Review of The Wind Rises

The wind is rising, we must try to live. With all anime out there, there's almost always some aspect of the show that can be nit-picked, scrutinized, or criticized in some way. But this masterpiece from Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is just a rare work of art that I can't bring myself to say a single bad word about. This incredible film so beautifully enraptures themes of family, selflessness, perseverance, creativity, dreaming, love, and more. This movie touched me so deeply when I first watched it that I was speechless by the end. Jiro, the main character, is a man who isn't afraid to dream his hugedreams despite his shortcomings (his poor eyesight). He is filled with great ideas but he remains modest. He never stops chasing his goals, but he never loses sight of what's important; family. Seeing with eyes unclouded by personal interest, he is able to rise to success while keeping his heart open to love and genuine friendship. There are so many life lessons to be learned from Jiro. I think about him as I study in university, and how he would have kept going, without breaking ties with those important to him.

The settings in this movie pretty much speak for themselves, but I can't help but just rave about how the melodic instrumental guitar pieces are matched with the natural, brightly-colored pictures. It just makes viewers feel so at peace as they take it all in.

This anime is at the top of my favorites list because it's the only anime I've ever come across that has gotten to me on such a deep and personal level. When I watched this, I just felt like the layers I build up around my soul on a daily basis were just torn down one by one. I can easily say without question that this is the best anime I've ever seen.