My Favorite Films of 2023

(If you like what you see, you can go to camseyeview.biz to see more of my work on video game reviews, editorials, lists, Kickstarters, developer interviews, and review/talk about animated films. If you appreciate what I do, consider contributing to my Patreon at patreon.com/camseyeview. It would help support my work, and keep the website up. Thanks for checking out my work, and I hope you enjoy this list!)

2023 will surely go down in infamy, depending on how you look at the animation scene. On the one hand, we got one of the highest-grossing foreign animated films with The Boy and the Heron. On the other hand, we also got Disney with one of their worst-performing years in history and their big 100-year celebration film Wish underperforming at the box office. It was a changing of the guards, a real case of the tides changing, and that needed to happen. Not one studio can or should be on top all the time, and with filmgoing becoming more expensive, large film releases feel less special than ever before. How nostalgia and IP are no longer safe bets, we are seeing a sudden rough shift and it’s going to get bumpy. With all that said, there are still going to be great movies made and released during this time. 2023 had a lot of fantastic animated movies, and I wish I could put them all in my top 10, but these were my favorites of last year. Honorary mentions go to The First Slam Dunk, The Inventor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and Elemental. 

 10. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget 

The fact of the matter is while this will never be the first film, it doesn’t mean Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a bad film. It’s honestly one of the rare sequels to come out that matches the first film in tone, humor, heart, and enjoyment. The voice cast controversies aside, Aardman continues to revel in their strengths to be consistently appealing on a universal scale with their films, and this one is no different. It’s got great action set pieces, vibrant visuals, a likable cast both old and new, and is the funniest film I have seen in 2023. That’s saying something, since this was a rather crackerjack year for comedies and films with fantastically witty dialogue. It’s on Netflix, and while I don’t envy them partnering up with the service, since this is how more people see their films due to the cruel fact that no one was going to the theater to see them, I still wish folks were able to see this film in theaters like I was. Still, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. 

 9. Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Giberritia 

While it would be tough to top the acclaim and impact left by the first film, A Trip to Gibberitia continues the fascinating journey of Ernest & Celestine by tackling the complicated theme of familial drama and finding the freedom to express yourself in a world that wants to limit those artistic voices. It’s a franchise that makes you feel good, and if you loved the previous film, then you will love this one. There is a reason why this film won the grand prize at the NYICFF 2023, because it’s just an incredible journey through the world of animation. 

 8. Blue Giant 

It feels so rare that we get films like Blue Giant in animation. It is a bittersweet, enthralling musical drama about three friends who try to make it through the world of jazz. It feels special in a way that most films never truly earn that distinction. I like some films more than this one this year, but Blue GIant holds a special place in my heart in similar ways that Children of the Sea does, where it brings you into its world to let you swim along the spiritual stream that only jazz can give you. Its story isn’t anything groundbreaking and new, but if you love films like The Commitments, then you should get the Blu-ray of this film when it’s released. It’s a truly lovely experience. 

 7. Suzume 

A stellar new film from Makoto Shinkai. A somber yet gorgeous experience of dealing with grief, broken relationships, remembering the people/memories of the past, and the connections and found family we make in our life. Honestly, Suzume is my new favorite Makoto Shinkai film experience. Seeing it on the big screen helped, but even on the smaller screen, this film feels the most focused on relationship dynamics between characters as they journey through the challenging world of relationships and find connections with those close to them. It helps that he has indeed moved away from what he has done in the past, and in interviews said he is done with making certain types of films that people love from him to branch out and craft new and exciting tales. It’s what’s fun when you journey through a director’s filmography to see how they change and grow as time goes on, from their art style to what kind of stories they like to tell. It’s why animation is such a fun medium of storytelling. You can do anything with animation, and the only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself.

6. Deep Sea 

If you need an example of how incredible China’s animation scene has gotten, Deep Sea is right here. An animated feature that almost becomes too much in the visual overload department, it shows off a wholly unique visual style with some of the best CGI animation of all time. The dynamic sequences that truly illustrate where we can go with CGI animation show how animation is still growing and evolving with time and talent. It also helps that this film is also an emotional powerhouse in the story department, combining dream logic with a story about overcoming tough times and keeping moving forward. I have been so amazed at how the Chinese animation scene has blossomed into crafting some of the best films of recent years.

5. Nimona 

While it has some predictable story beats that you can see coming a mile away, Nimona is a truly delightful experience that could have been lost to time, due to corporate greed and a lack of love for the medium of animation. Nimona is a beautiful bombastic punk rock fantasy journey through discrimination, broken relationships, and mending said dynamics with compassion and taking down the system. It’s truly a miracle this film was able to be revived and made, to be put out into the world, and as such, I hope everyone watches it. If you love animation with flair, and love a good comeback story in the world of animation production, then you need to check out this film. It makes me happy that a chunk of the people who worked on the original project were able to finish the project and see it blossom into a truly rockin’ journey.

 4. Robot Dreams 

Robot Dreams is a beautifully woven tale of friendships past, present, and future, where we gain and lose those bonds that we make along our journey through life. You might have lost friends or loved ones from past relationships, but that doesn’t mean you won’t move on to make new ones. With a dialogue-less script, almost cruelly placed bits of dark comedy, and a lot of pure unbridled beauty in the visual storytelling, Robot Dreams is one of those film festival flicks that is worth the hype from start to finish. I wish Neon was able to put the film out sooner than later in May of this year, but if you can find a way to watch it, please do. It’s such a splendid and perfect movie that shows you the power of not only filmmaking, but animation. 

3. Titina 

Titina is a brilliant globe-trotting wonder of animation. It’s a human journey of what can happen when one’s pride gets in the way of an experience that was meant to be a positive one for the world in which they live. Of course, we see all of this through the eyes of one of the cutest animals in history, Titina, and how what can get us through turbulent times is love, compassion, and connection.

2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

There has been a talk about superhero fatigue that has also bled into the world of movies in other avenues, like other big tentpole franchises and even other major movies and some smaller releases. It’s not really fatigue towards superhero movies. It’s fatigue towards films that were either not given enough time to craft their stories or they came up with stories that weren’t great at investing you in the characters that are on screen. People like seeing flashy things and big names, but if the writing isn’t there, if the people in the audience aren’t getting something new or something that feels refreshing and original, then people won’t show up. Spider-Man: Across the Universe is a checklist of how to make not only a good sequel, a better sequel, but an amazing film. Miles and Gwen are put through the wringer as their worldviews are challenged, and these challenges are thrown at them through some of 2023’s best animation and visual storytelling. You have animation that is an awe-inspiring rollercoaster of sights and flair unlike anything else out there, characters that are complex to the core of the human experience of isolation and stress of living up to the way people see you, writing that is whip- smart and continually engaging, action set pieces that should give the animators, artists, and visual effects people all the raises in the world, and it’s only part one! Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a monumental web-slinging time at the films as 2023’s most exciting cinematic experience.

1. The Boy and the Heron 

Whether this is the last film we will see of the acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki or not, The Boy and the Heron is a wonderful and heartfelt journey through animation. It is a tale of a boy overcoming loss, dealing with grief, and learning to move on with the world. There is a reason why it has been showing up in almost every single Best Films of 2023 list and won a massive amount of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It should have been nominated for Best Picture and Best Score, but I digress. If you have yet to see this film, as of right now, it’s going through a theatrical re-release, and if you feel a little confused by it, go watch it again. It is one of those films that gets better the more times you watch it, and it’s already amazing when you see it once.

The Other Side of Animation 317: The Boy and the Heron Review

(If you like what you see, you can go to camseyeview.biz to see more of my work on video game reviews, editorials, lists, Kickstarters, developer interviews, and review/talk about animated films. If you appreciate what I do, consider contributing to my Patreon at patreon.com/camseyeview. It would help support my work, and keep the website up. Thanks for checking out my work, and I hope you enjoy this review!)

As I have watched and reviewed over 300 movies, it makes me feel grateful to be able to see so much amazing art being made by some of the best talent behind the animation scene. So many amazing folks, whether they are from the bottom to the top of the production team, pour their hearts and souls into these films. While sometimes it doesn’t work out due to whatever happens in production, when we do see something fly high in the sky, and it reaches the goals that it sets out to complete, it’s a marvel that there are so many amazing films made by the hands of real human artists. In the current battle of what’s going on with the animation industry here in the States and in places like Japan trying to replace animators with AI and cheaper alternatives, it means that we have to fight to make sure we don’t lose out on other amazing artists that can take their paths to create amazing work. We should all be thankful we live in a world where Hayao Miyazaki can come out of retirement and craft an Oscar-winning experience like The Boy and the Heron. 

Directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, we follow a young boy named Mahito, voiced by Luca Padovan. He loses his mother during a fire during the Pacific War (aka World War II), and shortly after that happens, he moves to Japan’s countryside away from Tokyo with his father Shoichi, voiced by Christian Bale, and his new wife who just happens to be the sister of his deceased mother. He is disconnected from his new mother, his father, the folks staying at the countryside estate, and from life itself after everything that happened with the fire. During his stay at the mansion, he finds a mysterious Grey Heron that pesters him by flying around and observing him. One day, the Heron, voiced by Robert Pattinson, speaks to Mahito. He tells the troubled boy that if he follows him, he can go find his mother who is alive. The boy decides to venture forth into a mysterious building by the estate to see if it’s true. What this ignites is a fantastical journey into another world for Mahito and the Grey Heron as they embark on traversing a world born of conflict and death.

So, the original movie’s title was How Do You Live? It means the movie is in the tradition of most Ghibli adaptations, loosely based on the source material. I remember reading folks being mad at the name change, but it’s more or less a homage to The King and the Mockingbird, the animated film that inspired Hayao Miyazaki. Even then, the original title itself shows up in The Boy and the Heron as a book that Mahito’s mom had. This movie has been considered one of the heavier and harder to get into of Miyazaki’s flicks, due to how it isn’t as “open” and “friendly” to the viewers of this world and story. I love Hayao Miyazaki’s work, and while I do see some of those complaints in this movie, I think letting the film sit in your mind to think about more, or going to see it again (if you can), does open up to be a more complex story about how one lives life. It’s interesting to note that Miyazaki named the film this title, because he didn’t have an answer to the question itself. He takes some biographical elements, as well as some homages to his previous work, and crafts a beautiful story about a boy discovering how he is supposed to live. Should he give up after his mother died? Should he take up the mantle of the wizard in the film voiced by Mark Hamill and bring balance to the world? Should he let go of the past and keep moving forward down his path? How does one keep living in a world full of strife and pain? It’s more philosophical with how Miyazaki framed this film’s story. Mahito struggles to find a way to create a world with no conflict when that isn’t possible, and feels like he has to take up the mantle of the previous generation’s work. What it boils down to is that you do what you need to and find your way to craft your own story. Life is messy and complicated. He also weaves in elements and commentary about nature, war, and how pride can destroy one’s self, as we see later on when one character ruins the world due to his actions. It has some dream and fairy tale logic to explain parts of its story, but why would anyone want an animated film to be as realistic as possible? Realism can be boring, and the demand for more “realistic” stories and writing is what gave us those awful Disney live-action remakes. 

 Do we even need to say how good the animation is for The Boy and the Heron? It’s Studio Ghibli! They tend to put out some of the best and most visually distinct animations in the overall industry. The beginning scene where the city is covered in flames is aggressive and violent. We see the visuals get rough and ragged as Mahito tries to run past the crowds to get to his mother. The countryside is emblematic and peaceful, the ocean shores are calm and filled with an ominous and mysterious tone from the cave on the shoreline, the parakeet city is bustling and filled to the brim with the monstrous bird folk, the garden found in the granduncle’s realm is lush and full of life, and the small home that the mysterious fire girl named Lady Himi is cozy and really homey. I mean, it’s a little cottage home, so it should be. There are too many amazing scenes to count where the animation just oozes with passion from the opening fire scene, the warawara floating up into the sky to become living beings, the first time Himi meets Mahito, the sequence where the Parakeet King and Granduncle walk and talk while the score for The Great Collapse plays, the multiple encounters and scenes with the Grey Heron, and you get the idea.  The character chemistry between the major players of the story is fascinating. There is an uneven alliance between Mahito and the Heron that starts off antagonistic, but the journey they take together leads to some great moments that are also fairly funny. Despite its more philosophical tone at times, some comedic moments are more subtle than bombastic in the punchlines. Mahito’s animation is the most subtle of the bunch as his face generally defaults to one expression of a stoic closed-off individual, but the animators make tweaks as to how he reacts to everything once he begins to open up to the world around him and the people he meets. Instead of Mahito saying his change in worldview, the animation illustrates it perfectly. The Grey Heron is such an odd and out-there design with a small Danny Devito-looking weirdo inside a magical bird suit that sometimes when not in use, shows the human’s head and hands could come off distracting, but doesn’t. The parakeets were a fan favorite design from the screenings I went to, with how adorable they look, but how vicious they truly are works off of their fluffy looks with flying colors.

It was nice to see Miyazaki come back to a more fantastical world after he did The Wind Rises, which still had incredible animation and fantastical sequences, but they were few and far between compared to this one where it’s more 50/50 with the film taking place in both the real world and the fantasy world. Even the maids at the mansion each have their own quirky walk cycle, where you see who they are as characters just by looking at them. The music. Where to even start with Joe Hisaishi’s newest composition with some of the most elegant and mesmerizing tunes? If I had to pick a favorite song from last year from any movie, it would have to be The Great Collapse which plays near the end of the film. The combination of piano and stringed instruments makes my heart swoon as I feel myself carried away by its bountiful melody. Oh, and the theme song that plays at the end, Spinning Globe by famed artist Kenshi Yonezu is another whimsical display of beauty that caps us off on another Ghibli journey and one that was a long time coming. The voice cast is also the cat’s pajamas. English dubs for Ghibli films tend to be some of the best dubs around, and the celebrities they got this time around make for one of the more stacked casts in animation from 2023. Luca Padovan, Karen Fukuhara, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Dan Stevens, Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Barbra Goodson, Tony Revolori, Mamoudou Athie, and of course, Robert Pattinson as the titular bird. Hearing who is usually a pretty chill-looking guy go full-on gremlin mode with his performance shows how ready and excited he was to do some voice work for a Ghibli film. You don’t even get that it’s him most of the time, and instead, see the pathetic broken bird man that Mahito has to put up with. Some of the actors were more noticeable than others in their performances, but the acting was exquisite. If there was a best acting moment in the entire movie, it would have to be when Luca Padovan and Karen Fukuhara’s Mahito and Himi have to say goodbye to one another, and even though Himi is going to be going into her time period where she will end up perishing, she is okay with it because of how she gets to become Mahito’s mom. That scene alone still breaks me every time I think about it. 

Whether this is the last film we will see of the acclaimed filmmaker or not, The Boy and the Heron is a wonderful and heartfelt journey through animation. A tale of a boy overcoming loss, dealing with grief, and learning to move on with the world. There is a reason why it has been showing up in almost every single Best Films of 2023 list and won a massive amount of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It should have been nominated for Best Picture and Best Score, but I digress. If you have yet to see this film, as of right now, it’s going through a theatrical re-release, and if you feel a little confused by it, go watch it again. It is one of those films that gets better the more times you watch it, and it’s already amazing when you see it once. Hopefully, with its theatrical release being a massive success, folks go seek out more films, from not just Ghibli, but other incredible filmmakers. They are out there and all you gotta do is take one step on that adventure. 

Rating: Essential

The Other Side of Animation 204: Earwig and the Witch Review

(If you like what you see, you can go to camseyeview.biz to see more of my work on video game reviews, editorials, lists, Kickstarters, developer interviews, and review/talk about animated films. If you would like, consider contributing to my Patreon at patreon.com/camseyeview. It would help support my work, and keeps the website up. Thanks for checking out my work, and I hope you like this review!)

HEADS UP: I was able to review this film early thanks to a screener.

One day as I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw a post asking about directors, actors, etc that you root for, even if they haven’t been in anything or made anything good. To me, that is Goro Miyazaki. The son of the grandmaster of theatrical Japanese animation, Goro has sadly had to live under his father’s shadow as his film output of Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill, and Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter (technically a TV series) has been some of the more polarizing releases from the studio. Most of the fans think he hasn’t made anything good, and I just find that to be too snobbish and cynical. Yes, he might not have his dad’s spark, but I think he has the potential to make something incredible. What doesn’t work for me is that his stories needed another run-through or a rewrite. Tales from Earthsea feels like it needed to be a series of films or a show, but was stuck being a single film. From Up on Poppy Hill has some grounded moments and some solid drama, but it has an abrupt ending. He’s almost there, and while I might like most of his work, I get why people don’t. He doesn’t have the same magic as his father, and when he tries to copy his dad’s way of making films, they seem to have elements that don’t fully mesh well. That is sadly the case for Earwig and the Witch. 

Directed by Goro Miyazaki, written by Keiko Niwa and Emi Gunji, this is Ghibli’s first foray into CGI animation with the help of NHK Enterprises. It was made as a made-for-TV film, which is why it feels shorter than most Ghibli features at around 85 minutes. It was picked up by GKids and given a small limited release, and will be on HBO Max very soon. So, what do I think about Goro’s recent jump into CGI animation? Well, let’s find out. 

Our story follows a young girl named Earwig, who is dubbed by Taylor Paige Henderson. She lives at an orphanage where she was dropped off as a baby. She wants to stay there due to her friends being there, playing pranks, and enjoying the orphanage’s iconic shepherd’s pie. One day, the orphanage is visited by two oddball individuals. One is named Bella Yaga, dubbed by Vanessa Marshall, and a being known as the Mandrake, dubbed by Richard E. Grant. They decide to adopt her and take her back as less of an adopted daughter and more of a helping hand for Yaga’s potion-making. Wanting to escape the house these two live in, Earwig tries to find a way out. With the help of a black cat named Thomas, dubbed by Dan Stevens, she tries to give herself an advantage in this house of obvious magic and mystery. 

So, one thing that I think we should talk about is the CGI animation. While CGI has been around in other countries for as long as the original Toy Story, it seems like, from my observation, that other countries didn’t start using it more commonly until a few years after the US got a head start. That’s not entirely true, because who knows what we are missing because a lot of countries don’t use CGI animation in the same spirit and vein as the US film industry does. They have a different production flow, and that is probably why many of them are still catching up visually since some of them are around the 2007/2008 era of CGI animation. That’s not a bad thing, but it gives more casual animation fans a raised brow when they see CGI animation from other countries. Luckily, it seems like other countries have found their ways of working with CGI, and it has worked well for countries like China. But what about Ghibli and Goro’s approach to CGI with Earwig? While it doesn’t have the same energy in its movements, it does look good on a visual level. The animations are smooth, and the overall world has a very cool figurine/plasticine/Laika-style look to everything. It does look good to a degree, and I think the characters do have distinct animation quirks and their movements to stand out from each other. What is missing is the smaller details, and since the team that Goro worked with wasn’t super familiar with CGI, it can be a reason as to why some of the animation is missing that personal touch from Ghibli’s 2D films. It’s expressive enough, and there are points where they do the typical Ghibli-style facial reactions and hair standing up straight, but I think this is why some people have had issues with the visuals. It looks too polished and doesn’t have some of the smaller elements that studios like Pixar and Disney put into their animation. It’s why even fantastic Japanese CGI animated films like Lupin III: The First still feel a little lacking in some regards. This film does have a lot of fantastical visuals and moments that do line up with Ghibli’s line of work. I think my favorite part of the animation is with the Mandrake who is the entire scene-stealer of the film. He is the one who has the most memorable design, the best story beats, and the best visual moments. Still, I get why people will say the animation is lacking. If Ghibli can hire a more experienced team of CGI animators, or maybe team up with studios like Light Chaser, Pearl Studios, or something like that, maybe they can have a better product next time. 

The animation is not the biggest fault of the film. To me, the story is the biggest fault. For a TV film that’s 85 minutes long, it feels like there are huge chunks of the story missing. Not like they cut them out ala The Weinstein Company, but they focus so much on one part of the story, that the last third has to push the most important story beats to the last 10 minutes. It’s another Goro Miyazaki film with an abrupt ending. What’s worse is that the ending feels like the story was about to get good. Not that there aren’t nice or entertaining moments during the first two-thirds, but when the last third has such touching emotional beats, and one heck of a closing reveal, well, it stings more. The film spends much of its time with Earwig who is trying to make a potential potion to avoid having to deal with the threats of Yaga, and that simply takes up too much time in the film. What would have been nice is if the film itself was more like two hours or so, and instead of being in the house the entire time, they showed off those moments that you see in the ending credits. It’s disappointing because the story does have some pretty good themes and story elements of dealing with loss and losing that part of you that gave your life spark. Simply put, I was interested in Earwig getting back at Yaga, and that got tiring after realizing how much of the runtime is dedicated to that part of the story. As I said, there are parts of the story where I enjoyed the film. I like seeing the Mandrake choose the meals for everyone. I like Earwig connecting with Thomas. I love her finding out who her mom was, and the past lives of the two adults with whom she lives. The performances are also quite good with Vanessa Marshall and Dan Stevens doing great work, and while I do love Richard E Grant, his character gets stuck saying a lot of his lines in low growly voices. Even Earwig’s mom, who is dubbed by country star Kacey Musgraves, is a cool character, but she is barely in the film, so outside of her singing talents, why cast her? It’s a real shame because this could have worked, and I don’t know if the story was truncated due to it being a TV movie, or if the writers and Goro had trouble coming up with a story that has a better flow to it. 

It’s annoying because there are plenty of cool elements to the film. First off, I love Earwig’s Mom’s connection to Yaga and Mandrake. There is a compelling interesting story there, but it’s skimmed over. I think one of my favorite story beats was when Mandrake gets Earwig’s favorite dish for dinner. It was a genuinely nice scene. I also adore the rock and roll soundtrack and opening animation. It gives this quirky fantasy setting a unique flair that I can honestly say I haven’t seen in a Ghibli film. The composer of this film is Satoshi Takebe, who also worked on From Up on Poppy Hill, Romeo x Juliet, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter, and Deltora Quest. I also love the visuals at points, and when the CGI can go into the quirky Ghibli movements and reactions, it looks fantastic. The ending credits are also fun to watch, but the 2D drawings seen there do make me wish Earwig was in 2D. 

Earwig and the Witch is frustrating to watch. You can see the great film there, and who knows, maybe people will love this TV film as the years go on, but I don’t think they should give up on CGI. What they need to do is maybe work on forming a CGI animation team so that they can make talented individuals work on both 2D and CGI films. I think they can easily make it work. I don’t think this is the worst animated film of 2020, and I think some people are being wildly harsh and critical in the same way people are critical to “lesser” Pixar films. If you want to watch this film, you can either go to whatever theaters are going to play it, or you can be smart and wait for its release on HBO Max. I’m hoping that Goro finds his footing, and I’m going to root for him no matter what happens. We have seen directors who at one point may make a bad movie one year, and then the next one, they make a great film. Well, next time, we will be looking at a new cartoon show for Netflix, but I can’t tell you what it is until next time! 

Thanks for reading the review! I hope you all enjoyed reading it! If you would like to support my work, make sure to share it out, and if you want to become a Patreon supporter, then you can go to patreon.com/camseyeview. I will see you all next time!

Rating: Rent it! 

The Other Side of Animation 164: Okko’s Inn Review

(If you like what you see, you can go to camseyeview.biz to see more of my work on video game reviews, editorials, lists, Kickstarters, developer interviews, and review/talk about animated films. If you would like, consider contributing to my Patreon at patreon.com/camseyeview. It would help support my work, and keeps the website up. Thanks for checking out my work, and I hope you like this review!)

If we are going to have a healthier theatrical animation scene in Japan, studios and animation enthusiasts alike need to be supportive of newer voices. We can’t let already-well-known names be the only ones that get the spotlight. While the Japanese animation scene is going through some major obstacles with keeping people who want to work in animation in the animation industry, that means when a new or unfamiliar voice makes a film, we should go out and support it.

Whether you love the end product or not, it’s more important that someone new or not as well known gets the attention. This is why I wanted to support Okko’s Inn. Directed by Kitaro Kosaka, and based on the manga and anime of the same name, Okko’s Inn is a film that I find to get overshadowed by other 2019 US-animation releases, like Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You and Studio Trigger’s Promare. I think Okko’s Inn deserves more support, and I’m going to tell you why!

Our story follows a young girl named Okko, dubbed by Madigan Kacmar. She ends up in an unfortunate situation where her parents are killed in a car accident. She goes to live with her grandmother at her inn. Okko then encounters some friendly spirits around the building, including a young boy named Uribo, dubbed by KJ Aikens, a young girl named Miyo, dubbed by Tessa Frascogna, and a small demon named Suzuki, dubbed by Colleen O’Shaughnessey. Okko will encounter different inn guests and even a girl who helps run a rival inn named Matsuki, dubbed by Carly Williams. Can Okko learn to be an innkeeper and learn how to help people? Can she learn about forgiveness and selflessness in helping others?

So, something to note about the director Kitaro Kosaka is that he worked on multiple Studio Ghibli projects that include Castle in the Sky, Ponyo, Spirited Away, and even Mamoru Hosoda’s The Boy and the Beast. If you feel like Okko’s Inn has the same vibe as a lower-key Ghibli film, you wouldn’t be wrong. This movie focuses on Okko’s coming of age as she helps different tenants in the inn who have their hang-ups in their life. It shows how acts of kindness of any kind can help improve the lives of others. It’s a laid back film in the same spirit as Kiki’s Delivery Service or My Neighbor Totoro. You get some fun shenanigans with the spirits, but the film’s strongest moments are with Okko figuring out how to help out everyone who comes to the inn. It’s noticeable that this film, through its designs and tone, is an experience aimed at a younger audience, and even for a film aimed at that demographic, it doesn’t talk down to them. The film does tackle themes of death, and it’s not afraid to talk about it. Luckily, the characters feel like they were right out of a Ghibli film, likable, endearing, complex, and fun.

Okko’s Inn was produced by Studio Madhouse and Dream Link Entertainment, which shows in the animation. It’s a gorgeous movie with charming designs, and fluid animation. There are some wonderful scenes, including the koi fish kite sequence and when Okko meets the fortune teller. The dub for the film is handled well. You can tell the kids in the film are voiced by kids, and the adults are voiced by adults. I have seen both the sub and dub versions of this film, and you really can’t go wrong with either. The music by Keiichi Suzuki is beautiful, and has that Japanese flair you would want with a film taking place in a mountain-side inn. If his name sounds familiar, he is the same composer behind Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers and the famous RPG Earthbound.

If I had to complain, I could, but a lot of the issues I have are nitpicky. The designs took a bit for me to get used to. They are more family-friendly, and it was jarring to me for some reason. They remind me of something like Hamtaro. I did look it up, and the person in charge of the art direction is Yoichi Watanabe, who worked on the Star Ocean EX series. The only major issue I have is that a lot of the major drama is shoved into the third act, and it’s abrupt when it transitions into it. However, I do like the ending, so I guess you can say that it’s also a nitpick.

Okko’s Inn is a delightful little film about kindness, growing up, forgiveness, and helping others. It might be getting overshadowed by other high-quality anime films, but Okko’s Inn shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s available right now on Blu-ray and DVD, and I think everyone should get a copy. Now then, it’s been four years since I have been reviewing animated films, and I think it’s time to celebrate with something flashy. Next time, we will take a look at Studio Trigger’s first original film, Promare!

Thank you for reading my review! If you like my writing and would like to throw some support my way, you can become a patron at patreon.com/camseyeview. I hope you all have a good day, and I will see you all next time.

Rating: Go See It!

The Other Side of Animation 127: Only Yesterday Review

(If you like what you see, you can go to camseyeview.biz to see more of my work on video game reviews, editorials, lists, Kickstarters, developer interviews, and review/talk about animated films. If you would like, consider contributing to my Patreon at patreon.com. It would help support my work, and keeps the website up. Thanks for checking out my work, and I hope you like this review!)

It was incredibly depressing to hear that Isao Takahata, one of the cofounders of Studio Ghibli, passed away this year. While unfortunately being under the shadow of Hayao Miyazaki, in terms of being the face of the studio and Miyazaki’s films getting more of the spotlight, Takahata deserves to be just as well-known as his friend. If it wasn’t for Takahata, we wouldn’t have Ghibli, because he convinced Miyazaki to join up with him and Toshio Suzuki to make the studio. He is just as important as Miyazaki, and his films definitely deserve more recognition. This is especially true when he has films like Only Yesterdayunder his belt. Directed by Isao Takahata and produced by Toshio Suzuki, Only Yesterday is unique for its time, because while animated, it was a film aimed at an adult female audience. While we have recently seen more adult-focused stories in animation, you simply never saw that back in 1991. It was a commercial and critical success, but unfortunately, the US never got this film. You had to either import a copy, or watch a subtitled version online through questionable individuals. Thankfully, for its 25th anniversary, GKids decided to bring it over stateside with an English dub. If you saw my Worst to Best Animated Films of 2016, you know I love this movie. Let’s dive into this classic film from Isao Takahata.

The film follows a woman named Taeko Okajima, dubbed by Daisy Ridley in the US release. She is turning 27 and pretty happy with her life, even though her mother is annoyed that she hasn’t been able to find a guy. Taeko decides to take a trip to the countryside to help out a family with their safflower farm. As she takes this trip, memories of her younger self start to pop up in her mind. She then starts to think back about her life and her relationship with her family, and with the family she is helping on the farm.

I think what might turn off some people about this film is that it’s not as whimsical as Ghibli’s other offerings. It’s not really all that fantastical in its setting. Not to say there isn’t some whimsy, but it’s mostly kept with the flashbacks. This is a very grounded film, and you can see that through its themes and its visual style. Something I noticed about this film, and it’s probably because of Takahata himself, who made this decision, he adds a bit more detail in how the humans are designed. When it comes to designing human characters in animation, you can afford to sacrifice some details. It’s why many times when you see animated properties turned live-action, the added detail to the designs were not meant to look good in live-action. You can see this in a lot of the live-action Dr. Seuss films. The humans in Only Yesterday have more wrinkles and more detail to their facial movements that you don’t see with other Ghibli films. The more creative visuals come into play with the flashbacks when Taeko is younger. Instead of the gorgeous and highly detailed buildings, leaves, plants, and so on, everything has a soft watercolor style. The backgrounds have an interesting detail that they look incomplete. To me, this was a purposeful artistic decision, because memories can feel incomplete and fuzzy at times. However, do not take any of these comments as the animation isn’t good. It’s Studio Ghibli, and the animation they do is always amazing. It’s all very detailed, expressive, and it does not fall into any of the traps that anime falls into.

I also love the music selection. While much of the wonderful music is done by Katz Hoshi, there are some foreign song choices that pop up from time to time that fit the tone of the film. If you can find the soundtrack to this film on YouTube or somewhere online, definitely check it out. It’s one of my favorite soundtracks. I also liked the voice cast for this film. While having plenty of great animation voice actors like Tara Strong, Nika Futterman, Ashley Eckstein, Laura Bailey, Grey Griffin, and Stephanie Sheh, I think Daisy Ridley, and Dev Patel, who plays Toshio, a man she meets on her trip, do a good job. While it might be distracting to hear their voices with Daisy holding back the British accent, and Dev Patel not really hiding that accent at all, they do gel into their characters. Even Alison Fernandez who plays Taeko as a young girl is also good.

So, the animation is interesting and unique among the studio’s work, the music is fantastic, and the voice work/dub is done well, but what about the story and characters? A word I used for this film is grounded. It feels relatable to actual people. I think as we get older, we do look back at our childhood or maybe even a couple years back, and wonder if we are happy with what’s going on right now. Are there any regrets? Do we wish things had gone differently? Are you doing what you dreamed of when you were a kid? Are you doing what you are doing right now, because you want to? I think that’s fairly complex, and to my knowledge, not many films, especially animated films, tackle these types of plots. It’s refreshing to see an adult-themed film that doesn’t rely on cursing, violence, and sex. This film also got me to learn a few things about the Japanese culture. Some scenes might only make sense if you learn about certain parts of Japanese culture, like the scene with the pineapple.

If I had to criticize anything about the film, I think Toshio, the character played by Dev Patel in the English dub, is not the most interesting male character. He’s likable, but much of his dialogue is about working with your hands, and how it’s different than using machines. I just wish there was more to him than simply that part. I mean, there is, but it’s mostly 80% of him talking about how working with your hands is better than corporate companies doing the work for you. I also wish the ending wasn’t covered up by the credits. It’s really sweet and endearing, but they add credits over it, and they do this with Arrietty, Napping Princess, and I just don’t get why Japanese animated features do that.  You can wait and play the credits after the story literally ends.

Still, I really love this film, and I wish I could have told Isao Takahata how much this film connected with me before his passing. It has a lot of his trademark elements that he likes to use with his films, and I definitely need to catch up on his other films. If you haven’t seen Only Yesterday yet, do so! Buy the movie! I hope more people can watch it. I can sort of see why Disney didn’t originally distribute this one, due to some scenes, including visiting a bath house, and a small story part about periods, but I’m glad GKids brought the film over. I’m sorry for Takahata’s passing, and I hope more people can admire and love this man’s contributions to animation. Well, next time, I think we should go from Japan to the US. We will be looking at Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. Thanks for reading! I hope you liked the review, and I will see you all next time.

Rating: Criterion/Essentials

The Other Side of Animation 102: The Cat Returns Review

(If you like what you see, you can go to camseyeview.biz to see more of my work on video game reviews, editorials, lists, Kickstarters, developer interviews, and review/talk about animated films. If you would like, consider contributing to my Patreon at patreon.com. It would help support my work, and keeps the website up. Thanks for checking out my work, and I hope you like this review!)

Well, it’s been two years since I started reviewing animated films, and I feel like it’s time to talk a little about myself, and what kind of movies I like to watch. I tend to enjoy a large variety of genres and different directors. I wouldn’t say I’m a hardcore film fan and watch every single classic film, but I watch what looks like something I would enjoy. However, I tend to mostly pick a film that I can watch with no need to learn about something beforehand, or require to research some lore or backstory before watching the film, so I can get into the story. I like to be instantly dropped in, and be able to not be distracted by in-your–face-world-building elements. In short, I want to be able to put in a movie, not have to be in a certain mood to watch it, sit back, and relax. I think that’s why for this two year special, I decided to choose the Studio Ghibli film, The Cat Returns. This is definitely an oddball of the Ghibli filmography. It was released back in 2002, and was originally conceived as a 20-minute short film for an amusement park. Unfortunately, they canceled the project, but Hayao Miyazaki decided to use the idea for his own studio. The individual sitting in the director’s chair this time around was Hiroyuki Morita. His name might not sound familiar, but he has done some work in the industry by starting at Ghibli as a key animator for My Neighbors the Yamadas and an in-between animator for Kiki’s Delivery Service. Morita went on to direct the anime series Bokurano, and was mostly an animator for stuff like Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Tales from Earthsea, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Lupin III: Bye Bye Lady Liberty!, and Tenchi Forever! As it stands, The Cat Returns is one of the few animated films from the studio that was not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. We didn’t get this film until 2005, and by that time, people were more focused on Miyazaki’s newest film, Howl’s Moving Castle. Let’s claw our way in, and check out The Cat Return.

The story follows a high schooler named Haru, voiced by Anne Hathaway. Haru is having a rough spot in her life, where it seems like nothing is really working out for her. After coming back from school one day, she ends up saving a cat that was about to get run over by a car. By luck, the cat she saved happened to be a magical cat prince, voiced by Andrew Bevis. The prince thanks her, and later that night, Haru is visited by the prince’s father, The Cat King, voiced by Tim Curry. After some misunderstandings and complications, Haru ends up getting engaged to the prince, and tries to find a way to get out of the situation. She then meets a whimsical character known as The Baron, a small humanoid cat-like being, voiced by Cary Elwes. He decides to help her out, but right when he agrees to help her, Haru gets kidnapped and taken to the Cat Kingdom. It is up to The Cat Baron, along with his sidekick Muta, voiced by Peter Boyle, to help Haru escape the Cat Kingdom.

The first thing you will notice about the film is the animation style. It’s still the fantastic 2D animation you know from such a studio, but it’s the designs that are for the most part, different. Everything is a touch more simplistic, and the human designs aren’t in the traditional Studio Ghibli design, and are more anime-style. It can definitely lead to more fluid animation, and for a film like The Cat Returns, it suits it. The story is very light, and while that might sound like a downside, it’s not. It’s a fantasy adventure film that uses its 75 minutes well, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a film that knows what it wants to do. It’s just an easy-to-get-into fantasy adventure film. Now, that doesn’t mean The Cat Returns itself is lacking substance. It’s still a Studio Ghibli film, with likable leads, a solid set of side characters, a creative world, and a fun villain. It also has some amazing visuals from the Cat Kingdom to the action sequences that help cement the film’s more light-hearted tone. I have heard some people compare this to some fantasy comedies like the Princess Bride, and I can see where they are coming from. It’s funny and has an eccentric personality, but also acts like a fairy tale with odd rules and lush visuals. The film does have a message of never giving up on yourself or your dreams, but it’s more of a backseat moral. It wants to be more about the whimsical side of things, and to be a more comedic fantasy film, and I have no personal problem with that. It’s something that I have seen pop up from time to time, where critics in general dismiss a film being simple as a bad thing. I never really got that, since simple doesn’t always mean terrible. Of course, it does come down to execution, but even then, it’s not always seen in a positive light. I mean, do we call out The Wizard of Oz as being too simple and relying more on emotion than logic? No, we celebrate it as one of history’s best movies, and rightfully so. Sometimes, when I’m going out to get a bite, I’m not in the mood for something big, fancy, and complex. Sometimes, all I want is a cheeseburger that’s done well, and a $5 milkshake. Movies don’t always have to be complicated.

As for everything else, the cast is pretty fantastic. Anne Hathaway does a pretty stellar job as Haru. While Haru might not be one of the classic Ghibli female characters, she is still interesting. She’s innocent and kind of light-headed, but she is still strong and wanting to make sense in a fantasy world, which is usually much harder than you would think. Cary Elwes is fantastic as The Baron, and it sounds like he was having a lot of fun playing another fantasy hero. Pete Boyle has some of the better laughs as Muta, and, of course, it’s hard not to talk about this film and not bring up Tim Curry’s old hippie performance of the Cat King. You can tell that he was having a blast as this expressive and hilarious villain. Then again, it’s Tim Curry, and he’s always a blast to watch, no matter what the film is. Andy Richter plays an assistant to the Cat King, and while I know in the Japanese dub, the character was female, and, yeah, it’s weird that they would do this, I think Richter pulls it off. Actually, the actors in this film do pull off excellent comedic timing. It’s probably one of the few Japanese-animated films I can think of, where the humor is easy to translate to any country. A lot of the times, and sorry if I have already said something similar in a previous review, comedy in different parts of the world ranges in what they define as funny, and it doesn’t always translate well when you place it in another country. A lot of older anime had this problem when you realize Japan loved wordplay and puns, and some of those don’t translate to English well. It’s why a lot of foreign films I tackle have more universally acceptable comedy, like old-fashioned Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin-style comedy, since you don’t need to know a foreign language to know why something in a film is funny in that form.

I love this fantastical adventure, but I have some complaints. While the fight sequences are well-animated and are a blast to watch, the final fight between The Baron and the Cat King is underwhelming. There is a great action/chase sequence leading up to this battle, but then the battle itself only last a few seconds. I love the 75-minute runtime, but there are definitely times where the story could have been fleshed out more. You find out about Muta’s history in a scene near the very end of the film, and it doesn’t really add much. It’s more lore for the world of the Cat Kingdom, but not much else. There is this fun crow character voiced by Elliot Gould, and while it’s always good to hear him because his voice is unique, he doesn’t show up in the movie a whole lot. He pretty much shows up near the end of the first act, and then in the final act.

The Cat Returns might not be one of Ghibli’s strongest films, or one of their most epic, but it’s still Studio Ghibli. It’s still well-animated, entertaining, well-acted, funny, and full of amazing imagery. I consider it the hidden gem of the studio, and to be honest, it has grown to be one of my favorites. Yeah it has its faults, but every film is going to have faults. It just depends on how big or bad they are to not be able to ignore. I would say go buy the Disney release of this film, but I would personally wait until the GKids re-release is available. Definitely not my favorite from the studio, but it’s still a splendid movie. Well, speaking of fantasy adventures, it’s time we look at 2017’s My Little Pony: The Movie. Everybody, thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed the review, and I will see you all next time.

Rating: Go See It!

Worst to Best Animated Films of 2016 Finale

Welcome back to the final part of the Worst to Best Animated Films of 2016. If you have not seen the previous part of the list, here is a link. These are the final ten films that I love, and would watch many times over. I consider them new classics that everyone should check out and support. Honestly, I would just tell you to buy them all, but that’s just me. Let’s get started

10. April and the Extraordinary World

I know everyone is in a bit of a bum mood, since the future of Studio Ghibli is up in the air as Hayao Miyazaki works on his supposedly “last” film, so instead, I want to turn your attention to what some have considered a French Ghibli alternative. April and the Extraordinary World is a fun Castle in the Sky-style action adventure film set in a world where science never got past the steam age. It’s filled with high-flying action, sci-fi technology, and it’s just a fun adventure with fun characters. I still think some of the chemistry between characters could have been better, but I really loved watching this film. If you need your Castle in the Sky fix and to see how to do Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow better, then definitely watch this movie.

9. Long Way North

Let’s call this the polar opposite of a Disney princess film. This French film about a Russian princess wanting to redeem her grandfather’s legacy is simple, yet complex. It’s easy to get into and well executed. The film can be very quiet and atmospheric with a honestly dark edge to the adventure she goes on to find her Grandfather’s ship. Granted, some of the voice work isn’t the best, but the film is gorgeously animated, and it has a great cast of characters with a story that shows the darker side of events like this. I was a tad disappointed that this film wasn’t seen by more people, since I truly think it’s a fantastic film. It’s easily the best film Shout! Factory has distributed, and I highly recommend you support this film by buying a copy.

8. The Boy and the Beast

Man, I don’t know why people aren’t more willing to say Mamoru Hosoda is the new “Miyazaki”, because films like The Boy and the Beast are why he’s one of my new favorite directors. This tale with themes of father and son relationships, different family situations, and parents being up-front with your children is masterfully fused with the beautiful animation, great action, and likable characters. I think the pacing could have been better in the third act, but that shouldn’t detract from how amazing this movie is. I can’t wait to see what Hosoda does in the future.

7. Only Yesterday

Yes, it’s technically a 2016 release since we never got it when Disney was bringing over all of the Ghibli films. Luckily, GKids decided to be awesome and help us out with bringing over probably one of my favorite Ghibli films to date. I love the more mature tone, the characters, the setting, and the voice cast. I adored Daisy Ridley as the lead, and I found her character to be rather complex and interesting. I’m sure everyone in their life has wondered if they feel like they got what they wanted out of their life. Sure, it can be a tad slow, and I can totally understand if someone finds this film boring, but I found it unabashedly fascinating. Easily one of my top five favorite films from the studio, and I think Isao Takahata’s best movie from the ones that I have seen from him.

6. The Little Prince

Talk about a victim of circumstance. This amazing and mature CGI/stop-motion film from France with the director of the original Kung Fu Panda got screwed out of being in theaters, and whether it’s true that Paramount wanted the studio to pony up more cash for distribution and advertising or not, The Little Prince deserves more attention than it got. Yeah I get the complaint about the third act and such, but in the end, I loved my overall journey with this film from beginning to end.

 5. Moana

In some regards, Moana had a disadvantage coming out right after the huge hit that was Zootopia, and being another Disney princess film right after the monster that was Frozen. Luckily, Moana I think does better in terms of an overall experience, while being progressive for a Disney princess film. Moana is a fantastic lead, Maui is a blast, the villains are hugely memorable, and the overall story is well-told. Sadly, it does take that dip in quality in the third act, and brings up very outdated Disney story elements, but I would call it safe than lazy, like some reviewers would argue. In the end though, Moana is a super fun adventure film, and is easily one of Disney’s best offerings in a year where they were doing pretty well.

4. My Life as a Zucchini

Probably the most real and “human” animated film from last year. This Golden Globe/Oscar-nominated stop-motion film about a kid living in an orphanage is well animated, emotionally touching, charming, and it does feel human. Even with the English dub, the actors still bring in that calm and quiet spirit. The child actors were, once again, a situation where they would make or break the film, and well, they pulled it off. Granted, I wish the film was longer than 70 minutes, since I really enjoyed being with these characters and I liked the lead’s relationship with the police officer. It’s just an amazing film, and I would highly recommend checking out this award winner.

3. Zootopia

While Moana is a fantastic film that I could watch over and over, Zootopia is the better movie. While it might not be super subtle with its themes, its clever writing, world building, hugely likable characters, great designs, and a fun sense of humor lifts itself up from such a problem. It was also a bigger risk, since it was Disney’s first animated film in a long time to use bipedal animals. If there was one film to take home the most awards for Best Animated Feature, I’m glad it was Zootopia. Sure, I wish Kubo and the Two Strings took the award, but hey, at the very least, I agree with Disney winning Best Animated Feature this time.

2. Miss Hokusai

 

If there was a film that I wish could have gotten more acclaim and nominations, it would be Miss Hokusai. This down-to-earth, character-based film just won me over in an instant. I loved the daughter interacting with everyone and dealing with different situations in life, I loved the different art styles used for different parts of the story, I love the voice cast, I love Richard Epcar as Hokusai, I just loved this movie. Yes, there were some characters who you obviously knew were there for a very specific reason, but I don’t care. I love films like this since it shows animated films can be more than just wacky comedies, and that more adult animated films can be more than stoner comedies. It’s easily one of my top five favorite films GKids brought over, and I would recommend following the director and seeing what he does next.

1. Kubo and the Two Strings

It should be no surprise that the film that had probably the biggest fighting chance of dethroning Zootopia at the Oscars is my favorite animated film from 2016. Kubo and the Two Strings surprised me in how much I loved it. I was not surprised by Finding Dory being great, I was not surprised by Kung Fu Panda 3 for being great, I was not surprised Moana was great, and you get the idea. I was surprised at how well-animated it was. The voice acting was amazing, the music was fantastic, the visuals were awe-inspiring, and the themes and tone of the film made it a darker family film. I love how it’s about life, and how you can’t live in life without hardships. The action was fantastic and well-choreographed.  I’m so upset this didn’t do better, and even if there is nothing wrong with Zootopia winning the Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, Kubo and the Two Strings deserved it more, and rightfully deserves the spot as my favorite animated film of 2016.

Well, that was 2016, a fantastic year for animation, and I know 2017 hasn’t been that great so far, but keep your hopes up and go see the smaller releases. Thanks for checking out this long list and I’ll make sure to get these out sooner rather than later next time.