2D anime can often get away with this (although Ghibli usually avoids keeping characters still for too long). When they stand still, characters appear too still – simply frozen models. These moments are perhaps the worst for the film, and the issue does occasionally bleed over into other characters. In certain shots, Aya’s face seems lacking in shading and overly plasticky, sliding into the uncanny valley. The aspect that I believe has most put people off is the facial animation. It’s hard to label the animation as either a complete success or a complete failure. I was willing to give Goro a chance to display why he likes to work in computer graphics. Goro has shown a preference for CG since his well-received cel-shaded TV show Ronja the Robber’s Daughter. However, the true value of Ghibli’s storytelling is not limited to visual presentation alone. I’ll be the first to admit that I almost always prefer Ghibli’s lovingly hand-drawn house style over CG animation. The object of so much discussion and derision, Earwig’s CG-styling is neither blessing nor curse. So, let’s get to the CG elephant in the room: the animation. The Magic of Animation? It's hard to label the animation as either a complete success or a complete failure. ![]() See the details on Miyazaki Goro’s new film, Earwig and the Witch!Ou… Find out more about Earwig and the Witch and Goro via our video on its initial announcement. Ghibli Announces Miyazaki Goro’s Third Film: Earwig and the WitchĪfter a six-year-long hiatus, the legendary animation studio is entering a real revival. The result is a somewhat whimsical, amiable adventure on a surprisingly small scale for Ghibli – even when compared to their other TV film, the slice-of-life Ocean Waves. Now trapped inside of a strangely bewitched house, assisting the unkind Bella Yaga with her spells – and warned to never, under any circumstances, bother the Mandrake – Aya decides to use her wits to once again come out on top. She’s managed to expertly manipulate friends and adults around her and seems to honestly love her life at the orphanage.Īll that changes, however, when the witch Bella Yaga and the towering, spindly Mandrake arrive at the orphanage to adopt Aya. Mischievous, though not in an especially cruel way, Aya likes things to go the way she wants. Despite her unfortunate beginnings, she makes the most of her childhood. Aya is left at an orphanage doorway as a baby. The story, which feels like it hews more closely to the source material than Ghibli’s usual adaptations, revolves around foundling Aya (the titular Earwig in the original novel). who subsequently recommended Goro adapt Earwig. Goro’s father had previously adapted Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle into what became one of the studio’s most successful films it was Miyazaki Sr. Flying Close to the GroundĮarwig and the Witch adapts a short novel by the late Diana Wynne Jones, beloved and highly prolific British author. ![]() The answer, I feel, is: mostly – with some major caveats. So, how does Earwig stack up? Is it enough for Goro to finally redeem himself in the eyes of even his most trenchant haters? Has its use of CGI been vindicated? With the film’s airing on NHK (the movie is Ghibli’s first created for television since 1993’s Ocean Waves), however, audiences can finally move from preconceived notions to actual assessments of the movie. The combination of elation at the return of Ghibli, the habitual side-eyeing of Goro, and the shift from Ghibli’s beloved hand-drawn animation style to CGI have led to a great deal of pre-judgment being leveled at Earwig. Most controversial of all, however, is the TV film’s medium: CG animation. Goro’s previous work has prompted strong reactions, and for some, even having his name attached to a film is enough to elicit derision. It also represents the third film by Miyazaki Goro, son of Japan’s most famous living director and worldwide icon, Miyazaki Hayao. Positively, it signals the studio’s return from its longest-ever period without releasing a new film, which is cause for celebration. For fans of Studio Ghibli, Japan’s internationally beloved animation house, that extended absence came to an end Wednesday evening with the airing of the studio’s first in-house film in over half a decade: Earwig and the Witch (アーヤと魔女).Įarwig has been the cause for both excitement and perhaps over-exaggerated grumbling. There’s a lot to love with Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki Goro’s foray into 3D animation – but also a lingering sense of incompleteness.Our main site: Six years is a fairly long time to be without something you love. Review: Ghibli’s Earwig and the Witch (Aya to Majo)
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