I don’t think that a person can be an anime fan without at least hearing the name of Studio Ghibli. They have pioneered the way for anime, most notably through their movies. But Studio Ghibli can be a bit confusing even if you think you know about the company and their movies so here is some information about Studio Ghibli.

First off, you want to say the name right. Japanese and English are different. Since it is a Japanese company, it is pronounced using Japanese language. The best way to translate to english would be:

ji-bu-ri

Studio Ghibli was founded on June 15, 1985 by Director Hayao Miyazaki, producer Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. Miyazaki also asked director Isao Takahata if he wanted to be a part and he said yes. Most of the movies are directed by Miyazaki and a few by Takahata but there are also other directors as well.

In 2014 both Miyazaki and Takahata decided to retire so Studio Ghibli went into a limbo state. But, in 2017 Miyazaki said that he was coming out of retirement and working on a new production. Unfortunately in 2018 director Takahata passed away. There are currently 21 movies exclusively produced by Studio Ghibli.

1986 – Castle in the Sky

1988 – Grave of the Fireflies

1988 – My Neighbor Totoro

1989 – Kiki’s Delivery Service

1991 – Only Yesterday

1992 – Porco Rosso

1993 – Ocean Waves

1994 – Pom Poco

1995 – Whisper of the Heart

1997 – Princess Mononoke – #8

1999 – My Neighbors the Yamadas

2001 – Spirited Away – #2

2002 – The Cat Returns

2004 – Howl’s Moving Castle – #3

2006 – Tales from Earthsea

2008 – Ponyo – #4

2010 – The Secret World of Arrietty – #9

2011 – From Up on Poppy Hill

2013 – The Wind Rises – #10

2013 – The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

2014 – When Marnie Was There

Ranked in the top ten of highest grossing movies from Japan.

Currently of these movies, six of them are ranked top ten highest grossing anime movies made in Japan. Spirited Away was the top grossing anime from Japan until 2016 when Your Name beat Spirited Away by 10 million. These two movies have a 100 million gross higher then the next number three which is another Ghibli movie, Howl’s Moving Castle.

Some people might think that Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was produced by Studio Ghibli. It was not. It was made in 1984 before the studio was founded. However, it was written and directed by Miyazaki.

As of December 17, 2019 all the Studio Ghibli movies are now available to download except for Grave of the Fireflies.

Another way to watch these movies is a company called Fathom Events. In the past few years, they have been bringing select Studio Ghibli movies along with other Japanese anime to movie theaters across the US. Hopefully they continue to do so.

I have honestly fallen off the bus here as of the 21 Ghibli movies, I have seen only five of them. Many are on my to watch list including Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro and all the others. I might take a look at downloading some of these classics!

 

Last week I just saw The Tale of the Princess Kaguya at one of the Fathom Events. I thought that the movie was really well done. The art was interesting as it is all done in watercolor. The story was also interesting as sometimes I thought it would turn left but it went right.

I have seen Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Grave of the Fireflies and Kiki’s Delivery Service I saw quite a while ago. While I do remember the vibe and general story, I think I need to watch them again. Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya were

However, out of all five movies I have seen, I put Spirited Away at the top and is also one of my top favorite all time movies. This movie is so rich in creating an amazing world, with top characters and striking visuals. The story is just so amazing as I see so many countless other movies, anime or not, just not even leaving the starting gate as the story and story telling is just so bad. I don’t need flashy lights all the time, I just need a connection to a character and make me feel what they feel. Spirited Away spins this tail so masterfully and this is really a good movie.

Hopefully you learned something about Studio Ghibli and maybe you’ll go watch Spirited Away or any of their other movies.