart
Porco Rosso
Princess Mononoke
Howl's Moving Castle
The Cat Returns
Pom Poko

Well, if I have to choose one. Spirited Away, for the primary reason that of all his films I've watched, it was the most straightforward to understand and had the most concise ending. Laputa probably takes second.

I love Whisper of the Heart because I can relate to the character so well, but the ending is lackluster. I love the setting, design and characters of Mononoke, as well as the basic premise, but I literally had to watch it three times before I understood most of it. A movie just shouldn't be that hard to understand!

Hmmm... I really enjoyed Whisper of the Heart also (even though it normally is not my type of movie at all) but Studio Ghibli did something right. I loved it all and had no problem understanding it. A very good movie.

Sami_jane wrote:
his films have some great music in it too. i love the orchestra peices that are in most of them.

I totally agree. I have the Mononoke soundtrack as well as some of the songs from Spirited Away as well. Great stuff that almost furthers the meaning of the films.

Esoteric wrote:
Well, if I have to choose one. Spirited Away, for the primary reason that of all his films I've watched, it was the most straightforward to understand and had the most concise ending. Laputa probably takes second.

I love Whisper of the Heart because I can relate to the character so well, but the ending is lackluster. I love the setting, design and characters of Mononoke, as well as the basic premise, but I literally had to watch it three times before I understood most of it. A movie just shouldn't be that hard to understand!

I found some of the content of Spirited Away confusing, but mainly the religious overtones in parts of it (i.e. Haku = river). What did you find confusing about Mononoke?

i've only seen spirited away so i didn't vote. however, i want to see princess mononoke and howl's moving castle (because i read the book). mainly princess mononoke though.

You'll get your chance this Saturday on Toonami!

Radical Dreamer wrote:Castle in the Sky, followed by Whisper of the Heart, and then Spirited Away. Great movies.

I agree with RD on this these are my favorite Miyazaki movies

Kokhiri Sojourn wrote:I found some of the content of Spirited Away confusing, but mainly the religious overtones in parts of it (i.e. Haku = river). What did you find confusing about Mononoke?

It's difficult for me to remember details now, but I believe I found Mononoke confusing for the same reason you found Spirited Away confusing...the religious symbolism. I was familiar with most basic concepts in Shintoism before watching it, but toward the ending battle, it was became less obvious to me why people were doing or saying certain things. By the time the demon white Boar and dead wolf's head rolled around, I remember wondering...uh, what's going on? Again, after I watched it a third time (with some space between the viewings) all the little pieces finally clicked...and there were a lot of them.

The Haku=river, I'll agree is alittle strange in Spirited Away, but as far as plot progression, it felt more straight forward: Sen wants to rescue her parents and get home. After a number of experiences and an adventure, Sen succeeds. Everybody's happy, (except maybe Ubaba). No loose ends, nice and neat.

Esoteric wrote:It's difficult for me to remember details now, but I believe I found Mononoke confusing for the same reason you found Spirited Away confusing...the religious symbolism. I was familiar with most basic concepts in Shintoism before watching it, but toward the ending battle, it was became less obvious to me why people were doing or saying certain things. By the time the demon white Boar and dead wolf's head rolled around, I remember wondering...uh, what's going on? Again, after I watched it a third time (with some space between the viewings) all the little pieces finally clicked...and there were a lot of them.

The Haku=river, I'll agree is alittle strange in Spirited Away, but as far as plot progression, it felt more straight forward: Sen wants to rescue her parents and get home. After a number of experiences and an adventure, Sen succeeds. Everybody's happy, (except maybe Ubaba). No loose ends, nice and neat.

Yeah - that makes sense. I'm less familiar with the eastern religions than the western, and Shintoism is definitely characteristic of that fact.

But I agree with you on Spirited Away. I did vote for it. And the art in it is just breath-taking at times.

I can't decide @_@... BTW Castle of Cagliostro isn't up there and I LOVE that movie! Not even sure what's that amazing about it, but I've only seen like... nto sure how many times^^

Honestly, it's a tough one... too many to pick from >_< Reminds me that I still don't own Totoro yet... that was a great little movie^^

Hard choice! I voted Castle in the Sky, mainly because it was the first Miyazaki film I saw, and it just stuck with me. Although, I could easily say Mononoke and Nausicaa too...agh...too many choices.

The only 2 ghibli movies I enjoyed were 1. Totoro (miyazaki) and 2. Grave of the Fireflies. Also spirited away.

Seriously, Miyazaki is so overrated. I don't find much of his stuff "as good" as people say they are. Howl's Moving Castle was a huge dissapointment for me.