...what other's do you recommend, and for what age range?
Thanks!
Beth, to answer your question, I've seen 'em all. And love 'em all. They are far less creepy, IMHO, than Disney classics (sleeping beauty, anyone?) His films are beautiful, and speak of strength, magic, integrity and Love. Through fantasy, he shows true human conflicts/the human condition, and the end is always a message of hope and togetherness. Also, the way elders and women/girl children are depicted is fabulous. Some are l too intense for me wee ones. Other's are spot on. ;-)
None compare to Miyazaki ;)
I do like these:
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
The Secret of Kells
Anything by Makoto Shinkai (I think Miyazaki is his mentor/hero ???)
Spirits of the Past
Welcome To The Space Show
um what have you seen of his? some of his stuff isn't kid friendly because they can get really creepy.
ETA: I have a few that are my favorites that aren't really kid friendly.
Get Backers , Ah My Goddess , Steamboy, Tenchi , Ranma 1/2 , Read Or Die ( usually as ROD) , Scrapped Princess, Vandread. um the list goes on and on we are anime geeks.
For kids um I can't think of anythign that isn't main stream here in the US: Pokemon (yes it's Japanese) ,Yugioh orginal series, both good for 6+ both have the friendship, family , love conquers evil
ooo just remembered a couple more Hamtaro ( hamsters , so cute, both kids love it ) and Cardcaptor( 8+), Angelic Layer (prob 7+ )
Um if I remember more I'll edit again . feel free to message me if you have questions
But anything studio Ghibli is good but preview before you let the kids see it ( duh) Ghibli is Miyazaki's studio. Cat return's is Studio Ghibili , Whisper's of the Heart is it's prequeal some of it gets preachy though.
ETA again:
My fav Miyazaki is Howl's Moving Castle.
My kids own all of them - love them all. Hayao Miyazaki is a genius - his films surpass the American equivalents.
I took the kids to Tokyo to the Ghibli museum (where you can see his animation, etc)., pretty cool. Here's a few to get (I get mine on Amazon.com)
Kiki's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
Howl's Moving Castle
Totoro
Spirited Away
Ponyo
Porco Rosso
The Cat Returns
Grave of the Fireflies (so so sad)
All of them are great, and nothing questionable for kids that you would have to be concerned about.
Another Series my kids also like is Hamtaro (also look on amazon for the titles), very cute.
I haven't heard of these, I will have to check them out!
My absolute favorite is Lupin III Castle of Cagliostro (based on a Japanese TV show from the '70s/'80s). I also like Totoro. His stuff is strange and wonderful and some kids love it and some get creeped out, so it's hard to recommend an age range that's appropriate. I guess Totoro for the slightly younger set and Lupin III for the pre-teens/teens, IMO.
**Adding this:
Ephie, this is also good:
The Cat Returns
by Japanese animation Director, Hiroyuki Morita
-----------------
Yes, we like it.
My kids are 4 and 8 and have watched it.
The movie "Totoro" and Castle in the Sky...
I like it too.
It is, Japanese stories and animation.
Thus, there is a cultural, ethos to it. It is a different sense of adventure and stories.
Not like American kids animation. But similar bases of love & magic & hope & good or evil.
And choosing.
I have never found it 'creepy' nor have my kids.
Well, we love him...IDK that anyone else compares for kids.
I will have to think about that one for a bit.
Maybe this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485601/
It's a little scary/heavy though, so I'd say 8 and up.
I was going to recommend Read or Die, too, or Read or Dream the TV show....but definitely not for the kiddos. ;)
Have you seen Panda Go Panda?
Have you seen Ponyo? My kids love that movie. It is really cute, and very age appropriate (my kids are 8 and 6). And the animation is amazing.
My daughter and I love all his animes, especially My Neighbor Totoro. She's been watching Studio Ghibli films since she was about three or four, and has been in love with them since day one.
Others I can personally recommend have been mentioned already - The Secret of Kells, Cardcaptor Sakura, and of course all the other Miyazaki animes. Also, Pocoyo (more for preschool ages) or AstroBoy.
Another one I can recommend for any age is Chi's Sweet Home. It is actually a manga, but a television series based on the manga was produced in Japan, and episodes dubbed in English can be found online (youtube, or crunchyroll.com). I seriously recommend the books, though. Just lovely drawings and a sweet, sweet story about a kitten who gets lost but finds a new home with a young family.
There are several mentioned below that I haven't heard of. I'm going to add them to my Netflix queue now!
