Ghibli Works in Production

Studio Ghibli are set to release two new feature-films this year! As briefly mentioned in an earlier post, its been five years since their most recent release, Ponyo - but in 2013 Miyazaki and Takahata each return to the directorial helm for The Wind is Rising (風立ちぬ/romanised: Kaze Tachinu) and The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語/romanised: Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) respectively.

Other than the following images, not much is known about the plot of these upcoming films.

Poster/promotional image for The Wind is Rising

Poster/promotional image for The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Release

Studio Ghibli originally planned to release the films simultaneously in the summer of 2013, an event not seen since the release of Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbour Totoro in 1988. However, The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been delayed to fall 2013, and The Wind is Rising is scheduled to be released on July 20, 2013 (according to producer Toshio Suzuki).

References:

Kaze Tachinu – Hayao Miyazaki’s New Film
Two New Studio Ghibli Films Are Incoming for 2013

 

Post by Alia

Studio Ghibli vs. Disney Pixar

There is no doubt in my mind that Studio Ghibli has produced some of the best animation films the world has seen since its inception in 1985. However, despite all the achievements of creative geniuses including Miyazaki and Takahata, it would be wrong to say that they are the only ones producing such exceptional animation features. Pixar Animation Studios, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, began its road to success in 1995 with the release of Toy Story. Since then, Pixar has won a multitude of awards; its films highly regarded amongst both critics and the public. But are Pixar films really better than Ghibli ones? Or is it the other way around? Read on to find out!
 

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Visual Style

Let’s start with one of the most obvious differences: the animation style of the two studios. Ghibli films are produced primarily using traditional animation techniques, whilst Pixar makes use of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). So what does this mean for the look of the films? The difference goes beyond Ghibli films being 2D and Pixar’s 3D. Each and every frame in Ghibli films is drawn by hand, and the smallest details (such as a flower in the background) are never overlooked. Knowing this makes us appreciate their films even more, as each feature is a work of art. Pixar, focused on delivering high quality animations using the latest CGI technologies, lacks some of this attention to detail. Whilst both studios have very different visual styles, they are both of an exceptionally high standard.

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Story

Both Studio Ghibli and Pixar films are highly unique and imaginative. However, Ghibli movies have more varied stories, many drawing ideas from folklore and mythology. The Japanese film studio also understands that often simple is best, with many of their films having no life-threatening scenarios leaving viewers on the edge of their seat. (There are exceptions of course.) Often the beauty of Ghibli films arises from their simplicity and artistic merits. Studio Ghibli also doesn’t do sequels. Cars 2, Monsters University, Finding Dory... It’s almost as though Pixar has run out of ideas!

Disney Pixar
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Emotion

Clearly if both studios can produce great stories, it must mean they stir the audience emotionally as well. Let’s face it, Studio Ghibli’s Grave of the Fireflies would make even the strongest of people shed a few tears. But even Ghibli cannot compare to the heartbreaking opening scenes of Pixar’s Up and the loneliness of Wall-E as he roams around on an abandoned Earth. And the clever visual jokes present throughout Pixar films are not to be forgotten either.

Wall-E
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And the winner is...

Both! Yeah I know, you’re probably thinking what a disappointing and indecisive conclusion this is. But, as you’ve probably noticed, this is a blog all about Studio Ghibli, and I’m not going to pretend our view on this isn't just a little bit biased. The truth is, it’s all up to your own individual tastes and there is no right or wrong answer. No matter which animation studio you prefer, both produce extraordinary films with visually stunning animation and stories that captivate all audiences.

But hey, who says you have to choose between the two? WHY NOT HAVE BOTH? If you take a look at the picture below, you’ll see Mei from My Neighbor Totoro. She looks a tad different though, doesn’t she? This is what she would probably look like if Studio Ghibli decided to adopt 3D CGI animation like Pixar. Have a look at the article, If Studio Ghibli Made Pixar Films, They’d Look Like This, it’s definitely worth checking out!

 

References:

• Wikipedia – Studio Ghibli and Pixar

• HubPages – Studio Ghibli vs. Pixar: A comparison

• Time Out – Studio Ghibli Vs Disney Pixar: an animated debate

• Yahoo Movies – What Disney Could Learn From Studio Ghibli

 Post by Chloe

To-To-Ro, Totoro! To-To-Ro, Totoro!

Quick, name the first Studio Ghibli film that pops into your head! Did you recognise Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service at the top of this page? Or perhaps you thought of your all-time favourite Ghibli masterpiece Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away? Chances are you thought of My Neighbor Totoro. And not just because of the title of this post. Or even because our lovable friend features in the company’s logo. Totoro is without a doubt one of the most recognizable characters in Japan and around the world. Move over Mickey Mouse, there’s a new cartoon character in town! Well, in 1988 there was. But hey, that was 25 YEARS ago, and Totoro is still just as well-known today! Hayao Miyazaki really did create a memorable character for children and adults alike.

So we all know Totoro appeared in My Neighbor Totoro, but did you know he’s made an appearance in other Studio Ghibli films as well? These include Kiki’s Delivery Service, Pom Poko and Whisper of the Heart. Totoro has even made cameo appearances in western creations including South Park and Toy Story 3.

a Totoro soft toy in Pixar's Toy Story 3
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Totoro Mania

As you can see, My Neighbor Totoro has clearly influenced the world of film. But its impact on society ranges far more than this! Think Totoro-themed food, nail art, bags and more! Scroll down to see just how much our favourite furry friend has inspired people all over the world.

Artwork





Artwork by Mai Tran

Food

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Nail Art

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Other

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Can’t get enough of Totoro? Click on the links below and have a look at just how much Totoro-inspired stuff is out there!

 

References:

• Pinterest – Totoro Mania

• Ling’s Blog – Cute Totoro Bags

• Facebook – Totoro Fan Art

• Wikipedia – My Neighbor Totoro

 

Post by Chloe

Profile of Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿) was born in Bunkyo, Tokyo, on January 5th, 1941. Through a fifty year career as a film director, producer, and screenwriter, animator, and manga artist Miyazaki has become one of the most esteemed artists in film on an international scale.

Career

Miyzaki was involved in many of the early classics of anime as he started his career in 1963 as an animator at the studio Toei Dōga. From the beginning, he commanded attention with his incredible ability to draw, and the seemingly-endless stream of movie ideas he proposed. In 1971, he moved to A Pro with Isao Takahata, then to Nippon Animation in 1973, where he was heavily involved in the World Masterpiece Theater TV animation series for the next five years. In 1978, he directed his first TV series, Conan, The Boy in Future, then moved to Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1979 to direct his first movie, the classic Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro.

Works

Throughout his career Miyzaki has been involved in the production of over fifty works including feature-length films, television series and manga. Of Studio Ghibli's twenty-some films, Miyazaki has either directed or co-directed ten!


'The Wind is Rising' (Kaze Tachinu/風立ちぬ) is a Studio Ghibli film currently in production and set to be released 20th July 2013. It will be the first film Miyazaki has directed in five years.

The Wind Rising promotional image.

Achievements

Miyzaki has earned a multitude of achievements for his work; since 1980, he has been either nominated for or won close to one hundred awards!

Influences

The majority of the recurring themes found in Ghibli films are consequence of Miyzaki's personal and artistic influences. From early childhood Miyazaki was fascinated by drawing models of aeroplanes. This obsession with aircraft and flight (especially human flight e.g Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind) has continued throughout his life and influenced his career. He sees flight as a form of liberation from gravity and thus the theme of motif has appeared in the majority of his works in some incarnation or another.



References:

Hayao Miyazaki Brief Biography
Ghibli Wiki Miyazaki Entry
Anime News Network Miyzaki Profile




Post by Alia

The Studio Ghibli Basics!

Hand-painted watercolour background featured in Howl's Moving Castle, 2004

 The Basics

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese film studio that produces feature-length and short animated (or ‘anime’ – the animation style exclusive to Japan) films. These films are known for their unique hand-drawn style and vibrant palate and instantly recognisable. It is not only their visual style that makes these masterpieces so recognisable, but their adventurous and intricate plots – which on surface level may be taken as children’s stories, where in reality these heart-felt tales often have a much more complex and contain a deeper message!

Conception

The Tokyo-based studio was established in 1985 by producer Suzuki Toshio, and directors Takahata Isao and Miyazaki Hayao – each of whom prior to the studio’s founding held prominent careers in publishing, television and animation. The studio was conceived after the release of Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in 1984, a feature-length film which a gained favourable reception and success in Japan and thus was released the subsequent year in America (where unfortunately in underwent not only a title change, but heavy editing/‘Americanisation’).

In 1986, Studio Ghibli released its first film to success among Japanese audiences; Laputa: Castle in the Sky - written and directed by Miyazaki. However, it was not until the studio’s second release 1988, Grave of the Fireflies, (this time written/directed by Takahata) did they gain recognition abroad. Released in the same year, once more Miyazaki took the director’s role for My Neighbour Totoro, which remains as one of the studio’s most iconic productions (literally - Totoro being the symbol/company logo of Studio Ghibli).

Critical Acclaim

From their founding to present day, Studio Ghibli has earned a multitude of awards and achievements for their productions, the most prominent of which including: the 2003 75th Academy Awards Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away, the 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards Best Director, Best Voice Actor/Actress, Best Music for Howl’s Moving Castle, the 2009 Japanese Academy Award Best Animated Film for Ponyo.

What You Might Not Know… In regards to the studio’s name; Miyazaki, a noted aircraft enthusiast chose ‘Ghibli’ as it is is derived from the Arabic name for the Mediterranean wind (sirocco) or ‘hot wind blowing through the Sahara Desert’, used for Italian scouting planes during World War. The notion behind being the studio would "blow a new wind through the anime industry".

 References:

All You Need to Know About Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli: A Brief History 

10 Years of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli: A Potted Film History Of Japan’s Animation Favorite

Post by Alia

Profile of Isao Takahata

Isao Takahata (高畑 勲, born October 29, 1935) is a Japanese film director, animator, screenwriter and producer that has earned critical international acclaim for his work as a director of anime films. Takahata is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli with his long-time collaborative partner, Hayao Miyazaki.

Works of Isao Takahata

Grave of the Fireflies, 1988

Only Yesterday, 1991

Pom Poko, 1994

My Neighbours the Yamadas, 1999

Achievement

 Isao Takahata received the Leopard of Honour in 2009 at the currently running Locarno International Film Festival. The award is given every year in recognition of lifetime achievement in filmmaking.

Relationship with Hayao Miyazaki

Takahata's films have had a major influence on Hayao Miyazaki, prompting animator Yasuo Otsuka to say that Miyazaki gets his sense of social responsibility from Takahata and that without Takahata, Miyazaki would probably just be interested in comic book stuff.

References:

Wikipedia

Studio Ghibli Wiki

Online Ghibli

Google Images

Post by Kenneth

Review of Grave of the Fireflies

Background

Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) is a Japanese animated film scripted and directed by Isao Takahata in 1988 (before some of you were born!). It is based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical novel by Japanese novelist Akiyuki Nosaka. Some stories attract people’s attention either because the plot is excellent or because they can relate to the characters' lives. Akiyuki Nosaka wrote the novel is based on his experiences before, during and after the firebombing in Kobe in 1945. One of his sisters died as the result of a sickness, his adoptive father died during the firebombing proper, and another sister died of malnutrition in Fukui. It is written as a personal apology to his sister, regarding her death.

Plot

The film is based on a 14 year old boy Seita and his younger sister Setsuko and their story after the end of World War II. It begins with a fleet of bombers flying overhead Seita and Setsuko, who are left to secure the house and their belongings, allowing their mother, who suffers from a heart condition, to reach a bomb shelter. They are caught off-guard as the bombers begin to drop hundreds of incendiary bomblets, which start huge fires that quickly destroy their neighbourhood and most of the city in Kobe. Although they survive unscathed, their mother is caught in the air raid and is horribly burned. She is taken to a makeshift clinic in a school, but dies a short time later.


Having nowhere else to go, Setsuko and Seita move in with a distant aunt, who allows them to stay but convinces Seita to sell his mother's kimonos for rice. While living with their relatives, Seita goes out to retrieve leftover supplies he had buried in the ground before the bombing. He gives all of it to his aunt, but hides a small tin of fruit drops. Their aunt continues to shelter them, but as their food rations continue to shrink due to the war, she becomes increasingly resentful. She openly remarks on how they do nothing to earn the food she cooks.


Seita and Setsuko finally decide to leave and move into an abandoned bomb shelter as they become orphans and homeless. They release fireflies into the shelter to use them as light, and Seita tries his best to find food to feed not only himself but his sibling Setsuko after they run out of rice. This forced Seita to steal from local farmers but he got caught, and found out that his father probably died at the bottom of the ocean. After Setsuko dies from malnutrition, Seita puts her ashes in the fruit tin, which he carries with his father's photograph until his own death arrives from malnutrition in the station.

Characters

Seita

Being only 14 years old when his father went away with the Navy, Seita is the responsible member of the household. During the air raids, he is the one to take care of this sister while instructing his Mum to go to the shelter first. He protects his younger sister Setsuko like a parent, and tries his best to keep her safe. When she is sad, he tries to cheer her up with a fruit candy tin. He believes very strongly in his father and the Japanese army. He is stubborn and didn't believe they were going to lose but the war took almost everything: his mother, his home... This made him grow up very fast, and he became his sister’s protector.





Setsuko

A very happy and innocent girl at the start of the film. She is 4 years old and adores her older brother Seita, eager to help him out whenever she can. She seems too innocent to understand the war taking place around her. When she becomes aware that her mother is dead (even without anyone telling her), she cries that her mother is never coming back. With all this suffering and loss in her life, she becomes terrified of losing her brother but it turns out he is the one to lose her.



Seita and Setsuko's Mother
Their mother is a respectful and natural identity. She is an ideal mother figure. She loves her children and has a good control of things, even during the war which has made her husband go off to fight.


Seita's Aunt

Seita's aunt is attached to her values, which include hard work and solemnity during wartime. As a typical house wife, she is strict and often quite cruel or selfish but this could be a reflection of the natural human state during wartime.

Review

Grave of the Fireflies is a very touching and thoughtful story. The theme takes us to the life after war time which Seita has to suffer, leaving his home to escape the incendiary bombs which cause his mother's death. Even though the war has finished, there is still a lot of suffering; when people lie in the grave, the people who live suffer even more. The film tells a simply story of survival. Seita and his sister must find a place to stay and food to eat. Eventually, it is hard for Seita to manage this but it's just a simple thing called responsibility needed to take care of his only sister. The audience empathises with Seita's character. The first scene shows Seita dead in a subway station, so we can guess Setsuko’s fate through flashback by Seita. Just from looking at the title of the film, we already know it will be a sad story but once finished, I guarantee 10 out of 10 people will definitely cry after viewing this film.

References:

Wikipedia

Google Images

Ghibli Studio








Post by Rex

Ghibli Museum

                                                                

Ghibli Museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館 ) is a museum featuring the Japanese anime work of Studio Ghibli, and is located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan. Hayao Miyazaki, the director of Studio Ghibli wanted to create a museum that is interesting and relaxing to the soul, so he designed the museum himself, using drawn storyboards similar to the ones he makes for his films. The museum is a fine art museum which has many features that are child-oriented and a sprawling and occasionally mazelike interior. It is a playfully created place.

Features

The Saturn Theatre
There you can watch an original short animated feature from Ghibli, which can only be seen in the Museum's theatre.

The Space of Wonder

Look up at the ceiling, and you will find it covered in fresco painting. In the center of a blue sky, there is a shining, smiling sun.

The Central Hall

Taking in the whole room from bottom to top, you will discover a maze of spiral stairways, bridged passages, and overhanging terraces. This marvelous space transports you into the world of Hayao Miyazaki and the strange buildings which often appear in his films.

A boy's Room

The room is filled with books and toys. The walls are all covered with illustrations and sketches. Hanging from the ceiling are a model of an airplane and a model of a Peterandone. It's a place where the owner of the room has stored his favorite things.

The Reading Room "TRI HAWKS"

"TRI HAWKS (a pun on the name of the city "Mi-taka"--literally 3-hawks--where the museum is located)" is the reading room inside the Ghibli Museum. It was created to communicate the Museum's wish to have children see, touch, and feel strange and mysterious things through books.

Artwork in the Ghibli Museum

      

           The Robot Soldier

   The Cat Bus

Posters Studio Ghibli films

Totoro

References:
Wikipedia
Ghibli Museum
Google Images



Post by Kenneth