Miyazaki Ranked: Top 5

Continuing the countdown we now come to the top five. Having watched all of these, you can tell that the common themes in a Miyazaki movie are: a fear of industry and pollution; the damage caused by environmental degradation; hatred of war; magic or monsters living within a 'normal' human world;  characters losing their purpose or being and having to rediscover it; humorous, often animal sidekicks; and most developed of all is a love of flight, particularly magical flight, propelled vehicles, and levitation. He often has female lead characters, particularly ones in their early teens. Here's the top five, the last five are here

5. Ponyo On the Cliff By The Sea [2008]

Plot: A young boy, Sosuke, finds a fish which turns out to be a mermaid named Ponyo. Together they must help each other decide whether the mermaid should stay on the land or return to the sea.

Ponyo In fish form [source]

Review: A Japanese take on the little mermaid: which means the little mermaid plus a bit of madness. Ponyo herself is a little frightening, but I suppose that's to be expected with her parents (a sea goddess and a mad scientist who lives underwater) - there is mild peril throughout, but at the heart of the story is a tale of love between two six year olds. However, it's a lot nicer than that sounds, a sweet, charming movie with some incredible scenes, the most obvious one is Ponyo's entrance on the fish-waves, and a less obvious one is the ineptitude of Sosuke's mothers driving, she's terrible. Still, a wonderful kids movie, and the animation is top-notch, especially the ocean scenes.  


Rating: 4 1/2

4. Porco Rosso [1992]

Plot: An Italian bounty hunter pilot, cursed to have the head of a pig, struggles to compete with a new American pilot brought in by his enemies.

Porco and the American pilot, Curtis. Why is he wearing glasses indoors? [Source]

Review: Despite the pig-head, this is the most straight forward and realistic of all his pieces. It's essentially a love letter to flight, and the scenes of flying are wonderful. It's set in the Adriatic sea and it looks even better than that does in real life. A tale Porco tells his engineer about a cloud prairie is brilliant. The movie is romantic, funny, spooky, and beautiful. It's a huge favourite of mine, despite the breezy plot. Magic.

Rating: 4 1/2

3. Spirited Away [2001]

Plot: A girl must work in a bathhouse for Japanese gods and find a way to return to the real world and recover her parents, who were turned into pigs

Pigs, a wonderful, delicious animal. [source]

Review: Probably the most famous Miyazaki movie in the West, and a great movie in its own right. There are so many cool things in it, my favourites: the radish god, the soot sprites and Kamachi in the basement, and the giant yellow ducks. On top of everything, you get a lesson about personal growth and morality, what more could one want? Oh, a giant baby and an evil sauna boss who looks like Margaret Thatcher? You got it. Incidentally, the street where the shops are at the beginning bears for me a more than passing resemblance to Newcastle-Upon Tyne's chinatown at dusk. 

Rating: 5

2. My Neighbour Totoro [1988]

Plot: Two young girls and their father move to a new house and wait for their mother to recover from an illness. They encounter a gigantic, benevolent spirit, Totoro, and his pals.

Totoro with a few pals. Is he based on a chinchilla? Perhaps. [source]

Review: The best children's movie ever? Probably, although Dumbo and maybe the Lion King are both pretty hot too. Totoro is spectacular, and it's peaceful and charming enough to enjoy as a fully grown person as well. There's no real bad guy in the piece, it's just a fond, evocative movie. It also has the Catbus, possibly the best thing ever. This was a huge favourite of mine when I was a kid, and it remains great fun now. Wonderful, magic, and a little sad, it's everything a movie, and life, should be. 


Rating: 5

1. Princess Mononoke [1997]

Plot: An outcast human intervenes in the battle between a fortified iron mill, a corrupt samurai and his army, and the sentient, intelligent animal gods. Among these gods are three giant wolves who have a girl, Mononoke, as an ally.

Is two wolves and a human enough to count as a pack? [source]

Review: I realise that that plot synopsis was insane, but it's as succinct as it can be. This movie is truly epic: violent and evocative, and sad, nothing is in black and white. It's very difficult to recognise who is bad and who is good. For example, the leader of the iron town is hellbent on profit and environmental degradation, but treats her villagers well. this is genuinely magnificent, and proof that not all (adults) movies have to be live action to be affecting or masterpieces. Also, the dub version isn't great, if you can, watch subtitled. 

Rating: 5

In conclusion: See all of these movies, at least four are masterpieces. That's all, go watch, now!

My sister has reminded me to comment that Miyazaki isn't the only director in Ghibli. There are other great movies released by the studio which he didn't direct. For example, my sister is a big fan of 'Whisper of the heart' and I also loved 'Grave of the Fireflies' even though it's so depressing it's untrue, despite being based on a true story.

That's that, everyone have fun, spend nothing, and love the one you've chosen to be with. Pascal.