Ghost in the Shell: Arise

Prequels are usually pointless, telling storylines that we already know and cashing-in on the popularity of previous films. If you look at it from this perspective, which I am, prequels are often lazy attempts to milk that cash cow dry!

Any new GITS (haha, gits) variation, therefore, is always going to be compared to what came before it - supposedly what comes after it. The original films by Mamoru Oshii are standards by which a lot of anime is set, complemented by the two strong 'GITS: Stand Alone Complex' series by Kenji Kamiyama. So, as I've stated I'm going to do this, I will compare the new incarnations to the previous works, because I'm like that.

To start, the look of the animation and character design is very much more aligned with the 'Stand Alone Complex' TV series and this is not necessarily a bad thing. The lead characters have obviously been designed to look younger, with the greatest age difference seeming to come in Major Kusunagi's character, looking more like an obnoxious schoolgirl than anything.

Secondly: the sound. Whether the previous films or TV series, the music has always been strong in 'Ghost in the Shell', but here it is altogether more bizarre. 'Stand Alone Complex' had good music, but was a big step down from Kenji Kawai's original soundtracks. And the 'GITS: Arise' offerings are a further step down. The opening credits are what sounds like the result of a fan staying up all night on their computer with some completely non-descript pieces throughout. With the opening credits, immediately you feel that this is not going to be as good as what came before.

Lastly, the storylines: With both 'Border 1: Ghost Pain' and 'Border 2: Ghost Whispers', the storylines are quite political and quite uninteresting. Neither particularly grabs the attention and can lead to moments of distraction along the way. Perhaps the problem is the duration of these prequels. At around fifty minutes each, they do not offer the ability to delve as deep as the films, nor offer bite-size storylines in a more grand arc, like 'Stand Alone Complex'.

For me, this is probably the key failing. Oshii's films were visual feasts, offering moments of reflection and philosophy in between lavish pieces of animation, getting into the psychology of its characters. The two TV series also developed interesting storylines over their twenty-six episodes. Depth and detail are what made 'Ghost in the Shell' so interesting. 'Arise' just seems to lack this a little.

All-in-all, the 'Arise' series of prequels just doesn't create enough interest, other than being a new take on a well-established franchise. They will always be compared to what came before them: it will always happen. One can only hope the next instalment, 'Ghost Tears' will offer something more. But currently, they feel little more than a couple of 'GITS: SAC' episodes - and not particularly your favourites - that don't do quite enough to stand alone. 

The Wind Rises

I think 'Howl's Moving Castle' was the first feature-length film that was announced as being Miyazaki's last. But ten years and two feature films later, has the great director finally decided to call it a day? With 'Ponyo' since being his second last ever film, now 'The Wind Rises' is the next film to make the claim and, given its subject matter and style, is probably as good a place as any to call it a day.

Telling the story of real-life human: Japanese aeronautics engineer Horikoshi Jiro, designer of Japanese fighter planes used during the Second World War. Now, this is always going to be a touchy subject matter to tackle and would seemingly be a move away from his previous films. However, Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki himself have previously made films as serious and adult in theme as this. But what this does mean is that some of the more mythical elements of his previous films are not present.

With a brief look at his childhood years, the film quickly moves to his time at University before his starting work at the Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Company, where he would start to design war planes. But, fear not. This is not a biopic that could have been made as a live-action film full of dull moments. Looking at his dreams, we follow Jiro's desire to create beautiful flying machines from a young age. But, as the film progresses and the reality of designing planes as an engineer during war time, the dreams become visions of the destruction his creations will bring. Numerous references are made to life's ironies throughout, and this is the one apparent by the film's conclusion.

While all of his film's have an appeal to adults as well as children, 'The Wind Rises' feels more adult: less happy in its ending and more along the lines of Ghibli's other wartime film, 'Grave of the Fireflies'.

But, the magic is still there. 'The Wind Rises' is positive in its telling of a boy's dream to create what he loves and how Jiro's intentions were only ever to do good, rather than a desire to destroy, ending with an emotional finale, feeling an appropriate place for Miyazaki to call it a day. But, as 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'Ponyo' have proved, never say 'never.'