Well, what a marvellous way to end my run of attendances over the last few years at these Ghibli festivals. In the past I had avoided this and some of the other films more aimed at the young as the versions they showed invariably seemed to be dubbed and I much prefer a subtitled one. But this, as with others was the subtitled one and it was magical..in every sense of the word. The major Ghibli themes were there...a noted anti-war sense, people learning about the selves and the importance of being honest with yourself and others. The visuals were as magical as ever and the humour,verbal and visual was a delight. The castle in particular was a marvel, with a strongly steampunk vibe and the worlds that were created we as ever, pretty familiar and yet strangely odd...a clever combination that this studio seems to have got off pat. Many other films of that era get one or the other but it is rare to have the two In balance as they usually are here.
Magic as ever.