Fans and critics alike celebrate the brilliant mind of Hayao Miyazaki. A Los Angeles film museum is about to feature the works of the Japanese animator and Studio Ghibli. And with the release of the 1988 movie "My Neighbor Totoro" in China this month, there are a lot of animated features Chinese people need to see.
According to the South China Morning Post, Miyazaki's animated features didn't have the chance to get screened in China because of its political tension with Japan. But with the prevalence of video piracy, some Chinese people are already familiar with these films. Given a chance, here are three famous classic Studio Ghibli movies that should be released in the country.
'Castle in the Sky' (1986)
"Castle in the Sky" is Studio Ghibli's first animated movie. It tells the story of two children trying to keep a magical crystal safe from military agents.
These two kids are also in an adventure to find the legendary floating castle. Despite its fighting scenes, "Castle in the Sky" is kid friendly as it doesn't feature any dead body.
'Spirited Away' (2001)
Miyazaki based 'Spirited Away' on his friend's, associate producer Seiji Okuda, 10-year-old daughter, who visits him every summer. It tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a young protagonist.
In "Spirited Away," Chichiro has to save his parents of getting cursed. As they accidentally enter a magical realm of spirits, their future is now in his hands.
'Princess Mononoke' (1997)
"Princess Mononoke" follows the story of a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka. The animated feature is set in Japan's Muromachi period (around 1336 to 1573).
Ashitaka gets involved in a battle between the forest gods and people who abuse the forests' resources. Just like in real life, "Princess Mononoke" shows the fight between the good and evil.
Aside from the release of Studio Ghibli's classic film in China, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the brainchild of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will finally open with an exhibit dedicated to Miyazaki. The museum is set to open its doors by the end of 2019 in Los Angeles, per SCMP.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will feature the "past, present, and future" of the film industry. It will give a detailed look beyond what viewers see on the screen and how it gets created.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures director Kerry Brougher said that aside from celebrating the genius mind of Miyazaki, the exhibit will also reflect the museum's global scope. The exhibit's curator Jessica Niebel added that they would take visitors on a thematic journey through the Japanese animator's world.
