Ghibli Sidekick: Dola

Film: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (English title)
              Tenku-no Shiro Rapyuta (Japanese title)

Voices: Cloris Leachman (English Disney dub)
                  Rachel Vanowen (Streamline English dub)
                 Kotoe Hatsui (Japanese)

The Character

Despite its cliched elements and 1980s style, Laputa is in fact quite a clever film, in particular in comparison to other films, especially other Ghibli films. This mainly comes from two major characters; Mushka and Dola (and her pirate gang). In the beginning, with Mushka, we think that he is protecting Sheeta and as time goes on, he graduates to pure villian. There is nothing complex about his actions: he wants Laputa purely for his powers and he is manipulative about it.

When it comes to Dola (and her gang), they never change their tactics and yet in the view of the audience, they turn from villain to sidekick and become perhaps the best characters in the film. They are pirates through and through. They want the treasure of Laputa and they are willing to risk their lives to get the crystal which will lead them to the crystal. I have seen many films featuring pirates and  what I find interesting in the film is that the pirates are very honest. Despite the fact they are basically thieves, they are not manipulative, unlike Mushka who does not care how and what he does to get what he wants.

What is interesting about Dola is that she is the only female of the pirate crew and yet she rules the roost with an iron fist. Three of the pirates on board are her children and she in particularly has control over them.

Even though she is elderly, she has a fiery soul. She has a hot temper and is boisterous as well. She is bossy and her crew are quick to obey her. She is a smart lass as well. It is she who makes Pazu realise that Sheeta was trying to protect him from the army after she dismissed him from the fortress they had been taken to. Although she will deny it, there is softness inside her. It is true that when Pazu and Sheeta are brought onto the pirate ship, they are put to work immediately. However, she does get maternal with them. During the storm, she is protective of Sheeta for being in the kite with Pazu but Sheeta is just as defiant as Dola. When Dola states that Sheeta cannot do it because she is a girl, Sheeta is quick to retaliate that Dola is as well.

All I can say is that I would love to be a member of her crew.

The voices behind the character

I actually like Kotoe Hatsui. In fact compared to Cloris Leachman, she sounds more “granny-like” but her voice carries the feistiness of the character. What else can I say?

Okay, now onto Rachel Vanowen. I don’t think I’ll go into this one as I have mentioned before that the Streamline dub is awful. Vanowen is no different. Yes, she gives Dola the Granny touch but her voice is too scratchy that it is almost unbearable to hear; it reminds me of the feeling you get when someone scrapes against a blackboard. She is unnatural and there is no soul to her performance.

As for the Disney dub….well, as I have mentioned before, there is justification as to why the overall Disney dub has mixed reviews. Some are just off and some are just perfect. Cloris Leachman is perfect. Out of all the English Ghibli dubs for FEMALE characters, she ranks as one of the best, if not THE best! She, along with Mark Hamill as Mushka IS the reason why this dub is definitely worth a listen to. Not only is her voice spot on but she is absolutely funny, her comic timing is perfect. Anyone who has seen a certain film called “Beverley Hillbillies” (well most of us may have seen it but blanked it from our minds with good reason) will know that Leachman was perfect as the feisty Granny and she pulls of the same attitude in this film. It’s just a shame her performance in “Ponyo” is not up to the same standard but that is for a completely different entry.

Ghibli Sidekick: Calcifer

Film: Howl’s Moving Castle (English title)
          Hauru no Ogoku Shiro (Japanese title)

Voices: Billy Crystal (English dub)
              Tatsuya Gashuin (Japanese)

Tonight, I did plan on doing a combined entry of the Dragons of the Heavens/Dragons of the Earth from the film/manga/TV series, X. However, some much could be said; too much for one entry so I decided to leave it and work on my original choice for my first Sidekick entry: Calcifer.

The Character

What can I say about Calcifer? He’s the coolest fire demon ever! True, he is confined to being a flame that should never be extinguished but in the end, the characters of the story need him more than (is not just much as) he needs them. It seems that the characters take from Calcifer more than he from them but then again, in the end, when you find out what Clacifer truely is; he already has what he has wanted: life.

He is the driving force behind the magic. It is through him that Howl has his magical powers. His powers is what gives Howl’s castle its power; Calcifer is what makes it move, controls the heating and I suspect, why there are several portals to other parts of the country.

Like many demons in fiction, he is very mysterious and devious. Although more explicit in the book, he strikes a deal with the main female, Sophie that if she can break his hold on Howl, he can reverse her spell. However, he cannot tell her what the deal is but he does give her hints but doesn’t say they are hints until they have been divulged in seemingly meaningless conversations (these scenes are in the book but they are important to hoe Calcifer works).

 

The voices behind the character

Usually, with dubs, there is usually a contrast between each voices but with Howl’s Moving Castle, there is a very distinct difference. Tatsuya Gashuin’s Calcifer is particularly whiny in a high-pitched way which actually works well with the character, especially when the extra dub of fire crackling is added.

Looking at it, I genuinely cannot see how they could cast Billy Crystal as Calcifer. My theory is that after the huge success of American comedian Phil Hartman’s Jiji in Kiki’s Delivery Service. Maybe the dub casters thought using another well-known comedian for Calcifer would be the way to go.

In a way, Crystal should not work perfectly with this character but he does. You bet your life he does. In fact, Crystal should be arrested for scene stealing. In most of the film, he is not in interaction with Christian Bale’s Howl which is probably a good thing for Crystal would have upstaged him enormously. Although Crystal’s Calcifer is not meant to be witty, his tone of voice makes a few of his more whiny lines wittier rather than annoying.