~When Marnie Was There~

In 2014 Studio Ghibli released “When Marnie Was There.” a movie based off a book of the same name. It was written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (who directed “The Secret World of Arrietty”).

It is about a girl who lives in a foster home and has various emotional problems as well as some health issues. She is sent to the country side to stay with her foster mothers family for fresh air in hopes she gets better. She does not get along with others easily and seems to have quite a bit social anxiety on top of issues many girls her age deal with. She prefers to keep to herself and draw things around her, which she is very talented at.

Early on during her stay with relatives she sees a beautiful abandoned house on a hill side and begins to see a girl and others living there. She becomes secret friends with the girl Marnie and with her help she grows quite a bit while making a few revelations.

I’ll say right away that I usually enjoy movies like this that really show some of the raw problems some people face. Plus I like more down to earth and relatable stories like “Whisper of the Heart” sometimes over other more exciting go go go movies. I found myself understanding the main character and some of the feelings she has which seem very common in many pubescent girls of the same age. Some of the story telling was a bit choppy to me but I think with what is going on in the story it is hard for it not to be. I love the scenery in this movie and feel it shows that wonderful background that other Studio Ghibli movies have. After watching this movie I would really like to read the novel it was based off of for sure.

Have you seen this movie? What did you  think of it? Let me know in the comments!

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of if not the first Studio Ghibli films I saw when I was very young and quickly became obsessed. Every morning for weeks I would get up before the rest of my family and would put my VHS copy in the player and watch it then rewatch it and so on. I loved the story and desperately wanted to be a witch like Kiki. I’ll admit that I could often be found standing in front of the large rotating fan riding on the broom and imagining flying with the wind in my hair just like Kiki. I may have even jumped off some furniture to make myself take flight but to no avail.

If you are unfamiliar with this movie go and watch it right away, it is a Miyazaki classic and worthy of the praise it receives. It centers around the 13-year-old witch in training Kiki as she sets out on her own as is a tradition amongst witches. She finds a town by the sea and comes to know many different people that live there. She finds a job delivering packages by flying around since that is her only real skill when it comes to witchcraft.

She catches the eye of the goober Tombo who has a keen interest in flying himself so he nearly idolizes Kiki for her ability. She thinks him rude and doesn’t much care for the friends he hangs around with but soon warms up to him through many encounters. The townspeople initially seem to treat her with odd attitudes making her feel very much like an outsider. After some dashing heroics on her part, the town comes to love her and accept her kindly.

It’s a great family movie and will always have a special place in my heart. Tell me what you thought of it and when the first time you saw it was in the comments!

~Miyazaki Mania~

So this Week my Step-daughter is on Spring Break and we will be having a Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli marathon throughout the week >_<. I love all of the films so much and have since I was a toddler, “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service” were just as much a part of my childhood than the Disney films. At the End of the week I will be posting reviews over each movie and rate them as to which ones I think are the best.

My question for you is which films are your favorite? Is there any Studio Ghibli Film you dislike? Let me know in the comments!