Holding Out For a Hayao

With the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki and the uncertain future of Studio Ghibli I decided to check out some of the acclaimed work of other anime directors and writers. Not to fill the void Miyazaki will undoubtedly leave, filling that void is an insurmountable task, more aptly I was searching for someone or potentially several someones that were producing ambitious animation on the quality and scale of Miyazaki. A Sisyphean task I'm aware and yet I was ecstatic with my findings. What follows are some quick thoughts on some of the films in question as well as some assorted musings on the particular filmmakers.

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Wolf Children

 Written & Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

First up, Wolf Children, probably the most critically acclaimed and commercially known of the films I watched. Wolf Children was also probably the closest to a Ghibli film I found, and one of the reasons I wanted to start with it. The film mirrors Miyazaki’s penchant for blending grounded real world issues with imaginative fantastical elements filled with believable and well written characters. Wolf Children's key emotional pillars are motherhood and coming of age. And it tackles both with flawless precision and a deft touch, a rarity in animation. The film pivots pretty hard after an uninspired romantic opening, turning into a real trial by fire motherhood story for the duration thereafter and that’s when everything really begins to click. The film is far more subtle than most anime allowing for plenty of silent moments that say a lot. It’s in these quieter moments where the film really distinguishes itself from Miyazaki, where he bombarded the viewer with not so subtle commentary, Hosoda leaves a lot untold and unsaid giving the audience more to contemplate which shows both artistic restraint and trust in the viewer. It helps that Wolf Children is a simple story with only three key characters but even still it’s very commendable. The film is beautiful with a stunning level of detail and it’s to Hosoda’s credit once again that he finds interesting ways to play with how the audiences sees this world, with simulated camera moves and shots that are uncharacteristic of other anime and make the film stand out all the more. Wolf Children has a moving emotional story at its core that highlights and explores themes with a quiet assured touch, it’s mature while never delving into melodrama, it celebrates life and all the hardships therein. It’s an exceedingly well made and beautifully drawn film that may just rival that of the once assumed incomparable Miyazaki. A bold statement to be sure but one that I hope gets you to check out, Wolf Children. 

Garden of Words

Written & Directed by Makoto Shinkai 

Garden of Words is a romantic short film, at only 48 minutes including credits, the film resembles something more akin to an experiment for director Makoto Shinkai. What starts off as a generic meet cute romance quickly changes after an out of left field twist that alters the tone of the film substantially for the remainder. That twist comes too late and isn't sufficiently explored to turn around what is otherwise a rather lifeless story. The films greatest strength lies in its art, oftentimes bursting through the reality of the medium and producing an incomprehensibly photo-realistic scene with rain effects that are particularly staggering. Unfortunately the story is rather weak and the characters are nothing more than untapped potential, and quite frankly the entire film reminded me of a Lifetime original movie. I will admit I was surprised at how invested I became in the romance by the end of the film but it wasn't enough to make me forget many of the films glaring faults. The potential is there for a compelling romance and maybe with a longer run time more nuances could have been explored but as it stands Garden of Words is gorgeous artwork that lacks dramatic energy. It's pretty to look at but there isn't much substance, it's not bad by any measure but it won't be an experience you remember long after it ends. 

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 

Written by: Satako Okudera

Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda

Well it had to happen, but The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is the first bad film in this endeavor. It was particularly frustrating since so much of the film is quite strong, the writing and voice acting were top notch (I watched an English dub) the female protagonist is wonderfully realized and the school aged characters are all surprisingly well depicted in both animation and writing with plenty of subtle and believable interactions. Unto the mechanics. Time travel is a difficult subject to use in storytelling because instinctively the audience wants to understand how it works they want to know the possibilities and the limitations. And on top of establishing the boundaries of the ability it needs to be easy to follow as jumping through time can be quite confusing.Therein lies where the movie falls apart. The films final act, the climax, the reason the entire film is happening is so completely and utterly botched I'm amazing this film was ever released. There is a twist near the end of the film where a character from the future is revealed and the reason he traveled to the past was to see a painting. A painting. Once more in case you didn't yell out "WHAT!?!" in disbelief, a painting. It's never explained why. Nor is it explained what the final statement this future traveler says to our young protagonist means. "I'll wait for you in the future". Why not just stay in the past? Or go to the future and then come back immediately. What about the painting? There is a theory I have, because that's all I can do since the movie explains nothing. The main characters aunt is restoring the important for no reason painting and she explains she traveled through time in her youth as well. She also feel in love with a time traveling boy and has been waiting for his return. Is it the same boy? Still doesn't explain WHAT IS WITH THE PAINTING!!! The whole thing is just frustrating, there is a difference between a open-ended conclusion that encourages contemplation and a jumbled mess of incoherence that quite frankly isn't good enough in the rest of its parts to justify continuously thinking about. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time has a compelling lead character and humorous moments throughout and even inventively plays with the concept of time travel but quickly squanders all of its potential in one of the most staggeringly unthought third acts I've ever witnessed.