Today I will tell you why you should spend this cold weekend with your laptop watching Japaneese animated movies.
First of all, these movies were created with a hand of a master. A master, who makes his characters with a soul. Can you imagine, how from a simple drawing they are becoming alive with their minds and emotions?
These characters are unique for each of us. They are teaching us many important things, and even if you are grown up person, you will learn something too. These characters teach you how to be brave, how to believe in yourself, how to understand what is it”to be yourself”. They are showing you, what is really important in life and what life by itself is about. Moreover, what is the most important, they will shut your eyes and turn on your imagination. They will guide you to another world, where you can create anything.
Imagination – it is not only about creativity and miracles, it is about being able to see a beauty in a grain of sand, being able to believe in something invisible and being able to see good in bad. This is something a real life lack of.
Here I have listed my favourite Japanese animated movies by directors, which will take your breath away with their characters, views, colours, details, music, emotions, thoughts and plots.
1. Hayao Miyazaki
(Studio Ghibli)
The Greatest man ever, who received many awards and who has the brightest imagination. Each story in his movies is different one from another. You need to watch them all to understand how cool this director is. His movies have unique stories, which are showing you how the real world and the magic world are living together. Incredible plots, wonderful fantasy and a beautiful picture.
In Hayao Miyazaki movies the music is created by another great man, musician Joe Hisaishi. This music is playing a lead role in the movies and you will not be able to forget it.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9mGQU7rGGM)
My Neighbor Totoro
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
(My favourite) *Must watch
Howl’s Moving Castle
* Must watch!
Ponyo
The Wind Rises
2. Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai is another great director. In his movies you will see a very detailed beautifully drawn picture. He is focusing on incredible views, there is also more silent moments to digest the plot and understand characters’ feelings. After watching his movies you will have thoughts in your mind about life, love, right/bad things. Real life is complicated and sometimes we don’t think that there might be another parallel world behind us.
5 Centimeters Per Second
(Byôsoku 5 senchimêtoru) * Must watch
The Garden of Words
(Koto no ha no niwa)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
(Kumo no mukô, yakusoku no basho)
Children Who Chase Lost Voices
(Hoshi o ou kodomo)
Your Name
(Kimi no na wa.)
4. Masayuki Kojima
Presented a great movie about courage, friendship, destiny and a true talent.
The Perfect World of Kai lit. “Piano’s Forest”
(Piano no mori)
5. Takahiro Omori
Friendship and love. Is there a price for it? How much will you be able to pay to touch your love and your dream? If there is someone to wait for, can you wait for him/her for ages? Are you ready to go till the end for your love?
“Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light”
(Hotarubi no mori e) *Must watch
6. Mamoru Hosoda
These movies I discovered just recently. First film is a drama/comedy, which will make you laugh and cry with the characters. And another story is about true love. How is it hard to be a mother of two kids? And a mother of two wolfkids? You absolutely should watch it!
Summer Wars
(Samâ uôzu)
Wolf Children
(Ōkami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki)
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