Every Studio Ghibli Movie Ranked

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Schaff ranks the Studio Ghibli movies which definitely didn't make him sob his eyes out!
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[@limbobilbo8743]

Schaff: puts howls moving castle 4th worst Everyone else: so you have chosen death

[@limbobilbo8743]

@@blackberyy3450 im fine with other opinions. Its a joke

[@hexproofproject8199]

@@blackberyy3450 It's not really an opinion though. Howl's an objective shit when it comes to the script/general writing department. The only thing that holds it up is its art direction and socially inept (likely unemployed) neets aggrandizing the hell out of the flick because they thirst for Sophie and/or Howl and because it makes them feel all artsy and stuff.

[@blackberyy3450]

@@hexproofproject8199 you might be right but some people are just overreacting it’s his opinion remember schaff is not a perfect person

[@ikimiyu]

690

[@diniodo5898]

the movie wasn't enjoyable because it made sense. it was just pure imaginative feeling of everything watching it as a kid, the sensation was magical and mischievous, and that was enjoyable. you have had to watch the movie as a kid to would've get it.

[@dylanmcartoonell1536]

I give James this: He admits problems he has with certain pieces of media are his own problems rather than objective problems with the work itself.

[@glendarjj3991]

It's hard to find anything "objectively wrong" about a studio Ghibli movie

[@glctcthnkr8059]

@@glendarjj3991 except for Earwig

[@theemeraldaxe1414]

Maybe because objectivity doesn't exist in filmmaking 😲😲😲

[@goldenspiral6008]

I give him this: He talks about both things. He recognizes when something just doesn´t fit his taste, but he doesn´t coward when it comes to saying he considers something is just plain bad.

[@helenaperez4343]

@@glendarjj3991 did you watch the video?

[@sussybaka119]

I love how Earwig didn't even make it to the thumbnail 😭

[@avengirl6479]

Yeah. Me too. Probably because it doesn't feel like it was made by Ghibli

[@D20thOfHisName]

Rip bozo I say

[@SISKCERTWaJaVlogs]

bigger bust than Anthony bennet on the cavs

[@Tellsajokecrowdsitsinsil-ic2dc]

The crying emoji is kinda insulting

[@coreDesignix]

I think Ashitaka taking the time to help the women of Iron Town with their work despite the curse on his arm heavily numbering his days is actually a really effective piece of characterization; it hammers home the compassion he has that allows him to connect with San and her family.

[@callinater6133]

Also I think it help tethered him to his compassionate side which probably slowed down the spread of his curse, which would accelerate any time he felt angry or hate filled.

[@sebastianwillows]

This was my takeaway as well- he's specifically there to "see with eyes included by hatred" and empathizing with the women is just one of several ways he goes about doing that.

[@edgy843]

I want to think that we just have different takes on how we see this movie but I also think you're quite wrong with that one. It is an important scene but it's not about San and her family (dunno where you got that one), it's about how he wants to see how the women are being treated in that place. To see with unclouded eye, he wants to see if Eboshi really is in the wrong here but the women in that town are clearly being treated fairly and even given work. It's not about characterization, it's about seeing everything in the most objective point of view. Also to @callinater6133, the curse doesn't accelerate with his anger. It accelerates whenever he uses its power, specifically, the superstrength thing. I thought it was kinda obvious. In the climax where he killed 3 people, he even told the last two persuers to not come close. I don't remember him killing anyone out of anger, he kills because of necessity. Then again, we're all in the same side in this argument so whatever, I guess.

[@fireinthesky3379]

It is consistent with his character. When he was traveling alone he was shown feeding Yakul first. Then in the forest, he cleared his bowl and gave water to the people from Iron Town. He always puts everyone else over him. I actually think that subtle details like that make Princess Mononoke is so special. It is my all time favourite movie.

[@phykoha]

One of the things I love about Ghibli films is that the children actually *ACT* like children. Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo- So many of their movies are made better because their characters act their age and like actual people.

[@i.c.wiener9682]

except for the secret life of arrietty omg “shawn” was supposed to be 12 but i thought he was way older cuz of his voice and he was acting way more mature 😔

[@gwenythhobson3065]

@@i.c.wiener9682 I think the reason for that was because his character had experienced so much hardship and sorrow. With his illness and all, he had gone through a lot. I think it makes sense for his character to be more mature.

[@emmad.8815]

and castle in the sky !!

[@TheBlueWizzrobe]

...and Grave of the Fireflies

[@edizgunes]

He doesn't act mature he is stable and not very active bc of his ilness

[@MrAJMproductions]

Sophie's age fluctuates as her love for herself and self confidence fluctuates. When she's older she feels bad about herself, when she's younger she believes in herself more.

[@inaneinacheve]

Hey, didn't a Steven Universe episode referenced the idea ?

[@FeministCatwoman]

She basically broke her own curse

[@guilhermeteodosio40]

@@inaneinacheve 100% sure, most of the ideas of that show come from anime anyway😂

[@8is]

I think what made Howl's Moving Castle so great is really simple actually. I never really cared about the characters, or the magic, or the anti-war sentiment, or the love subplot, or its villains. It's simply the most beautiful move Studio Ghibli has ever made. From the architecture and landscape, to the music and general vibe in the town square. Even the cheerful (and a bit naive) soldiers and the proudful display of flags are one of the most beautiful portrayal of nationalism, which fits perfectly for the early 20th century european societies the movie is heavily based on.

[@aidanjanemcintosh6919]

@@FeministCatwoman I don't think she ever broke the curse. Technically the curse's still there (white hair), she just managed to get around it, as long as she kept her confidence.

[@boboffical3004]

2:08 Earwig and the Witch 6:04 Tales from Earthsea 8:05 Ocean Waves 10:09 Howl's Moving Castle 14:16 Pom Poko 16:14 The Wind Rises 17:23 My Neighbors, the Yamadas 19:39 The Secret World of Arrietry 20:58 The Cat Returns 22:20 Ponyo 23:20 Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind 24:41 Castle in the Sky 26:17 Porco Rosso 29:24 From Up on Poppy Hill 31:24 My Neighbor, Totoro 32:34 When Marnie Was There 33:46 Princess Mononoke 35:57 Grave of the Fireflies 36:35 Only Yesterday 38:18 Kiki's Delivery Service 39:44 Spirited Away 42:07 The Tale of Princess Kaguya 45:52 Whisper of the Heart

[@SavannahBakker]

Thank you

[@aeh5109]

Kiki’s delivery service is my absolute favorite. It’s just so delightful and relatable

[@LazyOldFusspot_3428]

Same here. His review on it was absolutely perfect. Also Tombo and Jiji are actual Gs.

[@drdewott9154]

I watched it earlier this year for the first time myself and I really liked it. But there's also something else that really ressonated with me about the movie. Its aesthetic. It looked so homely to me, in a way Ive basically never seen in an animated movie of that scope before! And after some research I figured out why. Apparently Miyazaki and the rest of the Ghibli team went on a trip to Sweden and Denmark during the production to figure out the style of the movie! I'm Danish and have lived in Denmark close to the Swedish border my whole life! It's one of the only times I've seen the kind of environment I call home recreated faithfully in international animation. That's special! Howls moving castle features some of the same kind of homely aesthetic to this part of the world, but you can literally freeze frame any point in Kikis and it'd look just like a place anywhere in Denmark or southern Sweden, whether it be the countryside, the forest, a smaller trading town, or a big city.

[@thickduck4256]

Same

[@thomasr6623]

the music is too fire @@drdewott9154

[@philly_sports1558]

It’s legitimately one of the sweetest movies I’ve ever seen

[@camilles4441]

Grave of fireflies is one of those movies you watch once and then never ever again unless you like your heart being torn from your chest.

[@krystiandrzazga1950]

yes a movie you will always reccomend yet never want to watch it again cause how uncomfortable it is

[@DemBigOlEyes]

It's also one of those movies where watching once is enough to burn every important scene into memory. I've only watched this movie once 5 years ago and to this day I still tear up when somebody describes a scene from the movie because I can still see it clearly played out in my head. It's a movie so painful, that I spent a good half hour just staring at the credits with my guts wrenched and heart broken. Spirited Away may be the best film Ghibli made, but Grave of the Fireflies will the one that impacted me the most.

[@Jamtartz]

My local theatre had a studio ghibli month and my family decided to go and watch Grave of Fireflies without knowing anything beforehand. Watching it in a cinema was a whole different experience to how it would’ve been just at home, the whole audience was crying😭

[@ItsBAndBees]

So true… it’s a curse I must pass on to all I know but I can’t bring myself to watch it again. Have seen it twice, but now me and my friends scream out “Setsuko!!” when something makes us sad or seems tragic.. it’s a staple in our household.

[@raffy4559]

I just watched it for the first time and I never cried this hard for a movie in my life. Such a good movie.

[@danic_c]

"Earwig and the Witch is worse than Cars 2." I actually spit my drink out. That's *BRUTAL* knowing Schaff's thoughts on Cars 2.

[@jooree7696]

I mean, he's not wrong...

[@danic_c]

@@jooree7696 Apparently. I wasn't aware of how good or bad it was, but I assumed it would have some redeeming qualities. For it to be below Shrek 3, Turbo and Cars 2 is a reeeaaaal shock.

[@disneyvillainsfan1666]

Brutal indeed lol

[@terepypipes5570]

Idk much about the movie but when he said the animation was bad, I didn’t think it was great but I don’t think it’s that bad

[@kingroberti9643]

At least Cars 2 has a story, all though completely irrelevant to the franchise. At least it has some entertainment to be found in it, if you watch it with friends. In my opinion it's one of those "so bad it's good" movies. It's like the makers knew they were seriously making a sequal to a movie about talking cars and just said "fuck it". Earwig is a dumpster fire that's unpleasent to watch, offers no character development and ends about 2/3 in to a full story. I doesn't have any funny or emotional scenes, it doesn't have a moral, it's just a cash grab with a ghibli logo on it.

[@nataliabidunartvlog5503]

Strangely, Howl's moving castle being so abstract is the reason i like it so much. The characters struggle to navigate this strange world riveted with magic and ravaged by war, they live in, trying to make sense of it, battling throgh all the challenges that rise up on their way, staring uncertainly in the eyes, all the while learning to accept and love thems. I love how human and flawed all the main characters are, not one is perfect or special or chosen, they just all make their own path, yet none of them are obnoxious or insufferable. I love the picture, the motion, the color palet vibrancy, the theme, the music. I love the flow and the pace of the movie, and I do like it's conclusion. This movie leaves a lot of room for thought and interpretation, yet delivers a very satisfying end. I love the slow burn of romance, without any frustrating love triangles or wavering and self inflicted suffering. All in all, this is one of those abstract stories that i love, but I also understand that it's not for everyone. It reminds of one of those weird yet beautiful dream you sometimes have.

[@8is]

I think what made Howl's Moving Castle so great is really simple actually. I never really cared about the characters, or the magic, or the anti-war sentiment, or the love subplot, or its villains. It's simply the most beautiful move Studio Ghibli has ever made. From the architecture and landscape, to the music and general vibe in the town square. Even the cheerful (and a bit naive) soldiers and the proudful display of flags are one of the most beautiful portrayal of nationalism, which fits perfectly for the early 20th century european societies the movie is heavily based on.

[@thijmen5295]

Princess Mononoke will always be my favorite (but I recognize Kaguya is probably the objective best). I love that the message of the film isn’t “don’t cut down the trees guys. That’s not nice”. The actual message is how hatred can only grow stronger and stronger unless we try to resolve conflicts through empathy and understanding towards each other. Ashitaka never sides with anyone but instead always tries to act as a diplomat for every faction we meet in the movie

[@epicthecandydragon6079]

That is a message we need desperately in these times

[@jesseburgener442]

Schaff: Howl's Moving Castle is my fourth worst Ghibli film The comments: *That was a mistake* EDIT: Everybody thinks I was making a reference to Big Hero 6 for this. It was actually intended to be a reference to Thanos's line in Infinity War when Loki attempts to kill him. The BH6 line seemed too obvious 😆

[@seang7578]

See, if he didn’t put Pompocco above it, it’d be fine. Like… beautiful, slice-of-life love story with an amazing first act and a clunkier second act should be above the movie about raccoons with inflatable balls 💀

[@bayleef574]

I was upset :(

[@ldmcknight1042]

Actually I always thought of that movie as a “The Beauty and the Beast” Otaku version with a superficial plot about “accepting ourselves” xd

[@petalchild]

@@seang7578 I mean. I agree Howl's should be higher on the list but that's an extremely shallow reading of Pompocco.

[@artemisvenom2282]

yeah i kind of share his opinion- i got the concept but i didn't like it- i don't really consider it my fav, although i'm glad people do!

[@lucasstokes503]

People not understanding Sophie's curse is literally just... I don't understand, even as a little kid I got that the less self-conscious she was about how she looked the younger she looked. Howl literally says, "Sophie you're beautiful" and she becomes self-conscious again, believing he's just being nice and turns old again. The subtext is right there, it's right there!!! The curse is a self reflection of how she feels about herself, not young and spritely nor beautiful like the other girls. By the end she's grown in confidence, been on an adventure and just doesn't dwell on her looks anymore.

[@dionemartins0212]

Exactly! I realized Schaff fully didn't understand when he asked about how she broke the curse. That's the thing, she literally didn't! I'm starting to wonder, could the English dub have made things more confusing or have you watched it dubbed as well?

[@BirdsandGhibliFan]

@@dionemartins0212 Well, Schaff said he saw all the films in the original Japanese version, so there might have been some confusion with the dialogue. I imagine that the original version might not be perfectly translated word-for-word in the English dub. With that said, I can understand that the movie can be confusing, but it’s not like some of the questions he’s asking have not been answered in the film. Some of the details are more subtle than others, but they’re there.

[@dionemartins0212]

@@BirdsandGhibliFan au contraire, he said he watched them all in English - the only exception being Laputa.

[@BirdsandGhibliFan]

@@dionemartins0212 You’re right! Oops, my bad. 😬 For some reason, when I heard him say he watched them dubbed, I thought he watched them in Japanese. I should’ve known.

[@kei7540]

yeah I didn't know people thought the movie was confusing, it's pretty easy to grasp

[@squishyface99]

I have a complex relationship with the HMC movie because the BOOK by Diana Wynne Jones is PHENOMENAL. All of the confusion, EVERY single question raised about the film is addressed perfectly in the book. The first 45 minutes of the movie are great because they pull almost directly from the book and then the movie shifts directions completely once Soloman is introduced. If you have any interest in the story at all and want answers, I beg you to read the book. It is far more complex and yet it still wraps everything up into a gorgeous tidy little bow. I have reread it again least three times and I find something new in each read. Please, for the love of god and all that is good, read the book!!!!

[@kite0impulse]

There's also the equally brilliant, but often overlooked sequel "Castle in the Air" - which despite the name has no relation to that other Ghibli film but instead reveals what happens to Howl and Sophie years later

[@lovelaced]

and then house of many ways to end the trilogy! it’s my personal favorite but howl’s moving castle is definitely a close second

[@CrispyDragons]

That makes a lot of sense to me. Like Schaf, I also never really loved the film, and it honestly made me feel like maybe Miyazaki was defeated by trying to adapt someone else's work. I prefer him to do his own original works.

[@christianpaz7751]

Princess Mononoke is a movie I wish I could experience again. It hits every note of visual storytelling for me. I always tell people Princess Mononoke is the closest thing someone will ever get to a Legend of Zelda Ghibli movie. It's a must watch if your into dark fantasy.

[@onurbschrednei4569]

Also the score of Mononoke is for me the best and most iconic of any Ghibli movie. It's mysterious, epic and emotional all at once.

[@joshevans3421]

​@onurbschrednei4569 I 100% agree. It enhances every scene it touches. It's definitely one of my favourite scores of all time.

[@AlyAce2012]

To be fair about Howls moving castle the war isn’t just randomly called off, But the reason it’s called off isn’t like explained at length. It’s mentioned that the reason the kingdom with the sorcerer lady is at war with the other kingdom is because they believe they kidnapped their prince. But when it’s revealed that Turnip Head was the missing prince all along, the sorcerer lady calls off the war bc theres no reason for them to keep fighting.

[@mikewalker678]

Like the country they attacked would just be fine with the fact that they were bombed to hell because the missing persons squad of the other country's police force fucked up.

[@arlekino0792]

Well, the reason and occasion is are different things. Maybe this countries were on the verge of war and missing prince became a good apportunity for starting it.

[@chriscoulson5627]

You also have to understand that the movie is an allegory for the US’s invasion of Iraq, I.E the powers at be will do what they want if it results in power and profit.

[@imasaiko_]

I watched the movie three times and I didn't understood why the queen did a war, thank you for explain it

[@jaskoxd7719]

​@@imasaiko_so you weren't carefull enough, because she wasn't queen

[@caalieeg]

I will admit that it took me a couple of watches to really take in Howl's Moving Castle. I knew I liked the film but the message seemed hazy and unclear. Sophie is a timid woman who sees herself as undesirable and ugly. When she is inflicted with the curse she ages drastically and then we see her slip out of that sometimes. Those moments she becomes younger or looks more like she should, are times in the film when she finds inner courage and strength. She sticks up forherself, she shows up for Howl, she fights for her new acquired family. At the end of the film she has grown so much that she has broken her own curse that was originally thought to only be removed by a wizard. I love Sophie's character so much! Edit: I also had completely forgotten the next subversion of expectations they threw in at the end. When you think of Disney movies, most of the females/princesses are saved by a kiss from their love. In Howl's Moving Castle, Sophie is the one to save her family with a kiss! Turnip head transforms back to his Prince self, Calcifer gets to be free from Howl if he desires, The Witch of the Waste becomes a family member, and Howl comes back from a near deadly beast form. It's so easy to get caught up in the whimsical aspects of the film and watching what Howl does that one could completely miss Sophie's arch. Schaff should definitely view again!

[@ellielovegood6307]

Agreed

[@BirdsandGhibliFan]

Me, too. I think I have a girl crush on Sophie (especially younger Sophie and her shorter, white hair), but my love for the character is much deeper than that. I love her character development and what she represents, like the themes of accepting old age and overcoming insecurities. Your comment sums up everything perfectly. I couldn’t agree more. 👍

[@phoenixkh93]

yep. her curse basically made her outside reflect her inside. she always felt plain, unremarkable, and not worth anyone's attention. At the times when she shows her fire and her confidence and self assurance she becomes young again. By the end of the film she had gained her own confidence and strength. She broker her own curse. Sophie's journey is one of my favorites in all of fiction

[@embrae3804]

yes this! I also really enjoy how the meeting of howl and Sophie is spurred by the future where she finds out about Howl's past and tells her to find her in the future. That's why he says I've been looking everywhere for you!! Its one of my favorite things about the movie.

[@Gr95dc]

Yup yup. The first time I watched it I instantly loved it, actually this movie was the first Ghibli movie I ever saw. The second time I watched it I still liked it but didn't felt as good as the first time. But I re watched this year and wow, I noticed so many subtle plot points, I fell in love with this movie once more and I feel like the more you watch it the more you'll like it.

[@tasheve3015]

i just watched Kaguya for the first time and i was in tears. it’s so beautiful, from the story to the animation to the music. i loved every character. i genuinely wanted the princess to stay on earth at the end and i felt her and her parents’ pain when she had to leave :(

[@Space_Prince]

Real

[@Mars-nm8ek]

The music during that scene makes me SOB

[@AndySola]

Having Only Yesterday as number 5 and Whisper of the Heart as number 1 is extremely based of you. Those movies don't get enough love. Incredible movies.

[@scarlettrobinson2047]

Me turning this on: boy I can’t wait for Schafrillas to rate Howl’s Moving Castle number 1 Narrator: he didn’t

[@digitalcamaro9708]

Why would he? As a fan of thay movie it barely cracks top 10 for me.

[@Kyong008]

You're delusional if you genuinely and honestly thought he was gonna rank Howl's on number 1 lmao no way

[@thedeliveryboy1123]

I feel like one of the themes of Howl's Moving Castle is "acting your age," where Sophie acts like an old woman and gets turned into such, only changing back when she starts becoming more cheery. Howl starts off cool and calm until he throws said temper tantrum over something like his hair because he "has the heart of a child," like dub version of Sophie says. Heck, Markl disguises as an old man and keeps the entire shop running while the Witch of the Waste's true age gets revealed after getting yoinked of her powers I can totally understand how you can get confused with the movie, but I think it's a pretty fun ride with beautiful animation and music, with a story I can get behind.

[@standardhuman8675]

That’s actually a thing in the original book! Book-Sophie has magic stronger than the witch of the wastes. If Sophie believes she’s an old woman, she’s an old woman. It was mostly lost in translation :(

[@NylonBrony]

It’s actually my favorite Ghibli movie ^v^

[@LuKaChiix3]

Oh interesting take on the story, never thought of that! It does make a lot of sense!

[@SexuelleBelle]

I love that take

[@MK-jx2lu]

@@standardhuman8675 The book was amazing, more people ought to read it.

[@8is]

I think what made Howl's Moving Castle so great is really simple actually. I never *really* cared about the characters, or the magic, or the anti-war sentiment, or the love subplot, or its villains. It's simply the most beautiful move Studio Ghibli has ever made. From the architecture and landscape, to the music and general vibe in the town square. Even the cheerful (and a bit naive) soldiers and the proudful display of flags are one of the most beautiful portrayal of nationalism, which fits perfectly for the early 20th century european societies the movie is heavily based on.

[@noelleobrien7525]

My favorite is still Nausicaa, it’s got such an incredibly interesting world and I personally loved how it started. Speculative biology is one of the coolest things in fiction and I’m glad that Nausicaa gave me a fully realized ecosystem. It’s also amazing how you can see so much of ghibli’s hallmarks even before it was officially a studio- aircraft, the impact of war, well crafted female protagonists, and heavy environmental messaging.

[@kodaminclyde327]

this. the setting makes me explode every time

[@KKajice]

Honestly, Howl's Moving Castle is more about the ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* V I B E S *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ than anything else

[@ellielovegood6307]

Also Howls Hot

[@gummidusa1076]

You’re very right, I never used to understand the plot of the movie until a few years ago but I’ve loved it since I was a kid just for the vibes

[@KKajice]

@@ellielovegood6307 what? I never noticed, that is definitely NOT one of the main reasons I love this movie, no, not at all.

[@KKajice]

@@gummidusa1076 Whenever I think about the movie and how much I liked it, I never think about the movie as a whole or about the plot. It's always just single shots, short scenes from it. When she was making a hat in the beginning. When they stride from roof to roof. Howl's room full of talisman. When calcifer uses all of his strength to hold up the castle. It's just a collection of amazing scenes imo.

[@gummidusa1076]

@@KKajice exactly, I actually watched it for the first when I was really young and didn’t know the name of it but the visuals stuck with me, especially the scene with the star-looking spirits singing and holding hands around howl and Sophie, which was super creepy and also very pretty, and I searched for the movie for years based on that one image

[@jeanfrazee1896]

Adding to the sea of Howl’s Moving Castle commentary: Howl is such an unpredictable and emotionally volatile character because he gave his heart up when he was 12. Emotionally, he never matured past that stage in his life, and his behavior reflects this. We don’t really know who he is because, without his heart and the ability to develop any kind of emotional maturity, he doesn’t know who he is either.

[@yeethittter1285]

That's pretty terrific KZbin commentor Jean Frazee but why did he give Calcifer his heart in the first place Not an insult just wanna know

[@colbaltmind5696]

@@yeethittter1285 in the books, calcifier was a strong demon that needed to stay alive, and in exchange for his heart to keep him alive he gave howl his powerful magic supply.

[@yeethittter1285]

@@colbaltmind5696 Ah, thank you

[@arlekino0792]

@@yeethittter1285 I didn't read the book. But I think it's the freedom. Leitmotif that is all over in the movie.

[@y1hj2]

As much as I appreciate the details that hint to this and many of other aspects such as Sophie's curse not being consistent etc. It just feels too subtle to catch. Important info like this shouldn't be deciphered afterwards or deduced from the og source material. I think a lot of times Miyazaki does a brilliant job throwing these breadcrumbs without needing to explain the world nor the characters. But not necessarily in this movie imo.

[@kaiboennighausen3526]

I AM SO HAPPY that Whisper of the Heart is getting every bit of praise it deserves (as far as that it's possible, because as good a job you did, no one is every gonna do this movie justice). You took the words right of my soul. I was nineteen years old when I saw this movie and nothing, absolutely nothing before this, had made me fall in love with it in any fashion remotely resembling how I felt watching this movie. Honestly, I can't rewatch it all the time because of how deeply it cuts in into pieces in all the best ways possible. I fucking start tearing up to hearing you talk about it, that's how much Whisper of the Heart moves me. One time a different movie (I'd highly recommend Liz and the Blue Bird btw) came close and I genuinely had a near-crisis at the prospect of me liking another movie in existence on this planet better than Whisper of the Heart, and I finally rewatched it after three years. I was incredibly anxious and worried that I'd overly-romanticized it in that time. I had not. Whisper of the Heart is my favorite movie of all time, my favorite story of all time, and damn near close to my favorite work of art of all time (being a musician that one is too hard to decide on). And like you, this movie drilled Country Roads into my head. Like wtf man, what's John Denver doing in here lol

[@nartdog7421]

My favorite Ghibli film is Princess Mononoke. The visuals, story, and score are so beautiful. Seeing that movie in theaters honestly changed me

[@HarrySwanny29]

I watched Whisper of the Heart right after watching this. Schaff wasn’t kidding. It’s incredible and you should all watch it. If you’re struggling to find direction or are trying to pursue your passion, you have to see this movie. It will speak to you on a level most films don’t even come close to. It is immersive yet incredibly reflective. It is magical, heartwarming, and uplifting.

[@BroAnarchy]

Just started watching _Kaguya_ , and even though I'm just 10 minutes in i feel like it feels so familiar, and so... _Human_ . I see reflections in the movie that parallel in my life, emotionally with the movie (especially since I'm a relatively new parent,) and I'm surprised by this (in a very good way) So glad i saw this list , and i found out about this movie!

[@neoyuls]

It's a beautiful film, it resonated with me a lot because at the time I first watched it I was dealing with my partner leaving the country to study violin,, movie came into my life at the perfect time.

[@marvel096]

YES!!! It's my favorite ghibli movie ❤ i never experience a film that spoke directly to my soul like with shizku's story

[@Grace_ingrid]

It's been ages since I watched it and I thought hm that was cute. This is coming from someone who has probably seen Kiki 50 times but I feel very compelled to revisit it like never before after watching this.

[@StarmisYT]

Whisper of the Heart is perfect.

[@gummykyunno.2010]

I didn’t think Howls Moving Castle was hard to understand, but it has a lot of metaphorical weight throughout its storyline. Sophie’s appearance changes because her self confidence fluctuates, and if you pay enough attention, her old lady appearance doesn’t look so old as the movie progresses to visualize her characters development. Howl is obsessed with his appearance, it’s what makes him come off as charming and “pleasant”, and his character learns to be happy as just himself. Madam Sullivan ends the war because the neighboring prince was found with love, she was just impressed that Howl learned to love himself and love another person genuinely. It’s definitely not the most straightforward story, but it’s a visual metaphor.

[@casualmarkit9969]

You managed to put to words what I was feeling when he was talking about Howl's, thank you. I have no idea if I could have come up with this good of an explanation.

[@luccc7169]

THANK YOU

[@screamingladybug6006]

Thank you for writing this. It was really upsetting that he was asking about the most understood points in the movie. A quick google search could have answered any of those questions. He could have watched it again! But nah. Instead, he graded the movie off his own stupidity. It’s called connecting the plot. A movie should not have to hold your hand and spoon feed you.

[@CJtheOMEGA]

@@screamingladybug6006 you shouldn’t have to google search to find the answers lmao

[@ZenkHo4y0]

@@CJtheOMEGA If he had paid attention to the movie, it wouldn't have been confusing. When Sophie is an old woman, it is when she is talking down about herself. When she turns young, she is confident. It's really not that hard, you just have to pay attention.

[@StarJellie]

So glad you loved Whisper of the Heart. It's a movie I didn't care for as a child, so dismissed, then watched it again as a teen and it changed me. One of those movies that if you watch at the right time it stays with you forever

[@pooxel]

I knew exactly what was going to happen in Grave of the Fireflies from watching a review on it, and I still cried like a fountain when I watched for myself.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Challenge: Schaff ranks every Barbie movie from the 2000's (which is 16 total). I have no doubt the animation would irritate him to no end, but I also want him to be pleasantly surprised but how good a lot of them are regarding story, characters, & music. Plus, considering how pleased he was with Tim Curry as the Cat King, I want to hear Schaff's face when he realizes Tim was in not one but *two* Barbie movies, the era beginning *and* ending with him as the villain. 😉😆🥰 I'd let *him* decide whether or not he wants to continue into the 2010's...

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

I support this idea

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@ThemeParkAvenue Thank you. 😊

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose sure thing! Some of those Barbie movies (though I’m somewhat ashamed to say I watched) are pretty good.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@ThemeParkAvenue No judgment here my friend, trust me. I happily collected all 16 movies as a kid, thought I'd outgrown it, but came to end up re-watching them during quarantine, realizing that it is in fact okay to still like & appreciate Barbie at almost 22 years old. 😉👏

[@meatwoodflacmedia]

I think Jenny Nicholson is chipping away at a barbie ranking video

[@mist0098]

a note on howls moving castle: the war was about Turnip Head. He's the missing prince that Kingsbury thinks a neighboring country kidnapped. It's mentioned in a blink-and-you-miss-it line. I love Howl's Moving Castle but for the moodiness of howl. It's hard for me to explain I relate to him a lot. I have autism and some days when the smallest change is there it can make me super upset to the point life feels like it's not worth living but after returning to my schedule all is ok and my sunny disposition returns. I also need people with me in places where I'm uncomfortable.

[@megakirby66g45]

I’d recommend you read the book howls a lot more fleshed out. And the plots a lot better in the book. I do enjoy the visuals of the movie tho.

[@MangoMagica]

Hello fellow autistic! I feel that a lot too. It really sucks when people don't understand me when that happens.

[@caitlinf2554]

Yeah I missed the element about turnip head and was confused by the end until about my third watch. Still love the film though, just wish that part were more clear :)

[@stanleybarwick8361]

I'm autistic as well and my life is the exact same.

[@8Makes1]

Howl's mood swings are also rooted in his vanity. He acts according to his looks because he places so much value in his appearance. Going through the movie's journey and watching Sophie struggle to love herself and see herself as anything more than a burden really brings him out of His self-love and he learns what true love is.

[@Metropoliszone]

I just wanted to come here and say because of this video, I got around to watching Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart, back to back, and they're both so stunning. Thank you for getting me to finally get around to them.

[@chandlercarruthers830]

I love Kiki’s delivery service. I’m an artist and a designer, and it embodies so much of what I love as both of those things. The city is ideal, and it has so much life and love put into it. It’s magical and whimsical, and it shows how people should really be living. And the ending was so fantastic, when she relearns how to fly and the people she’s met are cheering her on. I choked up, and as a young man I really felt something

[@sophialan1801]

Sophie never dips in and out of her curse. Her curse is that she looks like how she feels. When she is sleeping she reverts back because she isn’t dragging along the baggage of being the ugly forgotten little sister. As she opens up to everyone at the castle she feels loved and seen but still struggles sometimes when old feelings boil up again. It is only when she takes initiative with the people she cares about, realizing she is worthy of love, that she takes her final form at the end. The witch puts this curse on her because the witch believes that people are fundamentally ugly on the inside. This also explains the witches changes throughout the film. Seeing Sophie over come the curse slowly makes her realize that people are capable of inner beauty so she ends up mellowing out.

[@atruemanofculture1521]

Older sister*

[@gandalfczarny2289]

Where do you see all of this? :O

[@Rosy2468]

@@gandalfczarny2289 you can see it in Sophie from the beginning, she has a nice family that love her but the moms flighty and her sisters are beautiful and popular and she feels a little old fashioned and quiet. When shes cursed to look old shes alarmed but really quickly thinks its not too bad, jokes that her dresses finally make sense for her, and it actually gives her a push to leave the house and explore. Howl and Calcifer see theres a curse on her pretty much immediately, and its implied/said that she has the power to break her own curse, and its not someone else loving her its her loving others and feeling comfortable in herself. When shes feeling confident and outgoing she looks younger. When shes embarrassed or sad it ages her. She finishes out the movie young and in love, and the grey hair remains as a hint that she is comfortable in herself and no longer holding herself back even if she does sometimes feel those negative emotions.

[@happyllama1160]

This except it’s the older sister. She’s not forgotten, her self consciousness stems from her feeling as though she must hold all the responsibility for her family. She’s the one who has to work at the hat shop so Lettie and Martha can go and do what they want.

[@AtlasBlizzard]

Exactly.

[@viveleshistoires4874]

Have to feel bad for Goro Miyazaki: the guy clearly isn’t interested in cinema. He is just expected to be his father regardless of what he actually _wants_ to do…

[@riograndedosulball248]

I feel even more badly because he achieved making a good film, and then stuttered right back with... Something No matter what he does, he will always be compared to his father, and he has an obligation to keep Studio Gibhli running in the future. I wish him all the luck with it, he has potential

[@lainiwakura1776]

It doesn't help that his dad didn't teach him a single thing about directing.

[@kassyyar97]

@@riograndedosulball248 From up on Poppy Hill was directed by Goro but with (lots) of help from Hayao (I dont know how much help exactly, but Im pretty sure Hayao must've made some pivotal decisions in the movie's pre-production) So it technically isnt his own movie :/ Sadly.

[@matomatic4599]

IIRC Goro designed and then curated the Ghibli museum for a few years and did a great job in that regard, so he has contributed to the studio in other ways. That being said, saying that Goro "isn't interested in cinema" is a bit of a stretch - to me it seems more a fear of failing to live up to the expectations of his father's works, which creates self-doubt undermining his creative vision. A self-fulfilling prophecy if you will.

[@matomatic4599]

@@riograndedosulball248 I think some of the Ghibli animators went on to found a new studio, and created 'Mary and The Witch's Flower'. Pretty good film btw, fantastic quality of animation as always. However I wouldn't share the same optimism for Goro or studio Ghibli itself - perhaps Hayao Miyazaki will make one last fantastic film.

[@lbricks7631]

Good to see some love for Only Yesterday.

[@Samstates]

I can’t describe how happy I am that your Number one and two are Whisper of the Heart and Kaguya. WotH was my ‘on repeat’ through university and I’ll never not be thankful to it for showing me how easy it is to get conflicted in our own heads about our written works-and I’m not alone in that! Reality says one thing, but our characters try to lead us to tell their story! How amazing it is when you find supportive people in your life who don’t first say ‘how will you pay the bills’? I agree, agree, agree! Great list!

[@noahthe0tter]

The ending portion of this video makes me want to see Schaff do a full length analysis on Whisper of the Heart, much like he did for Ratatouille

[@edizgunes]

He said he will

[@MatthewB367]

@today was a good day no

[@glendarjj3991]

Does the heart confirm it?

[@kassandrax2322]

I mean, he hearted your comment, so maybe...

[@Del-Dokan]

"Why Whisper of the Heart is Studio Ghibli's Magnum Opus"

[@khasaki1]

It was always my understanding that in Howl’s Moving Castle, Suliman calls off the war because Prince Justin (TurnipHead) was discovered. It’s said in the beginning of the movie that the missing prince is what caused the war since Justin’s country blamed the other countries for his disappearance when in reality, he was just cursed.

[@maxdavis7722]

Lol that’s not really how a war would play out tho. World War One wouldn’t just stop if archduke Ferdinand was revived.

[@tangyjenna]

@@maxdavis7722 it's almost like a movie about a moving castle isn't supposed to be totally realistic

[@theoharisvarnas5315]

@@tangyjenna it is not supposed to be understandable too then 😏

[@maxdavis7722]

@@tangyjenna I get it, the film is a fantasy but a fantasy setting doesn’t mean logic is removed. We only use different logic if it is shown to us.

[@iowanimperium7258]

@@theoharisvarnas5315 Actually it was pretty understandable to me because of how all of the military uniforms were designed and how the populous reacted to going to war, it was about how jingoism is really bad, Howl's Moving Castle is more about accepting one's self but in the background is also an anti war message

[@AtlasBlizzard]

I adore Pom Poko, it's a gut-wrenching story that really ambitiously juggles a whole cast of characters that you root for (my favorite is Kincho). The yokai parade scene is absolutely breathtaking, and the scene where they turn their home back the way it used to be makes me cry. It's tied with My Neighbor Totoro for my favorite Studio Ghibli movie.

[@hinasakukimi]

pom poko was such a bizarre experience but i got really sucked into it. i was caught off guard by how good it is

[@signifiedsnow]

saw this video last night, went out to buy Wisper of The Heart today, and after watching it, WOW omg it's just so good and inspiring! as an aspiring writer who feels imposter syndrome around my other creative friends, it hit me so so hard!!! Thanks Shaffrillas Productions for the recommendation

[@rikuh696]

About Howl's moving castle: Its about the war. Sophie turning old is about how the war turns kids into old people. Thats why she gets younger, cursed, when she is happy. Even in the end, when the curse is over, the experience of the war keeps her hair white, because she will never be the same

[@dachking6657]

Well said, thank you sir

[@thehillisalive]

I remember seeing an analysis that it also has to do with Sophie's own self-image and confidence.

[@FunnyFany]

Honestly, I don't see how he found it so confusing. I'm the kind of autistic that gets easily lost in complicated films, but I had an okay time with the anti-war themes of Howl's Moving Castle and how everything is analogies and metaphors.

[@NickAndriadze]

*BEAUTIFUL 👌.*

[@charmandyorton006]

World War II, right? EDIT: I mean the Iraq War oops

[@bishoujoagogo6243]

Everything you said about Whisper of the Heart is exactly what Kiki's Delivery Service means to me. To be so passionate about something. To be challenged on that thing you love. To question yourself on if you were even meant to do it. If you're good enough. To go on a self realizing journey till you ultimately beat your self doubt. Kiki's journey is how I feel about my art and artists block and my own self doubt. To see Kiki be able to fly again gives me hope that I will too.

[@Ryan_Metzelar]

You took the words right out of my mouth

[@MineShackle]

This. Ive always felt Kikis is the superior version of Whisper of the Heart and it resonated with me more than any other Ghibli movie.

[@midnighttcircus]

Oh my god! Just finished the video. I’m so happy with your number one choice. I felt 100% the exact same way. It’s been my favourite by far since I first saw it in high school. I needed it then and now it is my comfort movie beyond a shadow of a doubt. I’m so happy to finally see someone else place this at their top as well. Thank you. I feel so seen!

[@havanasinclair206]

I’ve put this video off for so long, I am glad of the list you made. Whisper of the Heart always has my heart. For a teenage girl, I saw myself as Shizuku and have sat through that film 8-9 different time and always feel inspired to be great afterwards

[@adeleaslan8182]

I think the magic in Ghibli films is how their films feel like we’re watching actual people’s lives. There’s moments of nothing that still feel charming with good animation and characters that we’ve grown to relate to. They make you romanticize life and the little things in it

[@porterwayman8643]

Literally everyone is just talking about Howl’s moving castle, NOTHING ELSE

[@ikimiyu]

lmao

[@latteaddict1524]

Well, i don't wanna be that prson but he totally asked for it hsjsbsj

[@Andrews13channel]

he asked for it tbh

[@JustYourAverageToes]

Because the position was unjust

[@waltuh2.3bviews3secondsago3]

I've watched it and quite a few other ghibli films, mainly the classics and i don't really think much of it, i was surprised he put it there cuz everyone loves it but idc at all

[@FrostyDoesStuff]

as a kikis delivery service mega fan, i am very offended that it was NUMBER 4! this is a joke. I STILL LOVE KIKIS DELIVERY SERVICE THO

[@sonicfan9144]

I just watched Whisper of the Heart yesterday, and it was so beautiful. It touched me so deeply. It might actually be better than Spirited Away for me.

[@nicolebee3283]

My personal favourite will always be Howl's moving castle. It's impossible to explain why but that movie just fills me with this intense comfy feeling

[@ellielovegood6307]

Completely agree! Maybe I’m biased cause I grew up on it, but it’s definitely my personal favorite too

[@zachsutton2113]

Same. Personally I feel like the different things in the story mesh very well and I love the characters

[@glendarjj3991]

I personally don't see it. I respect your opinion and love that you were able to connect with it so much, but I never had that connection.

[@cameron20_]

same lol

[@tcolliass]

Yes 100% agree

[@jenafrid3180]

I feel like people never acknowledge or talk about princess Kaguya when they talk about ghibli, so I was pleased to see you give it the recognition it deserves! Such an underrated masterpiece, and a beautiful film.

[@not_ateral]

As a Battle Cats player, I instantly thought of that one Angel/Metal debuffer thats too rare for their role.

[@pokotcho1824]

g pas pour habithude de regarder des beta de film

[@teyec]

Where can I watch it

[@mrbobmv1638]

Best art but I found it boring. Still bought it though 🤣

[@darthunify9025]

@@teyec hbo max

[@thinkingfubuki]

I watched The Tale of the Princess Kaguya today, and while the moment-to-moment experience wasn't my thing (possibly due to watching with the English dub so my parents could keep up with what was going on), the moment the movie was over and it was time to think about what I just witnessed, I was a changed person It's one of those movies that leans hard into the "makes you think after it's over" aspect that movies can have, and I don't think I'll ever forget this movie even if I never watch it again

[@Bunnygones]

Revisiting this masterpiece vid bc I recently finished a through-watch of all the Ghibli projects and this list is so close to mine and really articulated what I feel about the top movies. The tale of princess kaguya made me ache in a way no other ghibli movie has, spirited away is the perfectly told story and uses magic in the best way ive ever seen (a story and character mechanism to represent maturing, etc) and whisper of the heart features a character (shizuku) whose perspectives and experiences with imposter syndrome, feeling left behind, and the urgency to create something that almost swallows you whole...absolute magic

[@Johnny2Cellos]

I have a lot of differing opinions to this list but I adore your top 3.

[@MK-jx2lu]

What is this, a crossover episode?

[@joacotaco4772]

Woah hey Johnny

[@milktea6676]

I actually agree with this

[@josephmorel858]

yeah I've got different places for some of these movies xD

[@procrastinatingcartoonstm5130]

yes

[@carlotta4th]

Howls' moving castle: First of all, it's beautiful animation. And almost all the characters are likeable in their own ways (Sophie's character progression, Markl is adorable, the dog is cute, Calcifer is funny, Howl... exists. He's at least not terrible). But you missed the most important aspect that makes the film much more understandable. Sophie isn't "dipping" in and out of her curse, it's explicitly tied into her self esteem. You'll notice that even when she first turns old she says "well at least your clothes finally suit you." She LIKES being old because it matches how she feels about herself. As the movie progresses she gains confidence and the curse weakening during those moments of assuredness and action--but it comes back again right away when she starts feeling bad about herself. In the beginning the curse is only weak when she's asleep and not conscious at all to think about herself--by the end of the film she's broken the curse even when awake because she's become completely confident and capable. Sophie is the one who reunites Howl with his heart for two reasons. 1) in the book she actually has a magical ability to make things live by talking to them, so Calcifer only survives at all because she talked to him so much. The movie didn't include that part so you could theoretically interpret as "Sophie owns Howl's heart" (he loves her) so she's the only one who can return it. "Why did Howl give Calcifer his heart in the first place" the movie implies that part very vaguely, book actually explained it. The stars die when they hit the ground, and Howl was very sad by this. He was trying to save one of the stars and the only way to do that was giving it his heart. The movie only sort of shows this by the very short scene of the stars fading away after they land. It's extremely subtle but there if you look. I agree the war part is confusing. There's a very tiny line (that you'd only see with subtitles on) about "the prince from the neighboring kingdom is missing and they blame us" but if you missed that ONE LINE (like I did when I first saw it), you're just totally confused. xD The war ends because Turnipface was the prince, he's been healed and he's going back to tell his country to knock it off. I agree this is the weakest part of the film, it's basically just there to give our characters conflict.

[@ObservantMantis]

Totally agree- schaffrillas defintely dropped the pan on this one... Totally missed the plot- more judgment than analyzing imo.

[@ThePaulineu]

But using the book isn’t fair. The movie really doesn’t explain these things. As a movie standing alone it doesn’t make much sense

[@ramonandrajo6348]

The movie is still a big mess and as much as those things are well explained in the book that the movie is based on, the movie is still a disappointment; try with another excuse.

[@ramonandrajo6348]

@@ThePaulineu Agreed.

[@ramonandrajo6348]

@@ObservantMantis Nice try, dude. XD

[@konrafhaffmans981]

Your videos are so hilarious and well made. This was a great ranking. Your opinions are always interesting. Thank you so much

[@midwesternviking_ttv2986]

I'd love to see you go in depth on Whisper of the Heart. I really enjoy hearing people talk about something they love.

[@BugsyFoga]

Gotta give Schaff props for “SUBVERTING MY EXPECTATIONS”, cause I definitely didn’t expect Ghibli to be the next studio he would rank after dreamworks and Pixar .

[@RuleroftheSandcastle]

I expected Blue Sky or something.

[@jonathand.t.5051]

I honestly expected this

[@gamermapper]

They're the Pixar of Anime

[@gamermapper]

Although this is super cool I also didn't expect it because it's anime which is always treated very differently from mainstream Western animation which is kinda sad and I'm glad he did it anyway cuz it's as cool as Disney and pixar and also pretty similar (people ignore sonetimes obvious similarities between different things when those things are from categories considered completely separate)

[@jollyboy3572]

He confirmed Sony’s next on his Twitter and Letterboxd

[@shiveringmousepodcast7153]

In HMC the war ends because the guy the turnip scarecrow turns into is the other kingdoms prince. The whole war was about his disappearance so his return ends it. Also, I love how Sophie tells baby Howl to find her in the future and the first line he says to her is “There you are, Sweetheart, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Because he really has… for like a decade!

[@clairephillips8226]

this is one of my fave movies since I was a kid and I literally never picked up on this til now lmao... I need to rewatch asap

[@w00rmz]

I never noticed that before, on my god thats so sweet.

[@Roboshi2007]

I also like how the war is always in the background, you never get all the information because Howl and sophie are not huge players in this, they only feel the effects when it comes to their front door and it's all how a real person would experience it.

[@nightmarefanatic1819]

Holy crap I never even thought about that!

[@ygotsvlog3762]

Sounds like lazy writing smashed in the end... But who tf cares my first ever exposure to ghibli and the animation slaps ass still love it

[@abcluigi21]

How ironic is it that Studio Ghibli made Schaffrillas' least favorite animated movie of all time (Earwig and the Witch) and most favorite animated movie of all time (Whisper of the Heart)?

[@camfratus8636]

Thank you for making this list! I haven’t seen all of the studio’s movies and this has helped me alot

[@paraplegiccowboy4950]

Man, I just feel bad for Goro Miyazaki, directing the commonly thought to be pair of worst Ghibli movies with Earthsea and Earwig, while also living in the shadow of his dad

[@eatatjoes6751]

Me too, man.

[@jdawson7877]

same

[@jonnysac77]

Earwig wasn't even that bad, it's just that he's the son of a guy who's made some of the best movies of all time, he even said the reason he moved to CG animation is because he doesn't wanna spend the rest of his life competing with his father's past accomplishments

[@jdawson7877]

@@jonnysac77 and i don't even think the cgi for the movie is bad sure its no pixar quality animation but for the first cgi ghibli film i think its looks impressive.

[@jonnysac77]

@@jdawson7877 It does actually look good, the people who say it looks awful, Have either not actually watched it or have not seen what actual bad animation looks like

[@Thebatcavepetfriendlybakery]

Howl's moving castle is a story about self-acceptance. Sophie's spell broke bc howl helped her feel young and beautiful again. Howl was self-conscious and obsessed with his appearance, so he lost it when his hair color changed. Sophie and Howl help each other love themselves. The first time i watched it, i loved the ugly dog and the scenery and calcifer, but i had no idea what was going on. After watching a couple of times, i started to pick up on it. It's not my absolute favorite studio ghibli film, but it is high on my list. I haven't seen all of them, however.

[@Ndf2695Gaming]

What is your favorite?

[@Vampirecrypt]

I'd also say reading the book helps with understanding some things, as a few things that aren't explained in the movie makes more sense there imo, especially howl and his personality as he's very different there than in the movie

[@melz4766]

FR I feel like this KZbinr didn't get the theme (self-acceptance) or really pay attention cuz I feel like the answers ARE there (even though it did take me a couple of watches too lol), like why the war happened, why Sophie's curse would weaken during the moments she accepted herself, and howl's whole character!

[@Vampirecrypt]

@@melz4766 to be fair in him I think it’s better understood if you watch it a couple times and think about it, he probably only watched each movie once because it would’ve taken a while to watch all of them and understand all of them completely lol, howls moving castle is def a really deep movie that needs that time to understand tho

[@anneliese2874]

Thanks for the clarification! I too was also SUPER confused after watching it for the first time hahaha

[@yusyna]

Whisper of the heart is one of my favorites because it's so good to relate to. A simple love story where you find the meaning of life because of your lover. And it's so beautiful that they made the promise to marry each other at the end TvT!

[@FerrelNotFeral]

Whisper of the heart has been my favorite movie since i was a little kid. Ive never met anyone else whos seen it, let alone considers it ghibli's best. I'm so glad you're guiding more people to it. It's an amazing movie.

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodma3161]

I agree with all of the criticisms about Howls Moving Castle, I’ve often come to the same conclusions on plenty of occasions. My girlfriend is obsessed with the movie and I’ve always felt it wasn’t amazing. *However,* I feel like putting Howls Moving Castle as the FOURTH worst Ghibli film ever made is laughably contrarian. I feel as though your disappointment in proportion to others praises of the film lead you to rank it a lot lower than it should’ve been. Regardless of your personal feelings, Howl’s Moving Castle’s objective quality is easily enough to put it at at least 10-15 spots compared to other, much inherently weaker films.

[@thebigskub4319]

to be fair he did say the gap between the last 3 movies and howl’s moving castle was large, immensely so. i do feel as if his critique wasn’t harsh enough to deserve it’s rank but i do think it comes mostly from his ability to draw any care for the film

[@expensivenes2645]

Yep!

[@iluvdrakeandjosh]

i mean i would say (almost) every movie ahead of it is better than it, and he said that it's not a terrible movie like the other movies at the bottom are. I don't understand how it's contrarian of him when in the same video the most popular and critically acclaimed ghibli movie is in his top 3. he just doesn't like the movie like it's not that complicated at all. Only movie that's questionable in my opinion is tanuki balls the movie being ahead of it because it's just not as well made as howl's at all *and* it's not as funny even considering how much of that movie is steeped in cultural jokes that aren't really a thing in other countries like it is in Japan and Howl's is more general and so easier to access from many different perspectives.

[@theheavenlyfb4071]

He did emphasise that it was still leagues better than the three movies below it, so take it's placement with a grain of salt and more of a comparison to the other works that are a higher calibre than the bottom three

[@SpaceDragon14]

He doesnt get the movie at all

[@leoc.7514]

The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a cinematic masterpiece. I can't believe it lost against "That was his mistake !" at the Oscars. Seriously, this is unforgivable.

[@20thcentury_toy]

That was their mistake

[@VigilanteLulu]

That was the Academy's mistake!

[@philly_sports1558]

I hadn't watched any Studio Ghibli movies until a few months ago when I watched Spirited Away for the first time, and that movie just absolutely floored me. I loved it so much that I decided to watch every other Ghibli movie in chronological order, and it was such a rewarding experience. They have so much variety in their films and yet such a high bar of quality for most of them. Kiki's Delivery Service is probably my favorite because of how much I related to the themes and Kiki's journey as a character. I can't believe it took me until my 20s to watch these movies. Better late than never.

[@Greenranger123]

i grew up with princess mononoke even tho the amount of violence and possible gore as peoples arms were being chopped off i found the whole atmosphere of it just fascinating its one of my favourites

[@nicholaspatton7306]

A couple interesting facts about Grave of the fireflies. It's based on a book by a man who grew up during the war and suffered survivors guilt after his sister died of malnutrition. Isao Takahata and studio ghibli made the movie in hopes that it would dispel a teenage crime wave spike caused by the children/grandchildren of the survivors of the war by showing them the hardships of their parents when they were their age. This movie is also the only movie by Ghibli that Disney hasn't distributed in the US themselves.

[@david-rr8pi]

So basically disney didnt want us to sympathize with war survivor yes very wholesome disney

[@BioTroy]

Despite me heavily disagreeing with some of your placements (that Howl's one stung lol), it also makes me appreciate seeing how diverse everyone's top Ghibli films can be.

[@dingle2987]

Howl’s is great, but I feel like there was maybe like two movies worth of stuff with the war alone. Kinda like how Nausica was a manga with more detail and the movie really strips some of the ideas down.

[@YourAverageKurdishDudeOfficial]

My favourite Ghibli movie was spirited away. The animation was beautiful. It was peaceful to me. I love this movie so much

[@killedcatharsis1979]

I will never forget watching an older brother pull a glass marble from his sister’s mouth in Grave of the Fireflies. The quickest I’ve ever burst into tears.

[@fenixleonor]

For me Howls moving castle is all about self love. We see Sophie as the second daughter, and we know by the beginning how she don’t take risks. She learn to have self love becoming old woman mentality, because she learned she should take risks in life. Howl didn’t had is heart, He was unstable emotionally, and he learned how to self love by focusing on the people that are important to him…. For me Is a really great movie that I saw with 9 years old and fell in love over the time…. And the war ended not because howl and Sophie fell in love, but because the prince that was disapeared was actually the Tornip head xD

[@Blue-Code]

@magiclolivoid 肪 but with some questionable content of the book I can understand why Miyazaki had to rewrite it. The movie is great even though it never follows the book.

[@Ant12468]

I really disagree with how they potrayed this theme of self love. Sophie's curse was broken by loving Howl, it makes no sense. What would have been way better if Sophie learnt to love herself and her looks even as an old lady and that breaks the curse. That kind of ending would really sell that theme.

[@theoharisvarnas5315]

For me it's a shredder. It has so many holes in its plot that you are questioning just why. ..

[@psychotophatcat]

@@Ant12468 What you wanted to happen did happen in the film. Sophie gained confidence in herself through realizing and acting on her love for Howl. She spoke up boldly against wrongs and tried to change things directly when she used to just let herself fade into the background. She didn't regain her youth just because she fell in love. She fell in love because she finally allowed herself to live. She even clearly states more than once that becoming an old woman gave her clarity to stop caring about how others saw her, and she owned being old as best as she could.

[@danaespinosa4203]

i do think the fact that he didn't watch the films in japanese plays a big part in him not understanding howl's moving castle. the self-love journey of sophie is so beautiful and howl going from someone who only cared about looks to someone who no longer needs to dye his hair or wear fancy clothes to feel ok with himself was so meaningful to me as a child and not hard to grasp at all? idk i think he should give it another shot, sometimes when a movie doesn't resonate with your personal life and you don't identify with any of the characters it makes it understandably hard to relate to

[@danaespinosa4203]

but fact: howl gave calcifer his heart bc that made him way more powerful as a wizard, i think it's the only thing they don't explicitly say

[@Lak1148]

can you explain why not watching the Japanese version has anything to do with it?

[@BriarBeeBenson]

Howl’s Moving Castle is butchered by two things imo: it’s runtime and the English dub. When you adapt a book into a feature film of course things are changed and left out of the adaptation. But then English Dub Howl is then adapted again and the dialogue doesn’t establish anything. All of the problems the video states could have been fixed with one line of dialogue which is in the original Japanese version but is left out of the English for some stupid reason. Howl’s Moving Castle also belongs to a series of fantasy novels with an entire established lore and background and would have faired much better as an animated TV series rather than as a feature film as most books don’t adapt well to feature films.

[@hikarihakai1285]

@@Lak1148 changed dialogue

[@bulgna]

So subs are ok?

[@selma.lovescats]

you made me watch whisper of the heart and i loved it so much thank you

[@nexus-tq7tz]

Tbh as I was in half in the video, I was more and more giddy not seeing whisper of the heart getting ranked, that feeling that you get b4 your name gets called, that's what I LITERALLY felt knowing WHISPER OF THE HEART wasn't halfway through the vid. AND OH DAMN HOW HAPPY I WAS,how some1 FINNALY ranked WHISPER OF HEART NO. 1 👏👏👏 WHISPER OF THE HEARTS IS SO SO UNDERRATED😭😭❤❤

[@nexus-tq7tz]

I DO NOW UNDERSTAND WHY, IT'S SO UNDERRATED??? 😭😭❤

[@nexus-tq7tz]

My fav studio ghibli I've seen sa far are 1.)Whisper of the Heart 2.) Kiki's delivery Service 3.) Grave of the Fireflies And special Mention, on which idk if this should be my 2nd or should it be kiki😭😭 (Castle of the Heart and The cat returns) 🥰🥰

[@vvgirl6173]

I love Howl's moving Castle, and I didn't entirely understand it either but I watched it again recently and I understood it better. Some things still don't entirely make sense but I'm fine with letting it remain a mystery. From why I understand, Howl is a confident man who likes to be in control of the situation. When he used the wrong potion because of Sophie, he lost control of him image. At this point he lost a lot of control of things, his heart, his rights to not go to war, his entire being because of the very magic he uses. His image was the last thing that he had control over, it kept him safe, it made him confident. Having that taken away right in front of him broke him. After his tantrum he gained control of himself with the comfort of knowing that he looks like his old self again, while he can't hide anymore at least he is himself. Sophie at the beginning was just going on with life, no ambitions or relations outside of her family. She was living but she wasn't exactly enjoying life to its fullest. Her curse took away the comfort of having all of the time in the world making her take every chance and opportunity before her to do something about her situation. Times when she thinks like a old person or loses hope or confidence in her self, you can visibly see the increase in wrinkles. When she is asleep is when she is completely young again because her mind is free of all of her anxiety, self doubt and contempt with her life. When she is the most happy, hopefull, cheerful, determined and full of love self is when she can be young. The last bit of the movie does annoy me tho, because it was just so rushed. From what I understand, Howl knew about Sophie because of time travel so he's waiting for her essentially to help him. Practically giving up to trying to do anything by putting faith in someone else who said they know the answer. And I think that Howl and the fire demon knew that his heart was in the fire but was too afraid to do anything with it. The scarecrow Turniphead was cursed, only to be free by the kiss of his true love who happened to be Sophie. Think of it as soul mates. I think he was a diversion to the true love trope. Yes Turniphead and Sophie were meant to be but love doesn't happen automatically, it had to be planted, to grow and bloom like Sophie's relationship with Howl. The Queen? Idfk, she was so hung strung on Howl that she just gave up and saw the error of her ways when he is shown to be happy with his heart back. Plus the neighbouring kingdom gets their Prince back aka Turniphead. What's the point anymore to continue fighting except more death? The witch of the waste is a horrible woman we shouldn't try to ruin, no matter how Despicable. But we shouldn't ignore her but help her out in her time of need. That doesn't mean though to let her push you around and to let her get her way. She's basically a old mean woman at a retirement home. Many of the conclusions happened in the last 10 minutes that it seems like it came out of nowhere. Where most of the movie was slow, relaxing and enjoyable the last bit was like the movie was steamrolling the movie's conclusion. I love the movie, doesn't mean I don't have some issues with it.

[@allisond1645]

that mean old woman who cursed me is part of my found family now

[@alai331]

Solomon (the main villain, wasn't the queen though) started the war because they lost the prince, who the witch of the waste turned into turnip head, when Solomon essentially took care of the witch of the waste and then got the prince back cause of Sophie the war ended (never understood who they were at war with) But Solomon was the main villain cause she was turning all these wizards into monsters for the kingdom. howl was her protege which is why she had such a fascination with him, it was very fast and hard to understand took me multiple watches to understand

[@oh...hi.]

lol i watched it three times, dont understand shit. the movie is just vibes. leave it at that. my problem is that other ghibli movies pull vibes off better

[@inkonsistency]

Howl's moving castle was based off of a british book written in the 80s that had the same name. The problem with the Ghibli adaptation is that it tried to take the elements from the book (sophie's journey, the magic, the deal with Howl) and combine it with Miyazaki's ideas (the anti war message, the time travelling bit...) And it wasn't meshed together in a coherent way. That said, I still love both the movie and the book. Both have their own vibe, aesthetic and romance. Also about Sophie's curse, she becomes younger as she starts to feel more alive. At the beginning, she doesn't have much going on in her life, so she feels and compares herself to an elderly woman. But through her adventures with Howl and everyone else, she learns to feel and see herself as a young person, instead of a weak and frail grandma.

[@thisisachannel.9727]

Same. I still love the movie, but I felt like the ending was VERY rushed and none of the important elements were actually explained. Like who cursed the prince? What did Sophie do to break the curse? Why is Madam Solomon continuing the war until the prince is found? I had a lot of theories for this movie, but none of them lined up because there was no clear explanation for it. I still love it, but I really wish they could start over and fix all the mistakes. There aren't many, but the few that are there are very major problems.

[@ElsieLovelock]

I felt so seen this with video… your explanations of Kaguya and Whisper of the Heart especially are precisely how I feel about those movies, with both movies not necessarily being my personal absolute favourites (Mononoke is my favourite) but both of them hitting me SO HARD in the deepest part of my heart that they stayed with me for so long after I watched them. Great video, I agreed with all of it!

[@tyreviews6774]

It’s a nice surprise to you here miss lovelock.

[@DarwinskiYT]

Am I having a stroke or am I stupid cos I can’t read the first sentence

[@tacobellexplosion4205]

@@DarwinskiYT same lol

[@jettbridger2358]

Princess Mononoke is also my favourite but I really enjoyed hearing about the other films and where they were ranked

[@adamhinton3663]

Mononoke is my favorite Ghibli movie too. I haven't seen Kaguya and although I could appreciate Whisper of the Heart it didn't really move me. I'm glad they were able to connect with you on that level though!

[@jacksontaylor7448]

i like how during the ponyo section you perfectly used a heart full of love as the backing track, awesome pick!

[@YutyWarrior]

Thanks for the video. I have never seen a single film from this studio, now I know which ones I should watch :)

[@noahthe0tter]

Much like Schaff, I didn’t grow up with a LOT of these movies. But boy, am I glad I’ve seen more of them now. Whisper of the Heart and Princess Mononoke have cemented themselves as all time favs for me

[@xd_stat2472]

you've earned a like good job

[@InsertFunnyThingHere]

When I was a kid I was obsessed with ponyo for some reason, haven't watched that much else

[@dogdishes9424]

@J Espinola early access

[@noahthe0tter]

@J Espinola I still gotta watch Spirited Away, surprisingly. I’ve heard great things about it tho 😃

[@waltuh2.3bviews3secondsago3]

Nausicaa's mine idk why but damn that conclusion, i do think spirited's better, and whisper of the heart, i haven't watched number 2 on the list so ig i'll watch that

[@buduhanfamily2419]

so here's a little storytime for y'all: my high school art teacher once put on grave of the fireflies (we watched it dubbed by the way) during a class, not knowing what it was about, because she knew of ghibli and liked the art style of their films. most of the students didn't know what it was about either, so we were completely unprepared for how brutally DEVASTATING it would be. when we got near the end (trying to keep it vague to avoid spoilers), specifically THAT scene, pretty much everyone was shocked, sobbing, having an emotional breakdown, all the heartbroken feels. obviously, no one was working on what we were supposed to be, i don't even remember what it was. we just sat in stunned silence, letting the weight of what we'd all just seen sink in. all the people who saw us walk out of that class looking like emotionally scarred wrecks must have been so confused, like "what was she DOING to you guys?" so that was an experience i'll probably never forget. thank you to my tenth grade art teacher for introducing me to ghibli, and also emotional trauma! fun times :D

[@user-cx6lq8mt5g]

Yeah it really is a powerful yet soul crushing movie 😅. My mom, who’s Japanese, traditionally watches it every year on the day when Japan had officially surrendered in WWII, to look back on the dark and devastating past of my birth country and why it’s important that we don’t repeat it. The movie was actually based on a biography book written by a man, who explains his personal experience of trying to survive a devastated Japan as a little kid with his infant sister, who’s name was also Setsuko. Because the writer was more focused on his own survival over his sister’s, she died pretty quick and left him feeling so guilty for the rest of his life. That’s why he wrote the biography, which later became adapted into the movie. It was his way of apologizing to his sister for not being there for her as her older brother.

[@thefremddingeguy6058]

Lol if it was my class nobody would've paid attention to the film, they would've just messed around all day. You have treasured classmates

[@ChelseaLinaeve]

I did the same thing with my little sister bc I was like studio ghibli movies are great! let's try out this one! and I was so horrified by what I had subjected us to that I started making jokes at the characters' expense out of anxiety and overwhelming awkwardness

[@willipphittebane5741]

My English teacher did that in 8th grade.

[@NathaNinja6]

Im so happy you put Whisper Of The Heart as number one. It means a lot to me

[@karaoketime5012]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON IVE DISCOVERED WHO HOLDS WHISPER OF THE HEART IN AS HIGH OF A REGARD AS I DO AND IM SO EXCITED. THANK YOU SO MUCH I FEEL SO SEEN

[@legendaccount3247]

He has an excellent whole video essay on it that you should definitely check out!

[@suhay1a]

RIGHTTTTT I feel so validated

[@ReduckYT_]

This video is an entire experience Also when schaff uses that “about to cry” voice I prepare myself for something 👀

[@owowowowowouwu]

I'm crying actual tears that Princess Kaguya was ranked so high. It's one of my all-time favorite films, and I'm just so happy to see someone finally recognizing it with the reverence it deserves. More people need to watch this film. I've grown up with Ghibli, and watching the older films again as an adult has made me realize that a lot of it has to do with nostalgia (mostly Howl). The classics are great, but this one, as you put it, feels like it was gifted to us by the gods. Thank you.

[@Wunkydoo]

My #1 all time favorite movie

[@jonathanreid2237]

I know i come from it as a different lense, but as a part Japanese pilot that only deals in the old vintage stuff, it captures so many things so well. I think to me thats what is so great, is outside of the bottom 3, you could put them in any order based on taste, and you really wouldn't be wrong, they just capture attention so well based on what you like

[@vibechecks1987]

imo princess mononoke is just perfect. ive never been so entranced in a film before with its beautiful animation and divine score. Ashitaka is inspiring as a main character, i love how theres no good or evil but just mainly grey characters that u understand. and San is just wonderful to watch. its a world thats brutal yet i wished that i lived in it? and it blows me away on every rewatch especially the whole third act of the film.

[@shiny3934]

I think the thing with Howl's discrepancy between "cool chill wizard" and "immature whiny narcissus" is more to do with the fact that he's probably still that little boy who gave his heart to a demon and (where are his parents lol) he never really learned to grow up until Sophie came around. I like to think his "cool, suave" thing is just an act and he's really just a hot mess with all these fears and insecurities underneath. Howl himself even says "all of this magic is just to keep everyone away" so it's not too much of a stretch to assume the way he acts in public is also to keep people away so they don't bother him.

[@katec708]

It literally takes 1 brain cell to understand exactly what you said. Howl acts all cool and collected because he’s self conscious and childish, which is revealed once Sophie spends more time around him.

[@ygsr]

I'm extremely happy to hear such high praise for Only Yesterday, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Whisper of the Heart. Miyazaki is a master, but I'm honestly a little tired of people treating the films of Takahata (and Whisper of the Heart) as "side movies" compared to Miyazaki's films.

[@a.inesfidalgo3367]

I watched Whisper of the Heart at around 16 and it made such a big impression on me. Still one of my favourite movies.

[@Hyperversum3]

I share the same opinion, but also love Miyazaki films to death. The fact that the director of Whispers (cant recall the name and don't want to google it lol) died young is a tragedy. That film is so unique and special in its genre I can't really describe it.

[@franks_fiction]

I’m so happy by your #1 pick! I really connected with that choice being in the creative field.

[@lilgrannyari]

Rewatching this after almost a year and experiencing the death of my father, just seeing that clip from the end of Grave of the Fireflies made me burst into tears. What an important movie. And how crazy is it that my perspective on it has changed so dramatically? The ending is hopeful. Me a year ago would have never drawn that conclusion.

[@allisond1645]

Sophie's curse in Howl's is to look the age that she feels and it's reflective of her self-confidence. In the beginning of the movie she has no confidence and feels about as desirable as an old woman. That's why when she's asleep she is young again and her hair is brown. As the movie goes on you can see her growing younger as she falls in love with Howl, grows more confident and happy, and generally feels younger and like there are good things in her life. You can see her slip up after Howl calls her beautiful in the flower field and her lack of self confidence comes crashing back in again. At the end of the movie she's basically back to being her young self, except her hair remains white as a symbol of the maturity she's gained -- personally I like to think it specifically refers to how she realizes the responsibility and difficulty required to love someone and embraces it. She is confident enough in herself to love Howl completely.

[@ramonandrajo6348]

The movie is still a big mess and as much as those things are well explained in the book that the movie is based on, the movie is still a disappointment; try with another excuse.

[@allisond1645]

@@ramonandrajo6348 its not meant to be an excuse! I agree that the movie doesn't do a great job of explaining a lot of things and I totally understand why that would make some people not like it. I just thought what they did with her curse was interesting and wanted to add it to the comments bc a lot of people think that she's just cursed to be old and that she changes for no reason.

[@ramonandrajo6348]

@@allisond1645 I agree in part with what you say.

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

I checked out Whispers of the Heart after seeing your letterboxd review of it, and I have to firmly agree with everything you said about it. It's such a wonderful experience and has also climbed into my top 5 favorite films. And it actually instantly inspired me in ways no film has before. I've been wanting to write stories for years and never could finish anything I started. Then the very moment the film ended, I pulled out my phone and wrote a full short story and a screenplay. They're obviously rough drafts, but I never experienced satisfaction on this level before.

[@Walrus5]

Yes. [Hyperlink Blocked] Wow

[@madsceptictrooper6803]

@@Walrus5 You're Bigshot!

[@spartanchief1785]

My guy, that is awesome Dang, now I need to check out that movie 😂

[@standardhuman8675]

@Walrus5 got any sweet sweet kromer?

[@hikari69]

Tell us your other 4 fav films

[@leftyfizz]

I am so glad to come across another Only Yesterday enjoyer, it's my favorite Ghibli film. The narration is one of the best parts, I love how it deals with childhood through good and bad ad self discovery and acceptance. I also found that if you read the Howls Moving Castle book a lot more of the stuff in the movie is less confusing (I had to do that to understand Sophie's curse).

[@mintspears6714]

Before this video I had only ever seen Spirited Away. I watched Whispers of the Heart last night on your recommendation. As an artist myself, I can see why the film means so much to you. There were several scenes that hit me really hard.