23 Things About Studio Ghibli Films That Will Make You Love Their Movies More
No one is too young or too old for Studio Ghibli films.
Since its inception in 1986, Studio Ghibli has been quietly changing the face of animation by fusing a warm and compassionate worldview with action-packed storytelling. It was the year that Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata burst onto the scene with their first feature film, Castle in the Sky.
This post will include Nausicaä because, despite its predating Ghibli's inception, it has become an integral part of Japanese popular culture. Miyazaki has been the face of Studio Ghibli around the world, and his two films from the 1980s—My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service—cap off the decade.
Soon after Totoro's success in Japan, producer Takahata switched hats and directed the poignant Grave of the Fireflies, which was shown as a double feature with the animated film. At the turn of the century, the two founders of Ghibli squared off with Porco Rosso and Only Yesterday.
In contrast to Miyazaki's literal flights of fancy, Takahata's work in the latter category demonstrates his commitment to dramatic realism.
However, Miyazaki's fantastic tales, such as the environmental war epic Princess Mononoke, the magic and mystery of Howl's Moving Castle, and the Oscar-winning masterpiece Spirited Away, have proven to be well-known around the world.
Prior to his death in 2018, Takahata completed his final film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya. As a fan of Studio Ghibli, you might want to know these facts about their selected films.
"My Neighbor Totoro"
1. The studio was created by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro) and Isao Takahata (The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Grave of the Fireflies) in 1985. Miyazaki and Joe Hisaishi, who scores many Studio Ghibli films, were both discovered by Takahata.
2. It was requested that Hisaishi re-score portions of the music for the English version of Castle in the Sky. Disney, Ghibli's North American distributor, stated that audiences in countries other than Japan were unprepared for long stretches without a score, and only one hour of music is used in the original 124-minute Castle in the Sky film.
3. Miyazaki's films are always an expression of his personal style and vision, as he draws up his own storyboards and utilizes them as a script for his productions. No one, not even Miyazaki, knows how the film will conclude because production begins before storyboarding is complete.
Studio Ghibli"Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind"
4. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is sometimes cited as the first Studio Ghibli film, despite the fact that it was released before the studio was established. Castle in the Sky was Studio Ghibli's debut feature.
5. The fox squirrels from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind can be seen again in Castle in the Sky. You just have to look closely.
6. Castle in the Sky is largely set in a mining town. It's easy to see how Miyazaki's experience watching the 1984 Miners' Strike in Wales would have affected him and informed the story.
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"Princess Mononoke"
7. The English adaptation of Princess Mononoke was written by Neil Gaiman. He claimed he had to write two separate drafts since the requests from Studio Ghibli and Miramax (the North American distributor) were so distinct.
Studio Ghibli
"Ponyo"
8. The Little Mermaid inspired the plot of the film Ponyo, leading to a goldfish character with human aspirations.
9. Miyazaki sketched the waves in Ponyo on his own for the movie. What a legend!
Studio Ghibli / Via pinterest.com
"Howl's Moving Castle"
10. Movies like "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Kiki's Delivery Service" both have their origins in novels with the same titles. Both Tales from Earthsea and Grave of the Fireflies are adaptations from books; the former is a trilogy while the latter is a semi-autobiographical work.
11. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is used in several Studio Ghibli films; however, it never constitutes more than 10% of the final product.
12. My Neighbors the Yamadas, directed by Takahata, was Studio Ghibli's first entirely digital film. Spirited Away was the first full-length animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki using computer animation.
Studio Ghibli
"Spirited Away"
13. The animators used a recording of a veterinarian opening a dog's mouth to perfect the sequence when Chihiro places her hand into Haku's mouth. You can take a look at the gif below!
14. The same English-speaking actress who portrayed Chihiro in Spirited Away also played the role of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch. In The Ring, she portrayed Samara Morgan, simply referred to as "the girl."
15. To date, Spirited Away has earned the most money of any film in Japan. The Oscar for Best Animated Feature was also the first ever won by a film in a language other than English.
16. Spirited Away's primary heroine, Chihiro, was inspired by Miyazaki's observations of a friend's 10-year-old daughter during a trip to his mountain cottage. What an adorable reference it is.
Studio Ghibli
"Kiki's Delivery Service"
17. Kiki's Delivery Service's main city was inspired by several different European cities, including Stockholm, San Francisco, Paris, and other locations in Ireland and Italy. The scenario was developed by visualizing the 1950s in which World War II never occurred.
18. The duration of the movie Porco Rosso was initially planned to be 45 minutes. The film eventually became so lengthy that the company decided to distribute it in theaters as a full-length movie.
19. There was an Italian scout plane during WWII known as a "Ghibli." It's the term for both a desert in the Sahara and a scorching wind that blows there.
Studio Ghibli
"The Wind Rises"
20. Twenty years after Ponyo's debut, Miyazaki drew the first pages of what would become The Wind Rises. His producer pushed for the idea to become a feature film.
21. Miyazaki is always on time for his scheduled Studio Ghibli meetings, as he starts work at 11 a.m. and stays until 9 p.m. Regarding his work schedule, he puts in six days each week, and on his rest days, he frequently cleans up the river near his home.
22. The Ghibli Museum houses exclusive, never-before-seen short films. The theaters where these films are shown are modeled after the nursery from Spirited Away.
23. There are no predetermined ways to explore the museum. The museum's motto is "Let's Lose Our Way, Together," which seems fitting.
Studio Ghibli
All of these facts are based on the book "The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki" by Dani Cavallaro. You can also read it if you are interested in learning more about the artist and his works.
Indeed, Studio Ghibli films have touched the lives of many because of their unforgettable characters and values that people of all ages can learn from. You might just find yourself binge-watching them over and over again.
