Anne Schraff, a full-time writer from Cleveland, Ohio, is known for her novels and series. Born in a multicultural, lower middle-class neighborhood, she earned a B.A. and M.A. from California State University, Northridge. She taught high school at the Academy of Our Lady of Cleveland from 1967 to 1977. Anne Schraff is also known as Anne E. Schraff.
Her most popular book, “A Matter of Trust”, is about two childhood girlfriends who find new friends in high school. In “The Price of Friendship”, Kirk tries to pursue his dream of becoming an engineer. Anne Schraff has written 321 books on Goodreads with 72225 ratings.
Lost and Found, the first book of the Bluford Series, is a 2002 young-adult novel that deals with issues facing a fictional contemporary urban high. The novel demystifies Drew’s extraordinary research and dispels false rumors around his tragic and untimely death. Schraff has written over eighty books and hundreds of short fictional stories for young people, including biographies, science, and historical fiction.
Schraff’s love for writing began at a young age, inspired by her personal experiences living amidst segregation in the 1950s. She has written over 90 books, including “A Matter of Trust” and “Secrets In the Shadows”. Her background includes a multicultural, lower middle-class neighborhood, including African American.
📹 🌹 Awesome sewing ideas from square pieces
Hi dear friends! I just bought 4 silk scarves like this today for a total of 5 dollars. And I started implementing this idea right away.
What sports did Anne Frank do?
Anne Frank, a young girl who suffered from heart trouble and had to rest every afternoon, was not allowed to participate in any sports but attended rhythmic gymnastics classes. Her family was discovered in August 1944 and were arrested by German police. They were taken to Westerbork and deported to Auschwitz. Anne and Margot were sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they died in February 1945.
Edith Frank died in Auschwitz in January 1945, and only Otto survived after being liberated by the Soviet army the same year. The story featured may have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions that supplied the content.
What is Anne Frank’s hobby?
Anne, a young girl, was a close friend of her father and enjoyed reading, writing, and researching family history. She was known for her chatterbox nature and disliked algebra, geography, and maths. Due to restrictive laws against the Jewish population, Otto prepared the Frank family for hiding. In July 1942, Margot was called up by the SS to work in Germany, forcing the family to go into hiding earlier than planned. Anne’s diary describes her hiding place as the Secret Annexe in Otto’s office building.
The Frank family was later joined by the van Pels family, including Hermann van Pels, his wife Auguste, and their son Peter. In November 1942, Fritz Pfeffer, a German Jewish dentist, moved into the annexe, bringing the total number of people in hiding to eight.
What are some fun facts about Ann M Martin?
Ann M. Martin, a renowned writer from Princeton, New Jersey, began her writing career as a child. She grew up dictating stories to her mother, who later wrote them down for her. After graduating from Smith College, she became a teacher and later an editor of children’s books. Her book, The Baby-sitters Club, sold 176 million copies and had over 176, 000, 000 copies in print by the time it ended in 2000. Martin also wrote novels-in-letters, P. S. Longer Letter Later and Snail Mail No More, with author Paula Danziger.
She co-wrote The Doll People books with Laura Godwin, illustrated by Brian Selznick. Her novel A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray won the ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award. Martin divides her time between New York City and upstate New York, currently residing in her Hudson Valley home. She enjoys writing, spending time with her dog Sadie, watching old I Love Lucy episodes, and making clothes for children.
What was Anne Frank’s favorite food?
In her diary entry dated April 3, 1944, Anne addresses the subject of food rations during their period of hiding. Due to the restricted range of available foodstuffs, her preferred sustenance was liverwurst accompanied by jam on plain bread, a combination she found particularly agreeable during the period of the war.
What are 5 interesting facts about Anne Frank?
Anne Frank, a German-American woman, wrote a diary for her 13th birthday, detailing her time in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The diary, titled “Kitty”, was written over two years and was a gift for her. Anne celebrated two birthdays while living in hiding, and the residents of the annex were arrested on August 4, 1944. The diary is a testament to the resilience and resilience of the Frank family.
What are some interesting facts about Anne Schraff?
Anne Elaine Schraff, a Cleveland native, holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from California State University at Northridge. She taught high school for ten years and earned her college education by writing short stories for magazines. Her writing interests include art, biography, business, children’s, Christian, classics, comics, cookbooks, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, fiction, graphic novels, historical fiction, history, horror, memoir, music, mystery, nonfiction, and poetry.
What’s Anne Frank’s favorite color?
While the Diary of a Young Girl does not explicitly mention Anne Frank’s favorite color, some have posited that it may be red, perhaps influenced by her red-and-white-plaid diary.
What are some fun facts about Anne Fine?
Anne Fine, born in the Midlands, is a renowned author known for her books for children and young people. Born in the Midlands, she studied politics and history at university and married at 20, having two daughters. She worked as a secondary school teacher and for Oxfam before publishing her first children’s book, The Summer House Loon. Anne has won numerous prizes, including the Guardian Award, Carnegie Medal, and Whitbread Award, and her work has been translated into over 40 languages. Her children’s books include Madame Doubtfire, Flour Babies, The Diary of a Killer Cat, Goggle-Eyes, Bill’s New Frock, The Tulip Touch, and Up on Cloud Nine.
What are some fun facts about Anne Martin?
Anne Henrietta Martin was born into a Irish-German family in Empire, Nevada, and was educated at a school for girls and the University of Nevada. She earned a second bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from Stanford University. Martin was an excellent athlete and equestrian, excelling in tennis and golf. After her father’s death in 1901, she traveled in Asia and Europe, becoming interested in Fabianism and joining the British suffrage movement.
In 1910, she was arrested for participating in a demonstration in London. In 1911, she returned to Nevada and became the press secretary and president for the Nevada Equal Franchise Society (NEFS), later the Nevada Woman’s Civic League. Under her leadership, the NEFS successfully lobbied for ratification of a state woman suffrage amendment in 1914. Martin was a member of the executive committees of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CU), and was chosen as the NWP’s first chairman at its founding convention in Chicago in 1916.
Who is Anne’s first kiss?
Anne was gratified when he initiated a kiss, a long-awaited act that she had hoped for. However, she soon began to question the sincerity of his actions.
How did Anne Frank kiss?
On April 15, 1944, Anne received her inaugural kiss from Peter. Despite the kiss being relatively brief and limited to her left cheek and ear, it left her with a profound sense of maturity beyond her years.
📹 Every Studio Ghibli Movie Ranked
Schaff ranks the Studio Ghibli movies which definitely didn’t make him sob his eyes out! Editor’s Channels: Pappy G: …
Wow genial trabajo y que perfeccion de costura sin cortan nada más el hilo, me enamore de su vestido, muy bonito, buscaré el material y lo haré, muchas gracias por enseñarnos y tanta sencillez, quedo hermoso, soy su fan y subscriptora, siempre busco sus tutorial es por tan interesantes modelos, saludos y Bendiciones 🙏👍🌻🍀👀😘🤗♥️🌹🌷
Muy lindo pero seria mejor una tela en un solo tono pues soy principiante y vi tanta tela y estampada se me complicaba entender un poco…. Pienso en mi caso es mucha tela parece q es forrado??? Y lo prefiero simple sin forro…. Sería bueno q luego subieras los patrones en papel así sea pequeño es más fácil comprender. Saludos y disculpa la molestia! Me encanto y lo quiero hacer!
средняя цена натурального шелка сейчас в италии 22 евро – это кусок ткани 138 см на 100 см. в готовом изделии- платок 90 на 90 будет стоить примерно столько же.до сво метр итальянского шелка в закупке с италии стоил примерно 15 евро по курсу 60 рублей.плюс логистика и прочие накрутки в магазинах в россии он был-4-6 тыс рублей. сейчас метр шелка в магазине на дальнем востоке-5-9 тыс рублей. где вы покупали в мае шелковый платок за 120 рублей? скажите мне место-я куплю себе сто
Рисунок на плечах лег потрясающе!!! Думала, получится туника до бедра, а получился роскошный сарафан – и в отпуск, и в городе на вечерний променад. Единственное, что я бы слелала по-другому – завершающие швы тоже шила бы внутри – там подобраться можно и они бы вышли вообще не грубые. Хотя, внутри их сделать ровно тяжелее и дольше. Если бы спешила – тоже делала бы как в мастерклассе. И ремень Москино сюда очень круто вписался – их стилистика ))
Excellente idée.Mais un peu trop chère avec perte de tissu,car ici à Paris compter 50€ le foulard de cette qualité(satin avec un bel imprimé,)ce qui revient à 200€ je ne compte pas le temps passé à coudre(bien compliqué….à ce prix autant acheté un beau tissu et faire un autre modèle…Est-ce possible d’avoir un tuto avec un métrage de tissu suffisant ? Merci
чудо расдюдесное.с первого раза на поняла,но мне нужно сшить платье на лето для мамы с применением тюли.идея просто потрясающая.буду смотреть пока не пойму.а сшить надо срочно.и тюлевая занавеска есть.спасибо за идею.вы просто умничка ччто выложили это видео.я на вас подписана.надеюсь когда-нибудь я осмелюсь выкладывать свои видео то-же.
Schaff: Howl’s Moving Castle is my fourth worst Ghibli film The comments: That was a mistake EDIT: Everybody thinks I was making a reference to Big Hero 6 for this. It was actually intended to be a reference to Thanos’s line in Infinity War when Loki attempts to kill him. The BH6 line seemed too obvious 😆
I will admit that it took me a couple of watches to really take in Howl’s Moving Castle. I knew I liked the film but the message seemed hazy and unclear. Sophie is a timid woman who sees herself as undesirable and ugly. When she is inflicted with the curse she ages drastically and then we see her slip out of that sometimes. Those moments she becomes younger or looks more like she should, are times in the film when she finds inner courage and strength. She sticks up forherself, she shows up for Howl, she fights for her new acquired family. At the end of the film she has grown so much that she has broken her own curse that was originally thought to only be removed by a wizard. I love Sophie’s character so much! Edit: I also had completely forgotten the next subversion of expectations they threw in at the end. When you think of Disney movies, most of the females/princesses are saved by a kiss from their love. In Howl’s Moving Castle, Sophie is the one to save her family with a kiss! Turnip head transforms back to his Prince self, Calcifer gets to be free from Howl if he desires, The Witch of the Waste becomes a family member, and Howl comes back from a near deadly beast form. It’s so easy to get caught up in the whimsical aspects of the film and perusal what Howl does that one could completely miss Sophie’s arch. Schaff should definitely view again!
a note on howls moving castle: the war was about Turnip Head. He’s the missing prince that Kingsbury thinks a neighboring country kidnapped. It’s mentioned in a blink-and-you-miss-it line. I love Howl’s Moving Castle but for the moodiness of howl. It’s hard for me to explain I relate to him a lot. I have autism and some days when the smallest change is there it can make me super upset to the point life feels like it’s not worth living but after returning to my schedule all is ok and my sunny disposition returns. I also need people with me in places where I’m uncomfortable.
Challenge: Schaff ranks every Barbie movie from the 2000’s (which is 16 total). I have no doubt the animation would irritate him to no end, but I also want him to be pleasantly surprised but how good a lot of them are regarding story, characters, & music. Plus, considering how pleased he was with Tim Curry as the Cat King, I want to hear Schaff’s face when he realizes Tim was in not one but two Barbie movies, the era beginning and ending with him as the villain. 😉😆🥰 I’d let him decide whether or not he wants to continue into the 2010’s…
2:08 Earwig and the Witch 6:04 Tales from Earthsea 8:05 Ocean Waves 10:09 Howl’s Moving Castle 14:16 Pom Poko 16:14 The Wind Rises 17:23 My Neighbors, the Yamadas 19:39 The Secret World of Arrietry 20:58 The Cat Returns 22:20 Ponyo 23:20 Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind 24:41 Castle in the Sky 26:17 Porco Rosso 29:24 From Up on Poppy Hill 31:24 My Neighbor, Totoro 32:34 When Marnie Was There 33:46 Princess Mononoke 35:57 Grave of the Fireflies 36:35 Only Yesterday 38:18 Kiki’s Delivery Service 39:44 Spirited Away 42:07 The Tale of Princess Kaguya 45:52 Whisper of the Heart
To be fair about Howls moving castle the war isn’t just randomly called off, But the reason it’s called off isn’t like explained at length. It’s mentioned that the reason the kingdom with the sorcerer lady is at war with the other kingdom is because they believe they kidnapped their prince. But when it’s revealed that Turnip Head was the missing prince all along, the sorcerer lady calls off the war bc theres no reason for them to keep fighting.
Adding to the sea of Howl’s Moving Castle commentary: Howl is such an unpredictable and emotionally volatile character because he gave his heart up when he was 12. Emotionally, he never matured past that stage in his life, and his behavior reflects this. We don’t really know who he is because, without his heart and the ability to develop any kind of emotional maturity, he doesn’t know who he is either.
I have a complex relationship with the HMC movie because the BOOK by Diana Wynne Jones is PHENOMENAL. All of the confusion, EVERY single question raised about the film is addressed perfectly in the book. The first 45 minutes of the movie are great because they pull almost directly from the book and then the movie shifts directions completely once Soloman is introduced. If you have any interest in the story at all and want answers, I beg you to read the book. It is far more complex and yet it still wraps everything up into a gorgeous tidy little bow. I have reread it again least three times and I find something new in each read. Please, for the love of god and all that is good, read the book!!!!
I watched Whisper of the Heart right after perusal this. Schaff wasn’t kidding. It’s incredible and you should all watch it. If you’re struggling to find direction or are trying to pursue your passion, you have to see this movie. It will speak to you on a level most films don’t even come close to. It is immersive yet incredibly reflective. It is magical, heartwarming, and uplifting.
I felt so seen this with article… your explanations of Kaguya and Whisper of the Heart especially are precisely how I feel about those movies, with both movies not necessarily being my personal absolute favourites (Mononoke is my favourite) but both of them hitting me SO HARD in the deepest part of my heart that they stayed with me for so long after I watched them. Great article, I agreed with all of it!
I didn’t think Howls Moving Castle was hard to understand, but it has a lot of metaphorical weight throughout its storyline. Sophie’s appearance changes because her self confidence fluctuates, and if you pay enough attention, her old lady appearance doesn’t look so old as the movie progresses to visualize her characters development. Howl is obsessed with his appearance, it’s what makes him come off as charming and “pleasant”, and his character learns to be happy as just himself. Madam Sullivan ends the war because the neighboring prince was found with love, she was just impressed that Howl learned to love himself and love another person genuinely. It’s definitely not the most straightforward story, but it’s a visual metaphor.
Princess Mononoke will always be my favorite (but I recognize Kaguya is probably the objective best). I love that the message of the film isn’t “don’t cut down the trees guys. That’s not nice”. The actual message is how hatred can only grow stronger and stronger unless we try to resolve conflicts through empathy and understanding towards each other. Ashitaka never sides with anyone but instead always tries to act as a diplomat for every faction we meet in the movie
I feel like one of the themes of Howl’s Moving Castle is “acting your age,” where Sophie acts like an old woman and gets turned into such, only changing back when she starts becoming more cheery. Howl starts off cool and calm until he throws said temper tantrum over something like his hair because he “has the heart of a child,” like dub version of Sophie says. Heck, Markl disguises as an old man and keeps the entire shop running while the Witch of the Waste’s true age gets revealed after getting yoinked of her powers I can totally understand how you can get confused with the movie, but I think it’s a pretty fun ride with beautiful animation and music, with a story I can get behind.
People not understanding Sophie’s curse is literally just… I don’t understand, even as a little kid I got that the less self-conscious she was about how she looked the younger she looked. Howl literally says, “Sophie you’re beautiful” and she becomes self-conscious again, believing he’s just being nice and turns old again. The subtext is right there, it’s right there!!! The curse is a self reflection of how she feels about herself, not young and spritely nor beautiful like the other girls. By the end she’s grown in confidence, been on an adventure and just doesn’t dwell on her looks anymore.
Strangely, Howl’s moving castle being so abstract is the reason i like it so much. The characters struggle to navigate this strange world riveted with magic and ravaged by war, they live in, trying to make sense of it, battling throgh all the challenges that rise up on their way, staring uncertainly in the eyes, all the while learning to accept and love thems. I love how human and flawed all the main characters are, not one is perfect or special or chosen, they just all make their own path, yet none of them are obnoxious or insufferable. I love the picture, the motion, the color palet vibrancy, the theme, the music. I love the flow and the pace of the movie, and I do like it’s conclusion. This movie leaves a lot of room for thought and interpretation, yet delivers a very satisfying end. I love the slow burn of romance, without any frustrating love triangles or wavering and self inflicted suffering. All in all, this is one of those abstract stories that i love, but I also understand that it’s not for everyone. It reminds of one of those weird yet beautiful dream you sometimes have.
Everything you said about Whisper of the Heart is exactly what Kiki’s Delivery Service means to me. To be so passionate about something. To be challenged on that thing you love. To question yourself on if you were even meant to do it. If you’re good enough. To go on a self realizing journey till you ultimately beat your self doubt. Kiki’s journey is how I feel about my art and artists block and my own self doubt. To see Kiki be able to fly again gives me hope that I will too.
Sophie never dips in and out of her curse. Her curse is that she looks like how she feels. When she is sleeping she reverts back because she isn’t dragging along the baggage of being the ugly forgotten little sister. As she opens up to everyone at the castle she feels loved and seen but still struggles sometimes when old feelings boil up again. It is only when she takes initiative with the people she cares about, realizing she is worthy of love, that she takes her final form at the end. The witch puts this curse on her because the witch believes that people are fundamentally ugly on the inside. This also explains the witches changes throughout the film. Seeing Sophie over come the curse slowly makes her realize that people are capable of inner beauty so she ends up mellowing out.
It was always my understanding that in Howl’s Moving Castle, Suliman calls off the war because Prince Justin (TurnipHead) was discovered. It’s said in the beginning of the movie that the missing prince is what caused the war since Justin’s country blamed the other countries for his disappearance when in reality, he was just cursed.
As a mythology fan, something that I love is remakes of popular stories in mythology getting rewritten. If you’re a Greek mythology fan you know this with books like The Song of Achilles. The mythology brings stories, the rewrites bring the characters and make them beautiful. Kaguya’s story, if you were wondering, at least the version I heard, is a bit simpler. But I love Ghibli bringing it life
I’m glad that James didn’t just put Spirited Away at the Top and actually thought about what he enjoyed. I agreed with most of this list (including Howl’s Moving Castle Rating) and I’m glad he voiced his true opinion since I believe the point of Ghibli films was to connect to yourself through a film, not a standard set by others.
Howl’s moving castle is a story about self-acceptance. Sophie’s spell broke bc howl helped her feel young and beautiful again. Howl was self-conscious and obsessed with his appearance, so he lost it when his hair color changed. Sophie and Howl help each other love themselves. The first time i watched it, i loved the ugly dog and the scenery and calcifer, but i had no idea what was going on. After perusal a couple of times, i started to pick up on it. It’s not my absolute favorite studio ghibli film, but it is high on my list. I haven’t seen all of them, however.
I think what made Howl’s Moving Castle so great is really simple actually. I never really cared about the characters, or the magic, or the anti-war sentiment, or the love subplot, or its villains. It’s simply the most beautiful move Studio Ghibli has ever made. From the architecture and landscape, to the music and general vibe in the town square. Even the cheerful (and a bit naive) soldiers and the proudful display of flags are one of the most beautiful portrayal of nationalism, which fits perfectly for the early 20th century european societies the movie is heavily based on.
For me Howls moving castle is all about self love. We see Sophie as the second daughter, and we know by the beginning how she don’t take risks. She learn to have self love becoming old woman mentality, because she learned she should take risks in life. Howl didn’t had is heart, He was unstable emotionally, and he learned how to self love by focusing on the people that are important to him…. For me Is a really great movie that I saw with 9 years old and fell in love over the time…. And the war ended not because howl and Sophie fell in love, but because the prince that was disapeared was actually the Tornip head xD
I checked out Whispers of the Heart after seeing your letterboxd review of it, and I have to firmly agree with everything you said about it. It’s such a wonderful experience and has also climbed into my top 5 favorite films. And it actually instantly inspired me in ways no film has before. I’ve been wanting to write stories for years and never could finish anything I started. Then the very moment the film ended, I pulled out my phone and wrote a full short story and a screenplay. They’re obviously rough drafts, but I never experienced satisfaction on this level before.
I love Howl’s moving Castle, and I didn’t entirely understand it either but I watched it again recently and I understood it better. Some things still don’t entirely make sense but I’m fine with letting it remain a mystery. From why I understand, Howl is a confident man who likes to be in control of the situation. When he used the wrong potion because of Sophie, he lost control of him image. At this point he lost a lot of control of things, his heart, his rights to not go to war, his entire being because of the very magic he uses. His image was the last thing that he had control over, it kept him safe, it made him confident. Having that taken away right in front of him broke him. After his tantrum he gained control of himself with the comfort of knowing that he looks like his old self again, while he can’t hide anymore at least he is himself. Sophie at the beginning was just going on with life, no ambitions or relations outside of her family. She was living but she wasn’t exactly enjoying life to its fullest. Her curse took away the comfort of having all of the time in the world making her take every chance and opportunity before her to do something about her situation. Times when she thinks like a old person or loses hope or confidence in her self, you can visibly see the increase in wrinkles. When she is asleep is when she is completely young again because her mind is free of all of her anxiety, self doubt and contempt with her life. When she is the most happy, hopefull, cheerful, determined and full of love self is when she can be young.
In HMC the war ends because the guy the turnip scarecrow turns into is the other kingdoms prince. The whole war was about his disappearance so his return ends it. Also, I love how Sophie tells baby Howl to find her in the future and the first line he says to her is “There you are, Sweetheart, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Because he really has… for like a decade!
I had never seen anime before. All my friends and everyone I knew was raving about Studio Ghibli films and Attack on Titan. I finally caved in and watched Spirited Away. Wow. The scene where Haku learns his real name from Chihiro and then they start flying in the sky is the scene that got me. I was crying for the last 20 minutes of the film. Everything about it was perfect. And in that scene, when Haku and Chihiro are in the sky holding hands and the music kicks in absolutely crushed me. Even through the credits I was crying and saying to myself “I get it”. And then I saw what everyone was raving about. Spirited Away is without a doubt one of the best animated films. Besides The Prince of Egypt I don’t know any other animated film that captured me like that. Animation is not a genre. It is a form of Art. Bless you Miyazaki.
Howls’ moving castle: First of all, it’s beautiful animation. And almost all the characters are likeable in their own ways (Sophie’s character progression, Markl is adorable, the dog is cute, Calcifer is funny, Howl… exists. He’s at least not terrible). But you missed the most important aspect that makes the film much more understandable. Sophie isn’t “dipping” in and out of her curse, it’s explicitly tied into her self esteem. You’ll notice that even when she first turns old she says “well at least your clothes finally suit you.” She LIKES being old because it matches how she feels about herself. As the movie progresses she gains confidence and the curse weakening during those moments of assuredness and action–but it comes back again right away when she starts feeling bad about herself. In the beginning the curse is only weak when she’s asleep and not conscious at all to think about herself–by the end of the film she’s broken the curse even when awake because she’s become completely confident and capable. Sophie is the one who reunites Howl with his heart for two reasons. 1) in the book she actually has a magical ability to make things live by talking to them, so Calcifer only survives at all because she talked to him so much. The movie didn’t include that part so you could theoretically interpret as “Sophie owns Howl’s heart” (he loves her) so she’s the only one who can return it. “Why did Howl give Calcifer his heart in the first place” the movie implies that part very vaguely, book actually explained it.
My favorite is still Nausicaa, it’s got such an incredibly interesting world and I personally loved how it started. Speculative biology is one of the coolest things in fiction and I’m glad that Nausicaa gave me a fully realized ecosystem. It’s also amazing how you can see so much of ghibli’s hallmarks even before it was officially a studio- aircraft, the impact of war, well crafted female protagonists, and heavy environmental messaging.
I can’t describe how happy I am that your Number one and two are Whisper of the Heart and Kaguya. WotH was my ‘on repeat’ through university and I’ll never not be thankful to it for showing me how easy it is to get conflicted in our own heads about our written works-and I’m not alone in that! Reality says one thing, but our characters try to lead us to tell their story! How amazing it is when you find supportive people in your life who don’t first say ‘how will you pay the bills’? I agree, agree, agree! Great list!
To be fair, I like howl’s moving castle (like, not love), and you have valid points and criticisms. However, I would like to point out that there is a reason to why Sophie dips in an out of her, I think. I think the curse is supposed to be connected to her self confidence. When she is feeling anxious and doubtful of herself, she looks old. When she is self confident, she looks younger. When she finally overcomes her doubts, she breaks of her curse. For the record, this is just my interpretation.
The complaint with howls moving castle that the war just gets called off on a whim is the point. it’s an antiwar movie, its commentary on how meaningless the lives of the people are to the whims of those with money and power. It shows that the war itself is pointless and that the mages are largely throwing away their lives for nothing.
I AM SO HAPPY that Whisper of the Heart is getting every bit of praise it deserves (as far as that it’s possible, because as good a job you did, no one is every gonna do this movie justice). You took the words right of my soul. I was nineteen years old when I saw this movie and nothing, absolutely nothing before this, had made me fall in love with it in any fashion remotely resembling how I felt perusal this movie. Honestly, I can’t rewatch it all the time because of how deeply it cuts in into pieces in all the best ways possible. I fucking start tearing up to hearing you talk about it, that’s how much Whisper of the Heart moves me. One time a different movie (I’d highly recommend Liz and the Blue Bird btw) came close and I genuinely had a near-crisis at the prospect of me liking another movie in existence on this planet better than Whisper of the Heart, and I finally rewatched it after three years. I was incredibly anxious and worried that I’d overly-romanticized it in that time. I had not. Whisper of the Heart is my favorite movie of all time, my favorite story of all time, and damn near close to my favorite work of art of all time (being a musician that one is too hard to decide on). And like you, this movie drilled Country Roads into my head. Like wtf man, what’s John Denver doing in here lol
It just makes me smile to see someone else hold Whisper of The Heart so close to them as well. I was going through a very rough few years before the lockdowns and that movie had been my biggest comfort throughout that entire time even though I didn’t know it. It was going through the struggles I was going through while still having that childish wonder mixed in with the maturity of the characters growth. Dealing with the thought of not being good enough, having a great support system and the struggles with love which was overcome. It was just the perfect blend for me and one of my beacons of hope. I never thought it would be one of my most favourite Ghibli movies as I always leaned more to Ghibli’s wacky fantasy genres as a child but growing up with Whisper of The Heart gave me a fresh perspective that I still really appreciate to this day.
I kinda feel like the reason you didn’t enjoy howl’s moving castle was because of how implied everything is. The books explain everything better because we get a constant monologue, but miyazaki tried to explain it through symbolism and stuff, like how Howl was just a child trying to be an adult is shown through the tunnel of toys in the dream sequence, and how the star gave Howl the powers he wanted and stuff. It’s fine to not like it because of how vague things can be, it’s frustrating for sure and I agree with your gripes about the villain (in the book the villain makes more sense) but I’m just a huge literary nerd so I’m always obsessing over the details and stuff lol. I’m not trying to bash your opinion or anything, if that’s what you think it’s totally cool, I loved this article ❤️❤️
The sad thing about Earwig is that Ghibli actually has worked with 3D before, for their short film called Boro the Caterpillar, and it was incredibly well-executed. I saw it at the museum in Mitaka and I was thoroughly impressed by how good and unique it looked while still resembling the studio’s usual style
A couple interesting facts about Grave of the fireflies. It’s based on a book by a man who grew up during the war and suffered survivors guilt after his sister died of malnutrition. Isao Takahata and studio ghibli made the movie in hopes that it would dispel a teenage crime wave spike caused by the children/grandchildren of the survivors of the war by showing them the hardships of their parents when they were their age. This movie is also the only movie by Ghibli that Disney hasn’t distributed in the US themselves.
The thing about Mononoke is that there are no antagonists, so Lady Eboshi is not actually a real antagonist. They’re all different people who took their own paths for survival, she’s someone who’s looked upon in her village. What we have is a film whose plot is engaging but without a clear antagonist. What Princess Mononoke has is a conflict. A conflict that has led both parties to commit incommensurable atrocities.
I must say, Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favourite ghibli movies. I always found the aesthetic and characters charming and interesting. So at first when I heard your verdict, I was shocked. But the more I thought about it, the more it clicked in my head. Recently, I’ve started reading the original book and it explains everything that the movie couldn’t manage to. Now, with the book in mind, I perfectly see and agree with your point. The book caught my interest even more than the film, so I’m very eager to finish reading it.
2:10 – Earwing and the Witch 6:07 – Tale of Earthsea 8:07 – Ocean Waves 10:11 – Howl’s Moving Castle 14:19 – Pom Poko 16:17 – The Wind Rises 17:25 – My Neighbors The Yamadas 19:41 – Arrietty 21:01 – The Cat Returns 22:22 – Poyno 23:21 – Nausicca: The Valley of The Wind 24:22 – Laputa: Castle in The Sky 26:20 – Porco Rosso 29:27 – From up on Puppy Hill 31:27 – My Neighbor Totoro 32:36 – When Marnie Was There 33:49 – Prnicess Mononoke 36:00 – Grave of the Fireflies 36:38 – Only Yesterday 38:20 – Kiki’s Delivary Service 39:45 – Spirited Away 42:11 – The Tale of Princess Kagyuya 45:56 – Whisper of The Heart
I know i come from it as a different lense, but as a part Japanese pilot that only deals in the old vintage stuff, it captures so many things so well. I think to me thats what is so great, is outside of the bottom 3, you could put them in any order based on taste, and you really wouldn’t be wrong, they just capture attention so well based on what you like
I get why “Howls Moving Castle” isn’t for anyone but it will always be a film that defined my younger years (and even still to this day). For me I really resonated with Sophie and her journey to love herself – in a world of magic and wizards, those close to her being seen as beautiful, attractive, interesting and being surrounded by all these important people… it can be hard not to feel boring, dull, uninteresting… ugly. Through her curse she has to learn to love herself and find what makes her heart beautiful – her hard working attitude, her sass when she’s confident, the smile she brings to everyone around her… how she makes the world a better place for being in it despite being “Just Sophie”. Maybe I read too much into this movie but it will always be a journey I carry in my heart and helped me through many moments in my life. Also the song, “Merry-Go-Round” lives rent free in my mind. 😂💚
FINALLY!! Someone who didn’t rank Spirited Away as number 1. Don’t get me wrong, I love Spirited Away, but my favorite Ghibli movie of all time is The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. I was so happy to see that it was one of your favorites too. It truly needs more recognition. I can’t express how much emotion and beauty there was in it. Just subscribed!
I’m crying actual tears that Princess Kaguya was ranked so high. It’s one of my all-time favorite films, and I’m just so happy to see someone finally recognizing it with the reverence it deserves. More people need to watch this film. I’ve grown up with Ghibli, and perusal the older films again as an adult has made me realize that a lot of it has to do with nostalgia (mostly Howl). The classics are great, but this one, as you put it, feels like it was gifted to us by the gods. Thank you.
In my opinion, there is no villain in Howl’s Moving Castle. it’s more like certain morally grey or sinister characters make poor choices and do harmful things and each serve as an antagonist for part of the film to drive the story, which in my opinion feels more episodic within a multi-act structure. The war and conflict between kingdoms is actually explained within the context/world building, and in the beginning of the film they set up both Howl’s character and the war in the whispers of the townspeople and conversations between Sophie and her family. Obvi you should form your own opinions, but I’d recommend a second watch! I think the beauty of the magic system in the film is that we don’t necessarily know how every single thing works, which is how Sophie experiences it!
i do think the fact that he didn’t watch the films in japanese plays a big part in him not understanding howl’s moving castle. the self-love journey of sophie is so beautiful and howl going from someone who only cared about looks to someone who no longer needs to dye his hair or wear fancy clothes to feel ok with himself was so meaningful to me as a child and not hard to grasp at all? idk i think he should give it another shot, sometimes when a movie doesn’t resonate with your personal life and you don’t identify with any of the characters it makes it understandably hard to relate to
I agree with all of the criticisms about Howls Moving Castle, I’ve often come to the same conclusions on plenty of occasions. My girlfriend is obsessed with the movie and I’ve always felt it wasn’t amazing. However, I feel like putting Howls Moving Castle as the FOURTH worst Ghibli film ever made is laughably contrarian. I feel as though your disappointment in proportion to others praises of the film lead you to rank it a lot lower than it should’ve been. Regardless of your personal feelings, Howl’s Moving Castle’s objective quality is easily enough to put it at at least 10-15 spots compared to other, much inherently weaker films.
I just wanna say this. If you want a good 3D anime film, watch Lupin III: The First. It’s animation is on par with the best of Pixar, on top of having a really fun story and lovable characters. Even if you don’t know anything about Lupin like I did prior to perusal it, I can safely say you will have a lot of fun with it
Howl’s Moving Castle is a personal favorite, but I TOTALLY get where you’re coming from! It’s a lot of… seemingly random details that come at you at all directions. If reading is your jam, I recommend reading the book of the same title by Dianna Wynne Jones. The movie is based on the book, and it goes into much more detail and explains a lot more of why things are the way they are
The Cat Returns gives me the same feeling as The Emperor’s New Groove. Just a wonderful and hilarious movie that came out of nowhere from a studio who’s output is usually different. I always watch it when I just need to feel happy. obviously they are two very different movies but they give me the same cozy feeling when I watch them. edit: Thanks for the likes! 🙂
Howls Moving Castle is a movie that you have to watch multiple times to really understand what’s going on. I’ve watched it so many times but every time, I realize something new about what is going on. I can see it being super confusing to someone who’s never seen it before, but it is DEFINITELY worth the rewatches
“Why did Ashitaka take the time to help the people of iron town, wasn’t there urgency?” The curse upon him was one of hatred. He was there to see with eyes unclouded by hate, to know what was happening, not give in to self-serving emotions or fear. To fear death, to resent, to hate—it would have killed him quicker, made him something horrible. Nago and Okotto ran from death. Moro didn’t, but she still died in the end. That Ashitaka was selfless is definitely not a plot hole or oversight, it’s a crucial message of the film.
Idk I feel like Nausicaä should be a couple tiers higher, I could be biased since it’s my favourite “Ghibli film”, but everything about it is just so wild, the mix of instrument and synthesizers in the soundtrack, the absolutely insane spin on a post-apocalyptic setting, massive aircraft, the mix of medieval, future technology, biopunk and dieselpunk, giant bugs, like come on the giant bugs are cool. And absolutely everything has an explanation, which is really the only bad thing I have to say about the film because a lot of what is in the three volumes of manga and art isn’t featured, like the Tolmekia and Dorok war, the voices inside Nausicaä’s head and a lot of other stuff. Maybe it’s not the best movie but I just can’t get over how creative it is. That being said I am glad that From Up on Poppy Hill was up there, I’ve always thought it was really cool and that it’s story was very interesting, but I always felt like I was the only person that ever acknowledged it’s existence. Tho yes, incest. But overall apparently Ghibli movie rankings are a lot more varied than you would think since Arriety is apparently Ghibli’s second most acclaimed non-Takahata film is Arriety (because the top three Ghibli movies are his sitting at 100% on rotten tomatoes, which makes sense tbh), which I get because it’s like going to see a miniature model exhibition, and Kiki’s Delivery Service is his second… Oh and apparently people like Ocean Waves more than The Cat Returns, Pom Poko and My Neighbors the Yamadas.
While Spirited Away is an unforgettable, amazing experience, I still can’t say I’ve seen a better 2D-animated film than Princess Mononoke. It’s such a profound, powerful story of man vs. nature and there truly aren’t any “villains,” just complex people with different motivations. Also, easily the best score of any animated movie. Edit: Just saw Whisper of the Heart, what a powerful and emotional tour de force. Much like Schaff, I feel like it was made for me. Beautiful from start to finish… but I still think Mononoke is my #1.
so here’s a little storytime for y’all: my high school art teacher once put on grave of the fireflies (we watched it dubbed by the way) during a class, not knowing what it was about, because she knew of ghibli and liked the art style of their films. most of the students didn’t know what it was about either, so we were completely unprepared for how brutally DEVASTATING it would be. when we got near the end (trying to keep it vague to avoid spoilers), specifically THAT scene, pretty much everyone was shocked, sobbing, having an emotional breakdown, all the heartbroken feels. obviously, no one was working on what we were supposed to be, i don’t even remember what it was. we just sat in stunned silence, letting the weight of what we’d all just seen sink in. all the people who saw us walk out of that class looking like emotionally scarred wrecks must have been so confused, like “what was she DOING to you guys?” so that was an experience i’ll probably never forget. thank you to my tenth grade art teacher for introducing me to ghibli, and also emotional trauma! fun times 😀
Sophie’s curse in Howl’s is to look the age that she feels and it’s reflective of her self-confidence. In the beginning of the movie she has no confidence and feels about as desirable as an old woman. That’s why when she’s asleep she is young again and her hair is brown. As the movie goes on you can see her growing younger as she falls in love with Howl, grows more confident and happy, and generally feels younger and like there are good things in her life. You can see her slip up after Howl calls her beautiful in the flower field and her lack of self confidence comes crashing back in again. At the end of the movie she’s basically back to being her young self, except her hair remains white as a symbol of the maturity she’s gained — personally I like to think it specifically refers to how she realizes the responsibility and difficulty required to love someone and embraces it. She is confident enough in herself to love Howl completely.
I just saw The Secret World of Arrietty, and I think it’s super underrated. I actually loved it – it was super atmospheric and super relaxing to watch on a late night. There are so many extended scenes with no music, only gentle ambiance, and the scenes that did have music really sucked me in when they popped up. I felt my Ghibli overexposure bias melt away as I appreciated this fine film, and I just wanted to share.
The reason Sophie is changing back into her younger self is because slowly she is accepting herself. At the beginning of the movie she is timid and insecure and the curse is lifting because of her slowly growing as a person. It subtle but its a journey of self love and letting herself be happy. I believe the reason the war started was because the prince was missing and he was found in the end (The reason the war was called off). This is my all time favourite movie and there are so many answers too the questions you have. Its very subtle with its story telling and I love it!
Finally, someone else who appreciates Whisper of the Heart, and specifically that one scene. As a musical instrument builder, I particularly appreciate the effort the animators and composer went to, accurately animating and recording a Japanese filk version of Country Roads with baroque mixed consort accompaniment including a *Zinc solo*, of all things Oh, and anyone who watched Nausicäa and thought the scope was ambitious… go read the manga. You’re gonna love it.
For me, my favorite will always be Howl’s Moving Castle. Like as a person who deals with depression and self worth issues, Sophie and Howl’s respective journeys to finding self worth and love within themselves and each other is a beautiful story. For me it’s also the most beautiful and touching love story to ever be put on anime screens. For me, there’s none that come close.
My favorite movie out of all of these is Porco Rosso hands down. There’s just something magical about the idea of an Italian WW1 veteran flying across the Adriatic sea, working as a bounty hunter to make a living. I honestly feel like Porco is one of the most underrated films produced by Studio Ghibli.
Princess Kaguya is probably my favourite one. It just overhelms you. It didn’t interest me thematically and I still couldn’t take my eyes away. It just feels so heartbreaking. But still Spirited away is very close, it is less artistic but I guess I was younger when I’ve watched them and I felt more emotionally attached to it.
I’m so shocked that he didn’t rank Howl’s Moving Castle at least in the top 10. This was my 3rd Ghibli movie after Arietty and Ponyo, and it just touched me in a way that a movie hasn’t before. Definitely one of my all time favorites and I haven’t even read the book. I’ve read some of the comments and I can see where people are coming from, but on 2nd rewatch, the whole plot made sense to me even though it got pretty crazy in the second act. Admittedly, like Schaffrillas, my favorite ghibli movie I recognize isn’t objectively the best ghibli movie, but it’s the best in my heart.
I feel many Totoro fans probably love it because of how much they grew up with it. As an adult, it definitely falls a bit short for me but the film is almost wholly dedicated towards children in every way possible and I’m glad I watched it as a kid because I feel like I watched it at the perfect age and time
“Totoro is the happiest Ghibli movie” Yo what about that part near the end where Mei gets upset and starts crying and runs away and her sister has to run to like the ends of the earth to find her and it’s just a very stressful and worrisome situation? I’ve never been super into Ghibli movies or anime for that matter(idk what it is, they’re good movies, but they never really click for me and I never have a strong desire to rewatch them like I do with other animated films), but I may have to check out Kaguya and Whisper of the Heart per your recommendation. Also who is the bigger bitch: girl from Ocean Waves or Earwig?
To me, Howl’s Moving Castle is really just a movie showcasing how influential love can really be, and I don’t just mean romantic love. Sophie learns the importance of self-love, Howl learns to love others, the Witch of the Waste heals from her own heartbreak but after being shown true love she truly has a change of heart. Everyone breaks from their curses through love, both literally and metaphorically. The war is a conflict within the movie but it’s not THE conflict. These events just happen to take place during a war and it’s not really important for the audience to understand why it started or who’s fighting it, these things just happen. But it does give us a glimpse into Howl’s character. We learn that he is capable of compassion, despite being presented to us as selfish. Once Howl truly allows himself to love, he finally has something to fight for. Suliman is an interesting character but I think she’s one that definitely needed more fleshing out. My interpretation is that she believes magic in the wrong hands can be very dangerous and so she uses the war to lure out witches and wizards who have fallen into greed or other self-serving natures by asking them to join the war effort, only to instead strip them of their power (like she does with the Witch of the Waste). Not gonna lie, it’s a very complicated movie to understand and some of that is because it isn’t particularly perfect. For me it’s something I came to realise overtime after perusal it countless times over pretty much the entire course of my life lol.
11:43 Howl has PTSD from the wars he’s been forced to fight. Folks with PTSD often do their best to seem happy and whimsical, and the darkness peeks through into the brightness when they lose the control they desparately try to keep. Seeing Howl from that light makes for an intense and more understandable experience. The second half is definitely pretty weak tho
Howl, loves himself too much, almost narcissistic, that’s why he freaked out when he mistaken his hair dye, you can also analyze his whole behavior/personality by this one line of his: “what’s the point of living if i can’t be beautiful?” Sophie, hates herself, she’s too self-conscious and she thinks she’s an “old soul”, someone who doesn’t fit in with the ladies her age, who seems so young and pretty. Hence why she turned into an old lady Through the journey with Howl she learns to love herself and become more confident. Every time she feels young and free she turns back into her old self (so the curse wasn’t really permanently broken). And Howl learns to love someone other than himself And to answer your questions: – How the war started and ended: the prince (did you even pay attention to the movie?), they started war because the prince went missing. And they found the prince again so they ended the war. – Howl gave Calcifer his heart to save him (Calcifer) I guess the movie relies on relatability? I relate to Sophie a lot maybe that’s why I understand her.
I love Kiki’s delivery service. I’m an artist and a designer, and it embodies so much of what I love as both of those things. The city is ideal, and it has so much life and love put into it. It’s magical and whimsical, and it shows how people should really be living. And the ending was so fantastic, when she relearns how to fly and the people she’s met are cheering her on. I choked up, and as a young man I really felt something
I feel really bad for Goro. He’s expected to live up to his dad’s name and emulate his style. I think we should let him explore his style a bit. You win some and you lose some. Hayao Miyazaki is a maverick. You almost never see someone like that. To expect Goro to be like him just because he’s his son is kind of cruel.
I’ve only watched The Tale of Princess Kaguya once, because of how speechless it made me in the end. I literally didn’t know what to feel, that ending just kinda broke me and I sat there trying to gather my thoughts. I’m afraid to watch it again because now knowing what happens, I’ll process it a whole lot better and I’m certain I’ll end up crying myself to sleep. It’s so unbelievably powerful, it makes me hesitate to watch it again. But I want to do it so bad, that’s just how good it is and I feel so happy it’s so high on this list. It truly feels otherworldly, yet so human at the same time.
I started getting emotional when you said Spirited Away was #3, because it meant that Whisper of the Heart was near the top. And then you did it. You did the thing that made me WEEP. Whisper of the Heart is such a precious and important movie for me. It came to me at a time in my life when I really needed it and I have returned to it many times when I needed it again. And the love you gave Only Yesterday? Thank you for giving appreciation to the beauty and power of the Ghibli slice of life movies that are all about fulfillment and the JOY OF LIVING. What an excellent tier list. I really hope that your recommendations bring these movies to more people.
Fun fact; Hayao Miyazaki didn’t want Goro Miyazaki to direct Tales of Earthsea because he felt his son was not ready to direct a film. but Goro insisted and went against his father’s wishes and directed the movie anyway. So no, this movie is 100% Goro’s fault. He also made ursula Le Guin’s writing look terrible which should honestly be a criminal offense.
Just seen the Tale of the Princess Kaguya yesterday. It’s impossibly good. Like, I didn’t think movies could be that good, just like you said, and I have no words to express how incredible it is. This movie doesn’t get as much recognition as it deserves, because honest to God this is one the best movies I have ever seen and it deserves nothing less than a cult following.
When Marnie Was There is my number 1. The struggle of coping with isolation and loneliness, learning to accept love from others and finding someone so incredibly special to lean on has never been illustrated in any film better than this one. Its the perfect farewell to Studio Ghibli as a whole due to Takahata’s unfortunate passing and I refuse to acknowledge the existence of Earwig and the Witch. WMWT is in a fair position on this list. Nah it’s not the best compared to Miyazaki and Takahata’s magnum opuses but wow, for me personally, I will most likely never encounter another film quite like WMWT. Felt compelled to read the book as well which I also really, really enjoyed. Surprising No. 1 pick on this list, but I vibe with it. I so need to rewatch Whisper of the Heart again very soon for all of the reasons you said. Awesome list in general with the exception of Howl’s Moving Castle obviously needing to be a lot higher.
Fun fact: Tales of Earthsea and Howl’s Moving Castle are actually both novels written by western female writers. (Earthsea being Ursula K. Le Guin, who also fought tooth and nail to not have the characters whitewashed, and Earthsea is actually a whole series, which is why the film was shit. (They tried to smoosh three books into one, and it isn’t good.) Howl’s Moving Castle is written by Diana Wynne Jones, and is also the first of a series. Also, originally didn’t have any war in it, that was sorta shoe-horned in for the movie.) Highly recommend both, Earthsea is a good series, but never watch the live action shows, they’re awful, and Moving Castle is really good, but I’ve not read the sequels yet. Can recommend.
I watched Spirited Away with my 10 year old sister. She has ADHD, so I didn’t know how she would take the slower parts, and I didn’t know if she would understand a lot of the Japanese cultural things, but she was hooked the whole time. After we were done, she looked at me and said, “that was the best animated movie I’ve ever seen.” 😊 it’s just that good.
I adore Pom Poko, it’s a gut-wrenching story that really ambitiously juggles a whole cast of characters that you root for (my favorite is Kincho). The yokai parade scene is absolutely breathtaking, and the scene where they turn their home back the way it used to be makes me cry. It’s tied with My Neighbor Totoro for my favorite Studio Ghibli movie.
I feel the same. I watched whisper of the heart like a thousand times when I was little cause I thought it was awesome. But it wasn’t until I became a teen and began studying music that this movie started to resonate with me on a deeper almost spiritual level. This movie was and is my comfort movie, I have cryed many nights perusal it, I have felt every emotion while perusal it. And as the years go different parts of it starts resonateing with me. I love it!!
I think the thing with Howl’s discrepancy between “cool chill wizard” and “immature whiny narcissus” is more to do with the fact that he’s probably still that little boy who gave his heart to a demon and (where are his parents lol) he never really learned to grow up until Sophie came around. I like to think his “cool, suave” thing is just an act and he’s really just a hot mess with all these fears and insecurities underneath. Howl himself even says “all of this magic is just to keep everyone away” so it’s not too much of a stretch to assume the way he acts in public is also to keep people away so they don’t bother him.
As an aspiring engineer and aviation enthusiast, I loved “The Wind Rises” and it is the main reason I wanted to become an aeronautical engineer. The amount of aeronautical engineering innovations from the 1920s and 1930s shown throughout the film was amazing and the romance story was surprisingly good, while also showing the effects of war in a very artistic manner (planes and commercial aeronautical engineers being turned into war products and their creations burning around them). Though, I get why many do not rank this movie higher on their lists. With how history and aviation oriented the film is, it makes sense that a general audience would be confused at most points in it. I would love if people could see what I, as well as many others, see in this film because it is very detailed in its targeted aspects. Yet, I respect why this subjective film is not everyone’s first pick. However, I will not respect the fact that this movie lost to “Frozen.” This is what made me hate award shows. If that ain’t some special treatment that Disney gets, I don’t know what is.
I’m so happy you also loved When Marnie Was There. I’ve literally never heard anyone even mention it, which is really sad because it’s my absolute favorite Ghibli film personally. It’s disappointing that you didn’t like how Marnie turned out because her identity and how that relates to Anna and her issues is actually a large part of why I love the film so much. The idea that you’re never really alone in life and how everyone’s subtly connected in certain ways is a really beautiful and comforting message.