wayne-feeney2 Reviews

Tales from Earthsea (2006)

not Ghibli's best effort

[5/10 · 31 July 2006]

I have been a fan of Ghibli for some years now, but despite this I approached Gedo Senki warily. I have read the first Earthsea novel (and wasn't particularly impressed), yet I resolved not to let my lack of enthusiasm for the book soil what enjoyment I might glean from the movie. Despite this, I have to say that I was disappointed with Ghibli's latest effort. As I said, I have not read the novel upon which it is based, but I found the pace to be too slow in some parts, and far too expositionary in others. The voice acting is good all round, (and the theme song Teru no Uta, sung by Teshima Aoi, is beautiful), however, I found the animation to be of rather low quality. Character designs are extremely simple, so one would imagine that more time could then be spent on the animation itself. I understand that it was made in half the time of Howl's Moving Castle, and it shows.

Without giving any spoilers, I did enjoy the end of the movie which incorporates some good set-pieces. It's just a pity that most of what leads up to this is so average.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Highly recommended!

[8/10 · 31 July 2006]

Having watched the trailers on the net for Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (official English title: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), I've been looking forward to it for a while. With character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the same guy who did those for Neon Genesis Evangelion, and animation by Madhouse, Tokikake (as it is nicknamed in Japan), is a great-looking movie. Lively and interesting backgrounds, lush colours and detailed animation, it's a joy to look at. Particular mention must be made of the time-leaping effect, which gives you a sense of breathlessness. The voice acting is extremely enjoyable, with the voice actors really managing to convey their characters' personalities, while endearing them to the viewer. The music is great, with a wonderfully wistful theme song "Garnet", provided by Hanako Oku. The direction is interesting, with some really nice shots effectively conveying the more important events and scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, which is why it is such a mystery as to why it is only showing in one cinema house in all of Tokyo. With Gedo Senki generally failing to live up to people's expectations, were Tokikake shown in a few more cinemas, it could have the potential to be the surprise blockbuster of the summer. Definitely to be recommended over Gedo Senki as the anime movie of the summer.