February 04, 2004

The Hayao Miyazaki Web.

Studio Ghibli official site. (Unfortunately, only in Japanese)

posted by dng 20 years ago
  • This was my homepage for about a year. Miyazaki-san is a god.
  • Always [bananas] for Miyasaki. The first DVD I ever bought was of Spirited Away. Now all I need to do is to get a DVD player.
  • Now all I need to do is to get a DVD player Buy a really cheap one. They work well, and they're not chipped by region. (Because they save money by not putting that chip in.) The one we got last Xmas for about US$60 also plays CDRW, mp3, photo disk and has mic inputs for karaoke. Yay! Karaoke! Never used the karaoke function, never will.
  • Thanks, Wolof! Now all I need is a tv :). Actually, I was just going to go the easy way and get a player for my computer. It will have to go region 1, but most of the stuff I would probably get would be too. For anything else, there is always CD rips. Don't you love how the industry forces people to pirate if they want to see international film? I'd buy European and Asian material legally, but they won't let me play it. That kareoke function is really, really fun. You know you want to try it.
  • I'm reviving the old thread because I just saw Laputa and I'm all excited about flying and trees and all. This FAQ is fascinating - I was thinking (as I was watching) that the fields and houses looked very British - and it turns out that Miyasaki did go to Wales for location inspriration - the mining town is based off there. (The webpage also addresses the unfortunate fact that the title is obscene in Spanish - I don't know any Spanish, so I just related it to Swift (who apparently did know, and did it on purpose). But I do have a question - I have a very hard time trying to explain to people who don't normally watch Japanese animation that Studio Ghibli films do not involve mechas, girls in school uniforms with very short skirts or purple hair. How would you describe the films to someone who is skeptical that animation can be beautiful and intricate? But maybe most North American adults aren't prepared to accept that something which could be watched by children (and which also has the silliest fistfight I have ever seen) could also be so good that everyone would love it. Or maybe I am just overly enamoured of water and wind and flying effects (which continue to delight me in Miyasaki films).
  • Speaking as a North American college student, many of my peers are willing to expose themselves to animation intended (or at least safe) for children. But there are those who have some vague uneasiness with that idea. My girlfriend, for instance, refuses to watch Spirited Away, no matter how much I insist that it is neither Sailor Moon nor Bugs Bunny. But the geek-quotient at my college is much higher than at hers, so I think as a social undertaking cartoons appear differently to us (even if she loves Homestar Runner).
  • I think those who've never seen a stink-monster are just that little bit poorer for it.
  • Thanls, 'munc - I've got just about all of Miyazaki's work, especially the later stuff. My copy of Nausicaä was stolen a while back so I get to watch it again. Yay!