Never straying from Hayao Miyazaki's trademark wonders despite its bloodshed, what sprouted from beneath its surface more than bears fruit.

Known as one of Miyazaki’s most endearing films, I finally saw it after 20 years of knowing only its name. How well does this film deliver?

Before Hayao Miyazaki made it famous, it started as a children's book. Is there something to be gained from beneath its semi-magical layer?