This film had not been on home video in the US prior to this Blu-ray release. Thanks to GKIDS for distributing this beautiful film from the Studio Ghibli library. Disney has been releasing many Studio Ghibli films, but some films, like this one and Grave of the Fireflies and others are being released by other studios. The transfer is beautiful, and it shows off the amazing animation very well. You may not realize how old this film is while watching it on Blu-ray. Disney does a great job remastering films they release to Blu-ray, and if you have had concerns over the quality of this release from GKIDS, rest assured. It is fantastic. Colors pop. The lines are sharp. It's great.
Some may find the story a bit slow, but I only thought it dragged near the midway point, which is typical for a lot of Ghibli films, to be honest. However, I found this one dragged less than many. The film is funny and touching. I don't get emotional during films, generally, but by the end of this one, I was swelling up tears. I bought this film having never seen it before, which is always a risk, but I am glad I did. I loved it and I will watch it over and over.
