Japanese (日本語) At Hockerill Anglo-European College
Japanese at Hockerill is unusual, fun, and interesting. Rajakumar Sensei (先生) teaches us Japanese enthuasiastically as a second foreign language from years 8 to 11 as a GCSE, then if we choose to stay on for IB we have the opportunity to take it to the next level
2009 film- Ponyo- Studio Ghilbli Film (review writen on 10th December 2014)
Ponyo is by Studio Ghibli with the Academy Award winning Director Hayao Miyazaki.
This film is about a boy named Sousuke, who one day comes across a goldfish in the sea and names
her Ponyo. Very quickly they become close friends and we watch them embark on their journey of
friendship and discovery. The goldfish Ponyo’s father Wizard Fujimoto is not happy with her
communicating with humans and desperately wants her to return back to the sea. He does
everything in his power with his magic to bring her back, much to Ponyo's dismay. Ponyo is
determined to be united with Sousuke so she transforms herself into a little girl with her magic and
finds her way back to Sousuke’s house. But what Ponyo doesn’t realise is that having a magical fish
princess walking around on dry land begins setting the mystical balance of the world off kilter, and
even though the innocent love Ponyo feels for her dear friend is strong, it will take some help from
the greatest powers in the ocean to make things right again. Can the balance be restored?
In my opinion I find this story extremely heart-warming, especially with the bond that the two
children make that is so sweet. The film is very thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It
was very uplifting and imaginative. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend the film
for all ages, but it is definitely one for the family.
Critics: 92% liked it
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 159
Good: 146
Bad: 13
Critics Consensus: While not Miyazaki's best film, Ponyo is a visually stunning fairy tale that's a
sweetly poetic treat for children of all ages.
AUDIENCE SCORE: 83% liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
By Beatrice Braithwate, year 10
Princess Mononoke (review writen on 22nd December 2014)
Princess Mononoke is another great film from Hayao Miyazaki. The film uses amazing detail in all of
the animations, never lacking in attention to detail, which is a quality not normally seen in animated
films, which makes this film of higher quality than most other animated films. This film is very well
respected because of its high quality, amazing and gripping story, and the outstanding time and
effort that went into it to make it a great film, which makes it stand out from the rest of the films
released at the time. Princess Mononoke is a film appropriate for all ages and genders, because of its
action and adventure and also the loving side of it can appeal to everyone, making it a truly
enjoyable film.
By Nathan McGhee, year 10
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (review writen on 30th December 2014)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was the first of many
masterpieces by world reknowned Japanese director and
animator Hayou Miyazaki. He is part of the wonderful Japanese
film group, Studio Ghibli. This was the first film that Miyazaki
made; it was based on his own manga that was made in 1982.
The film came out on March 11 1984 in Japan, and 30 years on
it is still being enjoyed by many. An English voiced version
came out in 2005.The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world,
1000 years after the ‘Seven Days of Fire’, a horrific nuclear war
that destroyed human civilization and gave birth to the vast Toxic
Jungle, an inhospitable jungle teeming with giant mutant insects
in which everything is poisonous. There is a small valley called ‘the
Valley of the Wind’ ruled by King Jil. The heroine of the film, Princess
Nausicaä, wants to have peace at last, and regularly visits the Toxic Jungle. They want to protect and defend their community from the jungle and the mysterious Ohm creatures that live beyond the Valley in the Sea of Decay. The Valley is attacked by the Tolmekian people who plan to destroy the Sea of Decay by using the greatest warriors that started the holocaust. After Nausicaä is taken prisoner, Nausicaä escapes and goes beneath the Sea of Decay where she discovers the toxic plants are not poisoning the air and are purifying the world by draining the air of radiation and toxins. With everything at stake, Nausicaä unites with the Ohms and set out to the Valley and foil the Tolmekians plan of unleashing the Great Warrior which will start another holocaust.
By Katherine Nailor, year 10
Porco Rosso Film Review (review writen on th 6th January 2015
I enjoyed Porco Rosso. The film is by acclaimed Anime director Hayao Miyazaki. The film is about a famous WW1 Ace who somehow turned into a pig who is a "bounty Hunter", but instead of killing for money, he hunts the sky pilots that terrorize the ships in the Adriatic Sea.
The film is appropriate for ages 7 and up. It includes a few extremely mild rude words. The plot is very fast, almost a "sneeze and you miss it" with some of the important parts. There are also quite a lot of references to other things for the eagle-eyed watcher, such as "Ghibli" written on an engine block and a pilot called "Lindbergh Earhart" among others. Overall I enjoyed the film, and would recommend it to somebody who likes anime.
By Year 9 Student