Grave of the Fireflies

I wrote this for a class, which explains why it's a bit more analytical/spoiler-filled.

In some ways, Fireflies was similar to Barefoot Gen, but in other ways it was very different. The art style has a similar philosophy, it looks a little different but it's still pretty iconic and incongruous with the subject matter. There is some masking, as the backgrounds look more detailed than the characters. While Gen was uplifting in the end, Fireflies was pretty steadily downward the whole time. There are some cute scenes with Setsuko, but we know from the beginning they're doomed, so it's just waiting until it happens. I wasn't quite as saddened by it as I thought I would be, though.

Seita's an intriguing character. On the surface he seems more mature that Gen, but he's really a stubborn kid, and that ends up costing him and his sister. I'm not saying all kids his age should have been working, but if his aunt was that strongly opinionated about it, he should have done it. He put his family at unnecessary risk just because the head of the house he was in was a little unreasonable.

Theme-wise, we again see anti-war sentiments, although Fireflies does not seem to share Gen's opinion that things can still turn out all right. It takes a more depressing view of humanity in general, as problems with the system and unsympathetic people make life even harder for the two siblings. They can't get food rations living away from their Aunt, and people refuse to give them their own extra supplies. They don't blame the US either, showing war as a terrible consequence of the earth. Overall, I thought it was a better film than Gen.

Only Yesterday

I wrote this for a class, which explains why it's a bit more analytical/spoiler-filled.

It seems like most Studio Ghibli films not directed by Miyazaki don't have much of a plot. Only Yesterday was quite slow, although not really boring. It had a good amount of humor, and it was done well enough as a movie that it remained at least tolerable throughout. There is a story in there, but it's not traditionally told, as it jumps back and forth between Taeko's youth and adulthood, using the flashbacks to fill in her character and show how she's changed since then. Most of the actual action in the story takes place during the credits, so it definitely took a while getting there.

Stylistically, it looks like most Ghibli output, simple, not flashy, but still attractive and fluidly animated. It's not overly exaggerated but the faces are simplified to convey emotion in a very obvious way. The scene where they're eating pineapple is a good example of this, Taeko's movements are subtle but you can clearly see her masked unhappiness that it didn't taste as good as she wanted.

It explores the themes of growing up and the connecting we always feel to our past self. Taeko was always a little odd as a character and needed some pushing to go after what she wanted, and in the end she uses the help of her memories to get herself to where she wants to be. I found the whole sequence to be very touching and handled perfectly, a good ending to a good movie, even if it was a little too long.

Horus: Prince of the Sun

I wrote this for a class, which explains why it's a bit more analytical/spoiler-filled.

I was impressed by this film's animation quality, considering the time period it was made in. There are a few scenes where massive corners were cut, notably when the wolves attack the village and they show only still images with sound effects. But generally it was pretty smooth. The character designs are also a bit simple, but that was part of the era, and overall it was a nice movie to look at.

It started off very promisingly with the introduction of the rock giant, and had the potential to be a nice fantasy epic. Horus is a bit standard as a character, purely good and simple, but he wasn't unlikable. The plot was interesting, but it stagnated a bit after Hilda was introduced and spent a good deal of time waffling over whether to be good or succumb to her demonic heritage. Grunwald was an interesting villain if a bit hands-off most of the time. The other featured villagers served their purpose but weren't particularly likable.

The resolution played out well enough, as it faced the question of self-sacrifice. Hilda is reluctant to disobey her brother because he gave her the charm that supposedly keeps her alive, but when faced with the demise of her young friends she is willing to give it up to save them. The fact that she lives anyway gives people the happy ending they want and also shows that people who try to be good can get good things in return. The climax is suitably exciting and wraps up a reasonably good, family friendly movie.