The Wind Rises

poorbabydabi Mar 8, 2014

9

Story | 8/10Fast-paced telling of a story that emphasizes the significance of dreams. "The Wind Rises" also leaves one in awe of the technological development of Tokyo, Japan during World War II. Though I found some parts of the story could have been a little further elaborated, the film itself is still a masterfully told tale.  The story of "The Wind Rises" takes place during the era of World War II. So it is a film that very well presents to the Western audience one of the Japanese perspectives during WWII. This movie also presents two sides of the same coin: a development of a romantic relationship and the growth of a genius Japanese aeronautical engineer named Jiro. I found the story's developments to be well-knitted together. Which I find, is just as expected of its famous director, Hayao Miyazaki.  Animation | 9/10The animation was simply beautiful. The animation staff of Studio Ghibli are very talented at animation and were clearly well-directed by Miyazaki, of course. I loved all of the colours and details in the backgrounds. The character designs are a classic style.Fluid and smooth animation. Like all previous movies by Studio Ghibli, "The Wind Rises" has beautiful enough animation to captivate any lover of animated films! I also think Studio Ghibli done thorough research for certain technology designs in the film (such as what a standard war plane looked like). Sound | 8.5/10The music was beautiful, but in a couple of scenes an instrumental song or two felt somewhat unfitting to me. Still, this film contains very fitting music for the era the setting takes place in. I recommend this film for any fans of classical or orchestral music, as well as fans of traditional Japanese music. Characters | 8/10The characters were loveable and likeable for me. It honestly felt like there was no reason to dislike any of the characters. Because of how likeable the characters all were, I think "The Wind Rises" may be one of the films with the best character development, or at the very least, best use of characters. It's just the character development was rather subtle, so it seemed the characters continued having the same temperament and personalities well into adulthood. However, we still see Jiro's growth as an engineer and designer of airplanes. We viewers also get to watch the gradual development of Jiro's romantic relationship.  Overall | 9/10I am giving this final Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece a good 9 out of 10 stars. I really enjoyed this film. Like many anime movies, it makes you laugh and cry. I recommend this film to those who like history, Japanese culture, anime in general, etc. Again, I found it to be a fast-paced story that can easily captivate anyone who's watching. The movie itself is not as vivid in colours and submersed in fantasy as "Howl's Moving Castle" or "Spirited Away," but is still yet another wonderful film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Any fan of Studio Ghibli will love this movie!

CaseyJewels Jan 27, 2017

8.5

This was a beautiful movie. The animation was beautiful, the characters were great, and the story was one I had never seen told before. A lot of attention is given to Germany in the years leading up to WWII, but I've never heard Japan's side of the story. I loved watching as Japan tried to rebuild itself and as they tried to stay in the flight race. Most of all, what I loved was Jirou. He knew his dream from a young age, and it was the pursuit of his dream that really drew me in. He is extremely smart, but the way is not easy for him, with Japan trying to recover from the first world war. Still, he never gives up, and his enjoyment of flight is presented in such a way that is is easy for anyone to be excited with him. Then there's Naoko. I loved her. She added a bit of romance to the story, and she and Jirou were so cute together. I was rooting for them the whole time. The ending left me feeling bittersweet. I loved almost everything about the movie, but that bit near the end... Why did that have to happen? While it wasn't a flaw, it did make me enjoy this movie just a little bit less. But I'll probably still buy this movie. I want to rewatch the movie to make sure, but I do think it's one of my favorite Miyazaki films. It left me with such a sense of magic and wonder.

kawaiiscribbles Feb 14, 2016

10

I have loved Studio Ghibli movies my entire life and this one did not disappoint. The scenery and character animation was breathtaking and imaginative while still staying true to the historical setting. The story had a calm pace, but it never left me bored. Jiro's accomplishments from childhood to manhood were masterfully told through following his everyday life, but the viewers were not excluded from his hopes and dreams. The love story in this film was natural and beautiful, but laced with hardship, as life usually is. The ending left me with a sorrowful, yet peaceful ache--I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way. Content wise, there are a few instances of strong language, but otherwise it is completely clean. Overall, a magnificent film. Definitely worth watching.