Ghibli

7 - My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
7.5 - Princess Mononoke (1997)
7.5 - Spirited Away (2001)
7 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
6.5 - Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
6.5 - The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

All works directed by Hayao Miyazaki except The Secret World of Arrietty (2010).

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) a masterpiece of audio-visual - well drawn for 1988 - yet not so much in terms of plot. The dull family interactions once moving into a new home are improved once they find a magical animal in the forest. Other animals begin to emerge as well, and the wellness of a family member derives the ending tension of the story.

Princess Mononoke (1997) [,a departure from his previous styles,] takes far more risks than any of his previous films. An early action scene develops the motivations for the character while establishing a recurring theme - the forest both gives and takes. Each plot point continues the story seamlessly yet proves useful to another theme - duality between forest and man. We end on an interesting compromise between two characters - both can live in peace for now.

Spirited Away (2001), winning a 2001 oscar and quickly becoming the highest selling animated film (overtaken by Demon Slayer: Mugen Train in 2020), uses a highly simplistic plot over-written in quality by impeccable visual flair. Also noteworthy is the soundtrack composed by Hisaishi Joe. Without thriving in symbolism, such as Mononoke, the film uses simplicism to its advantage.

The departure from hand-drawn styles taken in Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) does not change the quality much. The film uses segments of lore and tales, describing much outside the current scene, as vehicles to develop its characters. Segments of immense quiet (dynamic range) help emphasize certain scenes. The film ends up lasting a bit too long.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008) is a kid-friendly film (many rights provided to Disney) yet loosely continues the ideas of environmentalism established on Princess Mononoke. The ways in which humanity has altered oceanic habitat provides backdrop to changes in the town. Using immense animation pressure during the flood, there is a lack of enthusiasm in the boat scenes thereafter. The film ends on a cliche note.

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) is paramount to Ghibli’s dying quality, yet does not succeed in dynamically elaborating new themes. Instead, a cute idea of insect-like and normal sized humans living amongst each other uses conventional Ghibli themes and storytelling. The film concludes on a half-baked note.