Gedo Senki: Tales from Earthsea
Being a huge fan of Ursula Le Guin’s original novels, I was really looking forward to seeing how Studio Ghibli brought her world of Earthsea to the screen. In an unusual situation regarding licence rights, the DVD is actually released here in the UK before the US, which meant my wait wasn’t as long as I anticipated. I’d been hearing mixed impressions of the movie though, largely fuelled by the rumours surrounding the relationship between Ghibli veteran Hayao Miyazaki and his son Goro; comparisons with Miyazaki Sr. are inevitable I suppose because Goro was the one who was controversially given the job of directing the film.
Visually, this is a Ghibli movie through and through with the breathtaking watercolour backgrounds, attention to the small details and epic, sweeping scope; the character designs are of the same tradition, which is comforting if you’re a long-standing fan of the studio and a minor disappointment if you aren’t because many do fit into the familiar archetypes. Tamiya Terashima’s musical score is an impressive and well-suited choice for a soundtrack though: Therru’s Song, performed by her seiyuu Aoi Teshima, is especially beautiful and memorable. So too are the relaxing rural scenes, and the colourful bustle of Hort Town is effectively captured.
