Watchlist #40 - Where Marnie was There (Studio Ghibli Film)

This could be the last film made by Studio Ghibli and, for me, it was the first Studio Ghibli film I've seen in theaters. Growing up, I didn't have the opportunity to invest my time into watching that many  Anime films. Recently, a friend of mine brought up the idea of watching a movie titled "When Marnie Was There" in a small theater. This movie came out in July of last year in Japan and is still playing at a couple theaters w/limited showtimes here in the good ol' US of A. I watched it three times and I will openly admit this ~ It is without a doubt my favorite Anime movie that I've seen so far. I'm not going to go into much depth on what this movie is about, but here is the cliff-note version. The movie follows a girl named Anna who is introverted, has a hard time making friends, and often looks down at herself because of a tragic event that happened to her. One day, she is sent away to "get better" and upon her arrival, she meets this girl named Marnie and thus, a friendship is born. I didn't know what to expect from this movie, but after the end, I got teary-eyed. The SECOND time I watched it, I will openly admit that I cried tears whereas the Third time, I just got teary-eyed again. This movie is shrouded in mystery and, as a viewer, I love piecing the pieces together and unraveling the meaning behind what this movie has to offer. The music in this movie is so beautiful that I went out of my way to download the entire soundtrack & put it on my Phone. Even when driving, the music brings so much beauty that it brings a tear to the eye. The friendship between Anna & Marnie is so breathtaking to look at that the entire time watching this movie, there was never a dull moment ~ I was so invested in this movie that I'd watch it again and again and never get tired of it. This is a BEAUTIFUL film that I implore people to watch ~ It's for both Kids & Adults. This movie made me want to start watching all of Studio Ghibli's films. I cannot say it enough how much I love this movie. I'd definitely buy it on Blu-Ray/DVD, I'd get a poster of it (IF I could find one), and perhaps buy myself a copy of the soundtrack because it's THAT good. Good isn't the word that I'd go with to describe this movie ~ I'd say it's Spectacular, Wonderful, Extraordinary, Marvelous, Breathtaking, Whimsical, Magical, Emotional, and the list can go on and on and on and on. I LOVE WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE and as a Anime fan, I'd say watch it for yourself and let me know your thoughts on the movie. This is now the second Studio Ghibli movie I've seen (the 1st was Spirited Away when it premiered on Toonami) and When Marnie Was There is the 1st Studio Ghibli film I've seen in theaters. I could praise this movie all day, but I won't ~ It's just a wonderful movie all around.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Watch-list post. Look forward to Watch-list posts on Thursdays. I highly recommend When Marnie Was There to not just Anime fans, but to movie fans all around. It is a MUST-SEE. Stay classy as always! BF II Round 13 + WBCR will be up tomorrow.