Studio Ghibli and Pokemon

[Water Pokémon Master]

I was at my grandma's for the past two days watching Miyazaki movies for about the 400th time each, and I thought "Why not start a thread at the smart Pokemon anime forum, BMG, to see what people think?"

Miyazaki has obviously had a huge impact on Japan, and when watching his movies, I start to see some things that Pokemon may have based some ideas off of. For example:

The Forest Spirit (Mononoke) - Arseus
Totoro - Snorlax
Chibi Totoro - Munchlax
Teto - Espeon (remotely - the face structure looks the same)
Robots (Laputa) - Regigigas (remotely - the plants growing on the garden robot remind me of Regigigas's plants)
The Forest Spirit sucking up everything - Groudon sucking up everything in Jirachi
Forest Spirit turning evil in Mononoke and destroying forest - Celebi turning evil and destroying forest (Spirit of the Forest - Voice of the Forest)

Pokemon seems unoriginal to me at times after watching Ghibli/Miyazaki films.

I think there was another one, but my brain is so scrambled right now that I can't concentrate. Two days without the computer = 0_o. For those of you who have ever seen Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli movies, what do you think? Could Pokemon have based some of its creatures on characters from Miyazaki movies, is it a cultural thing, or is there no relation?

Also, would it not be awesome if Miyazaki directed a Pokemon movie? Imagine how radically different it would be. I seriously doubt he ever would, though, considering his work ethic and opinion on the anime industry. Man oh man, compared to Studio Ghibli's movies, Pokemon is such garbage. Maybe instead of pumping out a movie every year, they should actually spend time on them. But of course, Pokemon movies are just for marketing and advertising as some people would say and have no heart or creativity (and from the way Miyazaki and other giants talk, it would seem that way).

 

[peno]

It's strange you come with this thread, because I always consider 4th movie to be inspired by Princess Mononoke ;-) Just look carefully, and you'll find similarities not only in plot, but in music too.

 

[GreatLiver]

The first time I saw My Neighbor Totoro I actually made that same connection with Munchlax and Snorlax. I've never actually seen Princess Mononoke but since that pokemon jade's cover pokemon actually was the forest spirit from the movie I've always kinda conected that thing to pokemon.

 

[Water Pokémon Master]

Yes, the 4th movie is definately inspired by Mononoke - I didn't want to get anyone mad by saying Pokemon is a rip-off so I didn't say it. A lot of people like to fly off the handle.

 

[QuietDragon]

Some of it's cultural, some of it's not.
Movie four's definitely inspired by that movie, yes.

Miyazaki's movies are just movies for movies.
Pokemon's movies are for the anime and games, big difference. ^^;

 

[Habunake]

Fat Radish Monster in Spirited Away = Yukinooh.

 

[Nekusagi]

A lot of the movies have been blatant Ghibli ripoffs. I felt like Jirachi was one, myself.

But yes, the Miyazaki elements of the fourth movie are obvious. I don't know why some people consider it a bad thing, though- everybody gets their inspiration from somewhere. (Heck, my art's very much inspired by the character design from Pokemon- check out Nekou in my sig) Look at all the current rock bands that sound like they came out of the 80s (The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, etc.)

I think it's safe to say that Miyazaki's/Ghibli's one of the biggest current influences of anime right now.

 

[minakichan]

I dunno about saying that movie 4 was so much a ripoff of Mononoke-hime... I think you have to remember that some Miyazaki works are practically integrated into Japanese culture nowadays (especially Totoro and Mononoke), so if there was imitation at all, it was either subconscious or a homage, not an attempt to associate itself with Miyazaki.

 

[Dogasu]

Princess Mononoke came out in Japan in 1997 while Celebi's Encounter Through Time came out in 2001. I really don't think four years is long enough for a movie to become "integrated into Japanese culture."

 

[M. A. Foxfire]

Princess Mononoke came out in Japan in 1997 while Celebi's Encounter Through Time came out in 2001. I really don't think four years is long enough for a movie to become "integrated into Japanese culture."

Eh, takes less time than you'd think. Now get these motherbleeping snakes off my motherbleeping plane.

 

[Lil Brother]

Eh, takes less time than you'd think. Now get these motherbleeping snakes off my motherbleeping plane.

Um, Harry Potter's probably a much better example.