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Here’s a quick question. Have you heard of Studio Ghibli?
For those who don’t know, Studio Ghibli is perhaps the most influential film producer in Japanese animation, and perhaps the world. Studio Ghibli were Pixar before the storyboards for Toy Story were even conceived of. The extraordinary quantity of artistic masterpieces that have come from Studio Ghibli is something to marvel at, their most popular being 2001’s “Spirited Away”.
“Spirited Away” is a seminal film in the history of the medium itself. It’s difficult to encapsulate why “Spirited Away” is so important, but for many people it’s likely because “Spirited Away” was their very first exposure to Japanese Animation at all, grossing $330 million worldwide. “Spirited Away” is Japan’s most profitable, successful and widespread film of all time. Some have even went as far to say it exceeds Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” as the most important film to come out of Japan.
And it’s all because of Studio Ghibli and perhaps more so to do with one of the great film auteurs of our time, Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki helmed the vast majority of Studio Ghibli’s films providing us with some of the most mature exploration of adult themes through child like wonder and absolutely gorgeous art. Many of Studio Ghibli’s films explore themes such as death, loss, and the end of childhood innocence through surreal creatures and landscapes that escape description. The studio exudes pure creativity, an increasingly rare trait that sees much success lately.
Studio Ghibli hasn’t just been instrumental in making Japanese Animation internationally recognised, but due to this international attention small animation companies in Japan were able to receive more funding and bring their creations to life. Great innovators of the genre such as the creator of “Akira” have cited Miyazaki as a great influence on them. It’s hard to track exactly, but I’d be willing to say that many of the animations that make it big have integral creative roots in the raw creativity of Mr. Miyazaki.
Granted, they’re not for everyone, but I would wholeheartedly recommend a watch of any Studio Ghibli film. Although if I were to only recommend a few they’d be “Ponyo”, “My Neighbour Totoro”, “Howl’s Moving Castle”, “The Wind Rises” and of course “Spirited Away”.
