The End of Our Ghibli Journey - Renegade Animation #127

In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru wrap up their ongoing journey through the Studio Ghibli catalogue, as they discuss Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo and Kiki's Delivery Service, and Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain (Mike Kaye) speaking, alongside my esteemed co-host and editor of the podcast, The Animation Guru (Cameron Ward). In celebration of Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, The Boy and the Heron, finally opening in US this weekend, this episode concludes an ongoing project we started about 2 1/2 years ago. It’s been an incredible experience going through this wonderful catalogue of films for the first time, and the last 3 stops on our journey are Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Tune into the podcast to hear the full discussion!

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Ponyo

If there was a “try not to smile” challenge in place before I started watching this movie, I’d have failed within the first 5 minutes, if not sooner. Stylistically, this has more in common with My Neighbor Totoro than Princess Mononoke, but is still every bit as imaginative with its world building and character designs. I love the old school watercolor aesthetic of the backgrounds, that reminded me of illustrations from a children’s book. It’s a sweet coming-of-age romance, featuring an all-star English voice cast for the dub, and another fantastic score from composer Joe Hisaishi.

“After the polarizing reception to Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo is a sweet and small-scale return as we follow a romance that is as sweet and endearing as the ocean itself.“ -The Animation Guru

Kiki’s Delivery Service

There’s a reason why this movie is considered a fan favorite for so many people in our generation. Sure, Miyazaki pulls out his usual bag of tricks, but carrying that bag is arguably one of his most relatable protagonists in his entire filmography. Kiki is a wonderful character, and Kirsten Dunst does an incredible job bringing her to life in the English dub, as does the rest of this all-star cast. The late Phil Hartman turns up the snark in his posthumous role as Jiji, while Matthew Lawrence plays the lovable goofball Tombo. Compared to films that came before and after, the stakes in Kiki's Delivery Service are significantly reduced. However, that's what makes it so special, because the message is all about giving yourself a break, taking time to recharge and reevaluate what inspired you in the first place. If you are someone who is suffering from depression, anxiety, burnout, writer's block, imposter syndrome, or just feels overwhelmed, this movie was made for you.

“Kiki’s Delivery Service is a charming low-key coming of age tale of a witch finding her way in life as she ventures out into the world.” -The Animation Guru

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

We began this journey with Isao Takahata, so we might as well end with him. And what better way to end one’s career than with a masterpiece such as this. With the help of Osamu Tanabe's gorgeous character designs and animation, alongside Kazuo Oga's minimalist watercolor art direction, Takahata succeeded in his goal for the audience to "imagine or recall the reality deep within the drawings," a departure from the more realistic art styles of films such as Grave of the Fireflies or Only Yesterday. Combining these incredible moving images with the phenomenal voice cast and a beautiful score composed by the ever amazing Joe Hisaishi (the only time he’s ever collaborated with Takahata as a director), we have the ultimate swan song.

“Isao Takahata's last film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a tragic yet enthralling tale about finding happiness and love in life in a world where women are forced and told what's best for them. A poignant tale that is told through incredible ink-style animation that captures the true beauty of the human experience and in the amazing medium of animation.“ -The Animation Guru

That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining us! We have provided resources for those who wish to support the victims of the Israel-Hamas war: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/, https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/, https://itch.io/b/2120/games-for-gaza, https://www.instagram.com/palestineredcrescent/, https://buildpalestine.com/2021/05/15/trusted-organizations-to-donate-to-palestine/, https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1205235922/help-israel-gaza-humanitarian-organizations.

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