My Adventures With Princess Marnie - Renegade Animation #119
In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru discuss the first season of My Adventures With Superman, and continue the Ghibli Journey with When Marnie Was There and Princess Mononoke!
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, and man what a great episode this turned out to be! We have less than 3 months until the US release of Hayao Miyazaki’s “final” feature film, The Boy and the Heron, which means we’ll have to wrap up the Ghibli Journey at double speed. Tune into the episode to hear what Cameron and I thought of the entire first season of My Adventures With Superman, When Marnie Was There directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, and of course, Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 masterpiece, Princess Mononoke.
My Adventures With Superman
Look, as much as I adored Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, this is arguably the best interpretation of Superman that we’ve gotten over the past decade. What makes this stand out from the rest, aside from its gorgeous animation and a very talented voice cast breathing new life into these characters, is the fact that Clark, Lois, and Jimmy are all on a level playing field. This helps to create some new story opportunities, but also reaffirms what made them great characters to begin with. I’m excited to see what lies ahead in the next batch of episodes, especially after where things left off in the finale.
“Call it recency bias, but My Adventures With Superman brings new life into a character that has desperately needed it with a more energized cast of likable characters. It takes a compelling direction with the story of the big blue boy scout that brings an all-new dimension to the world of Superman.“ -The Animation Guru
When Marnie Was There
This one is bittersweet for a couple reasons. Not only was this Hiromasa Yonebayashi's final directorial effort at Ghibli before he left and joined Studio Ponoc, this is also the final film that animator Makiko Futaki worked on before her passing. That has to be at least part of why the film struck such a chord with so many people, including our friend and former Renegade. Anna (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld in the English dub) just might be one of the most relatable Ghibli protagonists I’ve seen so far, and the film does such a great job of portraying feelings of loneliness, depression, low self-esteem, and a bit of imposter syndrome. It’s also a great reminder to the audience never to take advantage of the people in your life that care about you.
“HIromasa's second directorial work heavily improves upon his last outing as he tackles a story of a young girl who finds herself alone in a world. It's a gorgeous and bittersweet coming-of-age drama that leaves Hiromasa's mark on the famed animation studio.“ -The Animation Guru
Princess Mononoke
I’m so glad I can finally cross this movie off of the bucket list! Unfortunately I don’t have as many new things to say that haven’t already been addressed in countless reviews, video essays, podcasts, etc. While it’s not necessarily my favorite Miyazaki film, it’s one of the most important movies of all time. This was the first movie that Disney acquired for localization, at a time when anime was starting to become more popular in the West. This might be Miyazaki’s most mature film to date, downplaying his whimsical sensibilities in service of a story that tackles darker themes. It’s an anti-war movie that never glorifies the violence, and a pro-nature film that isn’t morally one-sided. Composer Joe Hisaishi delivers arguably one of his best scores here, one that so many others have considered their favorite.
“What else can be said of Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 universally acclaimed classic that already hasn't been said? It knits a complicated sweater that is possibly Miyazaki's most balanced take on his usual storytelling themes. It's gorgeous animation drops you into an ethereal world where a young man must find the balance between man and nature with the help of a mysterious girl raised by wolves.” -The Animation Guru
That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining us! Please visit https://entertainmentcommunityfund.org/ and donate under the designation of Film and Television if you wish to support those that are effected by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes!
