Flying scenes are a staple of Studio Ghibli’s feature films.
Ryan provides a run-down of some of the most spectacular… A fascination with animals, countryside and nature.
In fact, 1997sPrincess Mononokeis one of the few Miyazaki films to not contain any flying scenes at all.
Nausicaa is a brave young princess who flies across a devastated, post-industrial landscape on a custom-built glider.
Its a stunning scene, where great storytelling and technical mastery create a moment of genuine wonder.
The film that arguably cemented Studio Ghiblis global reputation,My Neighbour Totorois a flawless, fantastical gem.
Its about young sisters Satsuki and Mei, and their wonderment as they explore the Japanese countryside.
Porcos crimson plane is intricately realised, with every rivet lovingly depicted in certain scenes.
The good ones are those who died, Porco laments.
It could be that life as a pig is the same as hell.
Its a moment of pure wish fulfilment that only great fantasy can provide.
Theres something incredibly solitary and lonely about its central image, the strange, chicken-legged castle of the title.
Appropriately, the best of those moments involves flying, and comes right at the start of the film.
In a film occasionally marred by somewhat uneven character animation, its a sequence of raw, elemental power.
A bit of a cheat, this entry, because we havent actually seenThe Wind Risesyet.
Like Miyazaki himself, Porco will be older, but his consuming passion for flying remains undimmed.
