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Apr 9, 2011
Whisper of the Heart is another Studio Ghibli film that focuses of love, life, and what it is like to be a teenager. It is a bit sappy and predictable, but if love stories are your thing then you will probably like this film. To put it short, the story is about a bibliophile who dreams of living in a fairy tale until she meets a special someone who shows her that fairy tales can be a reality if one looks hard enough.
The story of Whisper of the Heart is a heartfelt and somewhat realistic story of what life could
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be like for a young girl who dreams of love and adventure while reading countless stories about fiction and fairy tales. It starts slow and finishes slow. I am a bit surprised there was enough to the story that it would fill nearly two hours. It flows like a slice of life story and leaves you feeling inspired and encouraged like most slice of life stories should. What I found to be the most interesting element about the film was the few references to other previous and future Ghibli films. It was fun to try to pick out the little references here and there to see to which film they could go. That is all I will say about the subject. It is up to you to find the references yourself.
The animation was great. What else would you expect from a Studio Ghibli film? There is not much else to say about it. I enjoyed the art as always, which is a large part of why I like Studio Ghibli's films.
Sound wise, the film was inspiring. The music fit each mood perfectly. The voice acting was great too. I loved the voices that went with each character. They just seemed to fit almost perfectly, as if the characters could indeed be alive.
The characters are another reason I watch and love Studio Ghibli's films. They relatable and often address thoughts, fears, and emotions that are common or have been personally felt. Whisper of the Heart is no exception. The main character was lovable and relatable as well as admirable. Her resolve to do her best and be her best was inspiring. I have noticed that Studio Ghibli has an affinity for short brown haired heroines. The other characters in the film were likable as well, predictable and tropey but likable.
Overall, I enjoyed myself watching the film. It was sappy and hard to believe at times, at times most of the time, but it was enjoyable. It was a slice of life story that was refreshing but shallow. One you do not really know why you watched it, but you enjoyed yourself nonetheless. If you like, those type of stories, you will like the film but if you do not you might want to watch it anyway just so you can say you have watched it and complain to your friends later.
Whisper of the Heart was, overall, a good film, not great but good. It is a lesser known, lesser-watched film but worth your time if you chose to watch it. The story is relaxing and free flowing but shallow while the characters are relatable. Nevertheless the animation is great and the sound wonderful. The enjoyment is there too. It a great film for a lazy evening or spacer between loads of homework.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 1, 2011
Howl's Moving Castle is nothing less than a masterpiece. With its simple plot, loveable characters, and heartwarming ending, it is an anime I enjoy no matter how many times it is watched. I find myself so wrapped up in the story that I feel as if I am the characters themselves.
The story behind Howl's Moving Castle, HMC for short, is a tale of a young woman who learns to find her place in the world while coming to realize how special a person she truly is. There is quite a bit more to the story than that, but Sophie, the female lead, is the
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basis of the story. The plot of the story is pretty simple. To be honest the plot was utterly disappointing the first time I watched HMC. It was so simple that I figured it out fifteen to thirty minutes into the story. Nevertheless, the plot is so masterfully wrapped into the characters existences that it is almost as if it does not exist at all until further introspection reveals otherwise. Overall, the story is a masterpiece even though the plot is a bit lacking and is deserving of a 9 out of 10 rating.
Animation wise, HMC outdoes itself. The settings are very well placed while not over exceeding the bounds of reality. I loved the early Victorian yet otherworldly/fantastical feel of the entire film. Each new setting is gorgeous in its own right, as is to be an expectation from a Studio Ghibli production. The animation itself is superb and, as said before, the settings are spectacular additions to the film, a subtle reminder that half of an anime's worth is in setting and animation alone. Overall, I give the animation 9 out of 10 because though it is simplistically spectacular.
The music in HMC was superb as well. It blended into each scene so well that it was not only hard to notice, but also added the perfect element to make the scene shine. The voice acting was spot on though I found Sophie's younger voice a bit hard to correlate to the character. Her accent seemed to be a bit thick in comparison to those around her, even her fellow hat shop workers. Other than that, the voices fir their respected persons perfectly and were a joy to listen to. Despite the one minor drawback, the sound in HMC is worth of 8 out of 10.
The characters of HMC were the best part of the film. They were what made the film. Each character had a unique back-story that added to the overall story wonderfully. It would be very hard not to fall in love with most if not all of the characters in HMC. The main characters were fleshed out very well with even a few of the secondary characters almost in need of their own story. As a female, I found Sophie very relatable and believable. She seemed as though she could have been a resident of our world who just happened to wander into a fantasy. Howl, the male lead, was fleshed out as well though almost not as well as Sophie. He seemed a bit less believable, but part of that were his magic abilities. Nevertheless, he suited the story perfectly. Little Markl seemed as though he could have been a real boy. Even Calcifer, despite being a demon, was equally lovable. Dare I say he was as believable as the rest of the cast, for he had an air of believability about him? I digress. I could go on about the characters for hours, but I will stop before I get ahead of myself. Each of the characters deserves 10 out of 10 for their splendid performances.
HMC was and still is the most enjoyable Studio Ghibli film to date. Every needed element blends together perfectly into a wonderful family friendly story. It is truly a masterpiece to behold worthy of a 10 out of 10.
Finally, the overall anime was stupendous. I am running out of praising words to use while reviewing this anime. This anime was a great joy to watch. The characters were heartwarming and believable, the animation dazzled the eyes, and the music and voice acting was well placed, with one exception. Nevertheless, it is deserving of a 10 out of 10 rating. Howl's Moving Castle is a fine anime to watch and rewatch over and over again.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 1, 2011
Angel Beats is a heartwarming anime that I enjoyed greatly. While it had negative elements such as swearing, strong Buddhist undertones, and minor violence/gore, the overall story prevailed. The basis of the story was about love and friendship as well as contentment/satisfaction in life. It shared a few good lessons, though there could have been more, even with the short time frame.
I really liked this anime. The story was original and different from any other anime I have seen so far. I was enjoyable to watch the characters try to fight against god only to realize they were fighting against themselves. (I will not
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give away anymore of the story.)
The animation was excellent. I loved the soft feel and flow of the animation as one panel flawlessly flowed to another almost like a stream. The action was intense while the peaceful times were serene. It was very well done and thought out. Each scene fit the moment perfectly, or at least almost perfectly.
The music was enjoyable. I especially liked the opening song and effect used for Tenshi/Kanade's voice when using her abilities. The sound effects were well done and timed well too. The sound/audio is what practically made the series.
The main characters and some of the secondary characters were fleshed out and relatable. There was not enough time to develop all the characters, but the characters that were developed were enjoyable and grew on my heart. By the end, I was crying for most of the main characters.
Overall, the anime was well done. I fell in love with the characters almost immediately and continued to love them through the series. They each had relatable stories that tugged on your heart and demanded attention. Three main enjoyable points that stuck out to me the most were the story, the characters, and the finale. The combination of these three areas are what made me love the anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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