Kokuriko-zaka kara
For some reason, Ghibli’s adaptation turned this style into this. But okay, nobody would really want an 80s manga adaptation which looks like one. Somehow outdated drawing and animation styles are sooo not cool – but outdated stories do not appear to be.
In fact, story-wise, I would almost presume that Ghibli’s film is even more outdated than its original, which is probably a pure love-story, overflowing with emotions, irrationally dramatic scenes and lots of crying. The Ghibli adaptation looks and feels like a modern tale, which both main characters being very straight-forward, honest and ready to take action into their own hands. But at the same time, there is this underlying glorification of those who died in the war, the 60s setting which is still strongly immersed in the spirit of older times – ewww. Apart from that, the film has many faults – the storyline is too slow, the characters are too perfect, the only conflict in the whole film is resolved in the most boring manner possible. There are some directional mistakes, or awkward scenes which I think the older Miyazaki or Takahata would never have made.
In light of Ghibli’s past, it is remarkable that “Kokuriko-zaka kara” (in the following Coquelicot) is a typical slice of life. Howl’s Moving Castle was a most unlucky film. There are only a few Ghibli films which I consider better (Spirited Away, Mononoke, Porco Rosso, Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies) and all of those films came before it. When I saw “Howl”, the memory of “Spirited Away” was still fresh, Ghibli’s absolute masterpiece, and I was disappointed by the “new” film which I thought was beautiful, creative but ultimately a little silly and too childish. Little did I know that the studio will go on to make 3 of their worst movies (Earthsea, Ponyo, Arrietty) only being overtaken in mediocrity by the stupid Ocean Waves. Ironically, Ocean Waves is the only entirely realistic film, whereas Earthsea, Ponyo and Arietty all have fantastic elements. From 2004 until today, I have almost given up on Ghibli. But really, compared to Ocean Waves which I have absolutely loathed for its selfish main female character, and the films between Howl and Coquelicot, I think that Coquelicot is doing an amazing job. It made me feel like such things as nice, happy Ghibli films exist after all. The characters and the storyline is pleasantly simple, and the beauty of the film lies in the detail – the clothes the characters wear, the dynamic way her braided hair is being animated, the food she prepares, the landscape and the depiction of an almost romantic Japanese village etc. etc.
Really, Coquelicot is exactly what Ghibli needed now. Now please go on making a sequel to Porco Rosso.