Origin: Spirits of the Past

Have you watched all the Miyazaki films and want to try more anime but don’t know what else to watch? One of the reason why people even know about Miyazaki films (MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, PONYO, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE) is because they are so family friendly that Disney picked them up. But, not all anime is like this. Just because it is animated doesn’t mean it is for children. So what else can you safely watch with your family? One of my favorite movies is called ORIGIN: SPIRITS OF THE PAST. This movie is well suited to a younger audience and yet it is something that an older audience will enjoy as well.

ORIGIN is an apocalyptic story that takes place in the future. Three hundred years earlier, the humans tried to create vegetation that was more hardy and could survive in harsh environments, only it went wrong. The forest has now taken over the earth. There are beings called Zruids which control the water supply. A boy named Agito meets a girl named Toola who has been in statis for three hundred years. She holds the key to rebuilding civilization. There are two societies. Agito’s people live in harmony with the trees, accepting what the Zruids offer. Shunack is a soldier of Ragna who wants to return the earth to its previous state.

The animation in ORIGIN: SPIRITS OF THE PAST is really something. One of the reasons why I really like this movie is because it doesn’t have the typical environmental twist. Instead of the humans being punished for not taking care of the land, they are suffering the consequences of creating a better plant life. There are some really likable characters and involves some ideas that while completely family friendly, you just don’t see in Disney films.