Ghibli and its Origins

I won’t claim to be an expert on Studio Ghibli. I’m a huge fan of the films they produce, but as to the history and development of the studio, I’m afraid that as of right now, I’m rather in the dark about it all. In fact, expect these first few posts to be edited as I become more wise on the subject. Infact, just don't bother reading this at all. Actually please do read it, I'm kidding.

I’m going to research and learn as I go, so please excuse any minor mistakes (by all means correct me though!). There are also some links at the bottom of this post to other sites with more detail on the subject. So...here is some very brief and basic info about Studio Ghibli and its origins:

Studio Ghibli is the name of both an animation studio and production company co-founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki. The studio’s logo features the character Totoro from Ghibli’s 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro.



From 1982 – 1994, the manga Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki) was published in Tokuma Shoten’s Animage magazine and in 1984 a successful film adaptation of Nausicaa was produced which sparked the beginnings of Studio Ghibli.



The studio itself is headed by acclaimed anime director Hayao Myazaki along with his long-term and also lauded colleague Isao Takahata.

Below is a list of films by Studio Ghibli (excluding shorts and those films made exclusively for the Ghibli Museum). Please note that some of the films in the list were released before the formation of Studio Ghibli and really this is a list of films connected or involved with Studio Ghibli and its most notable staff.

The Little Norse Prince (1968)
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Porco Rosso (1992)
I Can Hear the Sea (1993)
Pom Poko (1994)
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999)
Spirited Away (2001)
The Cat Returns (2002)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)

Here are some links to other fantastic Ghibli related websites:

Nausicaa.net
Online Ghibli
Ghibli World

Alright, I think that’s enough to be going on with for now. In the next post, I’ll focus on Hayao Miyazaki himself. Until then...

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