Favorite Miyazaki Film

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

In honor of the upcoming North America Nausicaa Blu -Ray release, I started this poll.

I know there are some Miyazaki fans in the crowd, so cast your vote for favorite and tell us why!

For me, all his films have a little bit of magic in them, but I am a die hard Nausicaa fan. The setting, creatures, animation quality, fight scenes, music...damn. The music where Nausicaa gets chased by the Tormekian corvette on her glider still gives me chills. Or the God warrior nuking a horde of Ohmu.

Spirited away and Castle of Cagliostro hold a special place in my heart too.

I like Monoke Hime, but in contrast to many, I prefer how Nausicaa tells the same tale.

Edited February 10, 2011 by Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX

[eugimon]

are you referring to Nausicaa on blu-ray? I'm pretty excited! It's my favorite of miyazaki films. I remember the UC Santa Cruz anime club had a screening of it and it blew my mind. Pretty much the reason I got back into anime at all.

[Penguin]

Love Miyazaki... got no idea what you're excited about. If I were to take a wild guess, is this a reference to the upcoming Nausicaa blu-ray? If so, then I share your enthusiasm (although Spirited Away is my favourite Miyazki film). If not, then, pray tell, what are you talking about?

... and Eugimon beat me too it.

Edited February 10, 2011 by Penguin

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

You guys are fast, I accidentally posted before I finished the poll and you guys were in before I edited. You are both 100% right about Nausicaa!

For me seeing the movie also helped his manga come alive because my minds eye can fill in the motions easily after seeing how he animates.

Somewhat similar to how I was introduced to macross (clash of the bionoids), I watched Warriors of the Wind all the time as a kid. I nearly crapped myself when we got the full release on DVD.

Edited February 10, 2011 by Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX

[Dynaman]

Valley of the Wind is my vote, but I'd watch any of his films. Even better now that Disney did the English dub recently (re-dub?).

Billy Crystal was great in his role in Howl's moving Castle, and the latest voicework for Nausica was outstanding, I really liked hearing Patrick Stewart for example.

[F-ZeroOne]

Kikis Delivery Service. Not just my favourite Miyazaki film, not just my favourite anime, but my favourite film full stop.

Porco Rosso. Always better than you remember from the last time you watched it.

The quality of the image on the Nausicaa Blu-Ray, by the way, is among the best I've ever seen.

Of course, everything Miyazaki did, he did first in Future Boy Conan.

Edited February 10, 2011 by F-ZeroOne

[the white drew carey]

For me, it has to be Totoro. While Nausicaa is a great film, to me it is overshadowed by the manga.

My wife would probably vote Spirited Away or Ponyo, but she doesn't have an MW account, so the point is moot.

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

Of course, everything Miyazaki did, he did first in Future Boy Conan.

I liked conan but the seemingly endless cycle of capture/rescue gets a little old

[505thAirborne]

Valley of the Wind & Kiki's delivery service are my favorites!! I recently watched Ponyo and I have to say I was not very impressed with it despite the wonderful job done by the voice actors. Howl's moving Castle though is a classic!!

[Vifam7]

All of them are great. Tought choice but I think Porco Rosso (Kurenai no Buta) is my favorite.

That opening scene is great. I'd love to have a secluded island base from which I flyout a seaplane.

Ofcourse, who could forget the lines -

"I'd rather be a pig than a fascist."

"A pig that doesn't fly is just a pig."

[EXO]

Weird. I was just thinking of this as I watched Spirited Away the other day and how it's my favorite Miyazaki film hands down. I do love Howl's and Nausicaa though but SA remains tops in my book.

[David Hingtgen]

I've only seen about half of them (and I have to search them out at local rental places) but went with Spirited Away---almost clicked on Laputa, but Laputa is more of an "overall feeling" of liking it, while Spirited Away I vividly remember many specific scenes and moments, so it certainly left a greater impression. Howl's Moving Castle is my most recently-seen one. (I think Mononoke was the first).

[bob joe mac]

Own and seen them all plenty of times but Porco Rosso is the one I just love the most and can still hold my attention the whole way through no matter how many times I watch it.

[PetarB]

Such a difficult, difficult vote. Miyazaki's movies are without a doubt my favourite animated movies of all time, and just excellent movies. Porco Rosso, Nausicaa, Laputa and Princess Mononoke are all my favourites, hard to differentiate between them, for me.

My 3 young daughters love all of the above but I would have to say their favourites would be Spirited Away and Ponyo, which is such a sweet little movie. I just hope Miyazaki returns to more adult fare before he retires (properly!). I would love to see something along the lines of Princess Mononoke again.

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

Wow, I am impressed with the variety of responses. Mainly it is not just his action packed films that are favorites

[Bri]

For it's My neighbor Totoro. I haven't seen any other film that manages to capture the way children experience the world like this one does. The wonder, the imagination, the fantasy it's all so well done.

[Peabody]

Of course it`s Laputa, the fluidity of the animation, the characters, the story, the robots, everything is perfect. I mean the scene of the railway tracks just blows me away every time I watch it.

The only movie of his I don`t like however is Grave of the Fireflies that reeks of the Japanese perpetual victim mentality I dislike so much. You know, he could have had at least one scene in that movie that showed Japanese troops advancing across Manchuria or its pilots bombing pearl harbor, just to give Japanese kiddies a little perspective as to why this was happening to two innocent Japanese kids. IS Grave his movie though, or is it just Ghibli? I get confused in my old age...

Edited February 13, 2011 by Peabody

[Graham]

Nausicaä follwed closely by Laputa.

Graham

[Bri]

The only movie of his I don`t like however is Grave of the Fireflies that reeks of the Japanese perpetual victim mentality I dislike so much. You know, he could have had at least one scene in that movie that showed Japanese troops advancing across Manchuria or its pilots bombing pearl harbor, just to give Japanese kiddies a little perspective as to why this was happening to two innocent Japanese kids. IS Grave his movie though, or is it just Ghibli? I get confused in my old age...

Indeed, Isao Takahata was the director of Grave of the Fireflies. Bit hard to blame the director as the movie is an adaption of the novel by Akiyuki Nosaka.

[miriya]

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind is my favorite

very close second is totoro

then spirited away

Then Kiki

then Mononoke

then ponyo

I have seen totoro and kiki the most number of times because my son used to watch those the most but his favorite now is also Nausicaa.

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

I've only seen about half of them

You need to fix this pronto!

[F-ZeroOne]

The only movie of his I don`t like however is Grave of the Fireflies that reeks of the Japanese perpetual victim mentality I dislike so much. You know, he could have had at least one scene in that movie that showed Japanese troops advancing across Manchuria or its pilots bombing pearl harbor, just to give Japanese kiddies a little perspective as to why this was happening to two innocent Japanese kids. IS Grave his movie though, or is it just Ghibli? I get confused in my old age...

Miyazaki didn't direct it, I forget the name of the person who did. What always blows my mind about "Grave" is that apparently it was shown as a double bill with Totoro in some Japanese theatres!

Edit: ah, sorry, Bri, didn't notice you had answered the question already.

Edited February 14, 2011 by F-ZeroOne

[JTurner]

Castle in the Sky for me. It's got everything: adventure, action, great characters, beautiful music, solid voice acting, and all in all a lot of fun. Best of all, it has Luke Skywalker as the central badguy.

[akt_m]

Totoro.

[Kelsain]

Nausicaa. Hands down. Seeing "Warriors of the Wind" in the 80s was a watershed moment for me, particularly since I just stumbled upon it. Years later, I discovered the astounding manga, but the film holds a special place in my heart. The story, the music, the design, everything.

Of the others, I really wasn't impressed by Howl & have not yet seen Ponyo. I also need to take in some of these again since having a daughter.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Kelsain

[PetarB]

Ponyo is very good, and your daughter, depending on her age will absolutely love it. I have three, and my youngest is actually quite reminiscent of Ponyo herself, which was even observed by her older sisters! Howl was okay, but it and Arriety are both weaker Miyazaki movies in my book.

[Renato]

I picked Totoro because I think it's the first one I saw, but I like most of the others in different ways.

[mecha2241]

Ponyo is very good, and your daughter, depending on her age will absolutely love it. I have three, and my youngest is actually quite reminiscent of Ponyo herself, which was even observed by her older sisters! Howl was okay, but it and Arriety are both weaker Miyazaki movies in my book.

Not just daughters, my 4 year old son loves Ponyo also.

[Keith]

Really tough one, so I picked Porco Rosso to give it some more poll love.

[Dutch]

I voted for Princess Mononoke, its probably my favourite anime movie. It has some similarities with Nausicaa, but is better imho. I didn't care much for Spirited Away when I saw it. Howl's moving castle was ok, though not great. I've seen Castle in the Sky, but I don't remember much about it now.

I need to watch the rest of Miyazaki's films that I haven't seen yet, soon.

I hope Princess Mononoke comes out on Blu-ray this year, its probably my most anticipated blu-ray to get.

[Old_Nash]

Porco Rosso was the first movie what I saw.

[Pterobat]

It has to be Princess Mononoke. I guess my harsh analytical tendencies trump my chlidlike sense of wonder when it all comes down to it. But great characters, great story, wonderful art, so it's all good.

My favourite Ghibli movie, period, however, would be "Whisper of the Heart".

[JELEINEN]

The only movie of his I don`t like however is Grave of the Fireflies that reeks of the Japanese perpetual victim mentality I dislike so much. You know, he could have had at least one scene in that movie that showed Japanese troops advancing across Manchuria or its pilots bombing pearl harbor, just to give Japanese kiddies a little perspective as to why this was happening to two innocent Japanese kids. IS Grave his movie though, or is it just Ghibli? I get confused in my old age...

I think the fact that the kids dying is due entirely to the neglect of their own relatives would be endictment enough. Grave is not a war movie. The war is mostly in the background background and could easily be replaced with any number of natural disasters. The reason the war is used is because that's how it is in the autobiography that the film is very loosely based on.

Of the films, I'd say Laputa is my favorite with Spirited Away a second. Honorable mention to Horus: Prince of the Sun for which he apparently had quite a bit of creative responsibility for in spite of only getting credited as key animator. I'll also add that of his works as a whole, Conan is my favorite.

[DarrinG]

Nausicaä - the part you get to see feels like just a small sample of a bigger world, with so many more stories to be told.

And you want a few more movies see how it progresses, or what happened before Valley of the Wind...

[Renato]

Honorable mention to Horus: Prince of the Sun for which he apparently had quite a bit of creative responsibility for in spite of only getting credited as key animator. I'll also add that of his works as a whole, Conan is my favorite.

Horus was incredibly influential on the industry as a whole, but let's not forget that Isao Takahata was also as much a part of that as Miyazaki. As for Future Boy Conan, I've heard that everything Miyazaki has ever done or will ever do, he already did in Conan. Therefore, that is the only Miyazaki work you need ever see! Same thing can be said for Rumiko Takahashi and Urusei Yatsura.