We are just having fun reviewing and discussing comic books, graphic novels, manga, anime/animation, music and movies that we have recently read, listened to or watched.
Koju Hoshino, President of Studio Ghibli, announced at the Venice Film Festival that Hayao Miyazaki will be retiring. Miyazaki’s latest animated film The Wind Rises will be his last film. Other films that everyone knows him by are Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and many others that are to numerous to list. His films have become classics in the animated world and Miyazaki is considered a Master and Champion of the animated film.
This year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will be hosting a Ghibli film marathon. The event will be held April 15 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and is a free event. If you happen to be in the area or your library is in the area let your patrons know about the marathon. Movies that will be shown are: Ponyo; Porco Rosso; Princess Mononoke; and Spirited Away.
If any librarians have patrons (that are anime and manga fans) planning a visit to Japan make sure you tell them to visit the Ghibli Museum. Anime News Network’s site, linked below, has an article about the Ghibli Museum. Part of the Museum’s new display there will be a life-size rendition of the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro. The Museum has had a plush piece that was child size however this new piece is adult size. From the Catbus the Museum attendees will exit on the second room. Once on the second room attendees will see recreations of: the Tokyo-area antique shop from Whisper of the Heart; the restaurant from Spirited Away; milliner’s hat shop from Howl’s Moving Castle and the forest from Princess Mononoke.