Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli, Inc.
株式会社スタジオジブリ

Type	Animation film studio
Industry	Media and Entertainment
Founded	June 1985
Founder(s)	Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata
Headquarters	Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
Key people	Hayao Miyazaki Isao Takahata Toshio Suzuki
Products	Animated feature films (Anime)
Website	www.ghibli.jp

Studio Ghibli, Inc. (株式会社スタジオジブリ, Kabushiki-gaisha Sutajio Jiburi) is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro (a large forest spirit) from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro. It has its headquarters in Koganei, Tokyo.

Many anime features created by Studio Ghibli have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award including: Castle in the Sky in 1986; My Neighbor Totoro in 1988; and Kiki's Delivery Service in 1989. In 2002, Spirited Away won a Golden Bear and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature which remains the only film made outside the English-speaking world to have done so.

Name

The name Ghibli is based on the Arabic name for the sirocco, or Mediterranean wind, which the Italians used for their Saharan scouting planes in the Second World War, the idea being the studio would "blow a new wind through the Japanese anime industry".

Although the Italian/Arabic word is pronounced with a hard ɡ, the Japanese pronunciation of the studio's name is with a soft g, [dʑíbu͍ɾi] ( listen).

History

Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli and director of many of its films.

Founded in June 1985, the studio is headed by the directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and the producer Toshio Suzuki. Prior to the formation of the studio, Miyazaki and Takahata had already had long careers in Japanese film and television animation and had worked together on Hols: Prince of the Sun and Panda! Go, Panda!; and Suzuki was an editor at Tokuma Shoten's Animage manga magazine.

The studio was founded after the success of the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, written and directed by Miyazaki for Topcraft and distributed by Tōei. The origins of the film lie in the first two volumes of a serialized manga written by Miyazaki for publication in Animage as a way of generating interest in an anime version. Suzuki was part of the production team on the film and founded Studio Ghibli with Miyazaki, who also invited Takahata to join the new studio.

The studio has mainly produced films by Miyazaki, with the second most prolific director being Takahata (most notably with Grave of the Fireflies). Other directors who have worked with Studio Ghibli include Yoshifumi Kondo, Hiroyuki Morita and Gorō Miyazaki. Composer Joe Hisaishi has provided the soundtrack for all of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films.

Many of Ghibli's works are distributed in Japan by Toho. Internationally, the Walt Disney Company has rights to all of Ghibli's output that did not have previous international distribution, including the global, non-Japan distribution rights to Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.^{[citation needed]} As of September 7, they currently share North American theatrical rights with GKids while domestic right remain with Disney.

Over the years, there has been a close relationship between Studio Ghibli and the magazine Animage, which regularly runs exclusive articles on the studio and its members in a section titled "Ghibli Notes." Artwork from Ghibli's films and other works are frequently featured on the cover of the magazine. Between 1999 and 2005 Studio Ghibli was a subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten, the publisher of Animage.

In October 2001, the Ghibli Museum opened in Tokyo. It contains exhibits based on Studio Ghibli films and shows animations, including a number of short Studio Ghibli films not available elsewhere.

The company is known for its strict "no-edits" policy in licensing their films abroad. This was a result of the dubbing of Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind when the film was released in the United States as Warriors of the Wind. The film was heavily edited and Americanized, with significant portions cut and the plot rewritten. The "no cuts" policy was highlighted when Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein suggested editing Princess Mononoke to make it more marketable. In response, a Studio Ghibli producer sent an authentic katana with a simple message: "No cuts".

On February 1, 2008, Toshio Suzuki stepped down from the position of Studio Ghibli president, which he had held since 2005, and Koji Hoshino (former president of Walt Disney Japan) took over. Suzuki said he wanted to improve films with his own hands as a producer, rather than demanding this from his employees. Suzuki decided to hand over the presidency to Hoshino because Hoshino has helped Studio Ghibli to sell its videos since 1996, also helping to release the Princess Mononoke film in the United States. Suzuki still serves on the company's board of directors.

Currently, Takahata and Goro Miyazaki (director of Tales from Earthsea and Hayao's son) are developing projects for release after Hiromasa Yonebayashi's The Borrower Arrietty. Goro Miyazaki's next film will be From Up on Poppy Hill while Takahata is working on an adaptation of the tale of Princess Kaguya or the bamboo cutter, Taketori Monogatari.

Never before has a Studio Ghibli short been shown outside Japan, but for the Carnegie Hall Citywise Japan NYC Festival, "House Hunting" and "Mon Mon the Water Spider" were screened on March 26, 2011.

Works

Feature films

While the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is often considered a Studio Ghibli film, it was produced and released before the 1985 founding of the studio.

#	Film	Original release date	Director	IMDB rating	Rotten Tomatoes Rating	Budget (in USD$)	Gross (in USD$)
1	Castle in the Sky	01986-08-02 August 2, 1986	Hayao Miyazaki	8.1	94%	N/A	N/A
2	Grave of the Fireflies	01988-04-16 April 16, 1988	Isao Takahata	8.4	96%	N/A	N/A
3	My Neighbor Totoro	01988-04-16 April 16, 1988	Hayao Miyazaki	8.2	90%	N/A	N/A
4	Kiki's Delivery Service	01989-07-29 July 29, 1989	Hayao Miyazaki	7.9	100%	$6.9 million	$18,172,849
5	Only Yesterday	01991-07-20 July 20, 1991	Isao Takahata	7.7	-	N/A	N/A
6	Porco Rosso	01992-07-18 July 18, 1992	Hayao Miyazaki	7.8	100%	N/A	N/A
7	Ocean Waves	01993-05-03 May 3, 1993	Tomomi Mochizuki	7.2	-	N/A	N/A
8	Pom Poko	01994-07-16 July 16, 1994	Isao Takahata	7.4	80%	N/A	$34,200,000
9	Whisper of the Heart	01995-07-15 July 15, 1995	Yoshifumi Kondō	7.9	89%	N/A	N/A
10	Princess Mononoke	01997-07-12 July 12, 1997	Hayao Miyazaki	8.4	93%	$23.5 million	$159,375,308
11	My Neighbors the Yamadas	01999-07-17 July 17, 1999	Isao Takahata	7.5	60%	N/A	N/A
12	Spirited Away	02001-07-27 July 27, 2001	Hayao Miyazaki	8.6	97%	$19 million	$274,925,095
13	The Cat Returns	02002-07-19 July 19, 2002	Hiroyuki Morita	7.2	94%	N/A	$50,590,057
14	Howl's Moving Castle	02004-11-20 November 20, 2004	Hayao Miyazaki	8.1	86%	$24 million	$231,711,096
15	Tales from Earthsea	02006-07-29 July 29, 2006	Gorō Miyazaki	6.5	42%	$22 million	$68,673,565
16	Ponyo	02008-07-19 July 19, 2008	Hayao Miyazaki	7.8	91%	$34 million	$201,750,937
17	The Secret World of Arrietty	02010-07-17 July 17, 2010	Hiromasa Yonebayashi	7.7	92%	$23 million	$126,368,084
18	From up on Poppy Hill	02011-07-16 July 16, 2011	Gorō Miyazaki	7.6	-	N/A	N/A
19	The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter	Summer 2013	Isao Takahata	-	-	N/A	N/A

Short films (television, theatrical, Ghibli Museum, OVA)

• Ghiblies (2000) (TV short film)
• The Whale Hunt (2001) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Film Guruguru (2001-2008) (short film series shown at the Ghibli Museum)
  • Kūsō no Kikaitachi no Naka no Hakai no Hatsumei (2002)
• Ghiblies Episode 2 (2002) (shown theatrically before The Cat Returns)
• Koro's Big Day Out (2002) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Imaginary Flying Machines (2002) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Mei and the Kittenbus (2002) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Looking for a Home (2005) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Day I Harvested a Planet (2005) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Water Spider Monmon (2005) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Night of Taneyamagahara (2006) (released on DVD)
• Iblard Jikan (2007) (released on DVD and Blu-ray)
• Cyu Zumou (2010) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess (2010) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)
• The Treasure Hunt (2011) (shown at the Ghibli Museum)

Music videos (television and theatrical)

• On Your Mark (1995) (a promotional music video for Chage & Aska directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
• Portable Airport (2004) (a music video created by Studio Kajino for Capsule directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• Space Station No. 9 (2004) (a music video created by Studio Kajino for Capsule directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• A Flying City Plan (Soratobu Toshikeikaku) (2005) (a music video created by Studio Kajino for Capsule directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• Doredore no Uta (2005) (a promotional music video for Meiko Haigou directed by Osamu Tanabe)
• Piece (2009) (a promotional music video for Yui Aragaki directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)

Commercials

• "Sora Iro no Tane" (The Sky-Colored Seed) (1992) (TV spot for Nippon TV directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
• "Nandarou" (1992) (TV commercial for Nippon TV's 40th anniversary directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
• "Hotaru No Haku" (1996) (Kinyou Friday Roadshow TV spot directed by Yoshifumi Kondō)
• "Kinyou Roadshow Opening" (1997) (opening title sequence for Kinyou Roadshow, directed by Yoshifumi Kondō))
• "www.TVshop1.com" (2000) (online shopping PR spot directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• "Umacha" (2001) (TV commercials for Asahi soft drinks featuring voices by Rina Uchiyama and Takashi Naitou)
• "Ghibli Museum Tickets" (2001) (announcement for Ghibli Mueum opening in Mitaka, directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
• "LAWSON Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi" (2001) (Lawson convenience store tie in with Spirited Away DVD)
• "House Foods - The Cat Returns" (2002) (TV commercials for House Foods products as a tie-in campaign for The Cat Returns)
• "Risona Bank" (2003) (TV commercials for the bank owned by Resona Holdings)
• "O-uchi de Tabeyou" (2003) (House Foods TV commercial, Summer Version directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Yoshiyuki Momose)
• "O-uchi de Tabeyou" (2004) (House Foods TV commercial, Winter Version directed by Yoshiyuki Momose)
• "KNB Yumedegi " (2004) (TV spot for Kitanihon Broadcasting directed by Shinji Hashimoto)
• "Yomiuri Shimbun - Kawaraban" (2004) (TV commercial for newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun)
• "Yomiuri Shimbun - Dore Dore Hikkoushi" (2005) (TV commercial for newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun)
• "Nisshin Seifun" (2010) (TV spot designed by Toshio Suzuki and Goro Miyazaki, directed by Katsuya Kondō)
• "Yomiuri Shimbun" (2010) (TV spot for the newspaper, animated in the style of Shigeru Sugiura, directed by Goro Miyazaki)

Video games

• Magic Pengel, with Garakuda-Studio and Taito (PlayStation 2; 2003)
• Ni no Kuni, with Level-5 (PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS; 2010)

Other works

The works listed here consist of works that do not fall into the above categories. All of these films have been released on DVD in Japan as part of the Ghibli Gakujutsu Library.

• Sekai Waga Kokoro no Tabi (1998) (documentary following Isao Takahata to Canada to meet Frédéric Back)
• Sekai Waga Kokoro no Tabi (1999) (documentary travelling with Hayao Miyazaki as he follows the footsteps of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
• Lasseter-san, Arigatou ("Thank You, Mr. Lasseter") (2003) (thank you video created for John Lasseter)
• Miyazaki Hayao Produce no Ichimai no CD ha Kōshite Umareta (2003) (A film about Tsunehiko Kamijo's Okaasa no Shashin CD)
• Yanagawa Horiwari Monogatari ("The Story of Yanagawa's Canals") (2003) (A part animated documentary originally broadcast on NHK in 1987)
• Otsuka Yasuo no Ugokasu Yorokobi (2004) (A documentary about animator Yasuo Otsuka)
• Miyazaki Hayao to Ghibli Bijutsukan (2005) (A film featuring Goro Miyazaki and Isao Takahata touring the Ghibli Museum)
• Jiburi no Eshokunin - Oga Kazuo Ten - Totoro no Mori o Kaita Hito ("A Ghibli Artisan – Kazuo Oga Exhibition – The Man Who Painted Totoro's Forest") (2007) (A documentary to commemorate an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, featuring the work of Studio Ghibli background artist Kazuo Oga)
• Ghibli no Fūkei ("Scenery of Ghibli") (2009) (A documentary hosted by Japanese actresses Tsuruta Mayu, Natsukawa Yui and actor Tetsuta Sugimoto, that follows them around Europe and Japan matching Miyazaki's storyboards to the real world scenery and attractions that served as inspiration to the settings of his animated films)
• Suzuki Toshio no Ghibli Asemamire, 99 no Kotoba ("Suzuki Toshio's Ghibli Asemamire, 99 Words") (2009) (A compilation of 49 interviews conducted by Toshio Suzuki on his weekly radio program Ghibli Asemamire, broadcasting on Tokyo FM)
• Joe Hisaishi in Budokan - 25 years with the Animations of Hayao Miyazaki (2009) (Concert footage of Joe Hisaishi's 3 nights at the Nippon Budokan venue in August 2008 where he played various pieces from throughout his 25-year collaboration with Studio Ghibli. Originally broadcast on NHK.)
• Ghibli no Hondana ("Ghibli's Bookshelf") (2011) (A documentary that originally aired on NHK in August 2010 that explores the influence of children's literature on Miyazaki and Takahata's body of work and on Studio Ghibli as a whole.)

Related works

These works were not created by Studio Ghibli, but were produced by a variety of studios and people who went on to form or join Studio Ghibli. This includes members of Topcraft that went on to create Studio Ghibli in 1985; works produced by Toei Animation, Tokyo Movie Shinsha, Nippon Animation or other studios and featuring involvement by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata or other Ghibli staffers. The list also includes works created in cooperation with Studio Ghibli.

Pre-Ghibli

• Sally, the Witch (1966) (by Toei Animation; Hayao Miyazaki was a key animator on this series, based on a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama.)
• Hols: Prince of the Sun (1968) (Takahata's directorial debut; Hayao Miyazaki was chief animator, concept artist, and scene designer)
• Himitsu no Akko-chan (1969) (by Toei Animation, directed by Hiroshi Ikeda; Miyazaki was a key animator)
• Puss in Boots (1969) (Directed by Kimio Yabuki for Toei, written by Hisashi Inoue with gag supervision by Nakahara Yumihiko, key animators include Yasuo Otsuka, Yoichi Kotabe, Reiko Okuyama, Takuo Kikuchi, Akemi Ota, Hayao Miyazaki, and Akira Daikubara) (The main character of the film; Pero would become the mascot for Toei Animation)
• Animal Treasure Island (1971) (Directed by Hiroshi Ikeda for Toei with idea construction by Hayao Miyazaki; Hayao Miyazaki was also scene designer and chief animator)
• Panda! Go Panda! (1972) (Directed by Isao Takahata and written by Hayao Miyazaki)
• Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974, by Zuiyo Eizo, which later became Nippon Animation; directed by Isao Takahata)
• 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976, by Nippon Animation; directed by Isao Takahata; Scene setting, Layout: Hayao Miyazaki)
• Future Boy Conan (1978) (by Nippon Animation; directed by Hayao Miyazaki, with one episode directed by Isao Takahata, and featured animation work by many future Ghibli staffers)
• Anne of Green Gables (1979) (by Nippon Animation; directed by Isao Takahata)
• Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) (Miyazaki's directorial feature debut)
• Jarinko Chie (1981) (by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and Toho; directed by Isao Takahata)
• Gauche the Cellist (1982, by OH Production, directed by Isao Takahata)
• Sherlock Hound (1984, Tokyo Movie Shinsha, six episodes directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984, Topcraft)

Cooperative works

• Ozanari Dungeon (1991) (an OVA series for which Studio Ghibli did some animation work)
• Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996) (series created by Hideaki Anno and co-produced by Studio Ghibli)
• Kaiketsu Zorro (1996-1997) (series produced by Ashi Productions and prouction cooperaton by Studio Ghibli)
• Shiki-Jitsu (2000) (directed by Hideaki Anno and produced by Studio Kajino)
• Satorare (Transparent: Tribute to a Sad Genius) (2001) (live-action film co-produced by Studio Ghibli directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro)
• Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) (a film by Production I.G, co-produced by Studio Ghibli)
• The Overcoat (N/A) (a film by Yuri Norstein, still in production, possibly being funded by Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki)

Distributive works

These Western animated films have been distributed by Studio Ghibli, and now through their label, Ghibli Museum Library

• Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941) (a film by Fleischer Studios)
• Konyok Gorbunok (1947) (a Russian film by Ivan Ivanov-Vano)
• Animal Farm (1954) (a British film by Halas and Batchelor)
• Snezhnaya koroleva (1957) (a Russian film by Lev Atamanov)
• Panda kopanda (1972–1973) (two short films directed by Isao Takahata and written by Hayao Miyazaki)
• Przygody Myszki (1976) (a Polish animation serie made-film by Eugeniusz Kotowski]
• Le Roi et l'oiseau (1980) (a French film by Paul Grimault)
• Kirikou et la sorcière (1998) (a French/Belgian film by Michel Ocelot)
• Princes et princesses (1999) (a French film by Michel Ocelot)
• Les Triplettes de Belleville (2002) (a Canadian film by Sylvain Chomet)
• Winter Days (2004) (an experimental animation anthology by Fuyu no Hi)
• Azur et Asmar (2006) (a French film by Michel Ocelot)
• Moya Iyubov (2006) (a Russian film by Aleksandr Petrov)
• L'Illusionniste (2010) (A film by Sylvain Chomet)

Contributive works

Studio Ghibli has made contributions to the following anime series and movies:

• Memories (1995) (cooperation in photography on Cannon Fodder sequence)
• Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play (1995-1996) (in-between animation)
• Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo (1996) (in-between animation on series and first movie)
• Cardcaptor Sakura (1997) (special effects for both movies)
• Flame of Recca (1997-1998) (backgrounds)
• Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target (1998) (in-between animation)
• The Prince of Tennis (2001) (in-between animation on the movie, Two Samurais, The First Game)
• .hack//Liminality vol. 1: In the Case of Mai Minase (2003) (in-between animation)
• Fullmetal Alchemist (2003-2010) (in-between animation)
• InuYasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island (2004) (backgrounds)
• Le Chevalier D'Eon (2006) (digital paint, in between animation)
• Gurren Lagann (2007) (finnish animation, in-between animation)
• Tsubasa Chronicle: Spring Thunder (2009) (in-between animation)

See also

• Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo
• Yasuo Ōtsuka
• Studio Kajino, a subsidiary of Studio Ghibli

Further reading

• Cavallaro, Dani. The Animé Art of Hayao Miyazaki. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2006. ISBN 9780786423699. OCLC 62430842.
• McCarthy, Helen. Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation: Films, Themes, Artistry. Berkeley, Calif.: Stone Bridge Press, 1999. ISBN 9781880656419. OCLC 42296779. 2001 reprint of the 1999 text, with revisions: OCLC 51198297.
• Miyazaki, Hayao. Starting Point: 1979–1996. Beth Cary and Frederik L. Schodt, trans. San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2009. ISBN 9781421505947. OCLC 290477195.
  • Miyazaki, Hayao. Shuppatsuten, 1979–1996 (出発点—1979~1996). Tokyo: Studio Ghibli, Inc./Hatsubai Tokuma Shoten, 1996. ISBN 978-4198605414. OCLC 37636025. Original Japanese edition.
• Odell, Colin, and Michelle Le Blanc. Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England: Kamera, 2009. ISBN 9781842432792. OCLC 299246656.

External links

• スタジオジブリ – STUDIO GHIBLI official (Japanese)
• Studio Ghibli – The Official DVD Website (United States)
• Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
• Nausicaa.net: The Hayao Miyazaki Web (Fan-maintained Studio Ghibli wiki)
• About Studio Ghibli, Cubo3 (in Portuguese)