Just A Cartoon

the middle of the year, I thought it lens back onto our team and get their Animation! It’s a genre that I confess Studio Ghibli, and over the last year or by the team to explore the world depth. Check out our team picks worth watching. Want to recommend @b.i.g.magazine and let us know!

Awkwafina, Kelly Marie Tran, D aniel Dae Kim

Directed by Carlos López Estrada, Don Hall

As productions work to create more stories with a global scope, it was only a matter of time before they looked to Southeast Asia for inspiration. Cue this Disney animation that truly resonates with accurate cultural references and details of Southeast Asian nations like Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam. Princess Raya must venture through the fantasy world of Kumandra where humans and dragons once happily coexisted. She must find the legendary last dragon in her attempt to rescue her father and restore balance to the land.

Aqilah

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Starring

Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll

Directed by Jon Musker, Ron Clements

Ah, Ariel. The mermaid princess we wanted to become after watching this animated film, which is based on the book of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. Ariel is obsessed with human life and falls in love with a prince. She defies her father’s wishes and makes a bargain with the sea witch, Ursula, all in the name of love. The movie was critically acclaimed for its animation, music, and characters, and won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for ‘Under the Sea’.

Ying

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Starring

Chika Sakamoto, Noriko Hidaka, Hitoshi Takagi

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

It’s become a cult classic for many good reasons and this is arguably one of the most famous animated films by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, if not Studio Ghibli. The fantasy animation is set in post-war Japan during the 1950’s where university professor Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters, Satsuki and Mei, move into an old house to be closer to the girls' mother who is recovering from an illness. The house is inhabited by small, dark, dust-like house spirits called susuwatari, or soot sprites. Two of these spirits lead the youngest girl to a camphor tree where she meets the iconic Totoro, a large spirit whom she and her sister befriend. It is utterly heartwarming to watch the interactions between the characters, and the simplicity of the story makes this a great introductory movie to Japanese animation.