Category: anime

My Top 5 Studio Ghibli Films

On By KavyaIn anime, film review, films, hollywood, moviesLeave a comment

My Top 5 Favourite Studio Ghibli Movies

1. Princess Mononoke

17-yr-old Prince Ashitaka was cursed by a demon he killed while trying to protect his village from it. Now, to avert his curse, he has to travel to the lands to the west, and avenge the demon. Meanwhile, in the sacred forest of the Deer God, a battle is being waged between the humans who wanted to cut down the forest, and the brave wolf princess, San, (also called Princess Mononoke) who is trying to protect it. Ashitaka’s and San’s paths collide in incredible ways, and soon the fate of the world rests in their hands…….


Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli anime with an amazing storyline and beautiful animation, a lot of twists and turns in the plot, rich variety of characters and something about it that keeps you hooked till the very last minute. It was directed by Hayao Miyazaki with music by Joe Hisaishi. What I loved about it was the mystery and of course, the wolves. It was released in 1997, but the animation is still worth watching. All in all, a great movie with a meaningful message and incredible music. It has great battle scenes and superb cliff hanger moments. Studio Ghibli has the power to take you out of the real world and into fantasy. Princess Mononoke is definitely my favourite Studio Ghibli movie. I recommend this movie for 9+. A delightful movie!!!

2. From Up on Poppy Hill



16-yr-old Umi Matsuzaki is a normal high school student at the Konan Academy with her siblings and friends. Their school has an old clubhouse which is going to be demolished for a new building. Some students want the building to stay as it is, and slowly Umi is drawn into helping them restore the clubhouse and protest against its demolition. Umi and her friend, Shun fall for each other while protecting their clubhouse. But, when secrets come to light and strange family ties are revealed, it could be possible, just possible, that they are related after all….


This is a fantabulous movie!!! From Up on Poppy Hill is not a very adventurous movie, or an action packed one, like Princess Mononoke, but it has a charm of its own. It is a peaceful, slow and interesting movie and one that you will calmly enjoy. What I loved about it was the clubhouse. I wish I could renovate such an awesome clubhouse!! I also loved the town. Everything was really detailed and the movie had a perfect setting there. This is a great movie for those who don’t really enjoy fantasy movies but like interesting ones. This was directed by Goro Miyazaki with music by Satoshi Takebe. It was released in 2011. I recommend this for 9+ or 10+. A-MA-ZING!

3. Howl’s Moving Castle

18-yr-old Sophie Hatter lives in a small town called Market Chipping, working in her family’s hat shops. She has been making hats all her life, and she has resigned herself to a life full of boredom and drudgery. All this changes, however, when the fearsome Witch of the Waste curses her to look like a 90-yr-old woman. She sets off in search for a cure for the spell when she comes across the moving castle of the dreaded wizard Howl. However, when a war is fought in earnest, and danger and mystery every corner, things may not be as they seem……


In this action and humour packed movie, you will marvel at the intricacy of it all. I mean, the plot is twisting back and forth, but in the end it all makes sense. I loved the moving castle! Oh well, I guess its not really a castle, just a bunch of structures grouped together, but it looks so interesting to live in! Not like a normal house or even a normal castle at all. It is actually based on a book by Diana Wynnie Jones, which I also read. The movie and book are both excellent but rather different from each other. It is an extremely intriguing movie and I loved it. This movie was directed by Hayao Miyazaki with music by Joe Hisaishi. It was released in 2004. It’s awesome! 9+ or 10+.

4. Spirited Away



10-yr-old Chihiro Ogino is the spoilt only child of her family. When they all move to a house in the middle of nowhere, they get lost on the way and find a strange abandoned village. Chihiro goes exploring, and then finds a strange boy who warns her to get away. When she is trying to do that, suddenly the city comes alive with spirits. Strange ghosts and monsters were roaming the streets. This place belongs to the spirits, and now she has to stay alive and rescue her parents from the spirits. Lost in a totally magical new world, Chihiro makes new friends, and goes through hair raising adventures. Can she save everyone who matters to her?


This was like, mind blowing. The gorgeous animation, is just wow. And the details! Every scene was made with a lot of care and attention to detail. And the music score? Beautiful. What I especially liked about the film was the variety of characters and just the sheer imagination of it all.  This is a beautiful movie that just grows on you every time you watch it. My favourite characters were probably Linh, No Face and the dragon Haku. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki with music by Joe Hisaishi. I had a lot of trouble choosing which was better, this or Howl’s Moving Castle, but I think I liked the latter a tiny bit better. They are both superb, though. 9+ or 10+. Spectacular!!


5. Nausicaa of The Valley of The Wind


16-yr-old Nausicaa is a brave, high spirited girl who is the protector of her valley, the Valley of the Wind. Set in a world many years in the future, where human beings have destroyed the planet and the very air is toxic. A poisonous forest called the Sea of Chaos was born from the chemicals on the Earth, where mutant insects called Ohmu live. Angering them would mean death. But, when their valley is attacked, a horrific plan starts to unfold, one that could mean the destruction of them all……..


All in all, it’s a great movie. Suspenseful music, sci-fi plot, the works. What I especially liked about this movie, however, was Nausicaa’s glider. I’ve always wanted fly (who doesn’t?) and that glider will definitely solve the problem. Is it selling on Amazon? If so, um, YES PLEASE! Also, I liked that Nausicaa was willing to give the insects a chance and willing to save the life of a baby Ohmu while risking her own. Its definitely an amazing movie, but not my absolute favourite. Still awesome, though. It’s actually based on a manga written by the director, Hayao Miyazaki. Music by Joe Hisaishi. It was released in 1984. It has also got great (though old) animation in the traditional anime style. Excellent!! 9+

The Secret world of Arrietty-By Studio Ghibli

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The Secret World of Arrietty
by Studio Ghibli

The Secret World of Arrietty is a Studio Ghibli anime film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and with music by Cecile Corbel. It is really beautiful with amazing animation, and a great storyline. The movie is based on the famous book by Mary Norton, ‘The Borrowers’. It all happened like this…….

14-yr-old Arrietty is not a normal teenager. For starters, she isn’t human. She belongs to a race of tiny people, who are just like humans except, well, they are tinier. They live in an extremely small and charming house under the floorboards of an old house in the middle of nowhere. For food, they borrow from the occupants of the humans’ house. She and her family thought that they would be safe enough here, as there was almost no one about, except an old caretaker. But then, more human beings come to the previously safe house. An ill human boy named Sho had come to the house for a few days for some peace and quiet. At first, they thought they would be fine if they were careful, but then, he saw Arrietty by mistake. The caretaker of the house firmly believed that little people lived here, and kept trying to find one. After they were seen, Arrietty and her family now have to move from their house in order to avoid getting caught. However, Arrietty wants to know whether Sho is really a threat to them or not. Eventually, they become friends, and Arrietty doesn’t think that they have to be afraid of him anymore. However, the caretaker had become increasingly suspicious and now had set her heart on finding the tiny people. After seeing Sho open the floorboards of Arrietty’s house, she herself takes of the roof of the house and captures Arrietty’s mother. She calls the pest exterminator and is determined to find every single tiny person. Sho and Arrietty catch wind of this plot and are determined to foil it. Can they do it in time?…

The Secret World of Arrietty is a magical story that is just fascinating to watch. A fabulous movie with an excellent storyline and magnificent animation (I loved Arrietty’s house!) and it is a really wholesome and satisfying movie. It has great, ambient music that makes you feel as if you’re in the scene too. I loved this movie because it was really nice and engrossing. My favourite character was definitely Arrietty because she is so brave and adventurous. This is a unique and great story. It is an awesome movie and you should totally see it! With its simplistic, exquisite animation and heart-warming story, it is sure to win you over. It is a great movie to watch if you want something adventurous and interesting. It is an outstanding, engaging movie. It is superb!
I recommend this movie for all ages.

Arrietty’s house!

I give this movie 5 stars!!!




Anime Review- Laputa Castle in the Sky

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This review is about the film ‘Laputa – Castle in the Sky’ by Studio Ghibli. It is an outstanding, fabulous movie, which really engages the viewer. It is arguably the first work of Studio Ghibli. It is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and the music is composed by Joe Hisaishi. Anyway, let me tell you more about it!

13-yr-old Sheeta is an orphan, who is now being taken care by the government. She is on an airship with a government official, when the pilots sound the alarm, that there are air-pirates who want to loot the ship. The pirates get in, and they come after Sheeta. You see, Sheeta has something everyone wants very badly indeed….. It is the crystal on her necklace. Sheeta climbs out of the airship window and hangs on to it for dear life. But then one of the pirates startles her, and she loses her grip and falls into the sky…  She would have fallen to her death, but then her crystal starts glowing, and instead of falling, she is floating down. A 13-yr-old boy named Pazu, who lives in a mining town, sees something glowing and floating down towards his town. He hurries towards that place, and to his astonishment, sees an unconscious girl with a glowing necklace floating down. He manages to catch her before she floats down into the mines, and takes her home. However, now both the government’s army and the pirates are after them. The army captures them both, and effectively capture the crystal. Now the question is, what does the army want with it? Well, a small island exists, floating in the sky, called Laputa. They believe that the crystal will show the way to Laputa. They want to destroy and loot it. Well, the necklace does show the way, and everyone has seen the direction it is pointing to. Pazu and Sheeta team up with the pirates, who aren’t really that bad, and now are caught up in a desperate race against time, to get to Laputa before the army does……

A humorous, action-packed adventure that is both entertaining and heart-warming. Definitely one of the best of Studio Ghibli. All the colour and vibrancy of their films is amazing! The fantastical plot of this movie, paired with relatable, amazing protagonists makes it worth watching. It has delightful animation, which is a little old, but charming. I loved this movie. You will lose track of time as you get immersed in the magical world of this movie. My favourite character was definitely Pazu, because he was so kind. This is my second favourite Ghibli movie. It is adventurous, comic and generally great to watch. There is nothing bad about it. Overall, it is more or less perfect. Great for an evening of light hearted fun. Even the music is beautiful. Joe Hisaishi is an amazing composer, and Hayao Miyazaki an excellent director. The scenes and backgrounds of this movie are detailed and beautiful. Please don’t think it is very kiddish, it isn’t, despite the fact it is animation. It is beautifully depicted, with a good storyline and nice backdrops. I recommend this for ages 7+.

I give this movie 5 stars, it deserves it!

Film Review: The Cat Returns By Studio Ghibli

On By KavyaIn anime, moviesLeave a comment

    This review is about the movie ‘The Cat Returns’ by Studio Ghibli. It’s directed by Hiroyuki Morita with music by Yuji Nomi. This is an intriguing, hilarious and superb film, and I really hope that you watch it. Well, it all began like this……

    17-yr-old Haru Yoshioka is a quiet, normal school girl, who hates her alarm clock and can never get up on time. One day, she and her best friend are walking home from school, when they see a strange black cat, with a gold collar and a ribbon wrapped gift in its mouth, crossing the road. However, a truck was coming and neither the cat nor the truck driver saw each other. Haru ran into the middle of the road, scooped the cat up and jumped to the other side. She saved the cat’s life! But then, to her immense shock, the cat started talking to her. It thanked her, and then said it was in a hurry and must go. It promised her that she would be properly thanked, then ran off. No one had seen her talk to the cat, so she thought she must have imagined it. However, in the night, a strangest procession of cats came down her street. They were carrying a wooden bed on which there was a cat with purple fur. You see, the cat whose life she saved that day, was the prince of cats, Prince Lune, and the purple cat was the king. He had come to thank Haru for saving his son’s life. From the next day, she would have eternal happiness and all cats will obey her. They give her a scroll too. However, the ‘eternal happiness’ she is given is a cat’s idea of it. So now, her locker is full of rats as a gift, and her garden is full of a plant called cattail. And to top it all off, the king wants her to come to The Kingdom of Cats and marry the prince. The horror! The only people who can save her are the people in the Cat Business Office – A grumpy, fat cat called Muta, a cat in a suit called Baron and a raven called Toto. Before they could think of a way out, she is kidnapped (catnapped?) by a group of cats from The Cat Kingdom. Now, she is in their Kingdom, she is slowly turning…. into a cat! If she doesn’t get out of there before dawn, she will turn into a cat, forever……

    Can Baron, Muta and Toto get her out of there before dawn? Can she escape from marrying a cat? Finding allies in unexpected places, they now have to escape – and fast…

    This delightful movie by Studio Ghibli is amazing. With its beautiful animation, comical and sweet plot, and the adorable characters, this movie is a must-watch. The huge world of ‘The Cat Returns’ is really imaginative, and it is really funny. This movie will make you laugh out loud, and the unexpected twists and turns in the plot keep you on the edge of your seats. The attention to detail is amazing in this film, with colourful, detailed backdrops. My favourite characters were Lune and Yuki, because they were so sweet and nice, and Muto, because he was so grumpily kind and adorable. Studio Ghibli gives us awesome movies. It is definitely one of the best films I have seen. You will get lost in the fantastical plot of the movie, and watching it is really fun. My only regret is that it had to end. This movie can be watched by both kids and adults. If you want sweet, light, comical fun, then this movie is for you. I recommend this movie for ages 6+.   I give this movie 5 stars!                                                                                                                                                                               

    Ponyo on Cliff by the Sea By Studio Ghibli

    On By KavyaIn anime, films, hollywood, moviesLeave a comment

    This review is about the remarkable Studio Ghibli anime, Ponyo. This movie is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and has some beautiful music by Joe Hisaishi. This is a sweet and amazing movie, and now let me tell you more about it!

    Deep under the sea, there lives a little fish who lives with all her siblings in a big coral reef house. In that house, there also lives a scientist/magician, called Fujimoto. All her life, she has lived there, quite happily with her brothers and sisters, with Fujimoto taking care of her. However, part of her wants to go out, and explore.

    She takes her chance to do just that, when Fujimoto is busy experimenting with potions in the ocean (hey, that rhymes!) and escapes by hitching a ride on top of a passing jellyfish, into the unknown……

    Meanwhile, on a cliff by the sea, there lives a little boy, Sosuke, with his mother, Lisa. His father works in the navy, and is currently at sea. On that very day, he went to play in the sea before school, with his toy boat. When he got there, he saw…

    That very fish, who was now stuck in a glass bottle (after an encounter with an ocean clean-up machine). He rescues it, and takes it home. He gets a cut from the glass, but the fish licks it, and…. it gets healed! He’s delighted, and he takes the fish home and puts it in a green bucket, and takes it home. Lisa goes to work (she works in an old people’s home) and he goes to school, taking the fish with him. He loves the fish a lot, and gives it a name: Ponyo. Meanwhile, Fujimoto is getting increasingly frantic. He needs to get Ponyo back, before humans discover that …….. Ponyo has magic powers! Sosuke and Ponyo are sitting in a small cove next to the sea, when Fujimoto spots them. He manages to rescue Ponyo, except……..Ponyo doesn’t want to be rescued. Both of them are really sad on being parted. She and Sosuke love each other, and now, Ponyo wants to become human, like Sosuke, and go back to him. Fujimoto is aghast. He tries to convince her that humans are horrible creatures, but she’s not so sure. Sosuke and his mother, at least, were very kind. She uses her magic to become human, and she somehow manages it, with the help of her siblings. What she doesn’t know, is that Fujimoto has a sealed room, with a well inside. The water is slowly rising in that well, and once the well is full, the sea will rise, and submerge the earth. The Era of Water. While trying to escape, she opens the door by mistake, and…….  the ocean water rushes in and now, the well is overflowing. The sea starts to rise…

    She and Sosuke are reunited, but at a price. The sea is rising, and humanity is in chaos. And, on top of it all, Lisa goes missing while trying to help the folks in the old people’s home. Sosuke and Ponyo set of to rescue Lisa. Can they rescue Sosuke’s mother, stop the sea from rising even more, and can Ponyo remain in her human form, without Fujimoto trying to turn her back into a fish?

    A magical story, it will keep you engrossed till the end. This is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies, and I hope you like it too!                                                                                                             

    Very detailed, vibrant and colourful, this is a really sweet and interesting movie. The plot line is really intricate and I loved it from beginning to end. My favourite characters were Lisa, because she was so kind and funny, and the people in the old folk’s home, because they were really nice. (Who are yours?) A really imaginative movie it has an originality of its own. Studio Ghibli is definitely one of the best movie studios ever. I really hope that you try it. It is definitely worth it. This movie has the perfect balance of humour, sadness, love and action. There is a rich variety of characters, and that makes it all the more interesting. This engrossing movie will help you escape reality, and dive into the magical world of Ponyo.

    This movie is a must for those who love amazing, sweet and happy stories. “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” will deliver all that and more. I recommend this movie for ages 8+.


    Princess Mononoke by Studio Ghibli

    On By KavyaIn anime, filmsLeave a comment
    Watch Princess Mononoke - Stream Movies | HBO Max

    This review is about the famous (and amazing!) anime movie, called Princess Mononoke. Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli film, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, with some really beautiful music by Joe Hisaishi. It is a beautiful movie, and now let me tell you more about it!!

    17-year-old Prince Ashitaka is the Prince and protector of the Emishi village. One morning, a giant demon boar attacks the village, and he has to fight to protect it. What he doesn’t know is that if the demon touches him, the demon’s curse shall be upon him……     

    He kills the boar, and saves his village, but at a price……..

    The demon touches him on his arm, and he now bears the demon’s curse, with a big snakelike mark on his arm to prove it. This curse will tear his soul apart, and there is no way to stop it….                      

    Oh well, maybe there is.                                                                                                                                        

    He has to journey west and see what has angered the boar and turned it into a demon and try to stop it. He has to see with eyes unclouded by hate, be unbiased and help the right side to win the frequent battles and wars erupting in the west.                                                                                                   

    There he sees greedy humans (actually, one greedy human). Meet Lady Iboshi. She is planning to kill the huge forest and make more weapons for…….. you guessed it, world domination.              However, her plans are hindered by one pesky wolf princess girl and her wolves, whose ultimate goal is to save the beautiful forest they live in. Princess Mononoke (also called San). The princess of beasts and spirits.

    Ashitaka wants to end the violence and save the forest, but he is powerless to do anything. He lodges in Lady Iboshi’s town, and on that night itself, a battle erupts…. between San and Lady Iboshi. Can he stop them from killing each other, gain the trust of San, save the forest, and end his curse??

    However, he gets quite injured in the process, and the conspiracy is deeper than anyone realizes….    The lives of, not just the forest and his own, but subsequently the lives of everyone rest in his and San’s hands….

    Can they manage to do all this, in time?…

    An enrapturing movie, with thrilling battles and cliff hanger moments, and for those who love war and fantasy movies, this is a must! It will have you at the edge of your seats as you follow the story, with all its twists and turns. The bravery of Ashitaka and San will astound you, and you will breathlessly watch their struggles to save the forest and make a wrong a right. All the characters are vividly described, and the plot is really detailed. You will forget about the real world, as you are swept along in this enchanting story. My favourite characters were probably Kaya, San, and the kind Forest Spirit. (Who is yours?) A lot of hard work has clearly gone into this Studio Ghibli film. It is amazing, and I really hope that you try it! If you have seen it, I hope you like it as much as I do. And if you have not seen it yet, what are you waiting for?! Please see it right now!! I recommend this movie for ages 10+. This film is beautiful and deserves every bit of 5 stars!!