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.

Mary

• Published in Cartoons / Anime
• October 8, 2022

Since its commencement in 1986, Studio Ghibli has since 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.

The post will include Nausicaa 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 gloomy 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 against 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 great movie 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. But as a fan of Studio Ghibli, you might want to know these facts from 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 found 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, said 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 boarding is complete.

"Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind"

4. Nausicaa 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 Nausicaa of the Wind Valley may be seen again in Castle in the Sky. You just have to look attentively.

6. Castle in the Sky is largely set in a mining town. It's easy to see how Miyazaki's experience of watching the 1984 Miners' Strike in Wales would have affected him and informed the story.

"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) have been so distinct.

"Ponyo"

8. The Little Mermaid inspired the plot of the film Ponyo. This led to a goldfish character with human aspirations.

9. Miyazaki sketched the waves in Ponyo on his own in the movie. What a legend!

"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 makes up more than 10% of the final product.

12. My Neighbors the Yamadas, directed by Takahata, was Studio Ghibli's first totally digital picture. Spirited Away was the first full-length animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki using computer animation.

"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 woman who portrayed Chihiro in Spirited Away also played the part of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch. In The Ring, she portrayed Samara Morgan, simply called "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 on a trip to his mountain cottage. What an adorable reference it is.

"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.

"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. As for 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 go about exploring the museum. The museum's motto is "Let's Lose Our Way, Together," which seems appropriate.

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 to learn 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 probably just might find yourself binge-watching them over and over again.

Mary