https://youtu.be/gh4rqs62pL8 Original Japanese trailer with Japanese subtitles; all others had dreadful American dubbing.
This is one of the very few Studio Ghibli films that I had not seen. I (still) vividly recall the wonderful Studio Ghibli Festivals that the E Street Landmark cinemas regularly had when living in DC – two films a day, and sometimes on both Saturday and Sunday.
When this started, the film seemed to be exclusively aimed at a very young audience, but as it unfolded, hidden depths became apparent and it turned out to be a marvellous and satisfying dramatic experience. The theme of preservation of the world and nature was the main one, as it often is in the studio’s films but it was masterfully combined with personal/family drama. A temporarily) absent parent seems to be a common theme in these films with the child having to step up and live aspects of their life on their own.
The mystical elements did work – initially I was a little doubtful but these doubts were soon put to rest as I was swept up in the emotional story. It gave a much greater depth to the story. I also loved the depiction of the elderly residents of the care home, a characteristically Japanese characteristic with their great reverence and respect for the elderly – and it was lovely at the end that the women kept their restored physical ability even after the magician’s spell had expired and nature returned to normal. There were definite shaed of Midsummer Night’s Dream with the natural world being disordered through the actions of people – humans, in this case, rather than those from the realm of faery. They were still able to run vigorously up to the home and were not confined to their wheelchairs. A lovely touch.
Good to see that the majority of Ghibli are on Netflix.