Ponyo

I watched this film the first time in theaters. It is the first film of Miyazaki's that I've seen on the big screen. Regrettably, it is also one of my least favorite films of Miyazaki. The main problem that I have with this film is that it seems like they're having a wedding for two little children. Also, Ponyo seems to be centered for young audiences, as you can tell from the young main characters and the "lack in plot." Unlike Totoro, which also contains young heroines, Ponyo did not have as much of a serious/mature tone to it. I must admit, I lost interest at some points and only began focusing on the animation of the film. This is not to say that it's a bad film, just not what you'd expect from a renown filmmaker like Miyazaki.

7.7

Spirited Away

Spirited Away was the first film of Miyazaki's that I watched. I remember watching it way back when and I had no idea what was going on. Upon watching it again, I realize that it is another one of Miyazaki's masterpieces. Just like all of his other films, so much goes on in the plots and between characters. It is very similar to Totoro, in that the girl, Chihiro, becomes lost in another world that could be just her imagination or part of the real world. Miyazaki always includes some sort of imagination conflict in his films. You never know for sure if it's real or not, such as Jiji's ability to talk.
When I watched Spirited Away back in middle school, I remember being creeped out by No-Face. Watching it now in college, I'm still creeped out by his unusual gestures, but I must admit, he is my favorite character in the film. Not only is he the coolest monster in the film, but he also makes a pretty nice (but brief) side-kick for Chihiro. I still don't understand why No-Face was ok with the idea of staying behind with Obababa's twin sister. I mean, he seemed so set on impressing and being close to Chihiro. Why the sudden change?

9.0

Totoro

I was a bit confused as to why some of my fellow classmates said that Totoro is deassuring and has no real plot. How exactly is the film deassuring? It's like one of the most assuring film by Miyazaki. The bright colors used, the young, innocent characters, and the cute monsters all contribute to the assurance felt at the end of the film. None of the characters die, and none of them get hurt within the story. The little girls seem to just grow and their happiness and care for their mother only makes the assurance stronger. You can't imagine anything bad happening to them and it's almost like you know Totoro won't let anything bad happen. That's why Totoro is such a popular mascot throughout the world: he's big, cuddly, and reliable.
As for the plot, the film does contain the general plot points of a typical film. It first introduces the characters and settings, the girls grow fond of Totoro, a problem arises (the mom is unable to come home due to sickness), the girls conflict with each other, Totoro helps solve the problem (through the catbus), and the girls makeup and realize their mother is alright. Although the story is not completely obvious, like a Disney animation is, it's all still there. Even though Totoro is a slice-of-life, with a touch of fantasy, it is a lot more complex then a typical Disney film. For example, in Disney's most recent animation, The Princess and the Frog, the main character starts off with nothing and ends up with everything she's ever wanted (a prince and a restaurant). In Totoro, the girls don't gain anything materialistic, but rather, a greater understanding for one another, as seen when Mei runs off to the hospital after seeing her older sister cry. The girls also become more mature. That's one of the big differences between Miyazaki and Disney: Disney usually centers stories around young adults while Miyazaki has a lot of young characters, who are prone to greater change, both physically and mentally.

8.6