Like the Clouds, Like the Wind (1990) User Reviews

The medieval China version of Kiki.

[emasterslake · 7/10 · 15 October 2006]

I finally saw this movie for the first time ever. And it's an interesting work of anime.

The story revolves in Ancient China when the Emperor died, his son becomes emperor and must seek candidates to be his wife also known as the Emperor's "Seihi".

Word spread throughout the country putting attention to all the women who are interested in being the Emperor's wife. Ginga, a enthusiastic village girl wants to earn the Seihi title and live an easy life.

Mano of the Eunuchs approved Ginga because she has a good figure. Only problem is she doesn't act much like a well behave lady. Mano tells her that in order for her to be the Emperor's wife she must have manners like a lady. So she attends the school with the other candidates who also want to be the Emperor's wife.

They don't know what he looks like, so that way they'd study hard enough to see him face to face. But would a girl like Ginga be able to accomplish the title of "Seihi" greater than anything else? This movie is mistaken for a Ghibli movie because the character designs are similar to Katsuya Kondou's work who was involved in Miyazaki's works. And Ginga is considered to be the Chinese version of Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. The sad thing is this title isn't well known to international countries. And very few people know it exists.

Probably because the story has little character development on the extra characters. And it's a TV movie that aired in Japan of 1990. It may not be close to being as perfect as a Miyazaki movie. But it does have some good moments to it including some humor and and well done animation.

It's hard to know when there'll ever be a US release for it, but it can be viewed by Fansubs for the time being. I recommend it to those who like anime influenced on the Chinese culture, cause it has a basic historical events throughout the story.

Plot summary

[leokitty-2 · 8/10 · 27 December 2007]

Ginga is a simple—yet energetic—country girl, living with her father far from the capital city of the empire. When she learns of an opportunity to become a concubine of the young new Emperor, with the possibility of becoming his head wife in charge of all of the other wives, Ginga convinces her father to let her go. Once there, she meets all of the other potential head wives, each of whom have various reasons for being there. All of them must learn to read and write, learn the history of their country, and learn the proper mannerisms for being in the royal court.

Ginga's enthusiasm tends to get her in trouble more often than not, but it works to her advantage when they learn that the former emperor's head wife, who is not the mother of the current emperor, is plotting treachery against the new emperor, and that a rebellion is headed toward the capital.

In need of polishing, but still very good

[MissSimonetta · 8/10 · 28 March 2023]

Often mistaken for a lost Ghibli production, LIKE THE CLOUDS, LIKE THE WIND remains something of an underseen gem. Set in a fantasy world based on 17th century China, it follows the exploits of a spirited but naive farm girl trying to win the emperor's hand. It's packed with romance, comedy, and political intrigue, only to switch gears midpoint and turn into a tragic coming of age tale.

The sudden shifts in tone with either annoy or interest you. I actually liked it and thought it kept the story dynamic. However, I do wish this were a series and not an 80 minute movie. The setting begged for more fleshing out, as did the political situation and the characters.

It's brilliant, for its feminism

[victor-serge · 10/10 · 20 January 2008]

During the 'dull, meandering' scenes people have mentioned, the film was laying out its politics, which I thought were great. This is the only anime I've seen where characters say it's natural for a man to love a man, or a woman to love a woman. And there's whole lot of cross-dressing and gender-bending going on, which Ginga treats as completely normal. I think this is a great anime for kids, which will counter some of the rigid masculine & feminine gender stereotypes so prevalent in most anime movies.

There's also an interesting treatment of power politics. It's saying political power isn't worth it for its own sake, and it will destroy all who try to achieve it. So, although it's a film about a battle for the dynasty, it's a variation on the old "power corrupts" maxim. Which is, I think, another very positive message.

Not A Ghibli Film

[dbborroughs · 5/10 · 6 May 2004]

First off - this film was not made by Studio Ghibli even though some sources list as such. The film has creative people in common with Ghibli so the film looks and feels like it might be part of the work of that studio.

This is the story of Ginga who rises from commoner to the first wife of the Emperor. She's a strong willed young woman, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, who stands out among all of the women brought to the palace to compete for the first spot. Add to it court intrigue and a rebellion and you have a potent mix.... ...or would if it didn't sort of wander into too many places for a 78 minute movie. The problem is that there is too much going on with too many characters that get the short end of the stick. I also question a couple of turns in the plot that seem intentionally bleak. For me there was a sense that it was about something in the minds of those who made it but it didn't reach the screen.

The film looks good, although its not quite as lush as the Ghibli films its confused with.

I give it five out of ten but that's probably a bit too generous for a rather bland film with some really great moments.

A sad tale of the passing of time

[El_Burro · 10/10 · 22 April 2003]

This Movie was really worth its time - While the coloring of the clothes and other spaces may seem a little "flat" from time to time, the backgrounds, especially the grass and the palace buildings, were really well done. Still, this is no sen to chihiro or porco rosso, so, if only for its visual aspect, I wouldn't give more than maybe 8/10 - very good, especially for `89, but not at the top. Why did I still give it 10/10? Well, first, I wasn't sure If I should give 9 or 10, but this movie with its sad tone of come and go just hit right onto my mood - which made me turn to the 10. *Spoilers* First we see Grass, then a palace in ruins, then the story itself begins with the old emperors death, following the order of his few hundred wives being sent home. Now, his son needs to find a wife as fast as possible, to regain control over both Palace an Country. The eunuchs are beeing sent out, and several hundred young women start their training in the inner Palace. As 6 months go by, Only Ginga, the main character(a 13[?] year old girl) and a few others are left, and they marry the emperor, with Ginga as his first wife. But a rebellion starts, exploiting the emperors weakness - to make it short, the rebellion succeeds, the emperor kills himself, just after having sex with ginga once, the wives flee, and Gingas son will have to reunite the country some decades later...then, we go back to a destroyed palace, and the wide open grass in the wind. This circle of death and rebirth is the overall story of the movie, the underlying motive. I do not know much(if anything) about asian history, so I have not the slightest idea if these wars actually took place - given the fact that exact dates are being used, this is very well possible. To sum it up: No Hayao , But Akira Myazaki is close enough to it ;) The mood is not as sad as Hotaru no haka, due to the heavy use of funny scenes, but if you think about it, its no comedy either.

The movie's pace was off-tempo

[neenahhh · 4/10 · 1 May 2011]

"Like the Clouds, Like the Wind" follows Ginga's story. She is an energetic and lively country girl who, one day, gets a shot at becoming one of the Emperor's wives.

While I was watching it, I wasn't really thinking about how I felt about the movie. I just thought that it was a normal Japanese film- filled with cute animations and whatnot. But after having watched the whole film and letting everything sink in, I realized that this is quite a heavy film. Sure, it's not as sad as other films or as full of angst and drama as television shows, but it is quite heavy for a film associated with Studio Ghibli. I know Hayao Miyazaki didn't make this film, but hey, when media categorizes film like these under: "Non-Ghibli Films involving Studio Ghibli People", people can't help but associate them together! Which brings me to this: People who decide to watch this because they think that this is another one of Studio Ghibli's magical works are going to be in for a real disappointment and should really just exit this IMDb page now.

I thought the animation was good for something done in the 90's. It reminded me of "Kiki's Delivery Service" and a bit of "Inuyasha". This movie also had lots of dry humor. Some were not entirely appropriate for children, though. Based from my own memory, I can remember about 1-2 sexual innuendos, 3-5 sexist jokes and lots of violence. It's not anything too harsh, though. The jokes can be overlooked and the violence wasn't gory at all. Just a few slashes and gunshots here and there.

The worst thing about this movie was the pacing. It killed the movie. I was interested during the start, where all the girls were being taught by a teacher on how to become fit for an Emperor's wife and all that jazz. But my interest suddenly dwindled when the "plot" surfaced. It seemed very messy and put together too fast. The climax just happened. There was no build-up or anything. It made the film boring and inconsistent.

Though the ending may not please everyone, I thought the ending was quite good. Not many films (animated, much less!) go towards that sort of route- the unhappy and open endings. I give the 4 stars for the first half of the movie and the ending. But besides those, I think that this is one Studio Ghibli-related movie that I won't be watching again any time soon.

Viewed on: May 1, 2011

No point at all

[kep_bucket · 3/10 · 5 January 2008]

For three quarters of an hour, the story gradually develops towards a pivotal point of some sort. Although it is overburdened with scenes that just seem to be intended to dull the viewer and lure him away from the actual plot, there is something happening. It is not much and it certainly is not obvious. The combination of palace impressions and story-driving scenes do not add any depth or insight to the whole cast of characters. In fact, they keep them sterile as there is no character development at all. Everybody just remains spinning and centered around their own cliché and role - the cute, kinda headstrong girl; the fighting überwoman, the snobby aristocrat. The male lead does not seem to have any distinction at all, he is a shallow presence, which, actually, doesn't even matter as he is only there because the storyboard required him to - it seemed like he was on vacation and got caught up. When the point comes of turning the corner in terms of what happening, the movie first snaps completely blank for a couple of minutes and then becomes ridiculous. It solves - or better, dissolves - itself with a by-the-book Deus Ex Machina, more clichés and some of the most crude plot devices and choices I have ever seen. It's history, alright. First the movie's a drama though it's supposed to be comedic, and then it turns into a farce. The protagonists do what they are expected to do, and there are no surprises. The first set of somewhat serious antagonists however gets replaced by a couple that literally was just bored. Maybe that was some kind of nod towards the audience.

This movie does not get any bonus from me for underlying philosophical meaning (since there is none) nor for its technical realization. The animation and editing is fair and so's the sound mixing; but it is by no means outstanding or even above the average Japanese productions of the late 1980's. In fact, the visual treats seem static, un-inspired and un-original.

Worst of all - it totally fails to entertain, even if you don't bother with characters and all that stuff. There's too little going on here, and the rest is corny at best. Get a real Ghibli instead, have a feast with it and keep your fingers off this one.

Watchable

[chelseajmbelehar · 5/10 · 18 March 2024]

For the most part it was pretty good. It's a nice movie to watch if you have the time.

The art in it is simple but tastefully done. The physical movements of each character is really a nice effect. It really gives them more personality! Which really helps the characters unique individually and interesting.

The plot was a little dry though. The ending however wasn't good! It seemed to be building up to a good climax then just fell right off a cliff. The narration at the end really saved it from being a total loss. If it had said it was a retelling of a historical person then I would have appreciated it more but as a movie for entertainment not so much.