The anime was finally released on DVD recently and I had the chance to watch it. I had a tough time trying not to compare Goro Miyazaki’s directorial debut to his father’s previous works. Gedo Senki is quite bland on its own with a weak storyline. I was truly disappointed because in my humble opinion, the name Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli represents the epitome of excellent Japanese anime.

To date, my favourite Studio Ghibli anime productions are Totoro and Spirited Away, stories that speak of ordinary heroes finding courage in the face of adversity. I love Miyazaki’s (senior) interpretation of magical realism in these two animes that ties in very well with the characters and worlds he created.

Comparisons aside, Gedo Senki is somewhat amazing with room for further development in terms of character and story expansion. The Ghibli trademark of vast sceneries and beautiful music score is present here as well. I particularly love the main theme, Teru no Uta sang by Therru (voiced by Teshima Aoi) one of the main characters in the anime. When I first heard the theme song in the trailer release, I thought the vocals were somewhat hauntingly beautiful. The song never fails to evoke a strong sense of sadness in my mind whenever I try to visualize it. Sounds odd but it’s true.

Don’t skip this, it’s worth a watch.