Editing Castle in the Sky (section)

== Reception ==

=== Critical response ===

''Castle in the Sky'' has been generally acclaimed by film critics in the years since its release. In 2001, ''Animage'' ranked ''Castle in the Sky'' 44th in their list of top 100 anime.{{sfn|Anime News Network|2001}} Animation critic and writer [[Raz Greenberg]] calls ''Castle in the Sky'' "one of the greatest adventure films ever made",{{sfn|Greenberg|2018|p=117}} and critic Manabu Murase names it "quite possibly the most entertaining anime that Miyazaki ever made".<ref>{{harvnb|Murase|2004|p=82}}, cited in {{harvnb|Napier|2018|p=86}}.</ref> On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rate of 96% from 28 critics, with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. The site's critic consensus reads, "With a storytelling palette as rich and brilliant as its animation, ''Castle in the Sky'' thrillingly encapsulates Studio Ghibli's unique strengths."{{sfn|Rotten Tomatoes}} At [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on seven critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{sfn|Metacritic}}

While multiple reviewers felt that the film's two-hour runtime would turn audiences away,{{sfnm|1a1=Hicks|1y=1989|2a1=James|2y=1989|3a1=Rea|3y=1989|4a1=Sabulis|4y=1989}} ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'s}} [[Caryn James]] commenting that it is "liable to strain patiences of adults and the attention spans of children",{{sfn|James|1989}} others argued that the film had the appeal to keep audiences entertained.{{sfnm|1a1=Harrington|1y=1989|2a1=Lawson|2y=1989|3a1=Upchurch|3y=1989|4a1=Conrad|4y=2003b}} ''[[IGN]]''{{'s}} Jeremy Conrad felt the characters are "so likable that you never get bored, you always want to see what adventure is next for them".{{sfn|Conrad|2003b}} Reviewers were split over the 1987 English dub,{{sfnm|1a1=James|1y=1989|2a1=Lawson|2y=1989|3a1=Lyman|3y=1989|4a1=Sabulis|4y=1989}} with the ''[[Dayton Daily News]]''{{'s}} Terry Lawson calling it "the film's weakest element",{{sfn|Lawson|1989}} while ''[[The Cincinnati Post]]''{{'s}} David Lyman felt the dubbing into English had been done "superbly".{{sfn|Lyman|1989}} The 2003 dub similarly received mixed reviews, with ''[[The A.V. Club]]''{{'s}} Tasha Robinson calling Disney's recordings "almost comically bland",{{sfn|Robinson|2003}} and Conrad expressing his appreciation for [[Anna Paquin]] as Sheeta and [[Mark Hamill]]'s performance as Muska.{{sfn|Conrad|2003b}} Many critics also praised the animation,{{sfnm|1a1=Garrett|1y=1989|2a1=James|2y=1989|3a1=Lawson|3y=1989|4a1=Rea|4y=1989|5a1=Sabulis|5y=1989|6a1=Upchurch|6y=1989}} the ''[[Asheville Times]]''{{'s}} Tom Sabulis considering it "state-of-the-art"{{sfn|Sabulis|1989}} and ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''{{'s}} Steven Rea naming it "masterful".{{sfn|Rea|1989}} However, some felt the motions lacked fluidity,{{sfnm|1a1=Keyser|1y=1989|2a1=Lyman|2y=1989|3a1=Shulgasser|3y=1989}} with Lyman describing it as "stiff-limbed".{{sfn|Lyman|1989}}

Most reviewers highlighted the imaginative capacity that Miyazaki displays in the film.{{sfnm|1a1=Harrington|1y=1989|2a1=Hicks|2y=1989|3a1=James|3y=1989|4a1=Keyser|4y=1989|5a1=Conrad|5y=2003b}} ''[[Slant Magazine|Slant]]''{{'s}} Chuck Bowen noted the subtle details included in the film, which he felt lends it "texture and originality".{{sfn|Bowen|2010}} A review in the ''Weekly Asahi'' highlighted the film's dynamism, favorably comparing its flying sequences with ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'' (1953).<ref>{{harvnb|''Weekly Asahi''|1986}}, cited in {{harvnb|Studio Ghibli|1996|p=118}}.</ref> Several reviewers praised the use of color, which made the film "a joy to watch" according to James.{{sfnm|1a1=James|1y=1989|2a1=Harrington|2y=1989|3a1=Robinson|3y=2003}} A reviewer for ''City Road'' noted that the film could present themes that were critical of modern society while still maintaining a "warm and caring" view of humanity.<ref>{{harvnb|''City Road''|1986}}, cited in {{harvnb|Studio Ghibli|1996|p=118}}.</ref> Several reviewers noted the film's strong ecological theme, with ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'s}} Richard Harrington appreciating the "moral duality" of Laputa's technology,<ref>{{harvnb|''Shūkan Bunshun''|1986}}, cited in {{harvnb|Studio Ghibli|1996|p=117}}; {{harvnb|Harrington|1989}}; {{harvnb|Bowen|2010}}.</ref> and the ''Asahi Journal''{{'s}} Yomota Inuhiko praising the depiction of Laputa as a utopia which gradually developed dystopic elements.<ref>{{harvnb|Inuhiko|1986}}, cited in {{harvnb|Studio Ghibli|1996|p=118}}.</ref> Critics and scholars also noted the film's connections to Miyazaki's previous works; Greenberg felt that the film is "deeply rooted within Miyazaki's filmography of the two decades that preceded it",{{sfn|Greenberg|2018|p=111}} and Denison called it a "compendium of Miyazaki's previous interests as an animator".{{sfn|Denison|2018|p=37}}

=== Audience response ===

<!-- ''Castle in the Sky'' was the second-place winner in the Reader's Choice award category hosted by ''Animage'' in 1986.{{subst:cn}} -->In a 2006 poll by Japan's [[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] conducted at the 2006 [[Japan Media Arts Festival]], the film was rated the third-best animation of all time, after ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' and ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' (1995).{{sfn|Agency for Cultural Affairs|2007}} In a 2008 audience poll conducted by [[Oricon]] in Japan, ''Castle in the Sky'' was voted the best animation of all time.{{sfn|Oricon|2008}}

=== Accolades ===

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ {{sronly|Accolades received by Castle in the Sky}}
! scope="col" | Award / Publication
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" | Recipient(s)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Refh}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Animage]]''
| [[Anime Grand Prix]]
| {{Won}}
| ''Castle in the Sky''
| align="center" | {{sfn|''Animage''|1987}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''{{ill|Eiga Geijutsu|ja|映画芸術}}''
| Movie Art
| {{Won}}
| ''Castle in the Sky''
| align="center" | {{sfn|Nausicaa.net}}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" | ''[[Kinema Junpo]]''
| Best Ten
| data-sort-value="Won 8" {{Draw|Eighth Place}}
| ''Castle in the Sky''
| align="center" | {{sfn|''Cinema 1987''}}
|-
| Readers' Choice
| data-sort-value="Won 2" {{Runner up}}
| ''Castle in the Sky''
| align="center" | {{sfn|Nausicaa.net}}
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" | [[Mainichi Film Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | [[Ōfuji Noburō Award]]
| rowspan="2" {{Won}}
| data-sort-value="Miyazaki, Hayao" | [[Hayao Miyazaki]]
| align="center" rowspan="2" | {{sfn|''Mainichi Shimbun''}}
|-
| [[Tokuma Shoten]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[Osaka Film Festival]]
| Best Ten
| data-sort-value="Won 1" {{Won}}
| ''Castle in the Sky''
| align="center" | {{sfn|Nausicaa.net}}
|}