Reviews

So, a lot of people take issue with the fact this movie only covers about one volume of the manga, but here's the thing: manga and film are two totally different mediums with different storytelling capabilities. If they tried to emulate the epic scope of the comic, it would have been disastrous; it's a little messy as is, but the cloak-and-dagger politics take a backseat to a subtle character-oriented approach, which makes it compelling. Who can't identify with this kind of adolescent rivalry? I can't do the animation justice, but's amazing. I dunno, maybe you just "had to be there," i.e. had to be around 13 years old having no idea what to expect when you saw it, but it left imprints in my brain.

The typically Japanese impenetrable spiritualism the film eventually slips into is potentially alienating, but it's worth noting it has more depth than any of Miyazaki's eco-sermons.