Japanese manga master Hayao Miyazaki, 83, came out of retirement for this hand-drawn beauty about his own life growing up in wartime. The Oscar for best animated feature belongs right here since Miyazaki’s unparalleled artistry shines out of every frame.

I just found it utterly transporting.

Visually, it's about as sumptuous as any of [Studio Ghibli's] films have ever been.

This is perhaps Miyazaki’s way of grappling with some of his inner frustrations, but mostly it is about affirming that animation is what he has always been destined to do, whether he likes it or not.