Ghibli’s Moving Vessels
Why the magic of Studio Ghibli is unlike any other.
Written by Brendan Prior
As soon as I witnessed the perspective of a tiny, ant-sized human girl running through tall forests of grass laced with enormous raindrops weighing down each blade, and facing cockroaches and cats as if they were monstrous figures, I was hooked. My first taste of Studio Ghibli came with the 2010 film “The Secret World of Arrietty.” I hadn’t seen anything like it and immediately fell in love with the music, the animation and the simple stories that managed to resonate deeply with me. After that, I started to experience Ghibli’s other works and loved them as well.
But come 2020, I hadn’t watched much Ghibli in years, and overall I had only seen about a third of their filmography. So when the pandemic first hit, I started watching the rest of their films.
I’ve always dealt with a lot of anxiety in general — and the pandemic has only heightened that — but watching Ghibli’s filmography helped me escape all of that.
The sweeping orchestral music, the timeless visuals and the hopeful personification of both our world and others managed to provide a spark during an otherwise bleak time.
In this time, I got my friends and family hooked on Ghibli as well, and almost all of them understood why I loved the films after just their first movie. We would constantly talk about how much we loved the films, but it was always odd trying to describe what exactly set Ghibli apart from other animation studios.
Studio Ghibli is often cited as one of the most successful anime film studios in Japan, with their films being known worldwide. Until 2020, “Spirited Away” was the highest grossing anime film of all time, earning nearly 300 million dollars worldwide. Eight out of 15 of Japan’s highest grossing anime features belong to Ghibli. “Castle in the Sky” has been attributed to popularizing steampunk anime and manga, as well as influencing notable American animated films, such as Pixar’s “WALL-E” and “Up.”
Studio Ghibli has a few notable directors such as Isao Takahata, who made “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “Only Yesterday” and “Grave of the Fireflies.” Hayao Miyazaki is known as the mind behind Ghibli, with films such as “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Princess Mononoke” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”
Ghibli’s animation differs greatly from other anime productions, but I believe that’s why the studio has gained worldwide appeal. Ghibli’s visual focus is more on capturing the beauty of the world established, whether that be our own or a mythical one, rather than focusing on the characters at all times.
In the film “Only Yesterday,” for most of the film, the animation focuses heavily on the scenic elements as opposed to explicitly on the characters, with lush images of dandelion fields and sweeping shots of countryside bliss. Instead of focusing on big emotions, Ghibli’s animation captures real human features more realistically.
Ghibli’s mascot, Totoro, comes from the 1988 film “My Neighbor Totoro.” The film has little to no story and is exceedingly simple, yet is beloved worldwide. It shows a side of life that we often take for granted — in this case, the wonder of childhood and finding excitement in day-to-day life.
I watched “My Neighbor Totoro” as a kid and thought it was cute, but as an adult, I realize that the film manages to capture the exact feeling of nostalgia for my childhood more than anything I’ve felt before. The film makes me recall summer days with my brother, running around on the grass and concrete with nothing but bare feet, only going inside to eat a snack or play a game together.
The music of Ghibli varies from film to film, but each soundtrack manages to be therapeutic to listen to in one way or another. They all encapsulate the wholesome heart of Ghibli, which not only elevates the films, but manages to make for great de-stressing music. Some of the soundtracks which have helped me the most in terms of relaxation are Cecile Corbel’s work on “The Secret World of Arrietty,” Yuji Nomi’s work on “Whisper of the Heart” and Joe Hisaishi’s work on “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Princess Mononoke.”
One of my favorite Studio Ghibli films is “Whisper of the Heart,” directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondō. The film portrays a beautiful sense of community and takes the viewer back to a time when the wonder of a child is mixed with the first taste of adulthood.
There’s one scene in particular where the protagonist, after pouring her heart into a giant novel, decides to show her work to a friend. She is increasingly anxious and unsure of it. Once her friend finishes reading it, he reassures her and states, “You’re wonderful. There’s no need to rush. Please take time to polish your talent.”
Hearing this at a time when I felt uninspired with a severe case of mental fog meant more to me than I could’ve expected.
There’s just something magically unexplained about the films of Studio Ghibli. It’s a serendipitous feeling of immersion and peace that stems from viewing the world’s most universal themes.
From the pure sense of love embodied in “Whisper of the Heart” and the tragic heartbreak of “Grave of the Fireflies,” to the sense of childhood bliss in “My Neighbor Totoro” and the endless fantasy found in “Spirited Away,” there’s something for anyone and everyone in the universal Ghibli catalog.