Speaking as a person who enjoys engineering feats and especially those related to aviation, I was sure I was going to love _The Wind Rises_. After loving the planes in _Porco Rosso_, my first Studio Ghibli's movie and my favorite so far, I had confidence in Miyazaki ability to portray what goes in designing a plane. And he even exceeded my expectations! You can truly tell that the japanese director is an aviation nerd and lover.

The movie goes back and forth from reality and dreaming, almost seamlessly and with such graceful transitions that it really feels like the whole thing is a dream inside Jiro's head. In the best possible way.
The plot itself isn't particularly rigid and it flow very well from one thing to another, from reality to dream, from Jiro's work to his personal life. It's not a story that grips you because you want to know what happens next. It's more like cloud watching; you're just there, watching which shape will come next, with no expectations about it, without worrying how it ties with the previous shape.
Even though it's set during the years of World War Two, the movie doesn't endorse Japan's actions during it. Really the war is basically a footnote of the whole thing. It's more like a plot point to bring the viewer to what really matter: the design of the plane and what it means for the protagonist.

I don't have much to say about the visuals. They are very on brand for Studio Ghibli. Perfectly done, with their unique style. Much like in _Porco Rosso_, the planes and the engines that power them, feel alive. It's not a photorealistic style, but it's absolutely gorgeous, vivid and full of life.

I loved the sound design. A lot of them were made by a human mouth, I feel like. Especially in the dream sequences, it really added to the feeling of being in fantasyland.

Overall, a great movie, which I would recommend to anyone, but especially to those that like aviation and/or are fans of Studio Ghibli's style of animation. A wonderful mix of gorgeous visuals and poetry.

8/10