Studio Ghibli Top Five!!!!!

4. Kiki's Delivery Service

Summary:
At the age of 13 a witch in training is supposed to leave home for a year and begin her journey toward becoming an established witch. Kiki is the right age for such an adventure as she sets off for a land by the sea with nothing but her broom and Jiji, her trusted black cat companion. She soon finds herself starting a delivery service in Koriko where she makes several friends and catches the eye of a local boy who is an air travel fanatic. However after Kiki falls ill her powers to fly and speak to Jiji begin to diminish.

Opinions:
When watching this film you can't help but find yourself instantly hooked. Whether it's the style of the animation, the incredibly well structured and gripping storyline, the charming and well established characters or simply the genious mind of Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki's delivery service is a huge success in my eyes. It's fantasy based storyline is one of the rare gems that could grip any generation. However i find this is the case with a large majority of Ghibli productions with a few exceptions (Princess Mononoke for example). In addition, the fact that almost all of the Ghibli films protagonists are children or young adolesents is a clear representation that their films are family oriented. Yet although this is the case Kiki doesn't feel like it is forcibly child friendly in the sense that anyone could watch it and still find parts of it they would enjoy even if it wasn't to their tatse. Therefore i strongly feel that this anime deserves a place in my top five and in fact even believe that it will be a film that i will remeber fondly for years to come.


Rating: 3.5/5.0 Good

Kiki's Deliver Service [July 1989]
Story by Hayao Miyazaki
Directed by  Hayao Miyazaki
Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli Top Five!!!!!

5.  Tales From Earthsea

 

Summary:
Set in a kingdom thrown into chaos with the murder of it's king and a missing prince the world is in need of a hero. The film centres around a rogue wizard naked Ged or 'Sparrowhawk' as he is otherwise known and the young prince Arren as they investigate the evil that is hovering over the nearby towns. After a rough encounter with a slave driver and a young girl with a disfigured face, Arren soon finds himself faced with a quest to save his friends and to confront an evil witch that may be the source of chaos within the land.

Opinions:
I find this Anime exciting in several ways. The fantasy styled environment produces a great setting for all the action that takes place within this story. This alongside the strong personalities of the characters contained, results in an immersive and entertaining film. However, to some extent, this does fall short when compared with the high standards of which Studio Ghibli has previously reached. This is mainly due to some parts of the storyline being seemingly unfinished in addition to the fact that the animation and pace of this film doesn't quite seem to match those of other Ghibli productions. However, despite these errors i still believe this film is deserving of a spot in my personal top five Ghibli films as i found it engaging and otherwise brilliant. This will surely appeal to a large audience and i would advise any long term anime fan or newcomer alike to take a gander at what it has to offer.


Rating: 3.0/5.0 Average


Tales From Earthsea [July 2006]
Story by Hayao Miyazaki
Directed by  Hayao Miyazaki
Studio Ghibli, Walt Disney Pictures

Studio Ghibli Top 5 Coming soon!

Sorry for the delay i've been busy recently but my top 5 special of Studio Ghibli reviews is coming soon :)

Review Number 3! Elfen Lied

 

Summary:
Elfen Lied is a short 13 episode action drama series that revolves around the tale of a new form of human species called ''Diclonius''. The new species retain powerful telekinetic abilities in which they are able to use additional, invisible limbs known as ''vectors'' of extreme physical strength. The series is mainly centred around ''Lucy'' a Diclonius who violently escapes an experimental lab during the opening of the series only to lose her memories after a bullet ricochetes off of her metal helmet. She is soon discovered by Kohta and Yuka, cousins who live in the local area. However Lucy has now subconsciously developed a split persona in which the dormant Lucy is suppressed alongside her violent tendencies, and the other, new personality ''Nyu'' remains in her place. Nyu is the more childlike and innocent character of the series used as a portrayal of Lucys ''innocent'' side and is incapable of speech.
As the series unfolds Kohta and Yuka become immersed in the mystery of Nyu's past and with an army on the hunt for the missing Diclonious, and the threat of Nyu's dangerous alter ego's return they really are ''swimming with the sharks''.

Opinions:
This series is perhaps one of the most interesting that i have ever watched and in turn definately in my top 5 all time favourites. I must warn viewers however that this series contains extreme violence and frequent nudity so viewer discretion is advised. This is obvious from the first scene which is particularly well known for it's graphically bloody content. The nudity to me however personally feels unnecessary and superfluous yet i'm sure that the creator of the original manga (Lynn Okamoto) felt it was required to perhaps represent the vulnerability of Lucy and the Diclonius species. However, the violent scenes on the other hand feel apt in this case as they convey the hatred felt by the suppressed Diclonius species due to the excessive testing and discrimination they undergo. In particular, Lucy's childhood plays a key role in helping the audience to understand her emotions.
Personally i feel that this anime does a trumendous job in successfully combining action, drama, mystery and compassion. I felt completely absorbed in the characters lives and feelings and with each episode i found myself that much more immersed. I would recommend this anime to anyone looking for intense action alongside a beautifully crafted storyline and stunning visual animation.

Rating: 5.0 /5.0 Outstanding


Link to watch the series:
http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/elfen-lied-english-dubbed-online-free

Link to buy the series:
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3366180/Elfen-Lied-Complete-Collection/Product.

Elfen Lied [July 2004]
Story by Lynn Okamoto
Directed by Mamoru Kanbe
ARMS, Madman Entertainment

Review Number 2! .....Eden of The East

Summary:
Eden Of The East is a short 11 episode mystery series that is a particularly good example of the genre done well. It centres around a young girl named Morimi Saki who, upon graduation takes a trip to the USA. She soon finds herself involved with a mysterious man , Takizawa Akira, who finds himself naked, with no memory and only a gun and a phone as his sole possessions. As the story unfolds they discover that Akira's phone holds the key to the mystery. With a strange woman on the recieving end who grants wishes, ¥10 billion to spend on his ''mission'' and threat of impending death, Akira and Saki must solve the mystery before it's too late.

Opinions:
This Anime provides a more differing experience to the generic series on sale at the moment. With a gripping story the pulls you into each episode more than the last and a slick style of animation to boot, Eden of The East proves an invaluable experience for any anime fan. Certain scenes however are some what odd in the sense that they are left open ended and unanswered. However, with the release of  two new movies at the moment, it is promising that we may have those questions finally answered. However, don't let this detour you from watching this brilliant piece of animation. Eden of The East is a rare Anime that doesnt conform to the generic style, so expect twists and turns throughout but in a way that doesnt leave you feeling lost, well..... not completely. Yet, with a director like Kenji Kamiyama, (Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Blood The Last Vampire) you can always expect a brilliantly complex storyline but with characters and animation that all work simultaneously in quite a beautiful way leaving you fully immersed.
Although a little on the short side, Eden Of The East is a classic piece of anime mastery, and in a sense the length of the series means it isnt too heavy for newcomers to the Anime artform yet still long enough to have enough depth for those looking for something worthwhile to add to their collection.

Rating: 4.5/5 Excellent

Link to watch series online:
http://www.animecrazy.net/eden-of-the-east-anime/

Link to buy series:
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/15784502/Eden-Of-The-East/

Eden Of The East [April 2009]

Story by Kenji Kamiyama

Production I.G, Funimation Entertainment.

Review 1 !...... Summer Wars!

Summary:

Summer Wars is a sci-fi, action, romantic comedy which is a joy to watch for long term anime fans and newbies alike. It follows the story of Kenji, a highly intelligent math whizz with a high level of computer literacy and Natsuki, a popular school girl who selects Kenji as a ''fake'' boyfriend to take home to meet her family.     The story is centred around a computer based world called 'OZ' which combines the functions of most popular social networking and shopping sites alongside business meeting outlets etc. However as society becomes more reliant on OZ as a large part of their everyday lives this leaves their personal information vulnerable. So after recieving a mysterious crypted text message and solving it, Kenji unintentionally allows a virus programme into the system with access to the worlds technology and thus throwing society into chaos.

Opinions:

By combining a gripping sci-fi adventure with the subtle realism of the family relationships, Summer Wars proves to be a valuable Anime for any collection. The humour and romantic underlay prove to make it a far more enthralling story than the usual ''bog standard'' action film and in terms of science fiction, this Anime can definately hold its own.

Rating:
4.0 / 5.0  Excellent


Link to watch movie online:
http://www.animecrazy.net/summer-wars-watch/

Link to buy movie:
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/13530420/Summer-Wars/


Summer Wars [August 2009]
Story by Mamoru Hosoda
Madhouse, Warner Bros Pictures