Noticed something weird about how people talk about Ghibli movies lately

I was at an anime meetup in Portland last week and someone said Spirited Away was "overrated" and like 5 people nodded along. Three years ago that would have gotten you kicked out of the room. It seems like newer fans are more into talking about which movies are bad or good instead of just enjoying the art or the stories. Has anyone else seen this shift at local events or is it just my group?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas2911mo ago

Man I used to be one of those people who would've argued that EVERY Ghibli movie was PERFECT and calling anything overrated was basically blasphemy. But honestly seeing that shift at your meetup makes me reconsider. I was at a con last year and someone pointed out that Howl's Moving Castle has a really messy second half and I wanted to fight them but then I watched it again and... they were RIGHT. The whole war subplot just disappears for like 40 minutes. Maybe newer fans aren't being haters they're just being honest about what actually works in these movies. Like I still love Spirited Away but pretending it's flawless does nobody any favors.

linda6581mo ago

Yeah that Howl's Moving Castle thing is such a good example, the pacing in the back half really does fall apart once you notice it. Maybe the whole "every Ghibli movie is perfect" thing was always more about the warm fuzzy feeling they give you than the actual storytelling.