My Comments ~ written on October 6th, 2002
I wanted to add some comments as I struggle to do anything except for studying for my midterm in a couple of days. First of all, I really don't know when Disney will be releasing Laputa. I apologize sincerely to all those who have written to me in the past 5 years. I always reply that it will probably be released at the end of the year, but then 1997 passed, 1998 passed...1999...2000..2001...and now with 2002 drawing to a close, there is still no confirmed release date for the Disney dub. While a Laputa DVD is finally released in Japan with an English dub, that is only available in region 2 which is not good for those of us in Canada and US. Supposedly the North American DVD is delayed because DVDs in Japan and Europe are so much more expensive, that if North America releases it as well, everyone will buy from us here instead. I don't really understand that considering the DVD region is different. But then again, I don't really understand the DVD tech things, and I'm an econ student so I believe it benefits all of us best when we remove these trade barriers so that all prices equalize. Maybe all this is just a rumour....If anyone cares to shed any light on this, please let me know and I'll add that in for the next comments.

Has anyone every tried sharing your love of Laputa to your non-anime following friends? Of course you must have. In that case, have you ever felt frustrated when your friends return the film and just say they like it. That's it...they like it. How can they not be jumping up and down with excitement while pouring their hearts out about the best film of all time?!?!?!?!?! It really is quite frustrating....kind of makes me not want to share....but at the same time, whenever someone shows the slightest interest, I will shove the video to them and make them promise to watch it as soon as they go home. I think it'll be too hard to stop this habit. ^_^

My Comments ~ written in 1997
The first time I saw Laputa was when I was 7 years old. I was living in Hong Kong at the time and I went to see it because my parents decided it would be a fun thing, and since I was only 7 years old, I just followed them. I still remember how in awe I was of the amazing animation. There is this one scene where Sheeta and Pazu are lying on the grass staring up at the sky, and for years my brother and I had a debate as to whether the sky was real or animated.

Everything about Laputa is amazing. The soundtrack is definitely a major part of its success. The composer was able to compose a wide range of music to project different moods; from terror to humour, and from horrid to absolute beauty.

I must admit, I am a bit of a freak about Laputa. I have seen the film in 3 different languages (Cantonese, English and even Japanese although I watched the whole film without understand a word). I pride myself in being able to hum every tune from Laputa at any time, and I recall about 95% of the film from memory. I really don't know how many times I have actually watched the movie, but I do know it is a big number. I listen to the soundtrack constantly, and on the first day I got internet access, the first thing I did was search for Laputa.

Comments about the film.......when I first saw the movie, I was so upset that Sheeta lost all of her hair. (Remember, I was 7 at the time) I remember being upset because I myself wanted long hair but my parents would not let me grow it. And then when Sheeta lost her hair, I was wailing about how long it will take to grow it back. Hmmm......maybe that wasn't the best memory to have of some a wonderful film, but I am only being honest. ^_^

Sometimes, I wished that Miyazaki made a sequel to Laputa. It isn't because I believe there is a great story yet to be told, it is because I love the characters so much I am saddened I will never see them again. Actually, I would be the first to admit the idea of a sequel to Laputa is quite ridiculous. The castle has already floated into space and it would be silly to have them find it again. I would be more interested in watching a prequel to the story in which Miyazaki explains to us why the Laputians abandoned their home. This is a premise I would like to explore when I begin writing fan fiction. I am so excited about writing the story that I can't wait till summer vacation (and after summer school) when I can have the time to write all day! If anyone has any suggestions concerning the fan fiction I will write some time soon, please e-mail me!

Now that I'm in high school, I am often required to analysis themes of novels and movies so I thought it would be interesting if I did the thing to Laputa. Unfortunately, being at school 5 times a week has kinda shorted out my brain. But, as soon as I think of something, I will post it here.

Phew! I have so many more comments to post, but I want to add stuff to the other sections of my page too! So I will continue later. Bye-bye! ^_^

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