Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, and would go on to become the most renowned animation studio in Japan. There’s just something special about Ghibli; its movies contain a wonder and enchantment unrivaled by any other film studio. Studio Ghibli, specifically the masterful co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, has carved out a legacy unlike any other with their rich, fantastical worlds and deep, intelligent storytelling. Titles like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Kiki’s Delivery Service are just some of the iconic movies Miyazaki has produced, which have only grown more acclaimed over the years. Studio Ghibli movies are shockingly mature and universally enjoyable, carrying heavy anti-war themes alongside wonderfully fleshed out stories. The characters are extraordinarily developed, with each feeling unique and entirely real. It would also be remiss not to mention the animation—the very medium through which the outstanding stories are told. Every frame of the animation is laboriously hand-drawn, the backgrounds all individually painted. The result of these labors are movies which seem to extend past the screen, colors which blend together perfectly and seem to both mirror and oppose those of the real world. Truly, Studio Ghibli is unlike any other.
However, despite the untouchable legacy Studio Ghibli has earned itself, its catalog of films is not without disappointments. The studio, as I mentioned, has three founders. All three are talented in their own right; though Hayao Miyazaki has earned the most fame due to his involvement in the studio’s most successful films. Hayao Miyazaki’s films are near to perfection; it is clear he has owned his craft and puts real and genuine care into the animation. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said about his son, Gorō Miyazaki. Gorō has directed three Studio Ghibli films: Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill and, last and undoubtedly least, Earwig and the Witch. His first and debut film, Tales from Earthsea, was certainly not a masterpiece. It attempted to cram four books worth of content into one movie, and as a result the plot was rushed and convoluted. Despite these failings, the action was well-done and the story, though rushed, was still somewhat enjoyable. Gorō seemed to improve with his next film, From Up on Poppy Hill, a heartfelt story that breathed the familiar Ghibli magic into everyday life. The film managed to make the mundane school life of teenagers seem marvelously alive and beautiful. A couple of years after this film was released, Studio Ghibli began to slow the rate at which it was releasing films, something which may have been related to Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement. The studio released one last film in 2016, then fell silent for the next four years. That was, until it was announced that Gorō Miyazaki would be directing another film: Earwig and the Witch.
Along with the announcement came the news that the film would be the first to stray away from the hand-drawn animation and switch to CGI animation. This was controversial right off the bat; so many people loved Ghibli for its traditional hand drawn animation, so the news that it would be moving away from the beloved style was discouraging to many, including myself. However, when the film released on streaming services in 2021, I watched the entire film in hopes that it would prove itself worthy of the studio from which it came. Needless to say, the film was completely and utterly disappointing. Not only was the 3D animation dull and lifeless, despite supposedly being more realistic than the previous 2D films, everything looked unappealing and strangely slimy (though to be fair, most of the movie did take place in a room full of potion ingredients). The story seemed adequate at first, until about three quarters of the way through when it became apparent that there was no story, only a long introduction that led to a rushed, confusing, and poorly thought out conclusion. Gorō Miyazaki succeeded in making an utterly forgettable film that can’t even hold a candle to the weakest of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. The whole release left a poor taste in the mouths of many Ghibli fans, and with the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki, it seemed that the era of Studio Ghibli had come to an unremarkable end.
Luckily, Hayao Miyazaki wasn’t quite done with his animation career. Unbeknownst to many, the director had been quietly working on a new project for more than seven years. An announcement was made about the release of a new film directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki. On September sixth, GKids Films (the site which handles the distribution of Ghibli films) released an official teaser trailer for the new film. Though it was only a minute long, this trailer was able to single-handedly assure audiences that Hayao Miyazaki was going to return with a vengeance. The trailer is practically overflowing with the nostalgic magic Studio Ghibli fans know and love. The animation looks better than it ever has before, and the story, which is based off the 1937 novel “How Do You Live?”, promises to be a captivating and heartfelt tale exploring life, death, and family. I urge everyone to see it in theaters on December 28, 2023, and to look forward to my upcoming review in a later edition of The Tattler.