Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animated film studio that has been producing amazing animes since 1985, when the success of “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” brought the studio and producers together to work on more films together. And we’re glad they did! Eight of their films are on the best fifteen anime films list and their films have brought people across the world together in joy and wonder. And how did they do it? By appealing to everyone!
Studio Ghibli is the first film creator to combine elements of cultures from across the globe. They take ancient and modern mythologies from everywhere and represent various peoples and cultures without being offensive.
They take elements from every culture in the world to create new and interesting cultures, like the desert tribe in “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”, or the almost-WWII situation in “Porco Rosso”. You can see where their inspiration was drawn from, but at no point do they intrude on or appropriate an actual culture. They don’t mean to hurt anyone or make a documentary so they show the variety humans are capable of, rather than the variety we actually have. Nobody is offended when the main character displays prejudice towards a neighbouring tribe, because none of the viewers are from that tribe. Instead, we understand it is a reflection of prejudice in our society, making the moral message more poignant.
They also won’t get any culture wrong, because all the cultures they represent are fictional. This gives them room to explore traditions, ceremonies and food without worrying they will hurt anyone or be attacked for inaccuracy. You can see a certain type of noodle and say “That’s kinda like Korean pho!” without having to check whether it is like pho and without worrying that your Korean friends might take offence to a poor portrayal of their culture. Which again shows a richness of culture and sensitivity that many Western animators could learn from.
Everyone from all around the world can sit down and enjoy Studio Ghibli’s films and they can enjoy the film without worrying about the messages it carries. They can even dislike the film without worrying about the messages it carries! Everyone is free to judge and assess this sort of film.
And when Studio Ghibli tackles real world scenarios and ideas in a fake world, they step into the territory of both fantasy and sci-fi as well as realism. This means they are more likely to appeal to more people. They have a level of detail that is astonishing. They take elements of human nature: love, culture, prejudice, need, war, fear and family. And elements of nature: animals, plants, extinction, rivalism and disaster. And elements of society: laws, outlaws, outcasts, religions and leaders.
But they also create a new world. High fantasy is described as a world that is very radically different to reality, but created in great detail. And Studio Ghibli is a perfect example. They may take influence from human diversity in our world and they use it to create wonderful cultures and societies to stage their stories in. But when they mix and match these cultures they step into the territory of fantasy. And when they create new countries, ecosystems, animals and history, they are designing a high fantasy world, like Lord of the Rings, for example. Every Studio Ghibli film will feature some sort of fantasy setting. Sometimes, like in “Spirited Away” or “My Neighbour Totoro”, it will be based on the mythologies of an actual culture or two. Sometimes, like in “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” or “Ponyo”, they create an entire new mythology and entirely new creatures or countries.
And when they go into such great detail, at times they cross the line into sci-fi, creating new technologies and inventions. They may not touch on high sci-fi, which requires that everything be potentially inventable, but they create inventions that have their own explanations and follow certain rules or laws of nature, even if these rules and laws are specific to the world they created. They create new technology that maybe someday, like the Star Trek doors, will become a real thing. Studio Ghibli crosses the boundaries between reality and fiction, as well as the boundaries across genres.
It’s hard to attack a genre to Studio Ghibli. Would you say “Princess Mononoke” is a high fantasy? Or a romance? Or a bildungsroman? Or an action film? Or a war film? Or an environmentalist film? Or a spiritual film? It’s hard to place them because they cross so many genres. “Princess Mononoke” appeals to the green, the lovers of samurai films, high fantasy lovers, war film aficionados, travel film lovers, animal lovers, tribalists and admirers of Japanese, English and Indian mythologies. Likewise, “Howl’s Moving Castle” appeals to people who enjoyed the book, who like English literature, who enjoy fantasy and magic films, who like comedy and drama and action and adventure. Studio Ghibli reaches into all genres to attract all sorts of viewers.
And it’s refreshing to not see a film constrained by genre definitions. So many times we see genres being forced on films or even created to fit a film. So many writers and directors are wary of avoiding a genre, in case the film doesn’t sell or becomes bland and waffling. Studio Ghibli is proof that you don’t need a genre to have an exciting film that makes people want to watch it and see your films again. Which is pretty awesome.
It also opens the possibility to a more diverse plot. Genres often have traditions, where a certain genre has a certain plot. Films for adults tend to be darker and more serious, addressing difficult subjects like sex, morality, war, death and politics. Films aimed at children tend to be very naïve and light-hearted, addressing subjects such as loyalty, friendship, adventure and novelty. But Studio Ghibli is not constrained by age norms. They don’t feel the need to evoke a certain era, use certain music or avoid certain themes to catch their target audience. This helps them create fantasy worlds that are intricate and believable and that appeal to everyone. For example, in “My Neighbour Totoro”, there is a nostalgic element. The world was based off the creator’s own experiences growing up in rural Japan before the days of the internet and reality shows. The children run around barefoot, help at the farms and write letters. A distance between people is felt deeply by them. Climbing trees and playing games outside are exciting and interesting to the main characters. This would appeal to the older members of the audience. It also portrays family life, with the lead characters being young children who behave exactly as young children would, who play and dream and have a short understanding of their world. This realism appeals to parents and young children alike, who can see themselves reflected in that world. And the depth of reality, combined with the deep and traditional fantasy, also draw in children and adults alike who enjoy these themes. There is so much there for everyone of all ages to enjoy.
And the variety of genres also liberates it from gendered stories. Unlike a lot of Western films and cartoons, Studio Ghibli doesn’t follow traditional gender narratives for their stories. Whereas the traditional Western and even many traditional Eastern romance stories have a pattern of “boy meets girl, girl is in distress, boy helps girl, girl falls for his charms, they live happily ever after”, romance in Studio Ghibli could be “boy meets girl, girl has things to do, boy has things to do, they do their own thing, boy asks girl for help, girl shows boy what he needs to do, they solve their problems, girl goes back to her home, boy agrees to visit her”. That makes a sweet romance story without making the girl a damsel in distress or the boy an indestructible warrior.
And this isn’t a one-off. Studio Ghibli films are full of characters that defy gender stereotypes and traditional romance notions. Men and boys are allowed to be delicate, weak and loving. A young boy saves a little fish and cares for it deeply, as young boys sometimes do and as is frowned upon by many who think it’s “girly”. A young girl valiantly faces hard labour, mythical beings and even death to save her parents. A man is capricious and a little bitchy without being a homosexual. A woman is a survivalist and beast master. They aren’t concerned with gender stereotypes and therefore create an even richer story.
And all of this combines to create a depth of plot, characters and world that you just can’t see in modern films. There is so much richness to Studio Ghibli films, both on the screen and behind the scenes, that it’s hard for anyone to feel alienated by them or like there is nothing there for them. Which is one step closer to a sort of media that can be globally loved and admired.