Studio Ghibli: The Japanese Animation Studio Beloved Around the World
(© 1988 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli)
In 2024, a Japanese animation studio beat out its powerhouse rivals abroad to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature with The Boy and the Heron. You may already be familiar with the studio in question, Studio Ghibli, or the film’s director, Hayao Miyazaki. Some of the studio’s past works include 1988’s My Neighbor Totoro, 1997’s Princess Mononoke, and their previous Academy Award winner, 2001’s Spirited Away. With a storied history of hit films, the studio has garnered passionate fans of all ages, and its films have been cited as inspiration by some of the biggest directors in the world. Let’s look at what makes this studio so unique, and why it is beloved by fans both in Japan and around the world.
The Boy and the Heron, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released in 2023, is a fantasy adventure about a boy who follows a heron into a magical world, set against the backdrop of World War II. (© 2023 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli)
The Unique Charm of Ghibli Films
One thing that sets Ghibli films apart is the rich fantasy worlds they take place in. In Ghibli films, forests brim with spirits, castles fly through the sky, and children come face to face with otherworldly creatures both friendly and fearsome. Many Ghibli films depict worlds inspired by ancient Japanese lore. Others take place in quaint, charming townscapes that combine aspects of Japanese and European cultures. All of these worlds are depicted in such loving detail as to transport the viewer and make them believe such places could really exist.
Left: My Neighbor Totoro, 1988. In Ghibli films, children come face to face with otherworldly beasts, both terrifying and friendly. (© 1988 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli)
Middle: 2001’s Spirited Away takes place in a bathhouse for mythical creatures and spirits. It draws heavily from Japanese lore and Shinto beliefs. (© 2001 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDDTM)
Right: 1989’s Kiki’s Delivery Service takes place in the fictional town of Koriko, which draws inspiration from various European cultures. (© 1989 Eiko Kadono/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, N)
Top: My Neighbor Totoro, 1988. In Ghibli films, children come face to face with otherworldly beasts, both terrifying and friendly. (© 1988 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli)
Middle: 2001’s Spirited Away takes place in a bathhouse for mythical creatures and spirits. It draws heavily from Japanese lore and Shinto beliefs. (© 2001 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDDTM)
Bottom: 1989’s Kiki’s Delivery Service takes place in the fictional town of Koriko, which draws inspiration from various European cultures. (© 1989 Eiko Kadono/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, N)
Scenes of nature are common throughout the Ghibli canon, from lush forests to windswept meadows to mysterious ocean depths. Rather than taking a back seat to the action of the main characters, these natural settings feature prominently as they teem with life in rich animated detail. This is not only a visual treat for audiences, but it is also thematically relevant. Many Ghibli films contain environmental messages, emphasizing the importance of living harmoniously with nature. By depicting the natural world in all its beauty, Ghibli films remind audiences of the importance of protecting it.
Left: 2010’s The Secret World of Arrietty follows a family of tiny people who live under the floorboards. Many Ghibli films feature rich natural settings that teem with life. (© 2010 Mary Norton/Keiko Niwa/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMTW)
Middle: In 1997’s Princess Mononoke, a mining town goes to war with the spirits of the forest, while the protagonist, Ashitaka, fights to stop them. It is a prime example of a theme that runs throughout many Ghibli films: the importance of living harmoniously with nature. (© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND)
Right: 2013’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya is about a princess who longs to return to nature. With their lush depictions of natural settings, Ghibli films make audiences long for nature as well. (© 2013 Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMTK)
Top: 2010’s The Secret World of Arrietty follows a family of tiny people who live under the floorboards. Many Ghibli films feature rich natural settings that teem with life. (© 2010 Mary Norton/Keiko Niwa/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMTW)
Middle: In 1997’s Princess Mononoke, a mining town goes to war with the spirits of the forest, while the protagonist, Ashitaka, fights to stop them. It is a prime example of a theme that runs throughout many Ghibli films: the importance of living harmoniously with nature. (© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND)
Bottom: 2013’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya is about a princess who longs to return to nature. With their lush depictions of natural settings, Ghibli films make audiences long for nature as well. (© 2013 Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMTK)
Another hallmark of Ghibli films is their strong female protagonists. From the studio’s very beginnings with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and its titular princess Nausicaä, Ghibli’s women have taken center stage and shown themselves to be fierce, adventurous, and determined. Whether they be princesses, warriors, or ordinary junior high school students, Ghibli’s numerous female protagonists fight against all odds to defend their values.
Left: 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the film that started Studio Ghibli. Strong female protagonists like the titular princess Nausicaä have been at the forefront of Ghibli films since the very beginning. (© 1984 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, H)
Right: 1995’s Whisper of the Heart tells the story of Shizuku, a junior high school student who dreams of becoming a writer. Ghibli girls and women follow their hearts against all odds. (© 1995 Aoi Hiiragi, Shueisha/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NH)
Top: 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the film that started Studio Ghibli. Strong female protagonists like the titular princess Nausicaä have been at the forefront of Ghibli films since the very beginning. (© 1984 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, H)
Bottom: 1995’s Whisper of the Heart tells the story of Shizuku, a junior high school student who dreams of becoming a writer. Ghibli girls and women follow their hearts against all odds. (© 1995 Aoi Hiiragi, Shueisha/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NH)
Another unique aspect of Ghibli films is the beauty they capture in quiet, everyday moments, like riding a train or sharing a meal with loved ones. Many directors praise Ghibli films for the way they masterfully intersperse hair-raising action with moments of quiet peace. These moments, called “ma” or “negative space,” give viewers a chance to sit with their emotions, and they make the moments of action all the more dramatic.
Left: In this scene from Spirited Away, the main character, Chihiro, must take a train to go see a mysterious old woman. With nothing to do, Chihiro sits quietly as she (and the audience) reflect on all the action and turmoil that has come so far. It is an example of ma, a moment of negative space in the story. (© 2001 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDDTM)
Right: 2011’s From Up on Poppy Hill. Scenes of people enjoying meals together are another hallmark of Ghibli films. Many fans on social media comment on how delicious Ghibli’s food always looks and how they wish they could try it. (© 2011 Chizuru Takahashi, Tetsuro Sayama/Keiko Niwa/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMT)
Top: In this scene from Spirited Away, the main character, Chihiro, must take a train to go see a mysterious old woman. With nothing to do, Chihiro sits quietly as she (and the audience) reflect on all the action and turmoil that has come so far. It is an example of ma, a moment of negative space in the story. (© 2001 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDDTM)
Bottom: 2011’s From Up on Poppy Hill. Scenes of people enjoying meals together are another hallmark of Ghibli films. Many fans on social media comment on how delicious Ghibli’s food always looks and how they wish they could try it. (© 2011 Chizuru Takahashi, Tetsuro Sayama/Keiko Niwa/Studio Ghibli, NDHDMT)
How Ghibli Films Are Made
Over the years, Studio Ghibli has come to be known as a vanguard of traditional hand-drawn animation. They have stayed at the forefront of this art form by constantly improving their craft with each film they release, creating ever more detailed and stunning animation. Let’s take a look at how Ghibli films are made.
Though every Ghibli film is a timeless work of art, a comparison of simple character studies between the studio’s first film, 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (left), and their most recent film, 2023’s The Boy and the Heron (right), shows the great strides the studio has made in their craft. With each film they release, the artists at Ghibli push themselves to reach new artistic heights.
Though every Ghibli film is a timeless work of art, a comparison of simple character studies between the studio’s first film, 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (top), and their most recent film, 2023’s The Boy and the Heron (bottom), shows the great strides the studio has made in their craft. With each film they release, the artists at Ghibli push themselves to reach new artistic heights.
At Studio Ghibli, films usually begin with the director creating a series of “image boards” - loose sketches and paintings of characters, settings, and pivotal moments. Though many of these images will not appear in the final product, they capture things like characters’ unique personality traits and the overall mood and visual style of the film. These images will become the seeds from which the film will grow, and they will be referred to by staff throughout the production as they bring the director’s vision to life.
Rather than a script, the director then creates the “storyboards” - a sequence of thousands of images that tell the story of the film, all sketched by hand in pencil. These images capture in meticulous detail how shots will be framed, how characters will interact, and the subtle expressions on characters’ faces. In this regard, starting from a storyboard instead of a script gives the director maximum creative control.
The next step is for animators to draw tens of thousands of individual animation frames. It takes anywhere between 8 to 24 hand-drawn frames to create a single second of animation. Director Hayao Miyazaki, rather than taking a backseat approach, is deeply involved in this process too, contributing thousands of frames to the films he’s worked on.
Despite being famous for their traditional techniques, the studio also makes use of cutting-edge digital animation effects. You might not notice them, as they often blend in seamlessly with the traditionally animated characters and painted backgrounds, but Ghibli films have been employing digital effects since as early as the 1990s. They are used sparingly in aiding the artists’ expression where traditional techniques cannot achieve a desired effect, such as in warping textures and creating shots with dynamic camera movement.
Left: In 1997’s Princess Mononoke, digital effects are employed to animate a cursed beast covered in thousands of writhing tentacles, something that would be too difficult to achieve with traditional methods. Special software is deftly utilized to make digital effects that blend in with hand-drawn animation. (© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND)
Right: In 2004’s Howl’s Moving Castle, hand-drawn animation, static painted elements, and digital effects are blended together seamlessly to create a giant castle that walks and flies through the air. (© 2004 Diana Wynne Jones/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDDMT)
Top: In 1997’s Princess Mononoke, digital effects are employed to animate a cursed beast covered in thousands of writhing tentacles, something that would be too difficult to achieve with traditional methods. Special software is deftly utilized to make digital effects that blend in with hand-drawn animation. (© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND)
Bottom: In 2004’s Howl’s Moving Castle, hand-drawn animation, static painted elements, and digital effects are blended together seamlessly to create a giant castle that walks and flies through the air. (© 2004 Diana Wynne Jones/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, NDDMT)
Enter the Worlds of Ghibli at the New “Ghibli Park”
In 2022, “Ghibli Park” opened in Aichi Prefecture, where the fantastical worlds of Ghibli have been brought to life. This was not the first time for Ghibli characters to leap off the screen - a small but lavishly detailed Ghibli Museum also exists in Mitaka, Tokyo. However, the park, being built on the expansive grounds of the 2005 Aichi World Expo, offers much more space for the artists and storytellers at Ghibli to bring their dreams to life. Ghibli Park is not like typical amusement parks that focus on rollercoasters and other thrill rides. Instead, visitors can connect with nature as they stroll through the lush park and enter scenes from their favorite Ghibli films, such as Satsuki and Mei’s house from My Neighbor Totoro, the castle from Howl’s Moving Castle, or the bakery from Kiki’s Delivery Service. Other attractions include photo spots, workshops, play areas for children, and a theater where short films are screened.
At the new Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture, Ghibli fans can stroll through nature and discover scenes and locations from their favorite films. Buildings and attractions have been designed to preserve and blend into the natural beauty of the park.
In keeping with the environmental messages of many Ghibli films, the Park was conceived with ambitious sustainability objectives in mind. Attractions have been carefully built to preserve and blend seamlessly into the park’s natural landscapes, and old structures from the World Expo have been repurposed. But most impressively, the park is run on 100% renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectric power.
The Future of a Beloved Institution
Over the course of its roughly forty years of history, Studio Ghibli has given the world a trove of films that will be cherished for generations to come. And with the opening of Ghibli Park, they have a whole new outlet to bring their wondrous ideas to life. But the story of Studio Ghibli is far from over. What kinds of films and other exciting projects will we see from the studio next? The world can hardly wait to find out.