"Dr. Jerk" wrote:From my memory, I think I've only ever watched Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and Laputa: Castle in the Sky.
And as much as I love fantasy and sci-fi elements, I think it was actually Kiki that was my favorite. There's just really something about its simplicity that is so appealing and seemingly makes it stand out from the other two I've seen. Maybe it was also the character designs, or the setting...
Been dying to see Totoro too...
You would probably like Totoro then, because it's simpler than his other works, but still very appealing. I watched it as a kid in the early 90's and I'm able to appreciate it as an adult. Many of the Disney movies did not survive that transition for me.
Totoro is in my top three, and the rest in descending order are:
Spirited Away--the best part is the dragon. How often do we see oriental dragons on screen?
Princess Mononoke--I just saw this recently, and I lament that I didn't see it sooner. Rather than a story about "industry vs nature", I see it as a story about "man vs the woods", in keeping with the idea that the magical beings separate from the humans, if that makes sense.
Howl's Moving Castle--Very interesting to watch, but perhaps not the best plot. I don't know, I still find the time-machine component confusing.
Castle in the Sky--I enjoyed this more as an adult than as a young teenager. I didn't find the pace too slow this time.
The Cat Returns--Miyazaki produced it, and that's it. It was enjoyable, but odd.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind--Much easier to get into than the manga. The latter seemed to drag.
Kiki's Delivery Service--not bad, just not my favorite. But I agree, the black cat is the best part.
Ponyo--I can understand why people enjoy this, but it deviated from Miyazaki's usual stuff for me to appreciate it.
