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mayagmcculloch
Reviews
Sanzoku no musume Rônya (2014)
Loved it until they took it off Prime!
I watched this show during quarantine with my then 6 year old daughter and we both were charmed. The fact that it was technically a Ghibli production made it even better. It was a thoroughly enjoyable show, like Romeo and Juliet minus all the adult elements, age gap and romance.
It is extremely hard to find refreshing kids content that prioritizes nature and good lessons these days. That is why me and my daughter are constantly rewatching Totoro. This show fits that perfectly though. So when I randomly remembered this show the other day, I thought it was a perfect fall show and invited my now eight year old to watch it with me. So we sat down on the couch, queued up Amazon Prime (the streaming service it used to be on) and searched for it. But when we clicked on it, we got a nasty surprise! It says watch free with Prime, but when you click on that it only takes you to the trailer. So I scrolled down and saw that you can't play any of the episodes, only the freaking bonus trailer.
Apparently you have to pay 30 dollars to buy the complete season on Amazon and also 30 dollars if you want the DVD!
Amazon Prime has disappointed me by removing most of the enjoyable, educational children's content on there (the Long Long Holiday was another one we thoroughly enjoyed, then went to rewatch and it was gone). First HBO Max and Netflix screwed over animation by removing and canceling a batch of animated shows, and now Amazon Prime is repeating that! Take your money to Hulu or Disney+, or buy DVDs instead.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
An absolutely perfect show in every aspect.
This show should be required viewing for everyone from ages 8 to 100. I could rant about what makes it so perfect for days, but today I'll break down what's so special about it.
Animation: The animation is perfect. The battle scenes are so beautifully animated, but special shout out to Azula and Zuko's Agni Kai. The red against blue background is a gorgeously designed metaphor for good against evil. And the martial arts are flawlessly executed-if I didn't know better, with all their flips, slides and landings, I would think Azula and Zuko were Olympic gymnasts!
Story: Oh lord, where do I begin on the story? The story is so simple, but executed with such sweeping buildup. Every episode clicks together like a puzzle until you have a epic that could rival Lord of the Rings in amazingness. It goes to mature places for a cartoon marketed primarily towards kids, but does it in a way that is accessible and not too deep. In my opinion, this is one of the shows that broke the mold for what kids expect in terms of story in cartoons.
Characters: The character development in this show is off the charts! Katara goes from being a naive girl to a passionate young woman, Aang grows from a goofy little kid to a noble boy, Sokka learns about his worth, Zuko redeems himself, and Toph gains the courage to ask for help. The characters are relatably flawed, showing that even though they're children with magical powers, they still suffer from insecurities, hormones, bullying, unrequited crushes and mood swings.
Music: Jeremy Zuckerman's score is spellbinding. Avatar's Love and the main theme are the standouts. They are beautifully composed, and reflect the feeling at the root of this show. Zuckerman even won a well-deserved Peabody Award for his scorework.
Representation: Literally every character in this show is some kind of race other than white, so the representation is insane. Katara and Sokka are Inuit, Aang is Indian, Zuko is Japanese, and Toph and Suki are Chinese. So our main characters are all different races, which is a breath of fresh air. I'm glad that kids of all races have someone positive to see themselves in thanks to this show.
So, 10/10! This show is perfection in every way possible, and watching it feels like coming home. If only everyone could have access to this show....then the world would be a better place!
Shrek (2001)
I just bore witness to imagery no one should be exposed to
This movie is the most overrated animated movie of all time. I'm not even kidding. This movie is like the Friends of animated movies. Literally all it's about is a ogre doing random s**t with a sweet, funny donkey that deserves out of this situation fast. Honestly, it would be a million times better if the entire movie centered around the donkey; I would enjoy it a whole lot more. And let me just say that the ogre Fiona looks way better than human Fiona; human Fiona looks like she had 8 layers of Botox applied to her face. Literally though, she looks like a lighter-skinned, redheaded Kim Kardashian?
The point is, this movie is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and if you love it, you're blinded by childhood nostalgia. Miyazaki movies are way more worth your time, with their stunning imagery, amazing stories, and sweeping visuals.
Ryû to sobakasu no hime (2021)
A stunning treat.
Breathtaking animation, solid story, hauntingly beautiful songs-what's not to like here? Today I will break down the best aspects of this movie!
Animation- All stops out stunning. You can tell the animators poured their blood, sweat and tears into certain shots. The character designs-including Belle herself-range from gorgeous to adorable. This is an innovative step forward for Mamoru Hosoda, and I'm excited to see where he takes this new medium in anime next-if he does! Not to mention, the CGI makes Earwig and the Witch look like the hellish creation it is, and we love a good old Earwig exposè. (Because we all know the devil works hard, but Goro Miyazaki works harder.)
Story- While not as strong as the animation, it's definitely solid and some parts made me feel for the characters. For example, when (SPOILER) the mom drowned and (SPOILER AGAIN) the beast was revealed to be a boy who is frequently abused by his father. I rejoiced with the characters when the ending came, and the story and the songs blend seamlessly. I do wish we'd gotten a little more closure on the character of Justin, and what happened to the little boys.
Songs- The songs were equally haunting and toe-tapping. The real standouts were Gales of Song and Lend Me Your Voice, both performed perfectly by Katie McNeil. They totally make you buy into why everyone in the world of U loves and idolizes Belle so much. I honestly need to know the writer/composer of these songs stat, because they have an amazing ear for music.
Overall, I would recommend seeing this film if you get the chance-especially if you love anime, Mamoru Hosoda, or anything with gorgeous visuals.