"...when the bells rings, the angel will fly..."

— by Carl Davis

From the time Disney's "Snow White" first hit the big screen seven decades ago, the animated film has been a mainstay of popular culture — in the U.S. and around the globe. Nowhere is this more true than in Japan, where animation has become so stylized and sophisticated that its particular contribution to the genre has earned its own name: anime.

One of the modern masters of anime is Hayao Miyazaki, and it's no wonder that the filmmaker (often called the "Walt Disney of Japan") and his legendary studio, Ghibli, partnered up with Disney's Miramax to release his impressive collection of films here in the U.S. Beginning with 1997's "Princess Mononoke," to the most recent release of his latest flight of fancy, "Howl's Moving Castle," Miramax has been offering up Miyazaki's works to audiences in both the original Japanese and all-star dubbed versions. Whatever language its characters speak, the release of a new Miyazki movie is no small matter, and "Howl's Moving Castle" marks an excellent opportunity to look back at some of the greatest anime features of all time.


"Appleseed" (2004)




The year is 2131 A.D., and the world has been devastated by years of war. Now, the remnants of humanity and their greatest creation, the genetically engineered "bioroids," are trying to rebuild society. Smarter and stronger than humans, but also sterile, the bioroids have built the technological utopia of Olympus. When humans attack the bioroid-controlled city, the mercenary Deunen and her cyborg lover, Briareos, are forced to choose sides. The meditations on existence take a backseat to the non-stop action in this visually groundbreaking, big-budget, theatrical remake of Masamune Shirow's manga (comic book) of the same name. Director Shinji Aramaki's film combines traditional hand-drawn animation with cutting-edge computer technology in a process called "cel-shading." This technique gives the film a more fluid look and much greater depth than 2-D animation alone and could help to revolutionize the future of anime.


"Spirited Away" (2001) / "Princess Mononoke" (1997)




Miyazaki won an Oscar in 2003 for "Spirited Away," his anime masterpiece. Still the highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, the movie tells the story of Chihiro, a young girl whose greedy parents are turned into pigs while she is put to work in a bizarre resort for a horde of monsters and demons. As much a critique on


rampant consumerism as it is an "Alice in Wonderland"-style adventure, Chihiro's journey is actually one of self-discovery, as she matures from a spoiled brat into a responsible, self-confident young woman. The theatrical release of "Princess Mononoke" helped to introduce Miyazki to a larger audience here in the U.S. Set in 14th-century Japan, the movie follows Ashitaka, who receives a fatal wound defending his village from a demon and must seek out the deer god, Shishigami, to help cure him. Along the way, he becomes embroiled in the battle between the wolf god, Moro, and the miners of Iron Town. San, a young girl who was raised by Moro, is his only hope of ending the conflict and finding Shishigami. Miyazki's message about the sacredness of the natural environment isn't lost among the action and violence — rather, it's handled with his trademark blend of beauty and sophistication.


"Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust" (2000)

The long-awaited sequel to the anime cult hit, "Vampire Hunter D," "Bloodlust" finds the titular anti-hero hired by a rich family to retrieve their young daughter from the vampire, Meier Link. This won't be easy, for in the year 12,090 A.D., vampires rule the night and their many minions keep them well-guarded. D, part human and part vampire, is not easily deterred — but neither is his competition, the Marcus brothers, a motley crew of hunters also contracted by the girl's family to increase chances of her return to safety. This anime is not for those with weak hearts or stomachs, as D must hack and slash his way through a never-ending horde of mutated monstrosities in order to rescue the girl and claim his reward.