Produced before Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, Miyazaki here sets down environmental concerns that become a staple of his later work.
A psychedelic sci-fi slash fantasy-adventure influenced by Isaac Asimov and Tolkien, while also reminiscent of Star Wars. Set in a spore-infested future swarming with immense insects, this is the story of a young princess destined to return the world to its habitable state.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) Photograph: Sportsphoto/Allstar/Optimum Releasing 11. Psychedelic sci-fi … Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. A sequel of sorts to Whisper of the Heart, this is a cat owner’s fever dream. Schoolgirl Haru is abducted by a herd of cats and coerced into marriage with a royal feline. One of Studio Ghibli’s most bizarre premises for a film (and that’s from the creators of Porco Rosso). “Ghibli” was the nickname of a second world war Italian aircraft its moustachioed designer Caproni appears in the dreams of engineer Jiro Horikoshi in this poignant animation, which captures the preciousness of life. The second of Studio Ghibli’s aviation-themed films, this is the animation house at peak visual prowess. Haunting artistically and musically, the princess’s feelings of relegation and harassment in a man’s world feel raw and, at moments, untethered in Isao Takahata’s final film. With its origin in one of Japan’s oldest manuscripts, the mythical life of Princess Kaguya (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz for its English language dub) is illustrated in elegant, understated strokes of watercolour. Understated elegance … The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Despite its humour, the reality of this film strikes hard. They relearn the ancient Buddhist art of shapeshifting in attempts to sabotage construction work. Riled by humans destroying their forest, a group of tanuki (racoon dogs) revolt. Pom Poko (1994)Ī tragicomedy on sweeping urban expansion, blind to the lives of other species and spirits. Featuring the voice of Saoirse Ronan, this is as heart-warming as Mary Norton’s original. Its animators delight in minuscule detail: a cup brimming with a single drop of tea, wallpaper made of leaves. Arrietty (2010)Ī homage to The Borrowers, this is Studio Ghibli’s version of the celebrated story of tiny people who “borrow” things. In memory of her ship captain father, a girl raises flags visible from the harbour, unwittingly attracting the attention of her classmate. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)Ī film directed by Miyazaki’s son, Gorō, this study of port town Yokohama in the wake of the Korean war twists into a strange adolescent love story. Most of the action unfolds as the credits roll.Ī strange adolescent love story. She takes leave from work and heads to the countryside, accompanied by the memory of her cringe-worthy 10-year-old self and an east-European-inspired soundtrack.
Isao Takahata directs this leisurely, meditative account of a woman nearing 30, experiencing pressure to get married.
An adaptation of the manga series Nono-Chan, this was Studio Ghibli’s first entirely digital work. Episodic sketches of quotidian drama, in newspaper comic-strip style, are punctuated by lines of Bashō’s poetry. Though lacking the stunning visuals of Studio Ghibli’s best-known films, this portrait of a suburban family compensates with comedy. After absconding from the RAF, Porco Rosso transforms back into a human, literally and metaphorically. Set against the rising Italian fascist regime, this chirpy animation has an oddly noticeable gangster-film influence.
But just behind Pazu and Sheeta are soldiers from the aerial dreadnought Goliath-who have captured Dola and her pirate crew, and are now looting the gold and jewels of the Castle in the Sky for themselves! But the man who guided them there, Muska, has his eyes on power, not money-and he alone knows how to activate the castle’s ancient superweapons that could make him master of the world! Can Pazu and Sheeta stop his sinister plan? Includes scene-by-scene illustrations and character dialogue from the film.The first of Hayao Miyazaki’s aviation-themed films, it remains unclear why its pilot character is a pig (unfortunately, a sexist one). The legends were true! Somewhere high in the clouds, human beings have again set foot on the floating island of Laputa, for centuries a peaceful, parklike ruin, tended only by its silent, faithful robots. Studio Ghibli picture books capture the magic of the legendary studio’s animated films with easy-to-read text, full-color pictures direct from the film, and a family-friendly oversized hardcover format. Acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki’s fantastic adventure takes to the air in search of the Castle in the Sky!