Anime Movie: Tales From Earthsea

      Tales From Earthsea is a Studio Ghibli film that I recently watched. This anime was a good film on its own but it didn't feel like that awe inspiring film that i'm use to.
      Arren a teen prince kills his father, he had no reason to but there was this burning unknown rage inside of him. Arren after running off meets the arch wizard Sparrowhawk. He journey's with Sparrowhawk to a city, Arren gets separated and saves this girl from slavers, her name being Therru. During the rescue his hidden rage boils over and defeats the slavers, but Therru gets mad because Arren doesn't care about human life when the slaver said he would kill her.
     Arren falls asleep on some steps and wakes to being beaten by the slavers with reinforcements, and takes Arren as one of their slaves. Sparrowhawk finds Arren and frees him, taking them to Tenar's farm a friend. They stay at the farm working and plowing, the same girl Therru lives there as well and hates Arren at the beginning.
     Sparrowhawk leaves for a day, as Arren and Therru start to get along, when the slavers get caught up with Arren but wants Sparrowhawk. Arren leaves because he feels his rage may hurt his friends and ends up at Cob's castle; the slaver boss and a wizard rival of Sparrowhawk's. Cob's henchmen takes Tenar as bait and leaves Therru as a messenger tied up to the fence.
     Sparrowhawk tries to save Tenar but gets locked up with her, leaving only Therru to find Arren and free him from being under Cob's control. Cob is a wizard whom doesn't want to die, and uses forbidden magic. A big fight scene happens between Cob Arren and his magical sword he could never unsheathe, And Therru comes into battle as well. I wont ruin the ending all in all its a good medieval wizards and dragon type movie. But it just doesn't seem as compelling as Spirited Away, Howl's Castle and other beloved films.
    Still I suggest watching it because its a good film on its own.

Anime: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi

           Abenobashi is a funny short anime about summer adventures with a best friend. First I want to explain the characters: Sasshi's a young nerd and pervert he has many hobby's like collecting, video games, sci-fi, and staring at girls. Arumi is Sasshi's best friend, she is flat chested a tomboy, she is also realist and very smart. later you find a wizard or scientific guy named Eutus whom seems to pop up everywhere.
          Sasshi finds out Arumi is moving and this is there last summer together, Sasshi is torn apart by this then when there walking together; Sasshi sees his grandpa falling off the roof.
          Sasshi and Arumi start seeing weird stuff and by some incident get transported to a RPG world kind of like Final Fantasy. they have to fight there way around this weird world: mostly Arumi using Sasshi as a shield. They meet a weird busty red head searching for a guy, and a wizard Eutus wizard, whom is the guy the girl is searching for. In the end they figure out the world and a little guy transports them home....but they get transported to another world.
        Turns out when Sasshi sees his grandpa die and Arumi leaving he couldn't handle reality, and each world is a weird version of the town based on his hobby's. A young guy like that just can't handle that many saddening moments and just shuts down, Eutus teaches him the ways of universe transportation. Eutus tells him the story about the redhead, she use to be his grandma whom feel in love with Eutus in the real world; and when she either left him or died that part i don't remember, Eutus used the cities powers to create a world where she exists. According to Eutus though no matter what you can't bring a loved one back, no matter what world you create, you will never see your grandpa and must grow up and deal with your emotions.
       This anime is funny especially for us hobbyists, it has a great morale story to it, and some sad parts all in all it's a great anime and I suggest watching it.
This is a Zaney AMV that might show the craziness of the show.

Anime Movie: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

            Ponyo is the latest film from Miyazaki well the latest I know of. Ponyo is like a Japanese version of the Little Mermaid. This movie is another film that portrays fantasy, innocents, and true love. ENTIRE MOVIE SPOILER:
            Ponyo's father keeps her in a aquarium along with her sisters, as he works to keep the ocean balanced. Ponyo is very curious and the most powerful of her sisters, like most children she is very curious and runs off to see the world.
            Ponyo(which looks like a goldfish at the moment with a human face) meets a young boy named Sosuke. Sosuke helps Ponyo out of a jar, and ends up cutting himself which Ponyo licks; and the wound heals up.
            Ponyo goes and shows the elderly the magic fish; where his mom works, then he tries to hide it while is in school; which fails and he runs back to the nursing home. While this is happening Ponyo's father searches for her and takes her back, making Sosuke very sad and feels like he failed her.
            Ponyo escapes after drinking all her dads elixirs, her and her sisters become very powerful and help Ponyo find Sosuke. During all this the sea becomes very unbalanced and creates a typhoon. Ponyo finds Sosuke and she looks like a human girl now. Sosuke's mom goes to the nursing home to help the elderly, while Sosuke takes care of Ponyo.
           Sosuke and Ponyo go on a little adventure after the storm dies down, to find his mom; they use Sosuke's toy boat enlarged through Ponyo magic. During this most the elderly, Sosuke's mom, and Ponyo's mom and dad are talking down at the bottom of the ocean. Ponyo's dad gets Sosuke and Ponyo as she is tuckered out from the journey. Ponyo's and Sosuke's mom ask Sosuke if he truly loves Ponyo and will always protect her, and that in order to be with Sosuke she has to give up magic. Ponyo and Sosuke agree and everyone goes back to surface and the oceans completely okay, And to finish the deal Ponyo kisses Sosuke to be full human.
This movie is very magical and romantic and will make you feel like a child again a definite add to the Miyazaki collection for the entire family.
    

Anime Movie: Pom Poko

            Pom Poko is a very beautiful movie, its about the 1960's when development started  in Tomo Hills on the outskirts of Tokyo. This is back when there was natural farms, and they worked together with nature.
             The main story is about the raccoons and in minor the foxes, this story is as if the what the legends about raccoons and foxes were true, they can transform. The raccoons start realizing there land is getting smaller, and have a few leaders journey to the best transformers, the younger generation practice transforming, and during spring do NOT procreate.
             Pom Poko goes through 2-3 years during the development of the town. The raccoons try many ways to scare the people away, and work on a few people but all it did was made more people move in.
             The leaders finally show up after a year, and they help create a scary parade, which people thought it was a gimmick which a theme park took credit for it. the raccoons pretty much give up, but then the foxes show up and try to make a deal for the raccoons that can transform pretend to be humans and live among us. which means the ones that can't they would have to let die.
             The raccoons do one last thing and transform the hills back to the original way, just for one last moment in there old lives. The ones that can transform live among humans, the others live every day as if there last. When the raccoons transformed the lands(an illusion) the humans make parks and some area where animals can live.
            Pom Poko(Raccoon Wars) is a funny but very sad movie which tries to tell us humans how we affect our world and wild life. Parents before you let your kids watch; the artist does draw the animals natural with there genitals, even some jokes are used with them. This is a great Miyazaki film and I definitely would add this to your collection.

Anime Movie: Princess Mononoke

               Princess Mononoke is another film from Miyazaki that portrays Primal nature, fantasy, and human greed.
               Ashitaka the last prince of his tribe, fights with a demon boar which was once a god. During the battle Ashitaka is wounded in the arm, he takes it to the wise woman, and she tells him its a curse that will spread through him and kill him. Ashitaka goes west with his red elk Yakul. Upon departure he cuts his hair which represents permanent leave of his home, he take a metal ball with him which was lodge in the boar.
             Ashitaka finds meets up a with a greedy monk Jigo, which helps him buy rice telling the people the gold he had was worth 3 or 4 bags of rice. The gold attracts thieves, making Ashitaka have to defend himself, Ashitaka finds out  his demon arm causes super strength decapitating the thieves with arrows going faster than normal.
           Iron town a town nearby clears forest to make coal for melting down there iron. The town is attacked by wolf gods and their adopted human girl San, repeatedly trying to get the humans to leave. Many humans die a couple are injured falling to what seems their deaths.
          Ashitaka finds these men and carries them to there home, which he gets a warm welcome from the women(ex prostitutes saved from brothels). Ashitaka meets Lady Eboshi the leader of the town and finds out its there iron bullets that drove the boar god crazy. Ashitaka is barely able to control the demon arm from the rage he felt, then and there the wolf girl San tries to kill Lady Eboshi. Ashitaka stops both of them and goes with San to the forest to meet the God of life and death (The Forest Spirit).
         Ashitaka finds out outside humans are going to kill the god for its head, the boar gods enraged are going to attack the city, and the iron town is preparing for war. This is the second Miyazaki film I seen; and has great emotional depth, i'd definitely add this to your collection of family films. You may want to watch it first before letting your kids watch it  because of the violence.

Anime Movie: Laputa: Castle in the Sky

                This Miyazaki film has great aspects of all his films; true love, child innocents, nature in danger, and action.
                 Sheeta a young girl is kidnapped by the army; lead by Muska. The airship that Sheeta is on gets attacked by air pirates lead by their mother Dola. During the attack Sheeta steals her pendant back and tries to escape, as the pirates try to Knapp her, Sheeta falls to what seems her death.
                 Pazu a orphan mining boy sees Sheeta floating down because of her pendant, Pazu catches her and takes her home. Sheeta and Pazu start talking and finds out how Pazu's father took a picture of the legendary Laputa, and that Sheeta is part of the people whom lived in Laputa but left yeas ago.
                 Dola and her sons, and the army find Sheeta and the kids run down the mines, where they meet this wise man that can understand the earths feelings. Sheeta gets kidnapped by the army again, and Pazu makes a deal with the pirates to get Sheeta back.
                The army uses Sheeta to show the way to Laputa, Pazu is able to save Sheeta but  Muska still has the stone which directs him. The pirates become like the kids family and they follow Muska to Laputa. Muska uses the power of the stone to kill all his men and send out sentinels(which look a lot like the one from valley of the wind) Pazu has to save Sheeta once again, in the end Pazu and Sheeta use a bad spell to destroy Laputa.
                This is great for family movie or anybody else a definite must buy.

Anime Movie: Nausicaa: of the Valley of the Wind

             This is an amazing movie which has a lot of the sames themes as Avatar, but is on earth set a 1000 years in the future of us completely destroying the ecosystem, from a war.
             The story revolves around Nausicaa a smart and beautiful girl, whom loves nature animals and all people. Nausicaa and her people live in a valley which has the purest air, which is needed because most of the world has developed a toxic forest that even the air in it is very toxic.
             Nausicaa studies the plants and giant insects to see why their so toxic. She has in her house the most toxic of plants with the purest water and soil, finding out the jungle isn't toxic, its actually absorbing the toxins we put into the earth and the bugs are protecting the forest.
            As usual humans wan't to destroy something that they don't understand, there is war going on between 2 countries. Their fighting over a ancient weapon, a giant robot that can burn everything in its path and there going to use it on the forest and other counties.
           Nausicaa ends up stopping the fight but already the plan went out, they were going to use a baby insect to make the rest go wild and leave the forest, to kill everyone in the other cities. Nausicaa sacrifices herself in front of the animals and it calms the beasts so they go back to the forest. there was a ancient story of a man in blue that walked in a field of gold, that a old woman told; that was passed down from her family. SPOILER: Nausicaa in the end is wearing blue, and the insects lift her and are mourning her, there feelers are golden, Nausicaa awakens walking on the feelers, making it look like the golden field.
           This is one of Miyazaki's older films and is one of his greatest about how use humans need to take care of the earth and wild life, or there will be consequences. next blog i'll talk about Castle in the Sky  which has a lot of the same themes.

Anime Movie: Howl's Moving Castle

                 Howl's Moving Castle is a beautiful love story, set in a fantasy about wizards, war, and I think in Europe setting. Howl's Moving Castle is about a young hatter named Sophie, she is plain in every way; while her sister and mother are very beautiful blonds. One day Sophie is walking  to her sisters, but runs into Howl a wizard whom is running from the Witch the Waste.
                After speaking with her sister Sophie goes to work, working late a woman comes in after hours; Sophie denies her business since there closed, the women (the Witch of the Waste) Curses Sophie to be a 90 year old woman that can't speak to anyone about the curse.
               Sophie at 90 tries to climb the miles of hills to get back to the witch, and have her stop the curse. Sophie helps a magical turnip scarecrow, so he helps her to a moving castle for shelter. Where Sophie meets Calcifer a fire demon running the house, a boy Markl an apprentice, and Howl again. Howl lets Sophie stay as the house cleaner. Calcifer is cursed to never leave the house, and realizes right away Sophie is cursed and tries to make a deal to help each other.
               Sophie helps Howl by going to see his trainer, Howl made an oath to go into war when needed. Sophie (playing as Howls mother) goes into the castle to decline his invitation, at the castle they steal the Witch of the Wastes powers. Sophie gets mad and starts yelling at Madame Suliman, then Madame realizes Sophie's in love because Sophie turns back to herself temporarily. Howl jumps in and helps them escape to the castle as he fights off other wizards. Now Sophie and the witch is staying there at the castle. Sophie finds out as a kid Howl gave Calcifer his heart, when howl is very weak from the battle and the house has fallen apart, Sophie saves Howl by giving Howl his heart back, releasing his curse, gives Turnip Head a kiss and he turns back to a prince, which can stop the war. Sophie is finally herself but her hair is still silver as starlight, and her and Howl stay together as a couple.
                This is a 2004 Miyazaki film and is my wifes favorite movie and one of mine, id definitely ad this to your collection as a fantasy romance, comedy.

Anime Movie: Kiki's Delivery Service

               Kiki's Delivery Service the first anime i ever watched and the first Miyazaki film. Its a great film about growing up, family, and friends, and finding your place in the world.
              The story goes Kiki is in training to be a witch, at 13 a witch must live on there own for a year, to especially  train in whatever field they decide. Kiki says goodbye to her friends and family, and leaves on her journey with her cat Jiji whom she can talk to. They finally find a city after sleeping in a train full of cattle, a beautiful city by the ocean and a Big Ben like clock tower.
              At first Kiki can't find a place to stay and gets frustrated, she helps a baker Osono by transporting a pacifier  back to a mother whom accidentally left it. Osono offers to let her stay in the upstairs room as long as she helps around the place, Kiki also meets a boy named Tombo whom at first greeting upset her.
            Kiki decides her only witch skill is flying so she decided to make a flying delivery service, during her delivery's she makes a couple friends, 2 old ladies Madame and her worker Bertha, and a artist Ursula that lives in the forest.
            Soon after working while and becoming friends with Tombo, Kiki loses her powers and is devastated. Ursula meets up with Kiki and decides to have a sleep over to help get flying off her mind, and to paint Kiki. after getting rest and Ursula explains how she sometimes cant draw, and that inspiration will come to her; Kiki goes home. The very next day Kiki sees on the news about a blimps test flight and her friend was on it, the winds pick up and Tombo gets in danger and is about to crash into the clock tower.
             This movie is a great loving movie, after I saw when I was like 12 I wanted to watch it again so bad, took me forever to find it. Kiki's Delivery Service is a must add to your Miyazaki collection.

Anime Movie: Spirited Away

          Spirited Away is one of the most seen of his movies, if u haven't seen it your one of the few. Spirited Away is another Miyazaki film, which about a child in a fantasy place, like i said in my last post pretty much all his movies involve children learning a lesson or young adult, in a alternate place may it be fantasy or nature.
           Chihiro(10) is sullen about moving away from her friends to a new place. Chihiro like most kids get fussy,  and pouts the whole trip. The father gets lost and they end up at this old gate, Chihiro wants to stay behind because shes scared but goes with them anyway through it. What they find appears to be a rundown theme park, as they go through they find a buffet with no one there. Chihiro feels like they could get inn trouble and walks off as her family pigs down thinking they will pay after the meal.
          As it turns night the spirits come, because it turns out this place is a bridge to the spirit world, Chihiro runs to her parents finding out their turned into pigs. The owner of the place; a witch, makes Chihiro runs into a boy named Haku he decides to help her, he sneaks Chihiro into the bath house and up into the bosses office, she asks for job, because Haku tells her about the creed they cannot turn anyone down a job. The witch makes a contract with her, and takes away her name and give Chihiro a new one, Haku tells her to remember her name its how the witch keeps you from going home.
         Chihiro goes on the journey of working at the bath house and finding a way to free her parents, she grows up and learns about true love and that change can be an adventure to. Most of Miyazaki films are great for the family and young at heart, a definite classic and a must watch. I suggest adding this to your Miyazaki collection.

Anime Movie: My Neighbor Totoro

              Howdy all; next week or so i'm going to talk about Miyazaki films. The first one i'm Talking about is My Neighbor Totoro, like in most Miyazaki films he doesn't use computers through 98% percent of it, and draws about ancient forest gods or nature in general. in all the films I notice he uses children to teens as the main characters.
            In this film the main characters are Satsuki(10) and Mei(4), the children with their father moved to rural japan to closer to there mother of long term illness. Right from the start when dads working at home and Satsuki is at school, Mei goes off into this forest thicket, where she meets Totoro a forest god, and starts playing on top his belly when he tries to sleep. You may have seen this scene from southpark with Cartman and kuthulu, I usually like southpark but that episode annoyed making fun of a great movie like this.
         Throughout the movie her and her sister meet up with Totoro. Satsuki First meeting is when  shes holding Mei waiting at the bus for her father in the rain. Totoro takes them into a cat bus and have an adventurous ride, until they meet up with father. As you see in the above picture, they meet up again late one night while Mei is impatiently waiting for there garden to grow, Totoro takes the girls to dance around the garden and make them magically grow. The very next day they weren't huge like last night but they finally sprouted.
        This movie takes you back to your childhood, with beautiful art, funny situations and even back to a child's love of their mom when there in the hospital. If you have seen spirited away, or Ponyo, or even Valley of the Wind you will love this, i'll be talking about those other movies soon, I definitely suggest collecting all of Miyazaki's movies.

Anime: Fruits Basket

                 Fruits basket is a great series for who love Shojo. There are quite a bit of characters in this anime but I'm going to talk about the three main characters. This anime has two parts of a story that makes one, this anime will make you laugh and cry.
                One part of the story is mainly about the zodiac animals. There is this family called the Sohma family, they are cursed when hugged by the opposite sex they turn into the animal they represent in the zodiac calender. The 2 main ones are Yuki and  Kyo. Yuki turns into the mouse of the zodiac, he is very proper in the family because the leader use to abuse him physically and emotionally; like most in the family they believe they can never be accepted by anyone. Kyo is the outcast of the family because he is the cat, and if you know the zodiac calender there is no cat, he isn't even accepted by his family, through out he thinks if he beats Yuki he will be accepted. Kyo is pretty much an outcast from outcasts, and has a very sad story i won't say to much more.
                The second part of the story is about Tohru Honda, a girl whose mother died when she was young, never scene her father and lives with her grandfather. Her grandfather is getting the house renovated and asks her if she can live with one of her friends for a few months. Tohru being the very selfless type didn't want to bother her friends Arisa and Saki. Tohru decides to live in a tent and do all her homework, and work hard on her job with no help. Tohru Honda let me explain; she is very selfless she wanted to finish school for her mom, she works very hard, and doesn't want to be handed anything, she also finds the best in anyone, one flaw is she has little common sense.
              How the stories come together;  Tohru's  tent she lives in for one night, finds out she accidentally lived on Sohma land. Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure the owner of the house and is the dog zodiac; let her stay with them but she wont let herself stay for free so they agreed to have her clean and cook. Later on she finds out there secret; and most that do get there memories wiped. Tohru didn't because they felt she was special. The Sohma family was very right; every member she meets her; her natural goodness helps each member get over a mental issue they have because the family there in. there is a quote im going to say to end this blog, i suggest to definitely watch this series and read the manga to go further in this wonderful story.
                  QOUTE: "My mom told me, it’s better to trust people than to doubt them. She said that people aren’t born with kind hearts. When we’re born, all we have are desires for food and material things. Selfish instincts, I guess. But she said that kindness is something that grows inside of each person’s body, but it’s up to us to nurture that kindness in our hearts. That’s why kindness is different for every person.
“We’re all born with selfish desires, so we can all relate to those feelings in others. But kindness is something made individually by each person, so it’s easy to misunderstand when others are trying to be kind to you.”"

Tohru Honda