Kumo no yôni, kaze no yôni

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.

"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

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.

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.

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.