While no longer the case as of a few months ago, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki's last film was to be 2013's The Wind Rises, a fictionalized biography of Japanese WWII engineer Jiro Horikoshi spliced with a wondrous Miyazaki manga, wrapped up in the classical Studio Ghibli bow with gorgeous animation and vibrant, memorable scenes. There's plenty of controversy surrounding the implications of celebrating the mind behind the most destructive Axis warplane in WWII - and the gang discusses this at length - but overall we think the film is a uniquely thought-provoking and emotional entry from Miyazaki, worth its spot in the Miyazaki/Ghibli pantheon in its own right. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
