Reviews by Kyle Ellis

Pompoko is a touch too long, but it is still a very good film with an environmentalist message that is quite hard-hitting yet never feels overplayed. For Ghibli, it is quite ambitious and quite different, this is not a bad thing at all, quite the contrary, and while not their best it has the elements that makes their films so pleasing. The animation is once again stunning, and the music is haunting, beautiful and quite evocative. The dialogue is good on the whole, perhaps the odd stilted moment but it is thought-provoking and intelligent, while the story and characters are engaging enough and the voice work as always is excellent. Not a classic, but definitely worth a look. 8/10 Bethany Cox

'When Marnie Was There' may not be one of Studio Ghibli's best films ('Princess Mononoke', 'Spirited Away', 'My Neighbour Totoro', 'Castle in the Sky', 'Whisper of the Heart' and 'Grave of the Fireflies).

But even when Ghibli are not at their best they still produce films that are better than most studios at their worst, while 'Tales from Earthsea' is from personal opinion their weakest effort it does have enough to make it watchable still. 'When Marnie Was There' drags a little at times particularly in the first half an hour or so, which is somewhat aimless, and some of the supporting characters could have been much better fleshed out.

These flaws aside, 'When Marnie Was There' is still a real charmer, and ranks possibly around higher middle of Studio Ghibli's filmography. Its best assets have to be the animation and the music. The animation is simply wondrous, the colours are both atmospheric and ethereal, all the characters are appealingly drawn in distinctive Studio Ghibli fashion and the backgrounds are exquisitely detailed and gorgeously idyllic, was also really impressed by how Anna's facial expressions conveyed so much. The music is incredibly beautifully orchestrated and sears with emotion , nostalgia and atmosphere, often appropriately gentle and sometimes melancholic. "Fire on the Outside" is genuinely moving as well, not mawkish or over-sentimental at all.

Scripting warms the heart and moves the soul, the lack of humour not being an issue at all, and actually considering the story it would have felt very misplaced if it was included. The story, centring around Marnie and Anna's friendship, is haunting, heart-warming and often incredibly poignant with the right amount of mystery, the central friendship being charmingly and sometimes heart-wrenchingly portrayed. The message is a strong one, and gives the film an uplifting quality, if one is wondering how the message is written here it does succeed in not preaching too much.

Marnie and Anna are likable, well-written characters , while the voice actors fill their roles sensitively.

All in all, not one of Studio Ghibli's finest but still a charmer. The DVD bought from Amazon was pricey, but at the end of the day it didn't feel like a waste of money. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I am a huge Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki fan, and My Neighbour Totoro is no exception. In fact it is one of my favourites from them. There are so many wonderful things about My Neighbour Totoro. It is very simple in story and character but it is all very beautiful, charming and touching. The animation is typical Ghibli, ethereal-looking and just ravishing to watch, while the music is one of my favourite scores in a Ghibli film. The story is simple, but I loved the simplicity, it had such a pleasant atmosphere to it, and the characters are engaging with great chemistry together. I have very little to complain about the voice acting either, everybody did a fine job. In conclusion, in my opinion this is an animated classic. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Anime: Princess Mononoke

The Wolf Girl herself, San, was abandoned as a baby and raised by the wolf goddess Moro.

She concerns herself entirely with protecting the forest, driven by an animalistic nature.

But over the course of the story, and due to meeting Ashitaka, she’s driven to reflect upon human nurture and the environment on a more macroscopic level.

Nonetheless, she’s ferocious and vindictive, pushing herself to assassinate Lady Eboshi and end Irontown at any cost.

With her necklace and fur cape, red facial war paint, and opal earrings, her character design is easily the coolest to me.

Anime: Spirited Away

Here we go.

No Face is perhaps the modern face of Studio Ghibli.

His ominous grunts, non-binary spectral form, and grotesquely horrifying other-side, made him one of the coolest and grittiest characters the studio had to offer.

He’s lonely, unable to communicate beyond a basic level, and frightening to most. Once the greed and gluttony of the bathhouse consumes him, he transforms into a monstrous creature, proving he’s just a reflection of those around him.

His story arc is a complete yet enigmatic one.

And that only adds to the unusual allure and mystique surrounding his character. One of the greatest characters Studio Ghibli has to offer.

Anime: Grave of the Fireflies

Seita’s ambition is a simple and entirely honorable one.

Unlike other characters on this list, he’s driven by a selfless desire for the basic aspects of human survival.

Water, shelter, food, and warmth.

After losing their family and home in the [Link removed - login to see] of World War II, Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are forced to the streets to survive.

He puts everything on the line for him and his little sister, trying his hardest to turn the impossibly cruel tide that’s washing them both away.

One of the most human characters in anime, not just in Studio Ghibli but of any series.

Anime: The Wind Rises

Jiro is the myopic plane-obsessed protagonist of The Wind Rises, who overcomes his vision issues to become an accomplished airplane designer.

He’s a good natured man with great, though complex, ambition.

He becomes embroiled in something far greater than himself, and is stricken by a moral conflict… but never lets anything overrule his true love for Naoko.

Jiro is a realistic, lovable protagonist, with adult wants and needs – and he quickly became a Ghibli fan favorite.

Anime: Whisper of the Heart

Shisuku is the protagonist of Whisper of the Heart, a mid-teenaged girl troubled with motivation, ambition, and feelings of inferiority.


She wants to write a book – entitled Whisper of the Heart – but is unable until she meets someone with equal but more proactive drive.

This throws her into [Link removed - login to see] of finding oneself through artistic endeavor, putting passion and effort into ink no matter the result.

Anime: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

We see Kaguya from her impossibly small, seed-like beginnings, all the way to her young adulthood.

She was [Link removed - login to see] due to her miraculous ‘birth’ from a bamboo shoot and rapid growth, seen as a sign from a God.

She’s well-meaning, loving, and very appreciative – however the nobility thrust upon her fills her with unease, and she wishes only for the individualist lifestyle of her childhood.

The art style compliments her quaint and soft personality so well, embedding every scene with an air of mysticism and beauty.

Anime: Spirited Away

Nigihayami Kohakunishi, the God of the Swift Amber River, is one of the protagonists of Spirited Away.

He looks young, but could be far older, as he’s actually a great white serpentine dragon of unknown age. Welcome to anime, right?

Throughout Spirited Away, he aids Chihiro with trying to escape the land of the spirits and the bathhouse, and in the process seeks freedom himself.

His design is incredible, and his personality is calm and infectiously cool.