The films of Hayao Miyazaki — “Ponyo,” “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke” — are unlike anything else. The animation is amazing, but it’s the tone of the films that sets them apart. They are suffused with a mysterious sense of wonderment that is impossible to describe. And yet, the music: why?
It’s almost comical how awful the songs in a Miyazaki movie are. It’s hard to say which is worse, the closing theme to “My Neighbor Totoro” or the song that runs over the credits in “Ponyo.” Neither is bad enough to spoil the movie. But they come close. (After some thought, I would have to say “Ponyo” has the most inane song; plus it has a kind of rap breakdown in the middle of it.)
So the obvious question is this: Could these songs be worse if they were covered by European and Japanese black-metal bands? The video above features the end credits for “My Neighbor Totoro.” Below is a promo for “Princess Ghibli: Imaginary Flying Machines,” a compilation of “extreme metal” reimaginings of songs from Miyazaki films. (Disarmonia Mundi’s “My Neighbor Totoro” starts at about :30.) Judge for yourself.