Studio Ghibli Facts
What is Studio Ghibli?
Studio Ghibli Inc. is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo. It is best known for its animated feature films, and has also produced several short subjects, television commercials, and two television films.
Who is Hayao Miyazaki?
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli.
Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore).
What is Kiki?
A witch
What is Totoro?
Totoro is known as a spirit of the forest. Some have noted that his unusual shape stems from several different influences. The character design for Totoro seems to be inspired by various animals, including Japanese raccoon dogs called tanukis, and cats. The flying scenes and the moment where Satsuki and Mei play ocarinas at night suggest that Totoro was also inspired by owls.
Is Studio Ghibli Anime?
Anime is the Japanese word meaning "animation". Not only does studio Ghibli do animation, but they do it in Japan where it would in fact be called anime. So yes, it's considered anime.
What was Hayao's family business?
Miyazaki’s father was the director of Miyazaki Airplane, a manufacturing concern that built parts for Zero fighter planes. The family business instilled in Miyazaki a love of flying that became apparent in virtually all of his work.
Where was Spirited away inspired by?
The packed streets and elaborate bathhouse of the movie can thank downtown Juifen in Taiwan for its beautiful design. Here you can find familiar sights and sounds that resemble the bustling spirit town. Miyazaki is said to have visited a popular teahouse while staying there that showed up in the movie as the bathhouse.
Where does Kiki work?
Kiki works at Koriko and Osono's bakery while also opening a Witch Delivery Business, transporting goods using her broomstick.
Where does the term Totoro come from?
Tororo; Troll. Totoro is a gender neutral name of Japanese origin. This name was made famous by Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro. However, its meaning comes from the name "Tororo" which is defined as "troll".
Who is the Studio Ghibli mascot?
Totoro!
Where did Miyazaki work before opening Studio Ghibli?
After having completed studies in economics at Gakushūin University, Tokyo, in 1963, he took a position as an entry-level animator at Tōei Animation, a division of the Tōei studio and Asia’s largest producer of animation.
What are some life lessons we can learn in Howl's Moving Castle?
1. Appearances don’t matter, what you have inside does.
2. Love
3. The Battle Between Good and Evil
What was Kiki's sidekick?
Jiji is her cat sidekick
Why did Totoro's initial pitch get rejected the first time?
His initial pitch for My Neighbor Totoro was rejected by the Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co. Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki tried again in 1987, but producers “didn’t think the furry giant could take off, literally or figuratively,”
“Distributors simply didn’t believe there was an audience for a story about two little girls and a monster in modern Japan.”
How are Studio Ghibli movies made?
Ghibli still uses traditional, hand-drawn animation methods. This means the production of films take a long time as every frame of the film has to be hand-drawn (typically Studio Ghibli films have 24 frames per second) and then are animated together. BUT CGI is occasionally used.
How does Miyazaki feel about war?
Miyazaki described that even as a child he felt the war was stupid. He said, "I came to truly hate Japan, thinking I was born in a country that did stupid things." While the war ended when he was very young, Miyazaki did say he remembers the air raid that burned his town.
Why does Howl give Calcifer his heart?
When Howl was young, he gave Calcifer his heart in order for the fire demon to continue living because he felt sorry for him.
Where did Miyazaki take inspiration for the setting of Kiki?
During the production phase, Hayao Miyazaki and his artists travelled to Sweden to research for the film. The photographs they took of Stockholm and Visby, formed the basis of the fictional city of Koriko. The city also contains elements of Lisbon, Paris, San Francisco, and Milan.
Where was the setting of Totoro get inspiration from?
The movie is set about an hour's drive from Tokyo in Sayama Hills, Tokorozawa, where Miyazaki owns a home. Miyazaki frequently strolled around the town and took in the lush scenery, which inspired much of the film's backdrop.
What was the first Studio Ghibli movie?
The official first Ghibli movie was Laputa: Castle in the Sky.
Does Hayao Miyazaki still work and make movies?
While he has announced his retirement MANY times, Hayao still can't help but create films for Studio Ghibli. A new movie is going to be made for 2023!
Why is Howl obsessed with beauty?
Howl's self-obsession is due to a few things - vanity: it's self-protection. The more beautiful he is, the safer he is, the further he is from those monsters of war. Howl's narcissism is his armor. Sophie's presence begins to soften Howl
What are some lessons that can be learned in Kiki's Delivery Service?
1.Starting Over In A New Place Can Be Exciting.
2. Life Isn't About Looks Or Money, But About Personality.
3. First Impressions Can Be Wrong.
4. In Helping Others We Often Help Ourselves
5. Community Is Important
What characters/spirits can you find in Tororo and other Ghibli movies?
Mei and Satsuki discover the soot sprites that were first looking around their new house. The sprites are also shown in the boiler room with Kamaji in spirited away.