Perhaps when you were young, you watched Spongebob, The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10 or even Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. While Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon have plenty of amazing kids’ shows (I guess you don’t have to be a kid to watch them), some other movies like Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and many more were favored as well. These Japanese films come from Studio Ghibli, a popular studio that is most well-known for its anime feature films. While non-Asian audiences may not be as familiar with these movies (as they come from an Asian country), the key components found in most, if not all, of Studio Ghibli’s films should be enough of an incentive to watch them, even if you’re not a kid. Yes, they are in Japanese, but there are plenty of subbed and dubbed (the debate of which version is better remains a hotly contested topic) versions out there for non-Japanese speakers.
1. They teach you important life lessons.
Maybe it’s just me, but I thought these movies got really serious at times. For example, in Spirited Away, when Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs from eating too much food, the transformation didn’t seem merely like a part of the plot progression but more of a surreal representation of human greed (there’s a lot more to this that I’ll put in a later bullet point). This 10-year-old embarks on a dangerous adventure to save her parents and escape from the fantasy fairy-land, simultaneously showing the viewers how important family is. Another example is from Princess Mononoke, where the main premise of the movies stems from how human-induced pollution hurts the environment. While animated movies may not seem like an ideal medium for portraying these important themes, Studio Ghibli does a fantastic job sending their message across.
2. They’re really cute.
I think most animated films/TV shows have the cutest characters (I’m a die-hard fan of minions!), but Studio Ghibli animations have a special place in my heart. They portray the plot perfectly and leave none of the image up to imagination.
3. It’s basically Disney but darker.
Like I said earlier, Spirited Away portrays a message of the strength of familial relationships (My Neighbor Totoro also does this when Satsuki runs around everywhere trying to find her younger sister--Mei-- when she gets lost). However (using the Spirited Away example again), the main antagonist of the movie enslaves spirits and humans by stealing their name and effectively stealing their identities. Chihiro (the protagonist) is given the name Sen (which means 1,000), commonly interpreted as Chihiro’s transition into slavery. Since Yubaba (the main antagonist) owns so many workers, she gives Chihiro a name that is "one in a thousand" to symbolize the fact that Sen (formerly Chihiro) is indistinguishable from everyone else-- her fundamental identity was stripped away from her. While both Disney and Studio Ghibli films do have many similarities in the fact that they both produce animated films and teach important lessons, Studio Ghibli movies tend to have darker undercurrents within their plots, making them more appealing to older people as they often have deeper meanings than what one would see on the screen.
4. The scenery is beautiful.
Especially whenever there’s an outdoor scene in the movies, they’re always absolutely stunning (like can my backyard be as beautiful as that please?). The attention to the minutest details in the backgrounds makes the films so much more pleasant to watch.
5. The main characters are almost always female.
Too many times movies broadcast strong male leads and leave the females looking weak and dependent on others (disclaimer: this doesn’t occur in all movies). However, in every Studio Ghibli movie I’ve watched, the female lead has been portrayed as an incredibly strong, independent individual who discovers her own strengths and self-worth by herself (a particularly strong example would be San from Princess Mononoke).
6. The plots aren’t predictable.
A lot of times when I go to the movies theater or when I’m just watching a movie with friends at home, I hear the complaint of “that was so predictable I knew what was going to happen”. While this may be true for a lot of American films (I’m pretty sure most of them end happily), I’ve never been able to really predict the outcome of a Studio Ghibli movie. There’s always some twist at the end that leaves you satisfied enough to let the amazing-ness of the movie permeate through you, but not enough to let you forget about it quickly.
7. Totoro is super cute.
This is a me thing-- I am absolutely obsessed with this furry forest spirit. I hope you think Totoro is as cute as I do (from My Neighbor Totoro) because I honestly can’t get over this movie.
