I don't get it.

Jan 8, 2024 9:53 PM

#2

Cestlavie_

Social Media Team

Offline

Jul 2021

1104

I think most ghibli films are missing something, to be honest, this especially.

Jan 8, 2024 9:56 PM

#3

KelpRings

Offline

May 2021

30

Personally, I also felt that the movie was underwhelming.
I feel like the story was based on a good book, but this was a bad adaptation.
Had plenty of great pieces, but they weren’t put together well.

Jan 8, 2024 10:00 PM

#4

a0i-kun

Mind Evaporator

Offline

Feb 2017

3434

Yeah I agree. It’s not bad, but I can only give it a 6 or 7/10

Princess Mononoke and the other hand is top notch (in my opinion)

Jan 8, 2024 11:07 PM

#5

MysticMusician

Offline

Aug 2023

56

The film itself was beautiful, however the storyline was definitely confusing. Seems to be a pretty common consensus, glad it wasn't just me that was confused.

My Candies:

Jan 8, 2024 11:30 PM

#6

onespankman

Offline

May 2020

198

I think a lot of that owes to the story structure. The film keeps introducing key elements until it’s almost over, think about when the parrots are introduced.

I’m fine with that sort of meandering structure, but it probably doesn’t work for some people. Might be some other stuff going on too, need to rewatch.

Jan 9, 2024 8:47 AM

#7

YukiPwns00

Offline

May 2010

423

I think some of it comes together at the end, but I have to agree that the different elements sometimes seem a bit disparate.

Jan 9, 2024 1:15 PM

#8

acid_daffodil

Offline

Nov 2023

19

Because Studio Ghibli movies are always set with soft world building we never truly get an answer of what something is about. And the Boy and the Heron for me at least, was just a showcase of animation and feeling. I read part of the book How do You Live by Genzaburo Yoshino which was referenced in the film. It was very much a story, however disjointed, built upon the feelings and impressions the book gave to Miyazaki.

For as much I love analyzing things, I just loved enjoying this movie. I’ve seen it 3 times, and perhaps I’m biased to say it’s one of my favorites. It’s all things silly, heartbreaking and wonderful-as is growing up and change is. Not everything has to have an explanation-hence why I lean towards media similar to that.

Jan 9, 2024 5:13 PM

#9

Bolona07

Offline

Jul 2023

312

This one was a VERY abstract view at Japan during the aftermath of WW2. Takes some analysis but you’ll get it soon enough.

Jan 10, 2024 3:36 AM

#10

MilanFillipi

Offline

Oct 2020

25

If you can see it as an autobiography of Hayao Miyazaki’s life, it starts to hit a lot harder

Jan 10, 2024 2:00 PM

#11

Animorphimagi

Offline

Apr 2015

196

RealNath said:
As someone who enjoys some Ghibli films, this one feels like it's missing something. I watched Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and they are great. But this one, the plot/story feels somewhat lacking, it's hard to describe what's lacking, but the movie is just isn't that great. Good, but not great/masterpiece. I got out of the theatre, confused with what I just watched. Does anyone else feel the same?

it was slower paced, as in shots hang on to scenes for FAR too long. it makes sense in the fantasy half of the movie, but in the real world it was NOT a good choice.

the story was put together just fine, but it's world building had so little depth that when the alternate world disappeared I was like "...okay..." I wasn't sad anyone was dying, I didn't think I'd miss it. I was as done with it as the story was. thr setting and those fantasy characters felt completely separate from all of the human drama. the world they jumped into could've been from Lord of the Rings for all the meaning it had. what mattered was the family and their link beyond time, which didn't go any deeper than that. they met. that's it.

Jan 22, 2024 9:02 AM

#12

YukiPwns00

Offline

May 2010

423

Reply to Animorphimagi

RealNath said:
As someone who enjoys some Ghibli films, this one feels like it's missing something. I watched Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and they are great. But this one, the plot/story feels somewhat lacking, it's hard to describe what's lacking, but the movie is just isn't that great. Good, but not great/masterpiece. I got out of the theatre, confused with what I just watched. Does anyone else feel the same?

it was slower paced, as in shots hang on to scenes for FAR too long. it makes sense in the fantasy half of the movie, but in the real world it was NOT a good choice.

the story was put together just fine, but it's world building had so little depth that when the alternate world disappeared I was like "...okay..." I wasn't sad anyone was dying, I didn't think I'd miss it. I was as done with it as the story was. thr setting and those fantasy characters felt completely separate from all of the human drama. the world they jumped into could've been from Lord of the Rings for all the meaning it had. what mattered was the family and their link beyond time, which didn't go any deeper than that. they met. that's it.

@Animorphimagi That's really interesting that you say you thought the style of the film worked better for the fantasy scenes than the the real-world scenes, because while I do like the fantasy stuff, to me the real-world scenes were some of the strongest. But I think it's interesting to read other people's opinions.

I still want to watch the movie again one day.

Jan 22, 2024 9:02 AM

#13

YukiPwns00

Offline

May 2010

423

Reply to Animorphimagi

RealNath said:
As someone who enjoys some Ghibli films, this one feels like it's missing something. I watched Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and they are great. But this one, the plot/story feels somewhat lacking, it's hard to describe what's lacking, but the movie is just isn't that great. Good, but not great/masterpiece. I got out of the theatre, confused with what I just watched. Does anyone else feel the same?

it was slower paced, as in shots hang on to scenes for FAR too long. it makes sense in the fantasy half of the movie, but in the real world it was NOT a good choice.

the story was put together just fine, but it's world building had so little depth that when the alternate world disappeared I was like "...okay..." I wasn't sad anyone was dying, I didn't think I'd miss it. I was as done with it as the story was. thr setting and those fantasy characters felt completely separate from all of the human drama. the world they jumped into could've been from Lord of the Rings for all the meaning it had. what mattered was the family and their link beyond time, which didn't go any deeper than that. they met. that's it.

@Animorphimagi That's really interesting that you say you thought the style of the film worked better for the fantasy scenes than the the real-world scenes, because while I do like the fantasy stuff, to me the real-world scenes were some of the strongest. But I think it's interesting to read other people's opinions.

I still want to watch the movie again one day.

Jan 23, 2024 8:20 AM

#14

Marmer

Offline

Oct 2019

23

This movie is like an essay that had alot of grand and ambitious ideas but it didn't feel like it was organized properly.
Good movie but with a bit more polish to organization, it could have been great or even a masterpiece

Jan 24, 2024 6:54 PM

#15

justjoshinglol

Offline

Apr 2022

1

The movie is about a boy getting over the death of his mother and accepting his father's current wife. The whole movie is from the inner perspective of the boy and thus his imagination; nothing is real and nothing should be trusted. A better movie to watch that works with a theme would be Satochi Kon's Millennium Actress or pretty much any of his work with the exception of Tokyo Godfathers. The context is there but it seems a lot of scenes may have been moved around during the process and it is likely a lot of scenes may have been cut out, but who knows.

justjoshinglolJan 24, 2024 6:58 PM

Jan 30, 2024 3:02 PM

#16

tlowe

Offline

Dec 2018

4

Almost zero character development, lack of depth in story presentation.....the whole movie is like a dream in a rush...sigh....this is the first Ghibli film I dont enjoyed watching.

tloweJan 30, 2024 3:07 PM

Feb 4, 2024 4:36 AM

#17

dograzor

Offline

Jun 2022

30

It was an interesting movie, I’m comfortable that I ‘understood’ it, and while it looked absolutely gorgeous for the most it just did not hang together as a movie - too disjointed and rushing through one set piece to another along with fairly flat characters - to get engaged much in the story, a first for an Ghibli film for me, even Earwig engaged me a little bit.

Satoshi Kon was a master at making this kind of movie, and it seemed to me that’s what Miyazaki was going for, even hiring Takeshi Honda to lead the animation team who also led the animation team for Millennium Actress which is far better example of this type of movie.

Feb 10, 2024 3:11 PM

#18

Fish4Seagulls

Offline

Dec 2017

128

Watching this made me feel like I was high or Smith. It was also kinda confusing at times. I think it was good, but I also feel like it ended almost like a movie with an open ending.

» Those who loved this movie, Arise Sch4n - Jan 31	42	by justmaya »» Feb 13, 4:10 PM
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» Disappointed Yeetyus - Feb 7, 2024	32	by Joshhhp »» Jan 25, 9:08 AM
» ED: Kenshi Yonezu - Spinning Globe perseii - Jan 6	2	by Batmankoji »» Jan 6, 5:57 AM
Poll: » Sub or Dub? nirererin - Jun 28, 2024	10	by V1P3R0P »» Sep 19, 2024 1:53 AM

I don't get it.

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