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Oliverl22
Reviews
Mimi wo sumaseba (1995)
I liked it
I have always been a great fan of Hayao Miyazaki as well as Studio Ghibli.This film was directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Miyazaki which is why I expected something special (which it is in its own right).
The one disappointment I experienced was I expected a stronger love story. The idea of someone leaving their name in every book you read in a library seems to display some strong level of devotion and a unique courtship behavior, although I'm not really that familiar with Japanese cultural norms. Perhaps that sort of thing happens every day there.
The film seems to draw energy from its tranquil emotions at times, conveying the simple idea of a girl growing up. (Which could be a Miyazaki influence) Any angst that occurs is mostly short lived with only slight irritations and tensions. There is a fantasy element through Sizuku's musings that, I thought, could have been enhanced through some stronger parallelism with the main story and perhaps some more elaboration.
The constant struggles of being a creative person is also a strong theme in the film which touches me deeply as an artist and aspiring writer, although the author's hand can be seen vaguely in the portrayal of the main characters and the subject matter involved. (E.gs. All of Shizuku's friends 'worship' Shizuku for her adequate adaptations of 'Country Road'. A lot of the plot seems to be so interrelated with something I can only explain as perfect coincidences).
The film's ending does seem rather unsatisfactory though with a climax leading to something awkward and even childish. After some web browsing I read someone's review who stated it may have been a difference in culture that had me stumped. After a second viewing I came to appreciate the ending for what it was even though it still irritates me. You can decide for yourself if you agree or not. The film reminded me a bit of the film 'Only Yesterday' which also has a 'realistic-fantasy' approach, although 'Only Yesterday' touches on the older culture of Japan. It focuses on a late coming of age story with regular flashbacks.
Music is strange at first with a backtrack of 'Country Road' playing in the background in the opening scene but that seemed to grow on me. There is some beautiful score in this film, especially when Shizuku watches the clock in the antique shop. It has a very melancholic whimsical tone.
The English voice acting is good thanks to the Ghibli-Disney alliance that has brought anime films to a much broader audience. I was not a great fan of Brittany Snow's performance, not because she didn't do a good job, but more because she didn't really suit the character of Shizuku. I feel her voice was a bit too sugary and lacked emotional depth needed. The old man's voice also sounded too "nice" compared to the much wiser sounding voice of the original. (This is my own opinion)
Gin-iro no kami no Agito (2006)
Superb animation and music but...
...who wrote this script and came up with these stagnant characters???
I watched this in sub and then pretended it was translated badly. Dub is fine if you can really stand it. I preferred being able to choose whether I wanted to read the rubbish or not.
Lots of awkward expressions and reactions from characters with a rushed beginning like first impressions are just trite moments in time. I suggest if you watch this anime, switch off the part of your brain that enjoys witty or interesting dialogue and any dramatic tension and get ready for major plot dump.
((Spoiler!)) It seems to pick up somewhere near the end but I think that's just because I was listening to the amazing soundtrack and watching the pretty visuals with branches growing out of people's arms and volcanoes springing out of the ground. The story ends with a wonderful deus ex machina as the the main character energetically transforms into a tree absorbing the baddie with him!
Still, for some reason the movie seems to stick in my head as something worthwhile. Probably my artistic side of my brain being stimulated by all the colours and sound. Reminded me of a Miyazaki without the flare or intelligence and I'm sure the writer had a field day cutting and pasting from Nausicaa and Laputa.