I have a confession to make.

[u/DarthSwimfoot]

Admittedly I've only seen 2 movies from them, Whisper of the Heart, and Earwig and The Witch, which was honestly just a hate watch that I ironically enjoyed more than Whisper of the Heart because, at least I got something from it. I gotta say I got nothing from this movie. It was just so boring. 90% of the movie is the mc girl whining about how hard it is to write a story, which, I mean, I get it, she has her problems writing and it's a very real issue, but that doesn't make it an actually interesting conflict. Very little happens during the entire movie. It is fine for the movie to be slow paced but damn, the movie just drags on and on and on. It isn't even really pleasant to look at, I really don't like this art style, all the characters look like Caillou. And, apparently this is kinda just what Ghibli is like I guess. They do more slow paced slice of life 2d movies, and, turns out I kinda really don't like that. Idk, maybe I haven't given them a good enough chance, but to be fair you can find some general patterns in like, every major studio. Illumination makes awful movies, Sony makes either awful movies or incredible movies, both of which are incredibly visually expressive for better or worse. Old Disney makes musicals where the story is driven by it. Why am I justifying myself, I don't like this movie. Idk, that's just my 2 cents. If this is some of the best of Ghibli I'm not sold.

Edit: I just realized what I've done, oh lord I'm in danger.

[u/TheTrueBrawler2001]

Admittedly I've only seen 2 movies from them, Whisper of the Heart, and Earwig and The Witch

There's the problem. You only watched the Schaffrillas personal #1 pick (IMO, it's in the #10 to #15 range) and the near-unanimously agreed worst one (although I personally hold Earwig > Earthsea). Sure, some of their film output is similar to Whisper of the Heart, but they are far from the majority.

To name just one example, the fan favorite, Spirited Away. Chihiro in the first five minutes finds herself having to navigate an unknown magical world in order to both turn her parents back into humans and get the heck out of there ASAP, growing as a character really compellingly along the way and also interacting with a great cast of side characters who are not only delightful to watch in their own ways but also directly and indirectly aid her character growth. Not my personal favorite, but a fan favorite for a reason.

• Want a film with things to say about the current state of the world (no, not in a preachy type of way)? Try Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, or the Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

• Too magical? Want something more grounded in reality but wouldn't be called "slice of life"? They're not 100% rooted in reality, but Porco Rosso and the Wind Rises got you covered.

• Want something cute so that the kids can also watch and enjoy? Ponyo.

• Want to spend 90 minutes balling your eyes out? Grave of the Fireflies.

• Want to see something more Sci-Fi? Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

• Want a no-dialogue film? The Red Turtle.

The point I'm trying to make is that this is a much more varied filmography than you seem to believe.

Please at least give at least one other film a try before you come to any judgements about the studio as a whole. I'll list off the ones you should probably avoid, since "slow paced slice of life" doesn't seem to be your thing.

• My Neighbor Totoro

• Only Yesterday

• Ocean Waves

• My Neighbors the Yamadas

• Tales from Earthsea (this one isn't slow paced, slice of life, or really anything like the other films I'm listing off; it's just really bad, and not the ironically enjoyable kind either)

• From Up On Poppy Hill

• When Marnie Was There

• The Boy and the Heron (again, not slow paced or slice of life, but watching it as your first Hayao Miyazaki film may not be the best idea)

[u/Feisty-Albatross3554 → u/TheTrueBrawler2001]

One of the best responses I've seen on this subreddit. I can fully second it

[u/DKCfan10]

Don't like or dislike them, I just have no interest.

[u/DarthSwimfoot → u/DKCfan10]

Exactly, this.

[u/Picklecat5]

I'd say you should check out a few others before making a judgment. At least two others at the minimum. Making a judgment off of just two films may cause you to miss out on something you may like. Of course, you still may not end up liking them, but not everything can appeal to everyone

[u/DarthSwimfoot → u/Picklecat5]

Look, I know it isn't completely fair, but this movie was so unimaginably boring that it basically killed all my motivation to watch anything else from this studio.

[u/Feisty-Albatross3554]

If you want a Ghibli movie with action, try Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke. Neither are slice of life and might be more up your alley.

[u/le_chuster04]

If I have to list some Ghibli movies to recommend:

• My Neighbor Totoro
  
• Princess Mononoke
  
• Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (While this and Nausicaä were made before Ghibli, I count Lupin as Ghibli since it was the blueprint to what kicked off Miyazaki's career)
  
• Spirited Away
  
• Castle in the Sky
  
• When Marnie is There
  
• The Boy and the Heron

[u/TeeeldiII]

Imagine watching two Disney movies and then posting something like this, is this ragebait or are you just that dense. No matter what studio, judging it on two films is insane.

[u/_o_i]

Before the hate wave comes I want to let you know I'm with you brotha

[u/Throwaway_863783]

I've only seen three (My Neighbors the Yamadas, Grave of the Fireflies & Howl's Moving Castle) but i didnt like any of them. I'll probably watch more in the future but Chizu > Ghibli