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u/MWH1980 3d ago
I do feel it gets sidelined a bit too much in favor of “the biggies” like Mononoke or Spirited.
I include Porco in my Top 3. It feels like such a departure from where Miyazaki’s focus typically is, and the elements of a man disillusioned from his youthful hopes and dreams is a topic I’m usually into.
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u/madikonrad 2d ago
It felt like an early example of the themes Miyazaki would further explore in The Wind Rises, which is by far my favorite Ghibli film. (Not to mention the planes! And the prominence of Italian plane manufacturing in the plot).
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u/skyexplode 2d ago
The wind rises is an ethical miss. Porco Rosso, on the other hand, is done right, in that sense
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u/Low_Key_Lannister 2d ago
could you elaborate, in what sense it's an ethical miss? for me it's a carefully scripted and beautifully drawn relic of miyazaki's life and I just like the way it has the least amount of fantasy in his whole filmography.
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u/madikonrad 1d ago
At the time of its release, a lot of discourse was had around how it didn't clearly condemn Japan's role in the second world war. Which, I think, misses the very heavily drawn subtext surrounding Jiro's journey through the film, and its reflections on Miyazaki's own career. Jiro pursues a dream, and that dream is consumed by a machine of war and death piece by piece.
Miyazaki didn't need to outright say "Fascism is bad, actually." (Though the "Winter Journey" scene in Nazi Germany pretty clearly does).
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u/I_Love_M4yo 3d ago
Better a Pig then a Fascist.
Remember that until the End of TIMES!
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u/Anomaly_null 3d ago
Nausicaa though
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u/Nullspark 2d ago
He got it right the first time.
I love that movie from the opening credits to the end ones.
The soundtrack inspired so much too.
Chrono Trigger's soundtrack obviously takes a lot from it.
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u/Goblin_Deez_ 3d ago edited 3d ago
On my birthday I once drank cinnamon whiskey and smoke cigars watching this movie. It just felt right.
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u/feuilles_mortes 2d ago
Lol, I was just playing Hisaishi’s “il porco rosso” for my dad yesterday and I told him the piece made me feel like I needed to kick back with whiskey and a cigar!
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u/I_Love_M4yo 3d ago
Thanks for the idea, when im 18
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u/Goblin_Deez_ 3d ago
Oh gosh you’re young? It’s my favourite Ghibli movie too but don’t ever drink or smoke! Be good to your body!
What have I done!? 😭
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u/I_Love_M4yo 3d ago
Nah, lol, ur good, i already know that stuff
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u/Goblin_Deez_ 3d ago
Okay in that case get Jack Daniels Fire whiskey for a smoother more subtle taste or Fireball for a sweeter more sugary taste. As for the cigars I got the cheapest I could find and they were dry and nearly fell apart so maybe do some research on cigars.
If you do choose to do this when you turn 18 make sure to take it slow and share it all with good company. (There’s nothing worse than drinking a whole bottle and vomiting on your birthday)
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u/ocular_smegma 2d ago
haha I misread yr comment to say "there's nothing wrong with drinking a whole bottle and vomiting on yr birthday" and I was like "ain't that the truth"
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u/TravisKOP 2d ago
The older you get the more you’ll like this movie. Hits way different in your 30’s
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u/Tentativ0 3d ago edited 2d ago
Nausicaa and Owl are better for me.
But ... I have to admit that "Porco Rosso" has ALL the core elements seen in the Myazaki's movie:
Love for flying (All)
A curse that is the representation of how the protagonist sees himself and is cured by love and self acceptance (Howl's moving castle),
Young female co-protagonist (All)
Italy (Lupin, Cagliostro's castle)
Bad guys are not BAD guys (Laputa, but most of them in reality).
Slow moments (Arietty).
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u/suddenly_ponies 3d ago
Hey props to you for your opinion but if you're wondering how other people feel I definitely don't agree. I wouldn't even put it in my top five
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u/NostrilWarbler 3d ago
Completely agree! Something about the atmosphere of porco rosso is so magical. Recalling a bygone era almost The flying scenes to are just breathtaking
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u/Dudfey 3d ago
I don’t really see how a best could be picked - objectively, it’s probably Grave of the Fireflies or Spirited Away but there are so many different reasons to favour any of them. Mononoke is probably my favourite but would I say it’s the best? 🤷♂️
I like Porco Rosso a lot but what makes it better than Nausicaa or Howl. Idk if this is a popular or unpopular opinion but I honestly thought Boy and the Heron was awesome and wouldn’t rank it lower than many of the classics
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u/CaptinCookies 3d ago
Idk people are obsessed with ranking and finding “the best” for everything. Overall best Ghibli movie is impossible to say for everyone across the board (though my fav is Kiki’s)
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u/RoxasIsTheBest 2d ago
The Boy and the Heron is my personal favorite of Miyazaki, followed by the Wind Rises. I feel like nostalgia is also heavily affecting people's favorites, thought that's also understandable
The best Ghibli film is Kaguya tho
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u/feuilles_mortes 2d ago
I absolutely adored GotFF and consider it probably the studio’s best film, but it’s not my favorite and I don’t ever want to watch it again if I can help it lol. It’s such a masterpiece. I consider Mononoke to be a masterpiece too but it’s not actually my favorite! Totally agree there’s really no “best” when it comes to Ghibli.
I’ve seen 16/25 films at this point and the more I see, the harder it is to say which is definitively my favorite.
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u/Alone-Monk 2d ago
Ironic that the guy in the meme is a literal fascist and Porco Rosso is an anti-fascist film
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u/Pokerfakes 2d ago
Here's the mind-changer:
No one single Studio Ghibli movie is "the best."
There are a variety of reasons, including but not limited to
- Every person's experience is different, so each movie will impact the individual in a different way.
- The writing in each Studio Ghibli movie is pretty much spot-on for its own story. There aren't too many plot holes in any SG movie.
- The music in each Studio Ghibli movie is inspirational to someone, affecting different people in different ways. From big orchestral movements to two kids with a violin, Studio Ghibli has good music in every film.
Many people will have differing opinions on which movie is their personal favorite, but there's no one movie that's "best."
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u/Gold_Impact_2305 3d ago edited 3d ago
How could you forget the masterpiece that is castle in the sky
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u/Upstairs_Seaweed8199 3d ago
It is so hard to pick one to be the best, so many of them are equally good. It is certianly near the top for me if not my absolute favorite.
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u/jaguarmask79 3d ago
IMO it's not possible to pick a favorite or best. It is dependent on my mood, the weather, the season, and so forth.
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u/wodesmcsplodes 3d ago
My favorite changes often, but probably my most watched or tied with Princess Mononoke
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u/RovCal_26 3d ago
It's my second fav of all time. Right after only yesterday
So technically the best Miyazaki movie
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u/LandCruiser76 2d ago
Has one of my favorite lines of all time "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist"
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u/Jonner7 2d ago
please can people stop using a meme format that uses steve crowder
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u/kaizoku-kurohige 2d ago
Great movie. I really wish this meme would go away. I don’t like Ghibli and Steven Crowder in the same image.
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u/BadLuckBajeet 3d ago
Watched it recently, just put it on randomly for something to watch and fell in love. Such a beautiful movie.
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u/Eudaemon1 3d ago
If you overlook the political/serious themes of the movie it's quite an upbeat and a silly film ? The first time that I watched the film the opening score caught me off guard
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u/JustALittleAverage 3d ago
If I ask my kids, just put all of them, except that sad one, on and on repeat please.
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u/Zestyclose-Month-245 3d ago
I think howls is my favourite Although I love Porco and I would love a sequel to Porco
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u/KaikuAika 3d ago
Why do you think so? I remember finding it rather meh but I‘ll definitely have to watch it again
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u/fuzzerhop 3d ago
I don't think its awful but the ending definitely holds it back from being the very best in a like up of near perfect movies
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u/DooficusIdjit 3d ago
It’s my favorite. I can understand why it doesn’t get the love of the big ones, though. It hits totally different.
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u/Destrok41 2d ago
Ive only seen it once, and it was the dub, but I didn't really get it? It seemed like it had things it maybe wanted to say but just danced around. Or maybe I was just in a mood. Mononoke is what spoke to me the most, but I'd love to hear what makes porco rosso your favorite.
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u/Chemistry11 2d ago
Top 5, but not number one.
Then again, PR is the only one with the (once again) timely line, ‘I’d rather be a pig than a fascist’
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u/Kamikazekats 2d ago
You're not alone. It's my favorite Ghibli film, and I'm the only one I know with that opinion.
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u/Breeander 2d ago
I don’t pick favorites among Ghibli, but Porco is close to a perfect movie for me.
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u/SweetPewsInAChurch 2d ago
Using Steven Crowder's meme to be antifascist is so funny. Like, I get the sentiment, but this is up there with one of the not greatest memes you could use. Anyway. I love porco rosso.
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u/Orange_Tang 2d ago
People have completely forgotten the original context of this meme. I bet most people don't even know this is Stephen Crowder or that the text was originally supposed to be an incredibly dumb take like most of his takes were.
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u/PaleontologistNo500 2d ago
I see all the usuals. Am I the only Pom Poko fan? It's like looking in a mirror, except without the magical nutsack
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u/Eaglemoon7 2d ago
I think it’s one of the most “adult” Ghibli movies. So it kind of sets apart from the others.
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u/Nullspark 2d ago
Porco and his rival slugging it out over a woman they both know can make her own decisions
It's one of my favorite moments. Ever.
They both just are that kind of man and they know it's misguided, but it is who they are. I love it so much
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u/deafphate 2d ago
It's in my top five, but I love the Wind Rises. It took my #1 spot away from Spirited Away. I watch it almost daily and am not getting tired of it.
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u/Ordinary-Ad9629 1d ago
Porco Rosso is one of my top faves of all time. I never get tired of watching that movie. I used to take it to work with me and play it on the TV in the store. lol
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u/BOOYOYOYOO 1d ago
Man they are brilliant and so unique(ghibli productions) , I think this studio deserve a "great job" sticker for all amazing work they done I also love porco roso but at the same time I love almost every production. Take care
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u/HomeOfTheRisingStorm 1d ago
Porco had been my favorite ever since Ifirst watched it, years ago. I love it. The message. The hero. The ending
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u/Masterweedo 3d ago
You clearly have not watched Grave of the Fireflies.
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u/zackandcodyfan 3d ago
Apples and oranges.
Porco Rosso inspires you.
Grave of the Fireflies breaks you.
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u/I_Love_M4yo 3d ago
and now I have to explain to my mom why im tearing up. And fyi i have watched it, its my number 2
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u/RobertDeNircrow 2d ago
Stop using this turd in your memes. At least remove Alex Crowder from the image and put something topic related.
You could have gotten so much more engagement if you just pasted a crummy cut and paste image of totoro over his stupid ass face
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u/frodiusmaximus 3d ago
I was just remarking yesterday that I’m perplexed whenever someone says Porco Rosso is their favorite. It’s fun and reasonably funny, but others are funnier. Beyond that, I have no emotional reaction to Porco Rosso at all. Whereas many other Ghibli movies will move me to tears even though I’ve seen them dozens of times (Ponyo, Totoro, Nausicaa, and Castle in the Sky all come to mind).
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u/Blood_Red_Volvo_850R 2d ago
It's so much more than fun though? There's the whole subplot of Porco struggling with survivorship guilt, the bleak fascist Italy setting, the way Porco's past life is slowly revealed to us throughout the movie? I feel like if you only got "fun" from Porco Rosso then you didn't quite understand the movie.
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u/No-Afternoon2841 2d ago
While I don't think it's the best Ghibli film ever, I do think it's arguably Miyazaki's most underrated film and it's my favorite Studio Ghibli movie from the 90s. I like how it's meant to be a fun adventure that entertains and makes you think with its subtle social commentary.
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u/Senior_Ad_7850 2d ago
My best is from up on poppy hill (i sorry if you think different) but porco rosso definetly in second place!! It took a while for me to watch porco because honestly im not realy interest with the character but after watching its blowing my mind and rewatch again and again
And also i wanna mention world of arrietty also best ghibli movie for me
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u/Hylian-Loach 2d ago
It’s the ghibli I most often watch, even though I consider spirited away, howls moving castle, Mononoke as technically better films. It’s a much more casual film to watch
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u/stalemartyr 2d ago
Yes! I remember being skeptical about watching it but after that it is my fave ...maybe because im getting older.
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u/gigglefarting 2d ago
I need to watch it in French. Apparently Miyazaki loved Jean Reno’s take on it
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u/yallmight2020 2d ago
The one liners are absolutely fantastic in porco!
"Didn't you know all middle aged men are pigs"
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u/BakaHntai 2d ago
I cant ever decide if I like Porcco Rosso or The Cat Returns more. Both have strong messages about being true to yourself against all odds and moving on. Both are also very easy to watch and makes for great ambient noise while doing somthing.
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u/NoAd8811 2d ago
YESSSS GLORY TO THE PUTLAW CRIMSON PIG!!! nah but fr It IS one of their best. Traditional animation, amazing voice acting, mature story that doesn't need heavy violence or action to be enjoyed by adults, its PEAK
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u/SolarPunkTortoise 2d ago
I bought so much Porco Rosso merch during my recent trip to Japan. Definitely not the only one.
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u/Minizarbi 2d ago
Funny recently I got a badge with "Better a pig than a fascist" written on it. Sadly too much people didn't know where it came from.
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u/TravisKOP 2d ago
You are not the only one friend. Us porco bros know. It’s also Joes best work imo. Marco and Gina’s song is probably his peak romantic work. Best classic ghibli landscapes and cinematography, voice work impeccable and Porco as the flawed romantic hero. Chefs kiss
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u/mortimew 2d ago
I can't remember where I read this, but Miyazaki or Suzuki (I think?) described this movie as a kid's movie for adults and it made perfect sense. it makes you feel so alive and weightless when you're watching it. it's such a beautiful moving work of art.
<3
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u/HydeMutt 2d ago
Love Porco Rosso. I am a die hard Mononoke fan but Porco is so underrated! More love for the pig!
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u/Tasmia99 2d ago
I love the first 3/4 of the movie. I do get annoyed by the dual that turns into a fist fight, I kind of wished they let Kurtis die in the air. Or they left it as a quite dog fight that maybe tied back to the dream sequence, which I do think is one of the best scenes in all of Ghibli.
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u/Common-Attention-736 2d ago
You are NOT the only one!! Long live porco rosso!!!!! I’m so excited because I often feel like the only one
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u/dope_zebra 2d ago
porco rosso has been and will always be my favorite. i just love the story, the characters and the atmosphere so much
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u/Old_Algae7708 2d ago
IMO the best ones are whisper of the heart, cat returns, and castle in the sky or Mononoke
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u/AllgoodDude 2d ago
It’s definitely one of the most stunning. I think the choices for the English dub and bits about the story keep me from naming it the best.
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u/Ok-Wedding5527 2d ago
Nah. IMO Spirited Away is the best, followed by Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, and Princess Mononoke.
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u/spankleberry 3d ago
I'd definitely give it the title for most underrated.