Tales from Earthsea
Dir: Gorō Miyazaki
2006
**
Gorō Miyazaki's adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea tales was probably Studio Ghibli's first big miss, at least with western audiences. It is certainly my least favourite Studio Ghibli film to date and I knew nothing of Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy books before watching. Fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin had been reluctant to sell the film rights of her novels and had denied the requests of Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki on more than one occasion. She was finally persuaded by the studio after a string of successes but instructed Gorō Miyazaki that it should be his film. Indeed, on first screening she stated that it was his film, not her book but that it was a good film. However, on reflection she admitted she was disappointed with the finished piece and wish she hadn't sold the rights. It was not a smooth production. Hayao Miyazaki had wanted to make the film but he was busy making Howl's Moving Castle when Le Guin finally agreed to the film. Toshio Suzuki, head of studio Ghibli, suggested that the film would be a great debut for Gorō Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki's son. Miyazaki senior disagreed and father and son did not speak to each other during the entire production. Miyazaki senior has since praised his son's efforts despite that fact that he received the worst director award in Japan's version of the Raspberries while Tales from Earthsea received worst film of 2006. A bit harsh but then Ghibli set the standard high and they weren't living up to it, it was however nominated for best animation at the Japanese Academy awards but it lost out to the far superior The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Goro Miyazaki has a long way to go before he can fill his father's shoes, that and the fairly dull story make this film an overall disappointment. It sells itself as a great fantasy adventure but it really isn't, although it feels like sacrilege saying so, but it's sadly true. The only element I liked about the film is extremely similar to a 1983 graphic novel Hayao Miyazaki wrote and illustrated called Shuna no Tabi (The Journey of Shuna) and as much as I will always defend and support the studio as a whole, you do have to wonder if it is all about two talented artists but mainly Miyazaki himself.

From Up on Poppy Hill

Dir: Gorō Miyazaki

2011

***

From Up on Poppy Hill is a sweet and more straight-laced Studio Ghibli film that follows the likes of Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart in temperament and style. Personally I like the Ghibli films that are based on Japanese folk law that have talking animals and bonkers characters but I do like them both. This is only Gorō Miyazaki's second Ghibli feature, his first being one of my least favorites; Tales From Earthsea. He has big shoes to fill but I think he'll do well as his Father's replacement. From Up on Poppy Hill is just as uplifting as you'd expect from the studio, I was concerned when the unexpected issue of incest popped up but rest assured, in Ghibli you can trust. Hayao Miyazaki co-wrote the script and is influence in the project is clear, not that everything Ghibli has to be all about him but I think above all else, he gets the serious issues right. Miyazaki takes influence from the films of the great Yasujirô Ozu and also of his own past, his father's involvement in the war and his own accounts of student activism. I'm sure it was quite special to see his own son take on what I'm sure was an important film for him. It's almost a total mix of Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart, dealing with war, it's aftermath and nostalgia although I don't think it has the impact of either. The animation is stunning as always, I loved the music and the story, there was just something not quite Ghibli about it. Maybe it's because the story has its roots in a MANGA story that was the problem but it didn't hold me as much as their films usually do. Still, their lesser films are still much better then most people's and From Up on Poppy Hill is still a wonderful addition to the studios collection.