Tuesday 29 September 2009

Ghibli Villain: The Cat King


Film: The Cat Returns (English title)
Neko no Ongaeshi (Japanese title)


Voices: Tim Curry (English Disney dub)
Tetsurō Tamba (Japanese)



The Character

When it comes to this character, I have often wondered if he can be truly be considered as a villain. He is crazy but his motives seem to be justified when it comes to the Ghibli Princess, Haru. However, my justifications in calling The Cat King a villain comes from here. The Ghibli studio (and in many cases, most anime studios) sets itself apart from Western animation studios, such as Disney and Pixar in how they portray the 'bad guys'. Without the exception of a certain few (such as Mushka from Laputa), anime villains cannot be seen as pure evil and heartless. In most of the Ghibli films, the villains are those who produce obstacle for the protagonist or disrupt their lives in a bad way. With Princess Mononoke, if it had not been for Lady Eboshi's greed, Prince Ashitaka would not have been cursed and the war between humans and beasts would not have become an issue in the film. However, she is destroying the forest in the place to provide a home and work for the people that civilisation rejects, such as lepers.

So it can be justified that from this point of view, the Cat King is the bad guy in The Cat Returns. The film is bizarre all the way through but he is the character that brings the surreality. The other characters seem to be straight. They have their complexities but they can be worked out pretty quickly. I wish I could say the same for the Cat King. When I first saw this film, I immediately thought of the film Labyrinth and there are similarities between these two films. Like Toby in Labyrinth, Haru must return to her own world before a specific time for she will be a cat forever. She is forced away to this beautifully bizarre world. And both films involve a very deceptive labyrinth which leads to a location in which the main character can go back home.

And in my eyes, the Cat King has a lot of qualities of Jareth (played by David Bowie in Labyrinth). The king's fur resembles the wildness of Jareth's hair but the interesting thing is their relationship with the main character. It has been analysed and debated on what Jareth wants from Sarah in Labyrinth and the same can be said about what the Cat King wants from Haru in The Cat Returns. In the end, they both wants the main female character for themselves; for Sarah, Jareth wanted her as his own all along. On the other hand, Haru is kidnapped purely because he wants her to marry Prince Lune and everything he does after that is to keep her happy and show gratitude for saving his son in the first place. It is only when she asserts herself that she does want Prince Lune (and the Prince says he has fallen for palace servant, Yuki) that the King offers himself to Haru. This could lead back to his first lines in the film when he calls Haru 'babe'. It could be interpreted that the Cat King secretly wanted Haru for herself but maybe he could not marry her so the closest he could be to her was for her to be his daughter-in-law.

The Cat King seems to have a dual personality. When he thinks things are going smoothly, he is calm. However, when something upsets the balance, such as Haru being unhappy at the ball, the Baron coming to get her and the King's plan to get her back are thwarted, he becomes almost insane. His actions become clearly over-the-top which adds to the overall bizarre feel of the film. This can be said for his motives in keeping Haru in the Cat Kingdom. However, to be fair, there is only one act he does that could put her life in danger; when he instructs for the tower to be blown up, bring it lower and thereby changing the top of the tower into Haru's world. When he tells this to the Baron, he laughs manically.


However, unlike many villains, he does admit defeat in the end. When he is humiliated by the Baron in the short sword fight and Haru finally gets back to her world, he contemplates retiring from the throne, leaving Prince Line to rule.


He is definitely not the most evil person in the Ghibli world but overall, he is definitely the craziest.
The voices behind the character
When I say that I see the Cat king as crazy, I think this is more to do with Tim Curry's voice. There is a slightly over-the-top tone whilst Tetsurō Tamba seems to be genuinely emotional and seems to think he is doing right. Tim Curry's Cat King sounds and acts like he needs to be in a straitjacket asap.

Monday 28 September 2009

Ghibli Princess: Sheeta


Film: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (English title)
Tenku-no Shiro Rapyuta (Japanese title)

Voices: Anna Paquin (English Disney dub)
Lara Cody (Streamline English dub)
Yokozawa Keiko (Japanese)


The Character

This may sound like a bizarre thing to say but when it comes to think about this character and writing down points about her, I found it really hard to express myself. In the end, I realised that one of the reasons is the way she is shown in the film. I have seen most of the Ghibli films out there (except for Ocean Waves and My Neighbours the Yamadas) and I think that in all the Ghibli films, the story is not centered on a particular person. There is always one or two main characters but they do not become the focus of the attention all the time. With Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, although the title character is the main character, she is not the main focus. There is a story going on around her and how she saves the day. With Princess Mononoke, the focus is not completely on San or the main Prince, Ashitaka. It’s about a war between Gods, beasts, demons and humans. San and Ashitaka have a hand in bringing things to a norm. But like Nausicaä, the film is not completely fixated on the title character and getting deep in her. Not everyone is chasing after her.

And yet, in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, it seems like every faction is after Sheeta. In the beginning, there is the Army and Mushka and then it’s Dola’s pirate gang. Then Pazu becomes fixated on her. Through the film until the battle at the castle, it seems like the focus is completely on this one character rather than a journey. To me, it has a Mary-Sue aroma around her.

Also, Sheeta has an inner complexity. Okay, most of the Ghibli characters has a complexity but nothing on Sheeta’s level. It seems like everyone in a Ghibli film has a purpose or a category to fall into. Not Sheeta. She doesn’t fall into one particular category.

Please let me assure readers I do not say this as a bad thing but let me explain. Sheeta is brave. She has got guts!! In the beginning, she whacks Mushka on the head and then to get away from Dola, gets out of the window and proceeds to walk along a narrow ledge on the ship to escape, regardless of the danger factor. And despite falling, later she will risk her life again climbing up a ship to get to Pazu, knowing she could slip and fall to the ground again.



Despite that, she is not totally brave. She is kidnapped three times by Mushka (although technically the third time, she charges at Mushka to stop him from shooting Pazu). To be fair, she is only rescued once. The crystal saves her the first time when she falls and Dola saves her the second time. She saves herself the third time by putting her own life on the line by saying the final spell.

She also seems to wear her emotions on the sleeves and seems more succumbed to them more than other Ghibli Princesses. Despite not knowing him very long, she develops a bond with the lead, Pazu and would only give into Mushka’s demands when Pazu’s life is put in danger. I believe this could be that her only family was dead before the film starts. It is unknown how long she has been living in the mountains alone but it could have been long enough for her to understand loneliness and that she craved any sort of companionship.

Despite being seen as ‘weak’ for most of the film, she is anything but. One of my favourite moments is when she is put on kitchen duty on the pirate ship. After getting over the initial shock over the mess in the kitchen, she determinedly rolls up her sleeves to get to work and she does it in style.


Later, during the storm, she insists on being with Pazu in the kite, despite what Dola says and shows her quickness and smarts by calling Dola on the phone before Dola has even finished talking. In the words of Louise, “She is good.”

Like Nausicaä, she seems to be in touch with nature, most likely due to her upbringing in the mountains. This possibly explains her speech with Mushka when she is in the throne room. She understands Laputa more than Mushka ever could, especially why the city was left abandoned in the sky.

The throne room scene shows another significance in Sheeta’s development in the film. There are three stages to Sheeta when she encounters Mushka. In the first on the ship, she is a mute and eventually attacks him from behind. The second time shows him bowing to him in the room of the robot purely to save Pazu. The third is in the throne room where she stands her ground, stating he will never get the crystal and that they both die together. Shortly afterwards, Mushka shoots off her pigtails as if to scare her but there is some symbolism to this new “haircut”. Pigtails are associated with little girls and now they are cut off, it represents her journey into young womanhood and maturity.



The voices behind the character

I think what makes it hard to express Sheeta is the voices that portray her and I mean all three of them!!! To be fair, Laputa is one of the most hotly debated dubs in terms of the English dub but I think when it comes to Sheeta, with all three dubs, she is probably the reason, along with Pazu on why the English dub is weak.

However, all three dubs are weak when it comes to Sheeta. Yokozawa Keiko is pretty realistic when it comes to portraying Sheeta as a child except, like the Japanese dub, she is guilty of screaming a lot, particularly in the throne room but I will talk about that scene on its own. Cody tries to copy Keiko but instead, all we get is a whiny high pitched robot. Out fo the three dubs, she is by far the worst.

Now, for Anna Paquin, I can honestly see why some fans would be against her. I think when it came to Pazu and Sheeta, actors were chosen deliberately so they sounded more like in their mid teens rather than their mid-teens and in a way, some of the characters’ innocence is lost in that. Lets face it, pigtails are not that convincing on a teenager. However, this symbolism could actually be in her favour for that, despite her teenage years and her bravery and maturity, the pigtails still show that she is still a vulnerable child and the departure shows she has finally grown up.

Despite her maturity, Paquin brings a sweetness to Sheeta. However, she seems to switch accents, particularly to an over-the-top stereotypical British accent. However, she also shows vulnerability for the character as well as a strong head on her shoulders (and to be honest, she did a better job in that film than she did in Steamboy, a film I personally stopped watching after 30 minutes and have never gotten back to it because it is so atrocious).

In my opinion, for all three, their crowning glory is the the throne room scene. Even though Lara Cody’s dub is the worst, this is her best moment, as well as Keiko and Paquin. However, Keiko and Paquin spoil the moment when Pazu enters. Keiko’s screaming at him to leave and Paquin doesn’t sound convincing enough to be desperate. Despite that, they rule over Cody anytime!

Thursday 24 September 2009

Ghibli Prince: Howl

Film: Howl's Moving Castle (English title)
Hauru no Ogoku Shiro (Japanese title)

Voices: Christian Bale (English)
Takuya Kimura (Japanese)


The Character

Yes! Yes! I bet to many female anime/Studio Ghibli fans, Howl is the perfect Ghibli Prince. And rightly so too. First of all, he is handsome. There is a debate over whether he looks better as a blonde or as a raven head but he is gorgeous no matter what. Although if I have to chose, I would have to choose him with black hair. That is purely because after shedding the blonde hair through an accident by Sophie, he does mature. Through a flashback to his childhood, we lean that he was born with black hair. From my knowledge, I think he is the only one of two Ghibli Princes to show some skin. The other is Ashitaka who can seem baring his bare chest. Of course, Howl goes one better by running around just wearing a towel (ooo er!)

Yes, in terms of looks, he is desirable (I still have to find a gal fan who is not attracted to Howl) and at the start of the film, he shows affection to Sophie. I mean, he protects her when she feels threatened by two soldiers and then later, to escape from some of the Witch of the Waste's minions, he takes her up in the air and they literally walk on the air before he gently places on the balcony of Cesari's. Sigh. What a guy.

Yeah. At first. That is until the small hair incident. We learn then that he is a spoilt brat. Despite being an adult and magical wizard, he throws a tantrum and then literally turns into goo after moaning that he cannot see a reason to live if he cannot be beautiful.

However, after that incident, besides showing a wee bit of cowardice until near the end, he does mature slightly. As times goes on, he does showing that he cares for Sophie and even calls her beautiful. Now in the book, he learns on his own that she has been put under the spell. Whether he knows this in the film is questionable. Despite that, he shows a bond with Sophie and in the final moments before he flees to help in the war, he tells Sophie that he is willing to die for her.

There is another important relationship in terms of Howl: Caclifer. The two are co-dependent on each other and despite that, Howl still commands his little fire demon around as if he was the superior. Of course, Calcifer obeys. And it is obvious that Howl shows some caring and dependence on Calcifer for after Sophie accidentally pours water on Calcifer, he keeps the fire alive and warns Sophie about that.

Of course, in the final twist, we learn just how dependent and important their relationship is. It also explains why Howl has a lot of childish tendencies. Ironically though, at the end of the film, there is a kinda Wizard of Oz feeling that he never need his heart in the first place for he learned to feel and love Sophie, regardless whether she was young or old.

The voices behind the characters

OMG! OMG! Usually I can honestly say which version I prefer but in this case, it is difficult for me to say which one is best. No, not because they are phenomenally bad but because they are both so brilliant!!! According to some trivia, after seeing Spirited Away, Christian Bale immediately agreed to play any role in this film. I find this really that he would have taken any role just to be part of the Miyazaki and Ghibli magic.

I have little knowledge about Japanese actors so I cannot decipher whether Kimura was the best choice for Howl. As for Christian Bale in the English dub, I do not think anyone could do it as well as him. He is by far the best in the English dub, along with Billy Crystal as Calcifer. The rest of the case is mediocre compared to these two. Christian Bale gives Howl a husky, seductive voice in his first scene. When he says "There you are, sweetheart", I literally melted, dissolving into a puddle when he says later on, "That's my girl." His tantrum is so funny and wonderfully whiny, perfect for a character that is still a child at heart.

Now before I get the purists bashing at me for my comment on Takuya Kimura, when I say that I cannot decipher whether Kimura was the best choice for Howl, I am not saying he was not perfect for the part. I just cannot compare him to other potential choices in the same way I can for Christian Bale. I must point out that I thought Kimura was beautiful as Howl. I admit I saw the English version first so I imagined Howl to have a soft, somewhat seductive voice and Kimura had me in his clutches. When, in his first way, he says "This way" in Japanese, I was giggling like a school girl and the rest of his lines for that scene up to "That's my girl" were beautiful and in some sense, said better than Christian Bale.

However, to be fair, I think Bale was better at the big tantrum scene. Kimura was too calm and smooth whilst Bale really let rip which made it more convincing.

Either way, both were perfectly chosen and I urge people who have just seen the English dub to go and see the Japanese version even it's just to hear Takuya Kimura.

Now I'm going to go and wipe of the drool I made from writing this entry

Wednesday 23 September 2009

Honorary Sidekicks: Chiro and Toto

Film: Little Norse Prince (English)
Taiyō no Ōji: Horusu no Daibōken (Japanese)
*English titles vary on the edition


Voices: Noriko Ohara (Japanese) (Chiro)
Hisashi Yokomori (Japanese) (Toto)


Some sources say that Chiro is a female and some say the character is a male. I'm not too sure because even though Chiro was voiced by a female, the character could be male for in some anime, some male characters are voiced by women. However, for the purpose of this entry, as Toto can be confirmed as a male, I will address Chiro as a female.

The Character

I knew that as soon as I wrote about Hilda the other day that my next Sidekick entry would be about her sidekicks, Chiro and Toto. The interesting thing about sidekicks of the hero/heroine is that they may not always get on but they have the same goal and purpose and in the end, they will come together and help the hero/heroine. Chiro and Toto could not be any different from each other and unlike most sidekicks, they want Hilda to take down a different path.

The irony is that if this essay is correct, Toei Doga (aka Toei Animation) wanted the latest in a long line of family-friendly animated cartoons influenced, of course by the growing Disney animation trend and insisted that several cartoon characters were put in the film to appeal to the younger audience. Isao Takahata and his team possibly didn't want that so to be sneaky, they brought in what Toei Animation wanted: cutesy characters. Of course, it is obvious that the studio didn't ask for specifics because they made Chiro and Toto (especially Toto) much more than what is expected if you're trying to create a Disney-style animation.

I originally thought I could analyse Chiro and Toto separately but since then, I have realised that is not possible. When it comes down to it, they cannot exist as separate entities. They seem to have only goal in the film: to influence Hilda any way possible into following their way of thinking. When I see these two, I immediately think of the old cliched angel/demon on shoulder idea used in cartoons. This has been used on Pluto, Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin (from Family Guy) and even as recent as Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove). The angel/demon idea seems to pop up in cartoon when the character in question suffers a moral dilemma.


In the case of Hilda, Chiro is her angel. This cute little squirrel could not be any sweeter. She is very timid and represents everything that is good about Hilda. With Hilda going at a crossroad and having a huge conflict, you could say that Hilda's good side is manifested in Chiro and this is possibly what Hilda would be like if she destroyed Toto. However, I find it ironic that since Chiro wants Hilda to do what is right, she does not find her voice to others, such as Hols. In this sense, it can be said that Chiro has no personality except when conversing with Hilda. In fact, she doesn't talk to anyone except Hilda.

Also, I find it interesting that in the main conflict with Hols and Hilda, Toto runs his mouth telling Hols who Hilda is and attacking Hols when Hols tries to persuade Hilda to turn to good. Chiro doesn't say anything. We don't even see her until the deed is done and then she shows off her emotions. The thing is before the deed, it could be said that Hilda has become succumbed (if only temporarily) by her dark side and Chiro was temporarily banished from Hilda psychologically. In my opinion, Chiro reappears again moments later because Hilda feels sad, remorseful and guilty which could reflect the good side of Hilda.


On the other hand, Toto is Hilda's devil. He is arrogant, assertive menacing and a bully. Whenever someone tries to go against Hilda's evil side and try to bring her to the light (ie Chiro and Hols), Toto attacks him. In terms of Hols, he attacks the boy whilst in flight and with Chiro, he chases her and torments her (although what really happens is never shown on-screen).


Toto's involvement in the film is actually slightly more complex than Chiro. When it comes to Chiro, she is only seen when Hilda has a conflict. Toto has more lines and more screen time than Chiro. During an attack before Hols flees, Toto attacks Coro the bear to which Coro fight backs which indicates that they see each other. When Hilda is singing to the villagers, Toto stands next to Drago and makes a menacing line. Whether Drago hears this or not is questionable.

This is further questioned in two more scenes. Toto has a conversation with Grunwald in the underworld where we the viewer finds out that Hilda is Grunwald's sister. This means that Grunwald can see him but then this could be due to his magical abilities and demonic personality. The only other person that Toto addresses directly to is Hols. However, he is by Hilda's side at the time so maybe if he is around either Grunwald or Hilda, Chiro and Toto could become fully manifested in front of humans.

The same site I stated above also makes the assumption that Chiro is Hilda's Id and Toto is her Superego. In case you are not up on your psychology, then basically your brain has three levels: the Id, the Ego and the Superego. The Id is what your inner desires are. When you are born, your brain is consumed by your Id because that is all you know. Your Superego is a completely different. It strives to act in a socially appropriate manner. The Super-ego controls your sense of right and wrong and guilt. It helps you fit into society by getting you to act in socially acceptable ways. Basically, your Superego commands what you want. Your Id tells you what you want. You cannot escape your Id and the sneakiest it comes through when you're older is in your dreams.

I can believe the case the site in question argues, in particular, the argument I put forward that Hilda is not in fact a demon but a human taken in by Grunwald after her village was destroyed. I basically said that Hilda could have been given the choice to join Grunwald or die in a similar manner than Grunwald does to Hols in their first scene together. It could be said that when she chose to become his sister, Toto could have been created by Grunwald to push her and to make sure that she does do what Grunwald asks of her. Of course, that doesn't explain the origin of Chiro for she does not appear in any scenes with Grunwald. Maybe Chiro became manifested after Toto was brought in to influence Hilda to come back to the light and become human once more.

It's weird that when Toei Daga asked the team to bring in more fluffy characters, the team probably didn't expect that these two characters would become two of the best sidekicks in animation (ever!) and would enhance the pyschology of one of the best female characters in animation. All I can say is respect for Takahata!!!!!

The voices behind the characters

The actors Noriko Ohara (Chiro) and Hisashi Yokomori (Toto) were chosen perfectly. Yokomori's voice gives off the menacing, evil and dark tones that is demanded of Toto. Ohara is sweet but not sugary Disney-style sweet. She makes Chiro sound so cute and adorable that you cannot help but love the character. These two actors give the characters a lot of eprsoanlity to them, in spite of the fact that the characters are not meant to have much personality. Brilliant!!!!

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Honorary Villain: Me-Mania

Film: Perfect Blue (English)
Pāfekuto Burū (Japanese)

Voices: Bob Marx (English)
Masaaki Ōkura (Japanese)



The Character

The weird thing about this character is he is the character that we the viewer can rely on to be what he is. I'm telling you, Perfect Blue is literally the most complex anime I have ever seen. What starts off as a simple thriller delves into a psychological nightmare, mainly thanks to the director's heavy of jump cuts, fantastical elements and the foreshadow or revisiting of numerous plot points. In fact, this is my favourite non-Ghibli anime and I have seen it so many times I know it off by heart. And yet, I still get confused and the two main characters, Mima and Rumi are so unpredictable because due to the heavy theme of Dissociative Identity Disorder, it is hard to tell who is doing what when it comes to them two.

In comparison, Me-Mania is a pretty straightforward character and somewhat typical. Basically, he is a stalker. Not just any stalker; he is a hardcore fan of Mima (the main protagonist and singer of the J-Pop band Cham). He is the typical stalker. When he is not watching her at places where she is filming Double Bind or filming/attending Cham gigs, following her whenever she is going out, he is at his computer, looking at the website, "Mima's Room" which he believes was created by the real Mima.

His first shot shows him not to be necessarily a bad guy. From the start at Mima's final gig with Cham, he is watching intently and when some delinquents disturb the show, he gets in there and takes a small beating simply because they disturbed Mima's performance. And despite gaining a bloody nose from the experience, he smiles at Mima, perhaps in an attempt to gain her attention. This shows him to be a loving if slightly obsessive fan but not dangerous.



This is how we see him through the most of the film, just a simple obsessive fan. In the film, we do see him and the way that he lives. His floor is cluttered with numerous magazines featuring Mima and he has pictures of her all over his wall, especially pictures of her posing nude.


This scene is very significant as we learn just how delusional, naive and how easily he can be manipulated. He receives emails from who he believes is from Mima, stating that the Mima who is now a TV star is not the real Mima but rather an imposter and should be rid of. The fact that Me-Mania vows to protect Mima by getting rid of who he is led to believe is the "imposter" Mima (who is in fact the real Mima) shows that he has a caring side and is being manipulated. In that respect, you got to feel sorry for him. However, the fact that he imagines Mima beside him, even hugging him shows just how delusional he is.

Of course, we do not know how far he goes to protect his Mima until his final scene where he attacks the real Mima (on the same set where she filmed her rape for Double Bind). It is therefore ironic that while he tries to kill her, he also tries to rape her. This is significant for him for this is the only scene where we actually hear him speak. He confesses to killing the screewriter and photographer who he was led to believe tarnished Mima's good name and he is about to kill the real Mima believing her to be the fake Mima who tarnished Mima's good clean image. It is here we learn that he has been a scapegoat for a higher power as it were and he was willing to go along with it for the love of Mima. Sadly it is his devotion that would lead to his downfall.

The voice behind the character

I'm sorry but Masaaki Ōkura is way more superior to the role than Bob Marx. Ōkura sounds determined as if he knows what he's doing which adds to his delusional state. He sounds as if he is angry with Mima in his final scene. Marx sounds like he is not taking the role seriously. He is exaggerating his crazy tone to make Me-Mania sounds like more like a crazy cartoon character and you really cannot take him seriously. The scary thing about Me-Mania is that he truly believes everything he is told and like he believes that the real Mima is an imposter. That's all I can say: Ōkura rocks!!! As for Bob Marx, he could have done better. With the way he makes Me-Mania, why didn't they just get Bobcat Goldwaithe to play him?

Monday 21 September 2009

Honorary Princess: Hilda

Film: Little Norse Prince (English)
Taiyō no Ōji: Horusu no Daibōken (Japanese)
*English titles vary on the edition


Voice: Etsuko Ichihara (Japanese)
*no official English dub as of September 2009


The Character

Ah yes an early pre-Ghibli Princess created by the Ghibli people and you can tell. She is the original Miyazaki heroine and the blueprint for Miyazaki's future female characters. She is argued to be one of the most complex female characters in animation. There is so much to say about her because she has a strong good side and a strong evil side. Hilda is technically a psychology dream. Hell, she's got her own angel and demon who represent her good and evil side fighting as she comes to find herself and where she truly belongs.

When we first see her, she looks angelic, apparently an orphan from a village destroyed by a monster . She has two companions: Toto and Chiro. She plays the harp and sings beautifully. Hols immediately feels for her because she seems to be as lonely as him and she is welcomed into the village.

Sounds simple enough? Wrong! It all changes when we the viewer learns that Hilda is in fact the sister of the main villain, Grunwald. As time goes on, we learn that the monster destroying man villages could be Hilda. We learn that this could be the case. When she sings and plays the harp, the men stop work and listen to her. She is like a Siren and it is through her that mistrust is brought onto the villagers which, if not stopped, would lead to Hols' demise and eventually the destruction of the village. We see her as evil after that and we know she is a the sister of a demon and therefore a demon herself.

That is until the scene with Hilda and Mauni in the meadow. This is an important scene in terms of Hilda's character development for we learn a little more about her. We also see Toto and Chiro in what their purpose in the film is. Despite planning to destroy the village, she aims to spare little Mauni which shows that there is love in her heart. Chiro and Toto fight to put their point of view across which leads to frustration. One line intrigued me which is said after Mauni lies on her lap and asks her to sing:

"I can't really sing."

Despite later Hilda saying that she's "a devil, a devil's sister", there is some points to wonder what does she mean by sister.

The first clue comes in the taglines that surround Hilda's character in the official film trailer:

"Am I demon...or a human being?....beautiful young Hilda's love is awakened"

After seeing this trailer on the DVD, I thought back to the part of the movie to when Hols first meets Grunwald and as Grunwald holds onto the rope that Hols is climbing, he says:

"I've heard you are a promising boy and I want you to be my little brother....... Your life is in my hands. Just as the whole world is. Can you resist me? Nobody can resist me."

It makes me wonder if Hilda is Grunwald's sister biologically or is she address as his sister symbolically? I wonder if Hilda was really human until her village was destroyed and as the sole survivor of the massacre, she was given a choice to join him or die and she chooses the former. A clue is the Medal life given to her by Grunwald to give her immortality. If she was an immortal demon, she would not need this. Also, she could have been given her musical talents by Grunwald in a way to make sure the humans turn against each other.

Or it could be she is the biological sister, born by a human. Maybe Grunwald was once a human and became warped whilst she stays pure.

She is just as manipulated by Grunwald and Toto as much as she manipulates the villagers. I feel that Hilda is deep down vulnerable but she cannot be saved by Chiro or Hols. In the end, she has to save herself.


The voice behind the character

If it is Etsuko Ichihara singing, then she was perfect. It brings the viewer in like the villagers with her Siren-like singing voice and she makes Hilda sound girly, especially with that beautiful giggle. Sheer perfection.

Sunday 20 September 2009

Ghibli Prince: Baron Humbert von Gikkingen

Film: Whisper of the Heart (English title)
Mimi wo Sumaseba (Japanese title)
The Cat Returns (English title)
Neko no Ongaeshi (Japanese title)


Voice: Cary Elwes (English dub)
Shigeru Tsuyuguchi (Japanese) (Whisper of the Heart)
Yoshihiko Hakamada (Japanese) (The Cat Returns)


The initial plan was to do Howl for my first official Ghibli Prince entry (with Hols being an Honorary Prince) but then again, that was when I had planned the Dragons of the Heavens/Dragons of the Earth to be my first Sidekick entry so I decided to do the Baron so two characters from the same film would not appear in two consecutive entries.

The Character

Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (otherwise known and will be known from now on in this entry as The Baron) is an unique character because he is only one of two characters to appear in more than one Ghibli film (the other character is Moon/Muta who, like the Baron also appears in Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns).

The weird thing about the Baron is that in reality, he is a statue. The Baron that comes alive originates in the character Shizuku's mind as she writes the story: Whisper of the Heart. In the film, Shizuku writes the Baron more as a sidekick helping the lead character in her story find a gem. The film viewer is given shots into the story on how Shizuku writes so we do get to see and hear the Baron in how she envisions him. Although there is not much to say about him, he has all the makings of a Ghibli Prince. He is sophisticated complete with suit, top hat and cane. He talks about his lost love which shows him as a romantic and he shows intelligence.

However, it is not until The Cat Returns that we see the Baron in a fuller form where he graduates from minor Prince to major Prince. The vague characterisations that we see in Whisper of the Heart are still there but fuller. He still has his trademark suit, top hat and cane. He is very level-headed and is good at giving advice. He is a gentleman through and through. He likes his tea (with either lemon or milk) and angel food cake. He is very sophisticated and very caring. He is willing to help anyone who comes to the Cat Bureau. Also, when he fights, he keeps his hat on. What a cat!

The most interesting thing about him is when Haru admits at the end that she had a crush on him and he doesn't bring this to notice. Therefore, we never truly know whether he had feelings for him. However, I doubt he is. True, he dances with her and at one point, picks her up in his arms and runs up the stairs. How chivalrous of him! Despite that, I do not think he felt for her in any way.

The voices behind the character

There is not much to say about Shigeru Tsuyuguchi due to the few lines he has. Maybe, if he had been cast in The Cat Returns, I could give a detail opinion. However, Tsuyuguchi has a refined voice which matches the Baron beautifully. Yoshihiko Hakamada is just as refined in The Cat Returns although, when it comes to his speak, he is slightly sharp around the edges. Nevertheless, he makes a great Baron.

Cary Elwes was cast as the Baron for both Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns. I can see why. No offence to Americans but I believe that when it comes to bringing refinery to a character like the Baron, a level of sophistication is needed and in the past, Elwes has done it with a natural flair. I mean when he is a pirate in The Princess Bride, he is basically the most sophisticated pirate on screen. I see the Baron as an Errol Flynn type character and Elwes is as close to Flynn as you are going to get in modern times. Unlike Hakamada, he is able to say his lines without any sharp corners which adds to the refinery. After seeing the English dub of The Cat Returns, I knew exactly how Haru felt about the Baron because I had (and still have) a crush on him. If only he had been a human character....

Definitely one of the best English dubs in my opinion although it is a shame that earlier in his career, Elwes also did what I consider to be one of the worst English dubs for a Ghibli anime film (Donald in Porco Rosso but that is for another entry)

Saturday 19 September 2009

Ghibli Sidekick: Calcifer

Film: Howl's Moving Castle (English title)
Hauru no Ogoku Shiro (Japanese title)


Voices: Billy Crystal (English dub)
Tatsuya Gashuin (Japanese)


Tonight, I did plan on doing a combined entry of the Dragons of the Heavens/Dragons of the Earth from the film/manga/TV series, X. However, some much could be said; too much for one entry so I decided to leave it and work on my original choice for my first Sidekick entry: Calcifer.

The Character

What can I say about Calcifer? He's the coolest fire demon ever! True, he is confined to being a flame that should never be extinguished but in the end, the characters of the story need him more than (is not just much as) he needs them. It seems that the characters take from Calcifer more than he from them but then again, in the end, when you find out what Clacifer truely is; he already has what he has wanted: life.

He is the driving force behind the magic. It is through him that Howl has his magical powers. His powers is what gives Howl's castle its power; Calcifer is what makes it move, controls the heating and I suspect, why there are several portals to other parts of the country.

Like many demons in fiction, he is very mysterious and devious. Although more explicit in the book, he strikes a deal with the main female, Sophie that if she can break his hold on Howl, he can reverse her spell. However, he cannot tell her what the deal is but he does give her hints but doesn't say they are hints until they have been divulged in seemingly meaningless conversations (these scenes are in the book but they are important to hoe Calcifer works).

The voices behind the character

Usually, with dubs, there is usually a contrast between each voices but with Howl's Moving Castle, there is a very distinct difference. Tatsuya Gashuin's Calcifer is particularly whiny in a high-pitched way which actually works well with the character, especially when the extra dub of fire crackling is added.

Looking at it, I genuinely cannot see how they could cast Billy Crystal as Calcifer. My theory is that after the huge success of American comedian Phil Hartman's Jiji in Kiki's Delivery Service. Maybe the dub casters thought using another well-known comedian for Calcifer would be the way to go.

In a way, Crystal should not work perfectly with this character but he does. You bet your life he does. In fact, Crystal should be arrested for scene stealing. In most of the film, he is not in interaction with Christian Bale's Howl which is probably a good thing for Crystal would have upstaged him enormously. Although Crystal's Calcifer is not meant to be witty, his tone of voice makes a few of his more whiny lines wittier rather than annoying.

Monday 14 September 2009

Ghibli Villian: Mushka

Film: Laputa:Castle in the Sky (English title)
Tenku-no Shiro Rapyuta (Japanese title)


Voice: Mark Hamill (English Disney dub)
Jeff Winkless (Streamline English dub)
Minori Terada (Japanese)

The Character

Ah yes, my favourite anime villain par none. Amongst most anime villains, particularly those created by Hayao Miyazaki, there is a sense of complexity about them, like they are not all bad or they are seen as good in some eyes and bad in others. In Princess Mononoke, it is Lady Eboshi. In Ponyo, it is Fujimoto. In the non-Ghibli anime film, X, it is the Dragons of the Earth (especially in this one as although we are meant to root for Dragons of the Heavens, the Dragons of the Earth make a strong argument and you want them to win).

Mushka (or Muska) is not like that. Yes, he is complex and holds secrets but he has no heart at all. By the end, he cannot be seen as good from any point of view. He does what he does purely for power and for his own gain. He has his minions and when he finally gets what he wants, he is not hesitant to dispose of them. I swear, if this guy wasn't created by a Japanese anime genius, he could be mistaken for a stereotypical American villain.

The wierd thing with most anime villains is that they tend to be bad at first and then show some good in the end. Take Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke. Yes, she is trying to destroy the forest to mine for iron and expand her city BUT she also takes in prostitutes and lepers from the streets and gives them jobs. In Laputa, there is the pirate gang. At the start, you think they are the villains and Mushka is the good guy trying to protect Sheeta. By the middle, you realise that the pirates aren't evil and they just want the city's treasure. However, they are not malicious or evil. They are honest and do not want to mainpulate. By the middle, their position changes from villain to sidekick and really good sidekicks. They are considered the best characters in the film.

Compare with Mushka. The viewers' view of him changes from bad to worse as the film progresses and what is interesting is that out of all the Ghibli villians (and I have seen all but two films), he is the only one of TWO villians to be punished for his demise. All the other villians either call a truce, change their character completely and gain some redemption. It seems the message in the Ghibli world is learn a lesson about being good and you will survive to the end of the film. Mushka doesn't and he pays for it dearly.

The voices behind the character

Oh boy this is a good one to do because I have had the honour of watching all three main versions: the original Japanese dub, the 1980s English dub made hastily by Streamline and the more famous, underrated and mostly debated Disney dub.

First of, I'll start with the original Japanese version. I'm sorry to say but I actually saw this one after buying the DVD. The first version I saw was the Disney English dub so this may have affected my judgement on this version. Minori Terada is hard but not dull at all. He plays Mushka as the emotionless person he is and he gives him an authoritative tone.

Next is the Streamline dub. My God! I only got to see this thanks to You Tube and I wish I could clean my brain out. Seriously. Whoever says the Disney dubs are bad should definitely see this and call THIS the worst. I thought the cast from the film X was bad until I saw this. The whole cast was bad in this dub but the thing is that Mushka is meant to be bad and somewhat scary but Winkless does not do this. He sounds bored and well the dub overall was done in a rush so it is possible that the actors were told to do it in one take and left it at that, regardless the imperfection of it all. The thing is with Mushka is that when he finds the real treasure of Laputa and when he shows Sheeta the robot, he is meant to be emotional, something that Winkless does not do. And it has to be said. He says the worst line I have ever heard in a line: "Now say bye bye!" He is holding a gun at SHeeta and he says that!? Is he serious? The scriptwriter should hang his head in shame for that! Yes you laugh the first time you hear it but after that, it's just cringey. You can watch it to judge for yourself but be prepared to regret it.

The Disney English dub of Laputa is a hotly debated dub. Most of the Disney dubs are like Marmite: you either love them or you hate them. However, some may just have the most perfect voice casting possible that it justify the average casting for the rest of the film? In The Cat Returns, it is Carey Elwes as the Baron (although he was awful in Porco Rosso). In Howl's Moving Castle, it was Billy Crystal as Calcifer and Christian Bale as Howl. In Laputa, there are two: Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill. Regardless of the mixed views on the rest of the cast, there seemed to be an overall, almost unanimous opinion on Laputa: Leachman and Hamill are superb.

Out of all the versions, Hamill is definitely the best Mushka. Hamill has become famous for two thing: Star Wars and voiceovers, the latter which he is brilliant at. He is famous for doing some of the best voiceovers in animation, in particular his villians. His most famous are the Joker (Batman: The Animated Series) and the Hobgoblin (the 1990s Spiderman TV series).

Whilst Terada is authoritative and Winkless is just not worthy enough to mention, Hamill gives Mushka a level above Terada. As well as being authoritative, he makes Mushka slimy, oozing with seduction. For example, he tells Sheeta to stay down or she'll be hurt. In the Japanese version, he is not that caring. In the Streamline dub, he is even less caring but Hamill's Mushka is caring and this is the first sign that you think he's the good guy which makes the realisation he's a baddie more shocking. In his next major scene with Sheeta and the robot, he has you totally convinced that he wants to stop Laputa's power from going into the wrong hands when in fact, it is he that should be prevented from gaining the city's power. Sheeta is lured into his power like a snake to Adam and Eve. When he finds Laputa's power, he was so emotional and almost crazed and of course, the laugh. He definitely has the best laugh which is very chilling and all I can do is point and say "The Joker!"

One line that always get to me is when Sheeta is running away from him and he is telling her to be reasonable, you get a hint of Luke Skywalker. He was trying to be calm and seductive again. He is brilliant all the way through!

What can I say, Hamill was perfect to me. He is by far the best in the dub, alongside Cloris Leachman and out of all the English Disney dubs, he was one of the best, if not the best all the English Ghibli dubs!

Sunday 13 September 2009

Ghibli Princess: Nausicaä

Film: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (English title)
Kaze No Tano No Naushika (Japanese title)


Voice: Alison Lohman (English Disney dub)
Sumi Shimamoto (Japanese)

The Character

After last night, I felt in the mood to analyse another character and in my heart, I felt there was only one I could write about; the Ghibli Princess that started off the studio's success. Yes, I'm talking about Nausicaä. There has been some debate over whether she counts as part of the Studo Ghibli family. This is because Studio Ghibli did not exist as a formal company when Nausicaä was made, However, in recent DVD releases, it has the Ghibli logo on the cover and on the trailer of the Studio Ghibli film collection (a collection of quick trailers which I know appear on the UK releases), Nausicaä is a part of it. The film was also directed by Hayao Miyazaki. So, for argument's sake, I am counting her as a Ghibli Princess and not a Honorary Princess. To learn a bit more about the debate, go here.

Although Nausicaä is my third favourite Ghibli film (and in particular my third favourite Miyazaki film), the character Nausicaä is my favourite "Princess". The thing that gets me about Disney Princess is that they are mainly weak, rely purely on emotion and in some cases, although all the gals do fall in love, a good number fall in love at first sight. Of course, that never happens properly in real life and you can't help but wonder that after the likes of Cinderella and Snow White were married, you'd know they'd be divorced uickly for they got married before knowing nothing about each other.

Nausicaä is a woman in her own right and is only one of three Studio Ghibli females to actually be called a Princess (the other two are San from Princess Mononoke and Sheeta from Laputa but them two are for another entry). She takes charge of her own life and for msot of the film, her mind is clear and focused. She is truely one of the best examples of an empowered female.

She is a quick and agile fighter, unafraid to take on several male Tolmekia soldiers (and even killing them) solo when her father is killed. She is feisty and adventorous, always finding an excuse to go into the deadly toxic jungle. She is unafraid to take risks either.

Nausicaä's relationship with the male characters is an interesting one; she sees some as friends and two as father figures (Lord Yupa and her father, King/Lord Jihl). Even the only character that can be seen as a potential love interest (Prince Asbel) only comes as close as mere acquaintance. In fact, it is Nausicaä who saves Asbel when they first meet, rather than the other way round. In the case of all the male of the villagers, THEY look up to HER rather than the other way round.

However, although she represents traits of masculinity, she is not a butch female. She does girly things, such as naming her new fox-squirrel, Teto. She is giggly and unlike many other independent women, she is not one to hide her feelings under a cold, hard feelings. She says what she thinks and keeps her emotions under her sleeves. She is very emotional, thoughtful of others and most of all, she is a pacifist. She fights and does things in accordance by what is best for her village.

She also has an amazing gift. She is able to calm the ohmu and other beasts when they are enraged. She is also clever and is able, to learn via scientific experiments important secrets about the toxic jungle which leads her to be a middle-woman so to speak. She wants to protect her village and yet she wants to protect the beasts of the toxic jungle too. And who cannot love her Mehve (that's the thing she flies on!) The funniest line is when she states that her father thinks she has a lot to learn......how many of us viewers disagreed with that? I wonder if that was put in so she could be seen to have a flaw and not seen as a complete Little Miss Perfect?

What I find interesting about Nausicaä is that she is not looked in the typical female manner, in which no-one looks at her. When it comes to many female characters in her status, she has to look good or she has to stimulate the male gaze. She is not made like that in which her body is always covered by even a large coat and beggy trosuers or a long sleepsuit. Her only show for typical femininity is that she wears earrings.

Speaking of clothes, there is a debate over whether she wears a short dress and no underwear. I myself have made the mistake. Basically, in earlier releases of the film, the colours were fainter and rather than showing she wears a blue coat and yellow trousers, it does look like she is nude under a short blue dress. The latter is not the case as stated here.

The voices behind the character

Technically there are THREE versions of this film, one original Japanese and two English dubs. The first English dub was called "Warriors of the Wind" and if reviews and sources are correct, should NOT be watched by anyone who is a true fan. I have never seen it so cannot make a judgement but from what has been said, it should be sliced up and burnt! I mean, there is always a debate over the English dubs over Japanese originals but jeez, when one is universally disliked by everyone, you got a problem!

In my opinion with Alison Lohman and Sumi Shimamoto, it's kinda hard to choose which one is better, although to be fair, Lohman does sound a bit robotic at the beginning. She does however become much more natural after that, especially when she has to show emotion. Sumi Shimamoto is brilliant although when it came to the crying scenes, I felt like she was a wee bit over the top. Despite that, they each give Nausicaä a girlish charm that adds to her feminity (and shows everyone that she is not a cold hard-ass feminist Miranda Priestly style bitch!)

What can I say, they're both perfect in my heart. Can I just leave it at that? :-)


Saturday 12 September 2009

Honorary Prince: Hols



Film: Little Norse Prince (English)
Taiyō no Ōji: Horusu no Daibōken (Japanese)
*English titles vary on the edition

Voice: Hisako Ôkata (Japanese)
*no official English dub as of September 2009

The Character

I know what you lot are thinking: if the original site and Facebook groups were influenced by Studio Ghibli, WHY have I started off this blog with a character that is a Honorary character? Well, I've been a bit sneaky because I have started that way but then again I haven't. This film was produced and released by Toei Animation in 1968 sixteen years before Studio Ghibli's first film Nausicaä. However, the film was directed by Isao Takahata who would become a huge part of Ghibli and it was animated by future greats such as Yōichi Kotabe and Hayao Miyazaki (Yes, the same Hayao Miyazaki who would become the backbone of Studio Ghibli, directing such classics as Princess Mononoke, the Oscar winning Spiriting Away and the Oscar-nominated Howl's Moving Castle). So when you look at it deeply, you will find that the film was created and animated by the geniuses who would eventually become Studio Ghibli.

When I first saw this film, I had no idea about who made it/directed it and not even the year it was released. My first preconceptions were that it was a small 1980s film created by Studio Ghibli and that it seemed too stereotypical for these geniuses. So imagine my shock when I found out that this film was released in 1968!!! When you learn that, only then can you understand the significance of the film.

Anyway, back to Hols. Looking at him, he is pretty much stereotypical. After all, he kills a monster pike, a feat that even adults much older than him cannot do. His first scene is when he tackles on wolves with only an axe to help him. He is technically the sole hero of the film and his presence brings (unintentional) negative impressions and positive impressions on the villagers he encounters. He has the sole task of destroying the demon. He is the 1960s Japanese anime version of Harry Potter (only he carries a sword instead of a wand). In a way, he could pass of as a Disney Prince.

However, in many other ways, he breaks all traditions. He is a very young man, possibly about 14 and is very adventurous. He is brave and stands up for his beliefs. He also has incredible strength and has a lot of love in his heart, especially towards the main female character, Hilda, although it is not implied whether he loves her as a friend or whether his feelings are deeper than that.

Even though his father dies early on in the film, he does not turn into an emo kid. Instead, he fulfils his father’s last wish to find the village where he was born. He is also one of the few voices of reason and is very persistent. I mean, he is killed and sent to the Endless Wood and the first thing he does when he returns back from the Wood is that he tries to reason with his killer to see good in their heart. You would have thought that being murdered by this person would have made Hols hate her forever. This means he sees the light in everyone (well almost everyone!).

It can be said that he is the prototype for Pazu, in terms of his bravery, love towards the heroine and his adventurous streak.

A prince in his own right and due to the fact that he was created by animators who would start Studio Ghibli, his is a true Studio Ghibli Prince although I guess he will always be the Prince Toei want to forget about!

The voice behind the character

As of today, there is only one official version, the original Japanese version (although the title has varied depending on the edition and country it is released. The subtitles has also given a variation on the characters' names, in particular Hols and Hilda). So, despite no English dub to compare it to, what can I say about Hisako Ôkata who voices Hols? Hmmm , I liked his voice as Hols. He is actually quite convincing and yes the guy does scream but only when the script calls for it. I would imagine Hols to be in his teens and Okata gives Hols a powerful voice for a teen.

I decided to look up on Okata and find out that he was in his late 20's when he was the voice of Hols. That is a shock! I seriously never expected that!