Homework: Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

[ZakCuerden 0]

i just finished the Picture.

 

i did like it, i liked it a lot. however i am not sure about this qualifying for the canon. i have seen many better animes that would be a better representation of the style, genre and culture.

 

i am very intrested to hear the arguments for this as i am not sure why spirited away or princess mononoke has not been nominated before this.

 

i am not a fan of the argument 'this is not as good as this so therefore it is not canon' and that is not what i am saying. i just think this was a fine movie, a good movie, even a great movie, but a canon movie? im not sure.

[JosephDaley 26]

I know this is last minute, but has anyone attempted to look on CrunchyRoll? It's an Anime specific streaming platform

[NathanGordon 1096]

I know this is last minute, but has anyone attempted to look on CrunchyRoll? It's an Anime specific streaming platform

Disney has the licensing rights, they have an exclusive deal with Netflix; therefore there are no Ghibli movies streaming anywhere (legal).

[JosephDaley 26]

Ffffuuuuug. I knew Disney had that streaming deal, but that deal doesn't actually go in effect until late this year/early next year doesn't it?

[Head Spin 112]

I want anime, and I'm gonna vote yes on this, but I feel like a Bernie supporter having to vote for Hillary. Don't get me wrong: I like Kiki's Delivery Service. It's a fine film that encapsulates a lot of what Hayao Miyazaki does well. That said, I wouldn't even pick a Miyazaki film if we're going with anime. He's kind of like the Wes Anderson of animation. Yeah, his work is solid, and there are a few films of his that I adore deeply, but you're just inches away from better, lesser known filmmakers. And sometimes a Ponyo just can't make up for Howl's Moving Castle.

 

Personally, I'd go with Ghibli's real champion, Isao Takahata. While Miyazaki has an eye for ornate design, and a deep optimism and humanity to him that informs nearly every character of his, I'm never blown away by anything he's done. The Wind Rises, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away are breathtaking achievements--I am personally not a fan of My Neighbor Totoro. But Takahata does more with storytelling and craft that is head and shoulders above what Miyazaki does. I prefer the ambition and experimentation. I prefer that, while Miyazaki may come up with better characters, Takahata lends more complexity and subtlety to his characters and their arcs. Takahata is far more daring, and willing to confront actual social issues, like class or gender politics--like in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. I like that he allows his characters to fail, despite doing their best, something that Miyazaki would never do--see Grave of the Fireflies. I like that he'll talk about smaller things very candidly, like menstruation and flawed parent/child relationships--as seen in Only Yesterday. And the fact that there is nary a raccoon-dog testicle parachute in a single Miyazaki film--unlike Pom Poko--is an honest-to-God transgression against the medium.

 

This, to say nothing of how Takahata will use something like pastel coloring to give an aged look to a film, or give a faint, computer animated tinge in order to suggest something lighthearted. Hell, the opening shot of Only Yesterday--which is of a reflection of a huge city off a tall, glass building--is more profound than most shots in live action films. We're not looking at the city. We're looking at a secondhand view of the city, which lends itself to the themes explicit ideas of memory, and also suggests that our main character reflects the world around her. That's in one five-second shot. Takahata then does things like animate flashbacks flatly, or allows for fantastical sequences to illustrate a specific sensation. Hell, we can even start arguing the veracity of how hard her dad hit her in that one scene, or how stupid her sister and mother thought she was. Takahata is never heavy-handed about this sort of thing, but he puts the pieces there. Also, it's a miracle of filmmaking that Takahata can give us a set of kids, as in Grave of the Fireflies, that are so goddamn annoying and frustrating, and yet, I still cry profusely when I get to the end of the film.

 

When all is said and done, Takahata has more to say, and fits more in five films than Miyazaki does in twice as many. His films offer more on repeat viewings, and aren't just pretty and well designed the way Miyazaki's are--who does include a lot of references to Japanese folklore and history in meaningful ways, to his credit--but Takahata's style offers greater utility with simple choices. I hope we get to discuss him at some point, because he's as canon as they come.

 

I hate to be a spoiled brat, because this could be the only chance we get to do something like this, but I don't know. I kinda wish we would be doing something else. THAT SAID, I love Film Critic Hulk, and I'm positive that he'll have really smart things to say about Kiki's Delivery Service--which is still a pretty good picture.

 

I just want to bump this. I'm not quite as down on Miyazaki as Holden, but I think that's a fantastic write-up, and it absolutely reflects my opinions on Kiki's.

 

I think the movie "references" or "suggests" dramatic power rather than demonstrating it.