5 minutes of Miyazaki n Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is the brainchild of a man named Hayao Miyazaki.

For twenty years, a close knit team of one hundred has been capturing the imagination and hearts of both children and adults alike. A unique combination of fantasy, adventure and great storytelling has been the backbone of success for Studio Ghibli and their long line of critically acclaimed masterpieces.

Such titles include:
:: The one that started it all, based on Miyazaki’s graphic novel: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
:: Disney changed the original name on their release of this film as is was too close to “the whore” in Spanish: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
:: Featuring the voice of the late and great Phil Hartman as Jiji the cat: Kiki's Delivery Service  
:: Studio Ghibli’s only action film, featuring an all star cast for the west: Princess Mononoke
:: The most recent and critically acclaimed: Spirited Away
:: The soon to be released Howl's Moving Castle, though it is already a blockbuster in Japan.

The creation of Studio Ghibli was all brought about in 1985 by a fortunate web of ideas and relationships within the Tokuma Publishing Company. Key figures were Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki and, of course, Hayao Miyazaki.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was such a popular comic in the magazine Animage that it was made into a film. Its success and popularity led to a new company with box office sales and prestigious awards increasing film after film.

Miyazaki and Takahata have worked together, individually and also taking on different or multiple roles within a feature film, though any project directed by Hayao Miyazaki has the winning formula for success. One of the reasons is the music score: Joe Hisaishi has worked with Miyazaki since the start and continues to make outstanding music for the film industry.

Miyazaki is famed for his aerial sequences. Almost every single film he directs will directly involve flight, whether;
It's a thirteen year old witch delivering a parcel
An Italian fighter pilot in a dogfight,
An dragon being chased by enchanted paper dolls,
An airship full of pirates,
Or a Totoro, making the wind blow.

Even the name "Ghibli" comes from Miyazaki's fascination for flight. It is an Italian word for the hot winds that blow from across the Sahara, or Italian combat aircraft. Miyazaki picked it with the intention of sending a "sensational wind into the Japanese world of animation". However, due to differences in language, the name of the studio was mistranslated - but after finding out, they decided to stick with their interpretation of the pronunciation.

One of the most striking and notable things about Miyazaki’s work is his attention to detail and continuity. He is a perfectionist and this is instantly recognizable. In Princess Mononoke, the lead character’s face is cut and his hood is ripped by an arrow. From that point, the rip appears to be sewn up the next day and for the duration of the film. It’s those little touches that create a distinct separation between Studio Ghibli and other animation studios.

Ten years ago, Studio Ghibli has spawned East Koganei Village School of Animation, where Isao Takahata is the school master. Studio Ghibli now also has its own museum in Tokyo which boasts a full scale plush Catbus (Nekobasu), Laputian robot guard sculpture and a stuffed Totoro. Unfortunately, camera use is restricted in some areas of the museum and remains a secret with only its visitors.

Unfortunately, Studio Ghibli's success isn't as recognized in the western world as it is in Japan, and many people have never even heard of Miyazaki in England, even though Channel Four crowned him the greatest animator of the twentieth century. John Lasseter (the head of Pixar animation studios) is an avid Studio Ghibli fan and has recently created awareness of their works by appearing on the recent western releases on DVD distributed by Disney. Miyazaki only struck the deal with Disney to release his films in the west if they agreed to show them in their entirety, as Miyazaki himself intended them. He got what he wanted.

In short, to sum up: Studio Ghibli always put the storytelling and the quality of the final product before business growth or money. This strategy is responsible for some of the most heartwarming and influential films of the late twentieth century and Studio Ghibli will, hopefully, continue to do so for a long time. In time I hope that they become one of the most recognized producers of animations in the entertainment industry, such as that of Disney and Pixar. While I’m at it, they should show Studio Ghibli films in schools as part of the curriculum.

Essay is copyright (c) Kat Rei, 2005

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