Studio Ghibli

PONYO

CASTLE IN THE SKY

Studio Ghibli have made many of my favourite animated films with their compelling stories and well animated in detail sequences. When I talk about "in detail" I don't just mean how well drawn the animations are but the animator's attention to detail. For example, in a scene from 'Spirited Away' where Chihiro puts her shoes back on, she doesn't simply just slip them on but actually takes time to adjust them so that they are comfortable, just like any real person would do. Ghibli don't just make their films look amazing but make them feel real.

The studio also has very unique and charming character designs that are easily distinguished from other animations of the same "genre" of art (anime). They have a certain realism to the proportions but are very simplistic so the designs can appeal to a range of audiences.

PRINCESS MONONOKE

For a compelling story and interesting character designs I'd say Princess Mononoke is my favourite. The design of the clothing for characters like Prince Ashitaka and Princess Mononoke intrigued me. Even the design of the giant animals which appear and the Forest Spirit forms (i.e. daytime and "Nightwalker" form). I also like the story concepts concerning the destructive force of humanity and how it effects animals and the environment. In this story humans even threaten the gods of the world described, expanding on how deadly humans can be.