Studio Ghibli Retrospective 9

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

XXV. Epilogue/Conclusion

When I wrote my Studio Ghibli retrospective the first time, way back in 2013, I was in a much different place than now. For one, I was still writing for ScrewAttack, which is now defunct. And two, I hadn’t fully-grasped how to tackle these movies in a long format. Since then, not only has the company released more films, but, judging by recent news, it’s possible they might have more on the way. Hayao Miyazaki has announced another film in time for the Tokyo Olympics, while Goro Miyazaki has a project scheduled shortly after that. It’s exciting, but it means that this retrospective will be dated, yet again, in a few years.

I’m not upset, though. It’s important to seize your moment when it arrives. Does it suck that I might have to do this again? Maybe. But for now, I’d rather not focus on that.

And what a task this was! When I initially decided that December of 2019 would be dedicated to Studio Ghibli’s work, I didn’t realize how big an undertaking that was. Between re-watching 8 of their movies, making sure I had a working memory of the remaining 15, choosing the appropriate angle, actually writing it, making adjustments to my schedule and then editing, formatting and slotting in these blog posts, it felt like my work was cut out for me! It was the most intense retrospective I’ve ever written, and at times it was even gruelling to finish! It also didn’t help that I’ve struggled with projects like this before, so the pressure was on.

Fortunately, I was committed and dedicated. Unlike, say, my Digimon retrospective on Infinite Rainy Day, which is still unfinished, I was absolutely sure I could do this. I was gonna make sure. And if it didn’t pan out? Well…I wouldn’t even contemplate that.

Sufficed to say, I actually did finish writing, editing, formatting and scheduling this, so good on me!

Back to Studio Ghibli, the reason why this spoke to me is because it had a certain appeal that few animation studios can replicate. Maybe Disney, possibly Pixar too. But not much else. And that works in its favour when a Japanese animation house, one with entirely different origins and objectives than the biggest conglomerate, can still evoke that “Disney magic” in people of all ages. I know it can for me.

I’d go one step further on that, saying that I like Studio Ghibli more than most of Disney’s output. There are two reasons for that: the first is that Studio Ghibli takes more creative risks than Disney. Because of the image that they’ve crafted for themselves, Disney often feels scared to try and be adult. They’ve done it occasionally, mostly through Touchstone Pictures, but even then their output feels less like them and more like any other film house.

Studio Ghibli doesn’t have that problem. They can make a Ponyo one day, which appeals most to Disney’s target audience, then turn around and give us a Princess Mononoke another, which wouldn’t appeal to them at all. It’s that level of creative flexibility that makes me admire them, as it shows that they can cater to everyone. That most of their library’s pretty consistent on a quality level doesn’t hurt.

The other element working in Studio Ghibli’s favour is that they don’t feel corporate. This was true in 2013 when I first wrote this, but it’s especially true in light of Disney’s practices in the 6 years since. Disney might put out good content on occasion, but it always feels cynically motivated. It always feels like they want control, even purchasing smaller properties and milking them dry. I end up feeling conflicted as a result.

Studio Ghibli lacks this problem, at least superficially. I’m sure they still care about money, and they’ve exercised some frustrating corporate decisions too, but their work doesn’t feel cynical. When I watch even their weakest movie, Tales From Earthsea, I feel like it was made with the best of intentions. It still feels genuine.

And now, with the closing part of this series, I’d like to give each of the 23 films I’ve discussed a score:

The Castle of Cagliostro-4/5.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind-4.5/5.

Castle in the Sky-5/5.

Grave of the Fireflies-4/5.

My Neighbor Totoro-4/5.

Kiki’s Delivery Service-4.5/5.

Only Yesterday-3.5/5.

Porco Rosso-3.5/5.

Ocean Waves-3/5.

Pom Poko-3/5.

Whisper of the Heart-4.5/5.

Princess Mononoke-5/5.

My Neighbors the Yamadas-2.5/5.

Spirited Away-5/5.

The Cat Returns-3/5.

Howl’s Moving Castle-3.5/5.

Tales From Earthsea-1.5/5.

Ponyo-4/5.

The Secret World of Arrietty-4/5.

From Up On Poppy Hill-3.5/5.

The Wind Rises-3.5/5.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya-4.5/5.

When Marnie Was There-4.5/5.

Keep in mind that these are personal ratings. Either way, thanks for sticking it out, and I’ll see you all next time!