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Mar 12, 2019
Considering the fact historical shoujo with a strong female lead is my addiction, I am unbelievably surprised I haven't stumbled across this sooner. And I am so very glad I eventually did.
Kanata kara, or 'From Far Away' is one I couldn't put down. The story follows Izark, the tragic lead with a stormy past and even stormier future, and how him colliding with Noriko, our enthusiastic and overly cheery heroine, changes the course of his world. It's also a fantastic love letter to the idea of fate and destiny, and how they are affected by the smallest of decisions.
There is a lot that struck
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me about From Far Away, not least that the love that develops between Izark and Noriko is pure, and without (for the most part) any tropes you would perhaps expect to see in a shoujo. There isn't any tragic love triangles, and the few love interests that do crop up (mainly for Noriko) Noriko deals with quickly and maturely in a way that allows the story to progress without causing unnecessary 'misunderstood' drama. For being a fantastical and supernatural story that involves dragons and horses that look like insects (my one complaint with the art!), it is very real. The supporting characters are fleshed out and driven by their own character motivations that aren't spared for the two main characters stories. And the supporting characters don't come to violent ends or tragic blows for the sake of advancing the main plot. It is wildly refreshing.
I struggle often with the idea or plot device that a woman is a man's redemption (or vice versa). The Byronic hero - a man moody, mysterious and often ruthless - being redeemed from terrible things due to the love of a woman, is a plot I honestly detest for the most part. I would gladly talk at length as to my reasons for why, but that's not what this review is about. At first, I worried that this would perhaps be one of those stories. But what is great is that whilst Noriko's love for Izark plays a part in putting him on to a path towards the light, it is Izark's own growth and self awareness that allows him to step that way. His growth is not ignored, rushed or fabricated in order to further the heroine's plotline, and I loved From Far Away for that.
Speaking of the heroine's plotline, what really struck me was that Noriko was 'strong' in not the classic sense of the word (a la Crazy Shin Bia) by being fiery or overly powerful, but that she was incredibly self sufficient and self motivated. She did not allow herself to wallow, or become a constant damsel in distress incapable of doing anything without Izark. She was simply an 'ordinary' girl, but From Far Away tells us that even the most ordinary can violently change the world around them. And that 'ordinary' person can also receive love, both from friends and lovers, that is capable of incredible things. It's a very powerful message that From Far Away drills into you, and I love it.
And I hope, if nothing else, that young readers take away the fact you don't have to be some incredibly powerful or strong person to not only make a difference, but also be worthy of love.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 19, 2011
Having grown up in the United Kingdom, with the works of Austen read to me by my mother from an early age, I'm familiar with the historical romance classics, and the archetypes (Austen, Bronte sisters, Lorna Doone, the list goes on) that many books, and consequently manga and manwha, have tried to copy throughout the ages since. Unfortunately for me, someone who thoroughly enjoyed these classics, not one of the recent attempts at blatant fan fiction have managed to curry favour with me. Instead seeming to be pure 'romantic' drivel that, as a teen with the launch of these doomed mystery romances on the upsurge,
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is all one and the same.
Emma was a manga I actually started, having not read the plot, thinking it was another story based on the famous 'Emma' by Jane Austen herself. To any of you who are thinking along the same lines and have read the 'original' Emma, I warn you now. This manga is not associated at all with Austen's work aside from having the same name and being in around the same time period (though the manga, Emma, is set a little further on in time)
I feel I've got to start with what sucked me in to the story, the art. It is without a doubt one of the best styles I've seen. For someone having been brought up on a history of life in her country, I am not ashamed to say that Mori seems to know more about Victorian England than I do. As a drama student, I have been taught that you aren't just 'selling' a story, you are selling the culture, the atmosphere and the life you are trying to portray from the beginning to end. Not for one minute can you let that facade fall and let the reader or audience think that any of it isn't real. For a Japanese mangaka to take on Victorian England and write ten volumes in that time, I can only applaud the valiant and amazing effort and assure you that she doesn't let up throughout the whole story. I was wrapped up in this beautiful, seemingly foreign world from start to finish and this manga held me as well as any Austen.
Another huge strength (though weaknesses are few and far between anyway) of this story is the characters and the development of them. Emma and William - the protagonists - are again true to Victorian England. Mori captures the restraint and general overwhelming impact of society of the time, not only in her surroundings but her characters. Emma, a shy and contained maid of an ex-governess, is a character you can't help but warm to. While William delves into both sides, to begin with he is impulsive and reckless, but society's constraints pull him back.
I think the other thing Mori does so well is the love in this story. The problem with most historical romances is the love can often be stilted or rushed, especially when you have a love at first sight story such as this. Mori balanced the two sides very well, the love that was near consuming them both, but the reins of society and how hard they were yanked in order to keep these two contained. It's also incredible to watch the development of the two characters as love changes them.
The other thing to be said about Mori's characters is that everyone has a purpose. Often with a love story as powerful as this, side characters can be pushed to the sides or just merely there for comic value, to push the story along, or simply to give the mangaka an extra arc of a story providing a love triangle or jealous sister etc. etc.
This wasn't the case with Mori's work, I felt every character was necessary and played a purpose. While some weren't developed or used much, it's not to say the story would have been fine without them.
Mori deals with 19th century Victorian England in the deft style of an old pro, a historian who has dealt with such an era all their life. Historical romance stories, especially those with a forbidden love such as this, can often use the historical background merely as a prop, and forget about it all too easily when it becomes a trouble to deal with, sweeping aside the chains of society so that the main characters can have their happy ending. I can safely assure you that this is not the case. Even those of you who don't have much of an idea of how important society and class was then, will have a firm grasp of it once you finish this read.
To conclude, I guess all I have to say is Mori has achieved what I previously thought was unattainable. An excellently paced story, with well thought and drawn out characters, set in a believable time period, all with the most beautiful art. I would definitely say that Emma has gone down as a romance manga classic, alongside Mars, for me. I cannot recommend it more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 9, 2011
Seriously funny and refreshing shoujo manwha I finished in a day.
The first few chapters had me struggling, having thought ''Oh god, its the standard shoujo line with the slightly wacky girl falling in love with the most popular guy'' I stuck it through only for the promise of a plot twist. I've been a shoujo fan long enough to know a heralded 'plot twist' can either make or break a manga/manwha, so was intrigued to see which way the proposed twist would turn...
I must say I was incredibly surprised, and felt the manwha seriously picked up from there on out. I think the reason many
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people have commented on how the first few chapters were a struggle before this 'plot twist' is because I don't believe the author was quite comfortable in her story, or she was anticipating the turn more than we were!
On the story itself, I called it refreshing earlier. That it most definitely is. Having gone from manga to manga flinging one shoujo cliche after another at me in a dramatic fashion, I can happily say this manwha didn't need to fall down on the crutches of cliches ... whatsoever. There was no major love triangle, no old flames rising up to cause trouble. Thinking back, I'm actually hugely surprised because it seemed like so much happened, and in most shoujos, for stuff to happen you've got to dust off and pull out those familiar cliched arcs to progress from strength to strength. I'm not criticising these cliches, sometimes they are used very well. But the fact that Lee Young-hee could produce a GOOD, entertaining story without using these cliches should be all the more applauded.
Moving on to the characters, I think thats where the story did fall down. Having six volumes and no use of cliches, Young-hee could have gone into backstory's. In fact, I'd have been happier if they did. I'm a huge fan of backstories and like to know whats happened to understand a certain character. We were giving a fair amount about Seung Ha but that is a given for most mangas, we do find out about the main male character.
I'd have personally liked to have found out more about the two side characters with their own running story - Jae and Hyun Ho. Especially Jae who I felt Young-hee attempted to scratch the surface of his path with but couldn't find a sharp enough tool to dig right down.
This being said, I have to admit the humour was second-to-none. The refreshing way this manwha is approached and the story line itself means that you already have a huge possibility of humour running the whole way through this story, and the author definitely exploited that to good use.
Finally, the art. I'm a huge fan of manwha art, I find it a tad more realistic than manga. Look no further than 'Teen Spirit' to understand why I've said that. The art in this was nothing hugely special, but I definitely felt at home with it. Often we can be presented with unfamiliar characters in the next panel due to the way they've been drawn. Young-hee kept the continuity and so I'm happy with that.
To sum up what I've said, I recommend you to read this manwha at all costs. Short and sweet - the way I tend to like it - with good humour, this is a definite front runner for good quality shoujo manwhas. I'm off to go find some more by this author.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 2, 2011
A strong, short story from an author who knows her strengths and flaunts them with this funny and sweet manga.
While its not a manga that attempts to break that rigorous shoujo mould, nor does it stick in the mind as a classic and hilarious story, something about it sticks like glue. I said that the author - Rie Takada - flaunts her strengths. Having read a fair few of her manga the main strength I see flashing in her stories is the humour. I can honestly say I haven't laughed so much at one author's works in very very long. Not only is the humour
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laugh-out-loud funny, but its also consistent.
I don't tend to mention the art because unlike for some, its not really a deal breaker unless its mind-numbingly awful. However I do love Takada's work, especially the close-ups. Truly beautiful (and wonderful fan service for a girl needing to live life vicariously through others! :3)
The story is actually set out on a surprisingly interesting premise. Girl who was the champion of an all-girls school is forced to adapt, alongside her classmates, to a co-ed school when their school is merged with an all-boys school. Upon doing so, she meets a Boy. Chaos ensues.
With only five volumes, its a surprisingly hard task to fill. She tends to do 10 volume strong stories (see Heart or Wild Act!!) which I think works better - while some argue that they are in fact too long. The problem with Takada's work I think lies in the depth of the story. If you say ''A shoujo? With depth, don't make me laugh.'' I refer you no further than to 'Akuma to Love Song' or 'Mars'. Very easily, these two create stories with depth. Takada had the chance to open the story up and delve deeper. There were backstories to be used, to be told and developed. Characters we could have become more friendly with. But unfortunately, the author took away this chance when she set up the back story, explained it briefly, and moved on. Had she done so, I think we'd have a longer and more fulfilling manga. I also think that this lack of backstory is the reason people complain her others are too long. As it stands, while its got a pleasant and sweet enough front, Happy Hustle High hasn't got any substance.
I think the characters themselves do go a long way at holding this story together. Hanabi is definitely a fantastic comedic character I'd have loved to see more of. In fact, Wikipedia sums her up nicely ''She leads the girls in their major activities, such as changing the school's rules or robbing perverts''. This summation is all I can say of this ballsy, fresh character who I loved learning about.
The male lead Yasuaki is an interesting one. Reading the wikipedia summary of him, it seems we know so much about him when to me it feels as if I know very little. He's a character who starts as a surfer-lover with an allergy to girls, but I don't think this 'allergy' was used to its full potential.
The other characters, Yoshitomo and Tokihisa are of the general side character shoujo type - there for mainly comical reasons or for the trouble arcs of the story when a love triangle / disaster is needed.
Reading this back, I seem rather critical of this manga, so I'm sure your wondering why on earth I ranked it as highly as I did so let me explain. I only really have two asks when I read or watch something.
1. The story must be interesting.
2. It MUST entertain.
While the story fell down at parts, and again I feel the need to critique the lack of depth, Happy Hustle High did without a doubt entertain me. I laughed...out loud at times and smiled through the majority of the chapters. If you are looking for something which will provide comic relief to your otherwise depressingly sad mangas or animes I suggest you look no further than this, or at least Takada's works in general.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 29, 2011
Having read other reviews of it, I can understand why some don't really like this manga. The author, Rie Takada, spins a story which could have been resolved in one volume, into ten. Its a classic thing she tends to do in most of her mangas, I admit, and its rather easy to skip a few chapters and still not lose yourself as the majority are 'filler' chapters.
Having said that, I can't deny that I definitely enjoyed Heart, and while my brain says I shouldn't enjoy it, my 'heart' says I should.
Takada has two main characteristics in her works. One is the factor I've already
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mentioned - the fact she tends to string out a simple story into more than needed. However the second factor is a much brighter one - the humour. I can honestly say that I've not laughed so hard, so often, at a manga since Skip Beat.
Onto the characters, I agree with the majority, Yume (the female lead) is a bit too naive and oblivious at certain points.. and the story does fall onto those oh-so-familiar cliche arcs which make me want to hit something.. I've seen them done so many times.
Shoubu is an interesting one. I think Takada for the majority doesn't delve too deep into characters past. So even though Shoubu could and did have a rather interesting (if fraught with tragedy) past which could have been explored but wasn't which I think sounded the alarm bells.
Roko and Yuuji, the 'side couple' were entertaining. I use quotations because they weren't really a couple and again, it wasn't explored enough. For a manga with so many chapters, I'm surprised to note not much was spent on the side characters.
Looking at this review, you are probably thinking why on earth I gave it such a high mark if all I'm saying is negative. I will use this example time and time again for Takada's work. The humour is ALWAYS the saving grace of her mangas. Sure, the plot was a little brittle and inflexible at times - and the characters weren't the deepest or most interesting. But something that can make me laugh as hard and as constantly as this deserves a high rating, and so I will give it just that. I'd definitely recommend it to others on the humour alone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 11, 2011
BECK was an instant hit for me because it mixed two things I love, slice-of-life animes and music.
BECK tells the story of Koyuki, an average high schooler who one day saves a crazy looking dog from being beaten up. This random act of kindness causes a catalyst for him to be thrown into the world of the dog's owner, Ryuusuke, and his rock music lifestyle where he wishes to create the "ultimate band".
The story development really worked in favour of this anime. It would be all too easy with a plot like this, to rush into plot arcs and scenes with no care for
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development and planning, as I've seen many a decent anime do when they seem to get impatient.
Another thing which I REALLY loved was the characters themselves. I don't think I've ever met such a brilliant main band of characters. Ryuusuke himself says near the beginning "its not about skill, its about chemistry". And boy do these lot not only have chemistry, but a great character. Firstly you have Ryuusuke, the quintessential rocker and amazing guitarist. Then you have Chiba, the most crazy and hotheaded but protective and wickedly amazing rapper. You've also got Taira, the mysterious but extremely gifted bass player. Saku, the self taught drummer with little self confidence but awesome rhythm. And finally you have Koyuki, the innocent and naive passionate guitarist/singer.
The good thing about this anime is they have all these characters which too easily could just become 'saints', all getting along amazingly well, never falling out etc. and it'd be far easier to get on with the plot. But the producers never let that happen, instead these guys were sometimes hot tempered or naive or stubborn. But in their flaws, they were human and somehow so realistic, and that really gave the whole anime it's "Slice of Life" feel.
There has also GOT to be a shoutout for the music. I think the reason there aren't many music animes out there that AREN'T revolved around classical music is because it's quite hard to get the feeling of the music right. Too much and it's ramming it down the audience's throat AND you risk the chance of them hating more songs than if you had little. Too little and it's not really a music anime at all. I think BECK had the perfect mix, and the fact they often repeated songs actually helped, it made you feel like you were a fan of the band yourself that you could even hum or sing along to the songs. I actually really liked some of the songs. Koyuki, Maho and Chiba did a fantastic job.
The Lucille arc was... different, and probably the only reason I didn't give this anime a 10, aside the art. It was interesting but stretched me a little, and I just found it a bit out of place when everything else in this anime was rather slice-of-life and down to earth.
Overall, definitely a show I'd recommend you to watch. I just hope for a second season to see where the band are now!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 1, 2011
Having found this from a recommendation sending me from Beauty Pop to here, I wasn't expecting much.
But I must admit, I got more than I was hoping for.
The story maybe isn't the most original, but in the world of shoujo manga, what is these days? The female protagonist, Nijika, as a young girl is saved by a mysterious boy who tells her "When you eat something good, you smile." These words, a flan dessert, a spoon with the engraving of a famous academy named Seika and her promise that she will one day make him the best dessert ever, stick with Nijika, until she studies
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hard and gains entry to the prestigious Seika academy - all to find her 'Flan Prince'.
I was incredibly impressed with the pacing of this story, having read it in a day its still very fresh in my mind and I applaud the way the writer has done it. Often a story can be too rushed or too slow to pick up - especially one with only 10 volumes but is a fully-fledged story. For example, shoujo's can very easily become a minefield of 'filler' chapters reverting back to cliches when its moving too slowly. Or, on the other hand, it can just seem to go too fast, the main character seemingly jumping into a relationship with the guy faster than I can click my fingers.
Saying that, this story definitely falls back on those oh-so familiar plot lines. There is a love triangle, controlling parents and love rivals littering the path of this poor heroine's quest for love and ultimate success. But I think it's refreshing the way the writer approaches them. Or maybe its the fact this story is full of plot twists I was definitely not expecting, which almost made up for the cliches.
The art was incredibly well done for a cutesy shoujo. Sometimes the characters can go from one look to another in a matter of panels, giving us unfamiliar looks to our favourite characters we've come to know so well. This definitely wasn't the case here, the characters stayed true to form beginning to end.
Talking of the characters, they were all developed fairly well. Nijika is an admirable heroine, and didn't change throughout the whole thing - and stayed stronger than I would of in those sorts of situations. The two main male protagonists were developed to the level acceptable for a 10 volume shoujo, though no more than necessary. The few other filler characters there were, were kept up to date and involved throughout the series, something I'm always pleased to note.
So reading this, you'll probably wondering why I didn't give it a full 10 marks - considering how much I seem to be raving about it? I think for me, it was because, while it is an enjoyable manga, by no means did it break the boundaries. Having read classic shoujo such as Mars and Akuma to Love Song, I don't believe this shoujo did anything but stick to the boundaries of the said genre, and stick to them well.
However, if you've got time and your looking for a enjoyable and fairly well done manga, I'd definitely recommend this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 25, 2011
Futago has offered to me the possibility that there are mangas out there that, right down to the bone, have the edge and charm to offer the reader a story that feels real.
Having only read 9 chapters, waiting (somewhat impatiently) for the next, I can't be a good judge, but what I've seen so far is incredibly promising.
Futago tells the story of two unidentical twins who have grown up apart. One is a woman enslaved to her writing craft-Yukari, often not leaving her room in her apartment for days until she can get the next chapter down, the other is a feminine, married lady named
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Ayakawith charm and poise about her. They couldn't be more different, right down to the way they look.
What changes the rather, absent, relationship between the two is when Ayaka returns from Hong Kong, bringing with her a man who is clearly not her husband but obviously holding unrequited feelings towards her, and asks Yukari to let him stay at her flat.
I think what the mangaka has done has given me my first manga which could be real, which could happen. I can almost see the characters spring to life and step out the pages. Its Josei, right down to the bare bones. Not a crossover, not a Shoujo in denial. No sparkly eyed teens with tiny waists and an anatomically impossible bust size for someone so small. No manly, but at the same time vulnerable and ever so devestatingly handsome with the girls falling at his feet, guy. And no stupid plot lines somehow bringing these two protagonists together, to only be pulled apart by - love rivals/hidden dark pasts/scheming parents/love triangles - on numerous occasions but somehow wonderfully resolve at the end.
Futago is a wonderful, real feeling manga I urge you to read. For once, the mangaka has got it spot on, and I can't fault it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 22, 2011
Whisper of the Heart is unusual for a Studio Ghibli film in not featuring any magic, or at least nothing supernatural. That said, it is at least as much about magic as many of their films full of witches and spirits and demons. Rather than the usual fantastic adventure stories which are merely facilitated by magic, this is a celebration of story-telling, music, creativity and love - all the sorts of things that make real life magical.
Our heroine is Shizuku, a girl of around fourteen who dreams of being a writer, and like most aspiring writers she reads heavily. Borrowing book after book from the
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library, she keeps noticing one name re-appearing as a previous borrower in them - a boy at her school, who shows some interest before being unreasonably mean to her, in the way that boys usually are when they're attracted to a girl, at least in Hayao Miyazaki films.
Their paths cross again after she befriends the owner of a wonderful antiques shop, where her imagination is sparked an old statuette of a cat with glowing eyes. The owner turns out to be the boy's grandfather, part of a welcoming clan, and they bond over music sessions and the telling of stories. The boy dreams of being a master violin maker, his ambition mirroring and inspiring her own.
Whisper is sometimes described as a prequel to the equally lovely The Cat Returns, but this is a very different sort of a film with little in common by way of plot, characters or atmosphere. The Cat Returns might be better described as a sequel to the story Shizuku writes here about 'Baron, the Cat Baron' - perhaps it's an example of her more mature work. In contrast to the later film, a swashbuckling romp mainly set in the magical Cat Kingdom, Whisper is low-key, mundane and understated. I don't mean to make it sound boring - it absolutely isn't - but it lacks the hyperactivity of so many films aimed at kids, though with its simple charm and moral lessons I assume they really are intended to be its main audience.
Miyazaki, who adapted the screenplay from a graphic novel but did not direct this, is not someone who feels the need to steer clear of sentimentality. Some people might find it cloying at one or two points, but I have to say I feared much, much worse from a film with a name like 'Whisper of the Heart' - which is perhaps unfair, since the original title translates as 'if you listen closely'. On the whole it manages to be sweet without being sickly, and I love the animation and the quiet way the characters develop. The only fault I could find is for me, I was expecting, I don't know, more from a Miyazaki film. After all, this is the franchise which brought us movies such as Princess Mononoke or Porco Rosso.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 21, 2011
There are few films I have ever cried in but there are even fewer animated films to that count, however Princess Mononoke provoked emotions I don't think before, I had ever experienced. This film for me is the first one I talk about it when people ask me "What films have inspired you?" This film practically forced me to take an interest in the frighteningly beautiful area that is anime. Although to this day, nothing has instilled so many emotions in me.
What Miyazaki did with Princess Mononoke was create a world, which nowadays is in my mind taken for grated especially with computer generated effects
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being able to make whatever the director really desires. Mononoke is different then all those surreal Avatar-esque productions because in my mind it really taps into something that is underlyingly real.
It is a story of humans pitted against gods and spirits, set in a lavish, beguiling landscape. Disney it isn't... Miyazake's work has a luminous, transcendent quality with a consistent gift for the visually memorable. There are moments in this film when you completely forget it is animated, the visual quality is that good.
As I said, be aware of the fact this is all NOT Disney. The first time we meet San (or 'Mononoke') she is holding a dagger, and her mouth is framed by blood after attempting to suck the poison from her wounded wolf mother's chest. This isn't Cinderella, this is a mighty powerful image Disney would never attempt.
Either its the well established characters such as the melancholy warrior prince Ashitaka who seeks to end a war or the wild wolf princess San who hates her own people, or the beautiful visual bliss that is the feudal Japanese countryside and it's forests. All just accumulate and build into a dense story about war, the environment, greed and love.
If you have never come across the work of Hayao Miyazaki you are in for
a wonderful surprise. The Japanese anime director and writer has earned
global fame for his extraordinary work - 'Spirited Away' won
an oscar - and Princess Mononoke bears all the hallmark style of this
great creator. Its a movie that will definitely stick in my mind as one filled with incredible gusto as something that started as just pen and paper.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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