The Wind Rises (2013)

The Wind Rises – Hayao Miyazaki

Kaze tachinu (original title)

Summary:  Since a boy, Jirô Horikoshi (voiced by Hideaki Anno) dreams of flying.  Upon discovering his unfortunate nearsightedness he doesn’t let it thwart his fascination with aircrafts; instead Jirô decides if he can’t fly planes, he’ll design them.  Yet, life hasn’t laid an easy path for him, but with each struggle greater than the one before, they each guide him closer to his goal.  When he begins his journey travelling to Tokyo to begin his studies in aeronatuical engineering the Great Kanto Earthquake strikes. Panic and devastation spreads around him, yet a chance meeting with a young girl called Naoko (voiced by Miori Takimoto) will later have a big impact on his life too, despite leaving her and her maid he had helped to safety without leaving his name.  He walks away and continues his life towards becoming one of Japan’s greatest airplane designers in history.

My Review:  This wasn’t the type of Studio Ghibli I was expecting.  Although I have watched some creations from the Japanese animation powerhouse that have certainly had a teaching element; The Wind Rises told a different tale of true historical stories Japan experienced and learnt from in it’s history.  That’s not the usual imagined faraway places, with magnificent characters and beings, but it wasn’t disappointing either.  It scratches at the surface of a number of unhappy times for the country, like the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1927 as mentioned above, the effects of the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidermic and Japan’s involvement in the war.  All still with the Studio Ghibli’s glowing wonder of stunning visuals. It may be a bittersweet struggle The Wind Rises shows of Jirô’s journey in becoming an accomplished airplane designer, against formidable hurdles, but it’s his quiet ambition that’s the real uplifting factor, if you watch it closely enough.

My Rating: 2.5/5

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Akira (1988)

Akira – Katsuhiro Ôtomo

Summary:  Tokyo has been destroyed by a psychic explosion, triggering World War III.  A new city is built within its place and named Neo-Tokyo.  By 2019 Neo-Tokyo has grown into a dystopian metropolis, overrun by gang violence and anti-government terrorism.  It is one night when two rival motorcycle gangs fight against one another, speeding down vast highways, when Tetsuo Shima (voice of Nozomu Sasaki) narrowly avoids colliding with someone, or something, in the middle of the road.  The next thing Tetsuo remembers is waking up in a secret government hospital to horrifying hallucinations, suffering unbearable pain, but holding newly acquired psychic and powerful abilities.  What he doesn’t know is why this is happening or how he’s now mixed up in a governmental secret defence project named Akira.

My Review:  Not being able to recall when, how or where; I’ve always been aware of Akira’s cult presence, visually at least.  The striking red motorcycle and red leather gang outfit is apparently etched into my memory from somewhere, because when I saw Akira in a top 100 world cinema film list, I recognised it.  However, I also knew I’ve never watched it.  Having only dipped my toes into Japanese anime since my childhood love of Pokémon, and thus other anime TV shows, it’s incredible how such a landmark animation film was made just a year before I was born.  The sheer power and force of creativity in both the story and the film’s animation really is astounding; it’s no wonder why this film is so respected.  If you’re one who doesn’t ‘get’ Japanese anime, this could open up a whole new world for you.  It has me.

My Rating: 3.5/5

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Arrietty (2010)

Arrietty – Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Kari-gurashi no Arietti (original title)

Summary:  A boy named Sho will never forget the summer he stayed at his Aunt’s house in the countryside.  Disheartened at first by his absent parents, he spots something peculiar and wondrous in the garden upon arrival; a 4-inch girl.  She soon dashes out of his sight and back to her home where she lives under the floorboards, unbeknownst to Sho’s Aunt and the housemaid. Her name is Arrietty and she lives with her mother and father, whom are all “borrowers” – tiny people who live secretly out of sight from humans, but borrow items from their homes.  Although Arrietty believes Sho didn’t see her, it will not be the first time she’s discovered.

My Review:  There’s no other anime that gives you a visual experience quite like a Studio Ghibli; and that hasn’t been amiss with Arrietty.  The lush countryside, the whimsical miniature world of Arrietty’s home with its secret pathways – even the human-sized kitchen has a sheen of wonderment seen through her eyes.  With many Studio Ghibli’s, I feel you could almost feel and smell the surroundings, most of their narratives are divinely unique, however growing up with the story of the original “Borrowers” it didn’t sparkle quite as magical as other Ghibli films for me personally.  Short and quietly enchanting, there’s still the subtle bitter-sweet themes within the story that makes it part of the family, a relaxing watch.

My Rating: 2.5/5

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Persepolis (2007)

Persepolis – Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi

Summary: A young girl growing up in Tehran begins to learn of her country’s politics as Iran’s uprising against its Shah topples him from power.  Marjane’s uncle, having once been imprisoned for rebelling against the government, is released and is hugely impressionable as she comes of age, against the backdrop of the Islamic revolution.  Refusing to be repressed by the new regime she actively rejects it, celebrating punk rock and wearing denim with her now forcibly-worn head scarf.  But, she soon realises even these simple freedoms are wiped from under her feet and what was once her home quickly becomes a place to fear.

My Review:  All geared up for a powerful subtitled Iranian film, I was surprised to hear the familiar voices of Sean Penn and Iggy Pop.  I later found out this was only for the English release however, and discovering more about Iran, its culture and history, were still definitely on the menu.  Adapted from an autographical graphic novel, it’s not as hard-hitting as what I was expecting, I can’t tell if this is because the sometimes comical animation softens the blow, but the story told definitely deserves wider attention in the west than what it’s so far received.  A thought-provoking watch, shining light to a side in the middle-east not always understood.

My Rating: 3/5

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