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Spirited Away
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Animation - 9.5 |
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Sound - 8.9 |
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Story - 8.7 |
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Character - 8.7 |
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Value - 8.9 |
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Enjoyment - 9.0 |
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Average - 8.9 |
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andy |
(2009-08-21 15:36:05) 2009-08-20 16:22:19 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Overview:
The mopey Chihiro is throwing a small tantrum in her parents' car as they're on their way to their new home. Understandably for a young child, she hates the idea of leaving her friends and adjusting to a new environment. Little does she know just how different her next environment would be when an ill-conceived shortcut leads the family to a mysterious bath house for the spirits. Her parents transform into pigs, and it's up to Chihiro to make do on her own while she finds a way to undo the spell.
Spirited Away is a window into Miyazaki's imagination. Chihiro's journey takes us at first to the Japanese-lore inspired bathhouse, ruled by (oddly enough) a western looking witch, and eventually to a place reminiscent of a European country side, with walking lamps, bouncing heads, and plenty of other wacky creatures in between. This is far from a trippy, scene-to-scene spectacle though. The story is grounded by and centered around the unlikely perseverance of Chihiro, who seems at first overly dependent, panicky and clumsy.
Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, the fantasy world that appears as if it could not be further from reality actually has numerous parallels to our own lives. There is room to pick each bit of symbolism apart, but the beauty of this film is that such a cerebral understanding isn't necessary to really get this film. The transition between the awe that the magical world inspires at first to the familiarity we feel for it towards the end is so seamless that it is only after the film is finished that the metaphors for humans and human society become apparent.
At the end of the day, Spirited Away will very much be a recognizably Miyazaki film with a little environmentalism, and plenty of the sweet innocence of youth. It starts off though, on a bit of a heartbreaking note. Chihiro goes through bouts of despair for losing her parents and as painful as it is to see her sink, it is equally inspiring to see her pick herself up again and continue clumsily at whatever task was occupying her. Unlike most of Miyazaki's female leads who tend to be beautiful, pretty, or cute (depending on the age group), Chihiro's chubby cheeks and messy hair make her unmistakably plain. Neither is her personality bouncy as is the case with the vast majority of girls in animation. Other than her listlessness, there isn't much to describe about her. It is her unremarkable nature that makes her so adorable as the film develops the earnestness in her character that is deeper, and more essential than her personality. Where the earnestness makes her admirable, the plainness makes her genuine, and lovable. We might laugh at her expressions when she touches something vile, or an instance of complete physical ineptitude, but in an affectionate way, not unlike how you might laugh at your niece for tripping over herself.
Most critics acclaim Miyazaki for the whimsy in his animation, but equally remarkable is the detail that conveys humanity. Chihiro physically expresses herself in more ways than most animated characters. To start, her repertoire of facial expressions is more compete than most, but more importantly, it's the conscious effort made to put both personality and realism in her movements. One example is when Chihiro must walk down a steep staircase along the side of a tall building. Instead of conveying her terror with a facial expression and ginger steps down the stairs, she gets on her butt and essentially crawls down the steps feet first, treating each rung like a near death experience. It takes some creativity to think up such an extreme, yet human manifestation of fear. The animation shows a layer of humanity that dialogue can't approach. Regarding the backgrounds and overall visual theme, it is gorgeous and also quite expansive. There are images of luscious greenery, bright and extravagant decor in the bath house, and the serene, pastel-y colors of the countryside.
Piano and string centric pieces go nicely with the downbeat scenes in the film. The antics are accompanied by bright, stop-and-go pieces and the more dramatic scenes get the full orchestral treatment. It works well, but is largely unremarkable. The voice acting is wonderful on both tracks. The English voice actors capture the same essence in the characters as their Japanese counterparts with the exception of Chihiro. Chihiro's Japanese performance makes her sound older than her age, but fittingly in the dumps, while her English voice is brighter, faster, but more believably childish.
Spirited Away spans moods, settings and emotions in a way that no other Ghibli film does. More so than even Princess Mononoke, this film is epic. This time, it manages to balance the typical innocence associated with the studio to create something that is intelligent, but also tugs at the heart strings in the most primal way.
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| This is a Miyazaki movie and that always seems to mean quality storylines told in a masterful way. This story was no exception and the movie has deserved the awards it has received.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| When I bought this movie, I wasn't expecting this much. I expected something I'd grade 7/10, but that really took me by a surprise and after I was done with it, there was no doubt in my mind that this must be the best anime-movie I've seen to date. Its that great!
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I've always been a large fan of Miyazaki's work, especially since I was little. Though my view is bias, I'd like to think that this movie was really well done with very few faults that doesn't hinder the overall enjoyment of this anime. Please read on for full review!
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| Average |
7.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| This happens to be my third Ghibli film, and I've definitely started to become familiar with the studio's style. Though it's debatable, I think this is my favorite movie thus far; the characters have a bit more flavor and the story slightly less drag. All in all, though, it follows the same general Ghibli trend; same overall idea, different storytelling.
The animation is probably the least distinct feature of Spirited Away if you've seen other Ghibli works: Smooth, crisp animation tacked onto nice scenery with fairly simple character designs; I guess they feel safe sticking with what works (not that I'm complaining.) Visual immersion is probably one of its greatest traits, as I watched two hours of my life vanish in the blink of an eye.
I've not much to say about the sound score other than it was good. There was one exceptional, melancholic track that played a couple times during the scenes with Haku, but other than that nothing else really caught my attention. A great Seiyuu, however, certainly overshadows this -- I was especially impressed with Chihiro's voice.
The story follows the same general idea as The Cat Returns, i.e. a young girl is accidently whisked off into a magical fantasy world and must find her way back home. Regardless of the cliche, like The Cat Returns I was captivated from start to finish. While the main body of the storyline is presented exceptionally well, the ending is somewhat abrupt and anticlimactic -- it felt as if Miyazaki simply ran out of time and had to quickly wrap things up. It works, but it leaves you feeling a bit empty.
The characters are definitely the highlight of the movie, though. I instantly took a liking to Chihiro, and this only grew as time went on. She's flanked by a number of great side characters and displays a fair amount of depth during the central portion of the movie. Because the movie ends so abruptly, however, I didn't get a real sense of closure for the main characters, most especially Chihiro and Haku.
Overall, if you like Ghibli, this should be tagged on to your list of movies to see; likewise, if you aren't familiar with Ghibli it's a great place to start. Because it carries the same children's story atmosphere as The Cat Returns, I'd suggest it for all audiences -- it has a very distinct, universal appeal.
Recommended.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I'm sliding on the rainbows of my childhood dreams... Or, at least, I was when watching Spirited Away.
The fantasy employed in this anime could appear to be quite traditional, but it is never recognizably so. It's a story that's worn on every child's garb, but nobody has ever told it so sweetly as Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki adds even more flavor to the Fantasy genre in Spirited Away, with its luscious imagery and unique characters, and I've never been less reluctant to fall in love. It took me back to a time when I was a courageous Peter, when I was impatiently chasing an ambiguous cheshire cat, when I slowly walked the paths of a secret garden...
Spirited Away is the essence of a youth's mind, in its most beautiful and innocent appearance yet.
I recall a year when Long Island had a pretty large blizzard (sometime early 1990s). My sister and I, all marshmallowed in our brightly-colored suits, headed out to play in the snow. The glow and sparkle of the settled flakes still mesmorizes me, but back then it captivated me. It really was a Winter Wonderland, a fantastic world empty of any human interaction. And it was my job to discover it. It would be a difficult task, but with my sister right next to me, I knew we could do it. Determination set in and the backyard was ours waiting to be conquered. I took the first step out of the door into [what I imagined to be] a mysterious and dangerous place, ready with G.I. Joes and My Little Ponies in hand, and began the trek into the unknown.
And so a flurry of memories just like this one piled their way as flashes in front of my eyes, each being relived as the film progressed. I have a deep appreciation for this anime in helping me remember the small things I did as a child, the fun I had with my family, the carefree attitude I had towards the world. Spirited Away made me realize that it's this kind of imagination (and these kind of events) that keeps us alive, full of energy and spirit. And while we may use our minds to sometimes forget the reality of a situation, we must never truly forget.
This philosophy rings true for everyone, and throughout the movie we are presented with a situation that details why. The lullabies of a Mother Goose rhyme still exist, yet these songs obscure what I found to be a more universal matter. As Sen dwells further and further as a stranger in this oddball town that she, herself, created, her other reality [and why she is there in the first place] begins to become clouded. There is a fine-lined barrier between childhood and adulthood, fantasy and reality, that's displayed by Miyazaki. I think this production kind of serves as a calling out to remember who we once were, children, yet keep our experiences as adults to learn and grow.
[Spirited Away utilizes every single aspect of an anime to bring forth, what I feel is, the standard any show should be, for both a child and adult.]
And just remember, we may hide behind our reminiscences and dance with the dust-bunnies at night, but we can never live standing behind them...
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|
Budding |
(2007-01-11 19:13:36) 2007-01-06 16:18:20 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Spirited Away is an excellent 2 hour long movie which quality was definitely deserving of an Academy Award.
The amount of detail to the graphics are animation are astounding. There is always more than sufficient animation in the scenes and every movement is extremely smooth. Combined with the entertaining little animations happening in the background, there never is a moment when this movie is not a pleasure to watch. Every scene looks as colourful as the next, and the computer generated ones only add to the overall quality of the movie.
The theme tunes and music are of top quality, but it's the sound effects that is really impressive. Almost every little movement is accompanied by excellent sound effects, improving the viewing enjoyment even more.
Spirited Away has an intriguing storyline. It is quite fast paced, but easy to follow. The ending does seem a bit too sudden in my opinion, and leaves a few unexplained questions, but those questions can be easily overlooked if one was not paying a high amount of attention to detail. A sequel does not seem likely however, so it is a shame that the storyline wasn't as conclusive as it could have been.
The characters are excellent and quite well developed for a 2 hour movie. The imagination behind the characters are vivid. A top notch cast for a top notch movie.
It is sad that the storyline wasn't as conclusive as it could have been, but that is the only noticeable flaw in Spirited Away in my opinion. It is no suprise to me that this high quality animated movie won an Oscar when its translated version was released in 2003. Sprited Away is more than a joy to watch, and I would strongly recommend it to all anime fans.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I never really watched "anime" movies. I enjoyed this movie alot. The art in this movie is, to put it bluntly, awesome, it actually brings the characters alive. The plot of the story is quirky yet subtle enough to enjoy. Im not a big fan of the characters in this movie though except for maybe Chihiro and Haku. Im glad i didnt miss this movie. But it'll definitely be a movie i wanna see again
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Ridian |
(2006-12-08 01:21:51) 2006-12-05 00:34:06 |
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| Average |
6.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| I have to be honest: I enjoy Hayao Miyazaki's work on many different levels, but it's all a little bit too flighty and insubstantial for me to truly appreciate. His only film that really stuck with me was Princess Mononoke because I felt it had a lot more to say than some of his other works. Spirited Away, though an aesthetic triumph, makes me feel the exact same way.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Miyazaki masterpiece. And one a Golden Globe. The engrosing atmosphere and pure enjoyment of this feature couldn't be acheived by anyone else other than Studio Ghibli.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| The widely professed "masterpiece" that was one of the turning points for anime. Spirited Away would've hailed as Miyazaki's prime works.
A mix between tradition and abstract concepts, it has shown innovation of what today's anime sadly lacks. Well, let's try to hear how I can describe the movie in every category.
Animation...for something as vague and mysterious as this show, it's a relief that they didn't make it overly flashy in terms of effects like explosions; just simple yet eye-catching, they even made running exciting, now that's a sign of great animation work. Character designs are typical of Ghibli's others. Smooth, clean and not too pretty for most characters. This should be a standard since this is aimed for the kids. :P
I must say, I never had foreseen less in music when it comes to a studio as credited as Studio Ghibli and I was right. Spirited Away is well known for its musical pieces. In fact, it's more than half of the show is dedicated to music. There is no OP, but the ED was okay somehow. A very simple yet fitting to conclude such an adventure of a lifetime. Voices are as one would predict, good, but nothing compared to the BGM of the movie.
A rare gem in its fairly recent times, Spirited Away should be commended for having such wonderful and imaginative plot and the intended audience was to children of elementary age and still impressed people of all ages. The story is vague and does not explain much on how its going, basically just events of what Chihiro, the main character, experiences. Execution was done very well and left you surprised most of the time. Hail Miyazaki for such a masterpiece.
Okay, this department actually fails for Spirited Away. Besides Chihiro, characters aren't very fleshed out. I know it's not necessary, but I think a score of this would be deserving because the only person that you really feel here is a ten year old girl. That alone doesn't help its overall lacking of character depth.
A must have in your collection. Even if you aren't a fan of Miyazaki or Ghibli, you should give this a chance. Amongst, the deteriorating quality of anime as years go by, why not keep this as a reminder of how anime was better than before.
Frankly, I am utterly amazed at how such modern times that I have still seen real talent. This is definitely something that the whole family will enjoy. You'll laugh, cry (histerically or emotionally whatever.) and be inspired on how the potential of Japanese animation can possibly achieve.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
|
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This is the first and last time i will ever give a perfect score. How can I not? Its a Miyazaki masterpiece. This is the 1st Miyazaki anime i watched and its the reason I started to watch his other works.
Its hard to explain why i love this movie so much, everything from the hand drawn animation to the wonderful music of Joe Hisaishi (who is my fav. composer), everything in this movie seemed to appeal to me perfectly. It was imaginative, beautiful, interesting, breath-taking and magic. A must watch for anyone who loves animation.
Overall, this movie is by far the best anime or animation i have ever watched. I think its Miyazaki best work (Although i've only watched four: Spirited, Mononoke, Totoro and Howl), i even favor this film over the ever so popular Mononoke Hime. Its the magic of Miyazaki at full force!
I will nv understand y this isn't one of the top 10 anime....
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Ayumi |
2006-08-09 17:27:31 |
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This movie.... I think this was the movie that opened me up to the world of anime. Something about it though. It made me fall in love with it. I would say this movie is better then another film by Miyazaki Princess Mononoke.
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Rebel |
2006-07-31 20:36:26 |
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Amazing. I loved the whole thing. I watched it a lot. In english, in japanese with subs. It was just an awesome anime.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| this is modern original version of Lewis Carol's Alice In Wonderland,I mean, it deservs that value
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Ch1pPy |
(2006-06-28 02:14:53) 2006-06-12 16:33:14 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Due to the enormous amount of awards it recieved, and for winning [Best Animated Feature] at the [75th Academy Awards], I was really excited to watch this movie.
And it did lived up to its name, I was not dissapointed at all, not.. at.. all. Master Film Maker [Hayao Miyazaki] did an amazing job!
[Bizzare], out of this world, and yet, simple, that's how i describe it, I may not make sense to you but thats really what I think,seriously.Its like a combination of Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland. Its very entertaining from start to finish, enough said.
I love watching the protagonist [Chihiro Ogino/Sen] matured from a whiny, self-centered, and pessimistic child to a hard-working, helpful, optimistic young woman.
The [Animation] was outstanding! to think this was [Hand-drawn] amazing, it's way ahead of its time.
Well, now I understand why it's the highest-grossing film in Japanese history.
Simplicity and untainted beauty is how u describe this classic, [Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away] simply AMAZING!
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| Average |
6.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| A good family movie, and an interesting watch, but Spirited Away is simply not as powerful or moving as other anime epics, such as Princess Mononoke.
The story was very jumpy, though a bit of the eccentricity of the plot and characters was both confusing and interesting at the same time. The lack of background on some of the characters and lack of knowledge about the workings of the world was a hinderance to the understanding of the whole movie, but the plot did move forward without much filler.
Overall, while I enjoyed the movie and recommend it to others, it isn't a movie I would watch again, though the animation was suberb.
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|
|
| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| This was the secon studio Ghibli movie I ever watched. I did so after Princess Mononoke, which I think exeeds this one.
I understand why it got so much international praise. Since it is a really magical story, that is certainly viewable and lovable for the whole family.
But in comparison with Princess Mononoke and other studio Ghibli films, I think it lacks in feeling. And the story, although touching, isn't as much of an adventure, as I've come to expect from Ghibli films.
Still, a great movie, a high Ghibli movie standard. And that really says it all folks.
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| For me, spirited away (124min) was a mixed bag... that is to say a lot i liked and a lot that made little sense to me. the main character sin was a nice character, although she went through a dramatic change almost from the start of the movie. she is against wandering around and eating the food but then randomly decides to wonder off by herself. (I thought this was way out of character, because the story introduces her as a scairdy cat which is why she went along with her parents in the first place)
the animation really disturbed me and partially ruined the story for me because little things that they did with the animation distracted me (I know, shame on me for my limited view/imagination)
for instance, the witches had gigantic heads and small bodies. I mean come on, that witch could have eaten sin in one bite. (I dont know, maby thats how they picture witches in japan? w/e)
the story was good, but it was pretty choppy in that it kinda jumped from one idea to the next and didnt take enough time to properly develope the themes. I mean if what sin had was true love for haku than i have found true love with practially half the girls i have ever met.
despite my complaints, I enjoyed this anime a lot, because it was immaginative and you couldnt guess what was going to happen next. there was just a feal to the movie that drew me in and kept me watching. this movie is deffinatly worth your time.
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j dog |
(2006-02-27 16:40:44) 2006-02-27 16:37:59 |
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| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This is the most entertaining anime anything i have seen. The whole movie made me gave me everything i wanted. This is one of my favorite movies of all time including the non-anime movies.
ANIMATION:
I gave the animation a 10 because the backgrounds are amazing and nothing could stand up against it. The faces and movement of characters is amazing also
SOUND:
I totally love the sound and music in this movie. I the way that they included everything and the voice of the main character was perfect (japanese voice).
STORY:
As I said about the most entertainment, i guess this is the category for that. Everything that was in the movie was needed in the movie, nothing was a waste of time. The main character and her experiences are brilliant, whoever the writer is they are the coolest.
CHARACTER:
I gave the character part a 9 because of the awesome main character, but the other characters in the movie were not built as perfectly as the main character. The main character was the total dominance
VALUE:
The value of the movie was obviously a ten. Everyone else likes it and I dont know anyone who doesnt like it. It is the obvious worth buying. Everyone who enjoys watching anime should watch this no matter what.
ENJOYMENT:
This is also with the entertaining part. You cant stop watching this. I wanted it to be a series so i could enjoy it more.
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