i haven't seen all the ghibli films yet (something i'm going to work on today actually!) but i wholly disagree with any ghibli plot being "simple" whatsoever. hind sight is 20/20, so if you think you could run out and create a ghibli-par film, have at it. aesthetically, i think ghibli beats disney 100%. the landscapes and scenery in every ghibli flim are breathtaking, often expertly contrasting whatever trivial or light hearted sequence currently occurring during the film. i don't think one could notice every intricate detail in a ghibli movie without watching it at least five times.
disney may be eager to create their villains, but those villains don't have much depth past "obvious bad guy, obvious bad guy motive." if you've ever watched howl's moving castle, you're not really sure who is bad/good until the very end of the movie, as everyone has their own motives and back stories that slowly unravel throughout the film. i wouldn't say ghibli more so shies away from creating dastardly villains, but moreso that they're "realistic" villains and less magical ones, if that makes sense. like, jaffar is an obvious villain who wants to rule the kingdom himself and rule the world once he becomes a genie - in howl's moving castle there's moreso a gaggle of villains, the ruling kingdom that howl left (i've only seen this film once, so i can't really recall specific character names) and the fat lady that cursed sophie. those are all interpersonal relations and conflicts though, and so as a whole it's a 'villainous scheme' but there isn't one clear cut antagonist.
TOTORO is probably the "simplest" and most definitely the cutest of the ghibli flims, without any real villain at all - and perhaps no real plot at all. you're taken into the lives of two girls struggling to adjust to a new life, while their mother remains sick, and somehow come to appreciate/communicate with nature in a way they never thought possible, but deeply respected all the same. it's a very feel good movie, and even the mere stress of mei's being missing is tragic, as would anyone feel if a small, helpless member of their family had gone missing in an attempt to matter, to help their sick mother because they too care just as much!
disney is really good at highlighting moral tones and ideas for kids - ghibli is really good at doing the same for all ages, and overall has a much more mature tone and understanding of human character/does a better job of humanizing animals and their personalities.
ALSO, i find it kind of disgusting how nearly every disney film doesn't have a mother figure - she's either mysteriously gone, dead, or isn't mentioned at all. like what the fuck. the only mother that sticks around the entire movie is simba's mother, but she's a fucking tiger, so who cares. jasmine's mother is never once mentioned (i'm pretty sure??) i think ariel's mother is mentioned maybe once (and actually exists in later sequels, but who cares) bambi's mother dies within the first 20 minutes, cinderella is stuck with her awful STEP mother and step sisters, bell only has her eccentric father, etc. at least ghibli appreciates both parents.
disney may be eager to create their villains, but those villains don't have much depth past "obvious bad guy, obvious bad guy motive." if you've ever watched howl's moving castle, you're not really sure who is bad/good until the very end of the movie, as everyone has their own motives and back stories that slowly unravel throughout the film. i wouldn't say ghibli more so shies away from creating dastardly villains, but moreso that they're "realistic" villains and less magical ones, if that makes sense. like, jaffar is an obvious villain who wants to rule the kingdom himself and rule the world once he becomes a genie - in howl's moving castle there's moreso a gaggle of villains, the ruling kingdom that howl left (i've only seen this film once, so i can't really recall specific character names) and the fat lady that cursed sophie. those are all interpersonal relations and conflicts though, and so as a whole it's a 'villainous scheme' but there isn't one clear cut antagonist.
TOTORO is probably the "simplest" and most definitely the cutest of the ghibli flims, without any real villain at all - and perhaps no real plot at all. you're taken into the lives of two girls struggling to adjust to a new life, while their mother remains sick, and somehow come to appreciate/communicate with nature in a way they never thought possible, but deeply respected all the same. it's a very feel good movie, and even the mere stress of mei's being missing is tragic, as would anyone feel if a small, helpless member of their family had gone missing in an attempt to matter, to help their sick mother because they too care just as much!
disney is really good at highlighting moral tones and ideas for kids - ghibli is really good at doing the same for all ages, and overall has a much more mature tone and understanding of human character/does a better job of humanizing animals and their personalities.
ALSO, i find it kind of disgusting how nearly every disney film doesn't have a mother figure - she's either mysteriously gone, dead, or isn't mentioned at all. like what the fuck. the only mother that sticks around the entire movie is simba's mother, but she's a fucking tiger, so who cares. jasmine's mother is never once mentioned (i'm pretty sure??) i think ariel's mother is mentioned maybe once (and actually exists in later sequels, but who cares) bambi's mother dies within the first 20 minutes, cinderella is stuck with her awful STEP mother and step sisters, bell only has her eccentric father, etc. at least ghibli appreciates both parents.
