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capy's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
The world works hard to beat out of us the things about which we care the most – to dilute our passions and temper our reactions. The world at large, to its great shame, is scornful of people who live deeply. And that scorn is not just a benign clucking of the tongue. It is white-hot and razor sharp. It is painful and precise enough to leave not just a lasting sting but also, if not properly treated, a permanent scar of self-doubt: a reminder to think again before exposing yourself to a world in which the done thing is to simply bury the light of those feelings until they are extinguished by a lack of air.
i loved the reflection on grief as a sort of universal loss, not just the loss of a loved one but something in ourselves — memories, traits, interests — and how accepting grief as change doesn't have to be a negative experience
anyone picking this up might want to adjust their expectations: it's not an in-depth/academic exploration of the intersection between studio ghibli movies and grief. it was, to me, a well-measured mix of autobiographical reflective writing and light movie analysis. this book definitely needed tighter writing and editing at times but, regardless, it's a good read to accompany the movie collection
But the films of Studio Ghibli make some effort to close that gap – to treat children and young people as whole human beings, deserving of respect and honesty, but also of care and a gentler touch. They do not need to be lied to – in fact, they can and should be told the entire truth lest they stumble upon that truth themselves and are hurt more deeply than they should have been. Still, the delivery is everything.
florecita_lectora's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
monisreading_'s review against another edition
3.0
I would read anything about Ghibli. Some brilliant perspectives on grief and the types of grief - but also some self-indulgent sections. Worth a read regardless.
ginalucia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
On Grief and Studio Ghibli is a mindful and essay-like exploration into the idea of grief and how it manifests in some of the most well-known Studio Ghibli films.
It's one of those books that, if you struggle with grief and death, then you'll find some use in the themes it explores. Especially if you just so happen to also like Studio Ghibli, of course.
It explores grief in the sense of loss of a loved one, small everyday losses, collective loss, and even worldly losses such as climate change.
It's a book that whole short, gives you time to think and reflect. It starts the ball rolling in your mind. Due to its length though, a lot of the themes feel as though they need to be more detailed, deeper. Essentially, I wanted more.
It's one of those books that, if you struggle with grief and death, then you'll find some use in the themes it explores. Especially if you just so happen to also like Studio Ghibli, of course.
It explores grief in the sense of loss of a loved one, small everyday losses, collective loss, and even worldly losses such as climate change.
It's a book that whole short, gives you time to think and reflect. It starts the ball rolling in your mind. Due to its length though, a lot of the themes feel as though they need to be more detailed, deeper. Essentially, I wanted more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
ghiblies's review against another edition
1.5
I can appreciate that this is a deeply personal work for the author, but I'm sorry to report that I did not find this an insightful or enjoyable book to read, and I do not recommend it.
My main issue is that the author's writing style is extremely long-winded and circuitous, and frequently takes on a pretentious, mansplainy tone. I found his arguments to be unstructured and convoluted, which meant that I struggled to take much of anything from this. I tried to stay engaged until about the 50% mark, but there are only so many em dash-laden sentences that you can take before you start to lose patience lmao. All in all, an extremely laborious reading experience.
If you're thinking about reading this, be warned that this is less of an analysis on grief in Studio Ghibli, and just some guy's musings on his own experiences with grief, in which he (unsuccessfully imo) uses Studio Ghibli to give weight to his ideas.
My main issue is that the author's writing style is extremely long-winded and circuitous, and frequently takes on a pretentious, mansplainy tone. I found his arguments to be unstructured and convoluted, which meant that I struggled to take much of anything from this. I tried to stay engaged until about the 50% mark, but there are only so many em dash-laden sentences that you can take before you start to lose patience lmao. All in all, an extremely laborious reading experience.
If you're thinking about reading this, be warned that this is less of an analysis on grief in Studio Ghibli, and just some guy's musings on his own experiences with grief, in which he (unsuccessfully imo) uses Studio Ghibli to give weight to his ideas.