Sorry not sorry, because we're entering March. My birth month. I have this can't-let-go habit where I turn to this blog whenever I'm reaching a certain milestone in my life. And being thirty is not just a milestone, it's a HUGE MILE-FUCKING-STONE so... here I am, bragging a lot about this.
Anyways.
Remember my plan to have fun and all dancing before turning 30? Yea it turned to be a rubbish. I was being innocent and naive, thinking that Covid will be rid soon. You know what happened: the fucking pandemic had been on and off and on and off it gave uncertainty to everyone throughout my days of being 29 so... none of those plans happened.
Well it was partly my fault anyway because, who's smart enough to plan all those ambitious dances while at the same time being busy with works and workshops and on top of all spent 3 months in total living in Bali? Me.
Then entering 2022, I began to realize that... Gosh, I only have three full months to meet all my different circles and fulfill that dream goal I set a year ago!
Super.
So yea! No more stoopid snoozing. And that's where I began planning this:
Operation Dirty Thirty.
I started to write down the list of my circle - whose WhatsApp groups are pretty active and that's how I thought about them - and sending codes to meet them. Of course I brought up the idea of me wanting to have fun because I'm turning 30, just so it caught their attention.
Some reacted with huge enthusiasm, some were just responded out of courtesy, and some others were kind of wondering why out of the blue I was the one initiating to meet where usually I just tagged along lol. Well this is ME who's turning 30, okay, so of course I'm the one who should be more proactive.
Again, due to the fucking pandemic, those who responded earlier agreed to meet but, sadly, only casually. No dancing and boozing involved. Damn. But hey I couldn't complain because this weird ops aside, I'm actually missing these people. I couldn't remember where and when was the last time I actually met them in person! So of course I agreed to that plan and thanks to that, two of my circles were officially crossed off of my list.
Traveloka Flocks
CMUNNY Delegates
That leaves me with three more circles to go: High School Gang, Ogilvy Survivors, and Lazada Mates—all has to be done within this month. *chuckles* Sounds crazy, eh? Three different circles in less than 30 days, all should include dancings and drinkings?
Well at first I thought it was, but, somehow I came up with a plan just EXACTLY LAST NIGHT.
Involving apartments - yes, plural - renting, a bit of event organizing, schedule fitting, works hijacking, family compromising, and, a little bit too much of ambitious sprinkling. And according to that overnight plan, this should start exactly this weekend. The first weekend of March.
Oh and on top of that, I'm planning to go to Bali mid-March to do something I don't feel like disclosing for the time being, but then I realized I could use this opportunity to ask my friends there to complete this operation and add up more circles to have fun with!
Gosh.
I never thought my 30th birthday would extend to be a 30th birth-MONTH plan. I'm genuinely excited, and a bit grateful also, for not doing it last year and just gather everything to a compact 27-day ops like this! Now this March would be even more special than others!
Really hoping that all goes well this month because...
I feel dirty already for turning thirty. So please just let me enjoy the preparation of it.
I've been bragging a lot about this since God knows how long. Well I know how long as well, it's about... I think it's about whenever I'm having my birthday. Oh especially when I was turning 24, God did I rant a lot about being 30 even though it was not for the next 6 years!? Such an ungrateful little kid.
I'm not gonna talk much. For now.
I just want to let myself sink into the fact that in 30 days, I'll be 30.
I've lost track of how many times I've visited Bali.
"Many times" is the only answer I know.
I've been there as I was younger. I've been there during my young adulthood, and getting more and more often as I grew older. I've been there with my family. My best friends. My significant other. My love of my life which is myself. I've been there for leisure, for business, for temporary living, for soul searching, you name it. During Ramadan, during Christmas, during Eid, even during Nyepi, you fvcking name it!
You want to hear something inappropriate but could really be the sole answer to this strong connection between me and Bali? My parents went to the island for their honeymoon. Not long after their wedding. So I might be conceived there. Ew, really, but this is important to track where all these feelings came from.
But hey.
Aside of that sole disturbing fact,
I do have this very deep connection with the island.
I feel like there's something that keeps calling me back. I swear I've mentioned this one too many times in my previous Bali posts, but this time, somehow, the calling gets bigger day by day, gets louder and stronger.
The biggest wake-up call happened just in my recent 2-month stay in Bali. I was in Ubud for two weeks, and I found this local laundry service which was ran by a very friendly and warm Balinese family. My last visit to their compound was specifically nice, ended up with me hanging around their super nice Balinese house drinking Balinese coffee talking about Balinese stuff and eventually...
About buying a house in Bali.
Honestly, for the whole 2-month stay I've been having that idea. A lot. Especially during my random visits to areas a bit further off Canggu, around Pererenan and Munggu. The rides across paddy fields, passing by local houses interspersed by expat villas, feeling the vibes of pristine untouched local life situated not so far from Bali's infamous hurrah—the idea was just, so nice.
And that visit to the Balinese family house seemed like validated my then-unnoticed dream. It didn't have to be exactly a Balinese house, because from what I heard from the Balinese family that kind of house is legacy and you can't just build something like that as a non-Balinese. I didn't even know what type of house, or even villa, that I wanted.
I wanted a house, in Bali. That's it.
Maybe that's why I've always felt this way towards Bali. Maybe that's why I constantly get all those callings from invincible Bali spirits. Maybe that's why I got all those wounds from falling off my motorbike, so I had a blood contract with Bali—and maybe that's why I got all those stitches on my foot, so I'd be forever bind by the story of Bali.
Alright, this is it. I've had enough signs. There's just one thing left. Not a question, just a confirmation for me before I really am gonna go with it.
I'm not supposed to ask this because...
I feel like I know the answer. Know too damn well.
But for one last time, I really want to confirm to myself.
And happy new year! Gosh it's been so long since the last time I wrote here, eh? And gosh, has it always been like that? The way I opened my blog post? Lol anyways.
HOW HAVE I NOT BEEN WRITING FOR SO LONG!?
I've been doing amazing stuff apart from watching sports and animes which were the only entries I made for the whole 2021. YES can you believe it!? As per now, January 4th 2022, I only made SIX blog posts in total - unbelievable! - including one F1 race review, two Olympic-related rants, and three posts about my Studio Ghibli marathon project — which all of those topics are obviously not finished yet because of course it should take more than just six articles!? Some of them are even on the draft already, ready to be finished and published...
Gosh I really miss those days when I was all too excited about everything, that whenever I just had a wonderful day it took only three days max for me to write it down here.
I miss you, my blog, really.
And that's why I'm here now, to drop all the topics I thought I owe my blog to tell, some of which even dated back in 2018! God bless you, Vicky Amin crazy pathetic procrastinate...
Seven more of the studio's films had done, which means that now I have the complete list of the ranked Ghibli movies. Which I'm actually still not yet confident to disclose because I couldn't even decide if I'm agreeing with myself or not.
But anyways, before we proceed to the list, let me give the reviews to the final seven films. The last reviews of this project.
Tales from Earthsea | 2006
Honestly, I had a very VERY big expectation towards this one. No, it's not that I had heard about the film from others nor had I read any good reviews of the movie. I hadn't even read any synopsis so I completely had no idea what it was about. But whenever I saw the slice preview on Netflix, I always had the feeling that the film would be grande. Plus the animation and the drawing is amazing. Sadly, that's not what I got.
There was no background whatsoever on who the protagonist is, what his problems and goals are -- Arren is annoyingly uninspiring, grim, and bleak. The plot and element was inconsistent, starting with dragons and then it's gone until the end of the film. The only thing that makes this movie safe from the bottom is how I really can’t fit Nausicaa’s eerie sci-fi vibe. Plus, the Medieval setting and panorama are still enjoyable, actually the only thing I enjoyed from this film. Also, Therru’s quote about fearing life not death is also a good one.
Only Yesterday | 1991
Aside of how it beautifully captured the peaceful, humble life in countryside Japan, which is a big big plus point already to the film, I really love the back-and-forth plot, where it showcased Takeo's problems in a very unique way. Also, I think it’s the most lively one I ever watched, most smooth gestures, expressions - though sometimes a bit creepy - and natural convos with lips smacking?? Ghibli knows how to pay attention to details.
But what I adored the most would be the overall story which feels so nostalgic it woke up the 10-year-old kid in me, and the ending, where child Takeo and her friends escorted her from the train back to the village, to the arms of Toshio... AAAAAA so beautiful I cried! A bit downfall: though Hirota is such a dream boy, his seiyuu just doesn’t match... and though Taeko’s father is such a daddy, he’s a bit annoying and... wait, come to think of it, her whole family IS annoying! Poor little Taeko :(
Ponyo | 2008
One of the movies I've watched before, which happened, I guess, more than 10 years ago? Haha I can't believe I had the audacity to put this film in a lower rank so far only basing from my 12-year-old memory because TO HELL WITH THAT, I knew nothing!?
Ponyo is really THAT magical, THAT colorful. No wonder it received amazing credits from even Hollywood stars. It's such a pristine movie featuring children’s innocence and curiosity - both Sosuke and Ponyo are so adorable I’d protect those two! - with a glimpse of “look what you did to the ocean, human!” which I like. My highlight though, is the film's delicate depiction of water, be it the ocean tsunami, the waves breaking the rocky beach, the fish-to-water-and-vice-versa transformation, the boiling water in the pot, the honey, the crystal clear ocean bottom, the rain, SO REFRESHING! And the gesture of Ponyo’s mother is just so alive I enjoyed every inch of her moves!!!
Whisper of the Heart | 1995
Another amazing real-life heartwarming piece revolving around junior high students with their simple love triangle trouble, school tests, cluelessness of future, funny curious classmates - them teasing Shizuku when Seiji came to her class is the best! - and heartbreak of being left by your crush ahhh I just love this type of nostalgic theme. Oh my favorite part though: when Shizuku and Seiji sing “Country Road” together and then the ojiichantachi came to join. And this is why this is the only review with video haha enjoy!
Kiki’s Delivery Service | 1989
Super light, easy to watch and everything’s just so smooth—such a comfort film where it’d be a mood-booster anytime being watched! The warmth of people inside the film is just bursting you’ll feel like you’re Kiki herself lol. And plus points to the strong European/Italian vibe which is just of the right portion it feels amazing!
When Marnie Was There | 2014
Another beautiful depiction of life in countryside Japan, but, done in the more modern Ghibli-style animation which fits better to my taste haha. Story-wise, I LOVE IT! Love the combination of the said great animation with such mythical feel and mysterious plot. Although towards the end it’s pretty much guessable, but for the whole portion of the story it was nice to be left guessing in curiosity. The epic part is the ending though, you know, the part where Marnie waves goodbye. Yea it is a tearjerker, maybe not for everyone, but enough for my poor soft heart...
Spirited Away | 2001
Well, this is it. I don't think I need to describe how majestic this film is. The epitome of the studio, the real representation of Ghibli's magic. All the whimsical and absurdity of Ghibli gathered here somehow, to make this grand, festive piece of art. And what makes it even better is how those things were also combined with strong Japanese elements like, the ryokan and onsen life, the classic tram in the midst of nowhere, and more!
Personal experience wise, Spirited Away hits it good to me. I think it was the first Ghibli movie I ever watched - if I don't count Grave of the Fireflies ya - and it left a very deep impression to me. I didn't exactly understand what the film really tried to tell us, but at least the grandeur of its animation really blew me away.
Then years after, I had the chance to visit Jiufen, a small town in Taiwan where the film's setting was inspired from. When I was there the atmosphere, the floating lanterns, the dull colors of the buildings shone by red fluorescent of the lights, and of course, all the No Face souvenirs sold around, really woke the long-sleeping memories of the film. And to make things even better, it was raining! Something I really fond of in Studio Ghibli movies.
What made this even more special was, when I watched this film again as a part of this project, it was today, December 31st—the exact same day when I was in Jiufen 2 years earlier. I wasn't really planning for that because by the time I realized 2021 was almost over, I still had three more films yet to watch. So I rushed into Kiki and Marnie, and happened to be able to watch Chihiro today, exactly a day before the year ends. Well it sounds stupid but this kind of coincidences and universe plays are just really my thing and... I actually am sold for it.
Anyways.
That should be it. Now that I've completed all 21+1 Ghibli movies, I think I'm ready to reveal my final rankings.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Arrietty
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Spirited Away
From Up On Poppy Hill
The Wind Rises
Ponyo
Castle In The Sky
Grave of the Fireflies
My Neighbor Totoro
When Marnie Was There
Only Yesterday
Whisper of the Heart
Kiki's Delivery Service
The Cat Returns
Pom Poko
Princess Mononoke
Porco Rosso
Ocean Waves
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Tales from Earthsea
Nausicaa
There you go. The super subjective ranking of all Studio Ghibli's films, based on my 29 year-old point of view. Which had changed a lot since I was first exposed to Ghibli films around 15+ years ago. Which just now gave me more ideas...
What if, in 15+ years from now, I do this all over again?
To see if my views towards these movies change again? I may matured a lot now compared to the child version of me, but I may have even more complex views in the future, with a whole new perspective and preference. Who knows that the 47 year old me would prefer Nausicaa more than Spirited Away, right?? Haha that's gonna be fun. I'll remind myself to do so. But for now, I think I'm pretty much satisfied with this list.
