Rank Miyazaki Films

I haven't seen Totoro, but I'd be surprised if I wouldn't rate them the same way. I had a few friends around and watched both Spirited and Mononoke (the second time I'd watched either), and was surprised how much of Mononoke just bored me. I think the late addition of funny elements in Spirited Away makes it a better film.

Of the ones I've seen...

Spirited Away (a truly jaw-dropping movie, visually and also in its character development -- your perception of all the characters changes over the course of the film)

Princess Mononoke (I definitely felt like there some cultural things I just didn't get here, and the moral seemed a little hazy. But I thought the story was exciting and the animal characters especially were great. Plus, the little woodland spirits in the trees is just one of the coolest scenes ever)

Kiki's Delivery Service (Kind of slow getting going, but a fine film. The city Kiki lives in is a nice fairy-tale hodgepodge -- Europe as imagined by someone whose primary reference is Disney films)

My Neighbor Totoro (This being last on the list probably doesn't indicate anything except that it was the first Miyazaki film I saw, and I haven't re-watched it since. I think it's a lovely movie.)

Ghibli Studio rocks.

Spirited Away
My Neighbor Totoro
Princess Mononoke
KiKi's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky

Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Arupusu no shoujo Haiji

duh

I would say something like "I love all of Miyazaki's films, and to rank them would be like ranking my children" if I actually had children and didn't lead a barren, childless existence. But anyway, they really all are worth seeking out. (I don't understand this "Princess Mononoke is boring" talk!)

1) Spirited Away
2) My Neighbor Totoro
3) Princess Mononoke
4) Castle in the Sky
5) Porco Rosso
6) Nausicaa, Valley of the Wind
7) Kiki's Delivery Service
8) Castle of Cagliostro

notes:
* If you try to describe the plot of Spirited Away to someone, they will think you're smoking crack.
* DO NOT RENT Warriors of the Wind if you see it in the video store - it is a butchered, horribly dubbed American version of Nausicaa.
* Castle of Cagliostro is his earliest film, so the animation is a little choppy, compared to the others; but it's quite entertaining, although somewhat of an anomaly in his catalog (not having a child as a main character).
* Panda! Go Panda! (written by Miyazaki) may have an irresistible name, but I can't see anyone except really young children enjoying it much. The dubbed English voice for the panda sounds like a mentally retarded Rastafarian.
* Did anyone notice that the DVD for Castle in the Sky was unrated? Watching it again recently made me realize that it is actually somewhat violent - maybe it would've received a PG-13 rating, which would've discouraged sales? (since they were marketing it as a kids movie) Porco Rosso has an all-out brutal fistfight, so I'm not sure how they'll market that one.
* Good English dubs: Spirited Away, Totoro, Kiki (although it's a bit disquieting to hear Phil Hartman as the cat)
Bad English dubs: Princess Mononoke (I can't help but think "SCULLY!"), Castle in the Sky (they also Disney-fied the Castle score for the English dub! watch out!)
* The Japanese TV special on the Spirited Away DVD is great - you see Miyazaki making a massive pot of ramen for his animators, who are scrambling to meet a deadline. And the scene where he asks at a meeting if any of the animators has a dog is priceless and hilarious.

In my book, Miyazaki, Takahata, Rintaro, and Kimagure Orange Road is pretty much all the anime you need.

I'm no anime-niac (hyuk hyuk) by far, but I think that Ghost in the Shell is an amazing piece of work.

1. Spirited Away
2. Mononoke
3. Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Mononoke's characters were flat in comparison to SA, and was very humorless, quite a contrast to SA. (It should be noted that I saw PM before SA.)

My list:

1. Nausicaa (even though it's a "flawed" work, it made the biggest impression on me when I saw it-- I love the elegiac tone of the intro, the pastoral landscapes Nausicaa flies over, and the alien nature of the Ohmu)
2. Cagliostro (a very charming and human movie, it seems to me... surprised the hell out of me when I saw it for being so good despite it being an adaptation from someone else's work)
3. Kiki
4. Totoro
5. Mononoke Hime (entertaining adventure movie, but for some reason didn't seem that great)
6. Porco Rosso
7. Laputa (the Miyazaki film I can remember the least about after watching, although it seems to be very highly regarded; maybe I just need to watch it again)

Still haven't seen Spirited Away, since I didn't want to see it in the dubbed version. I have a prejudice against dubbing, especially when it comes to anime.

Has anyone seen On Your Mark?

Incidentally, Ernest P., I'm glad to know that someone else holds KOR in the same high regard that I do. I thought that the first eight or so episodes and the concluding OAV were particularly good!

Chris F. wrote: I thought that the first eight or so episodes and the concluding OAV were particularly good!

Oh my god, that final mini-movie (I Want to Return to That Day) is so utterly sad - its impact is just devastating (and shocking) after the relatively light fare of the episodes. Madoka comes off as being cold (a side never seen before), Hikaru is revealed as being much smarter than everyone thought, and Ryosuke has to break her heart and lose a friend in the process. Damn. This and Grave of the Fireflies are two of the saddest things I've ever seen, in any medium.

1 Totoro
2 Kiki

um, those are the only two I've seen.

these are the ones i've seen.

princess mononoke
spirited away
castle in the sky
kiki's delivery service

i think there is no way to place a rank on them beacause the are equally well produced.

I hated them all!

Okay, I've only seen Spirited Away, but really...it did nothing for me.

Now hassle me, you cretins! Give me ILF hell! I can take anything you got!

ARGLE BARGLE

This thread always looks to me like it's anti-Miyazaki--I always mistake the word "rank" for the adjective, not the imperative verb.

FOOFORAW

I really love My Neighbor Totoro -- it's probably my favourite animated feature of all time.

the subtitled version that is.

Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away

My Neighor Totoro
Nausicaa
Kiki's Delivery Service

Castle in the Sky
Porco Rosso

Castle of Caligisto (or however you spell half of these).

Spirited Away
Porco Rosso
Kiki's Delivery Service
Nausicaa
Princess Mononoke
Castle in the Sky

I've only seen the Disney dubbed versions.

haven't seen the newly-released (to US) films yet:

1). kiki
2). spirited
3). totoro
4). mononoke
5). castle (sky)

Laputa (Castle in the sky)
My Neighbour Totoro
Spirited Away
Mononoke
Kiki
Porco Roso