One of my friends told me that if you are an anime fan, you are definitely a Ghibli fan.
Well, spoiler alert: I am a Ghibli fan but not an anime fan. This can be like blasphemy for most people, but for newbies getting into anime, Ghibli is the first introduction.
However, once you start watching Ghibli, there is no coming back.
From Netflix to Amazon and even on pirated sites, Ghibli movies surpass every other anime movie in terms of views, ratings, and popularity.
As a Ghibli fan, this makes me very proud, but it also got me thinking that Japan has a rich anime culture.
People from all around the world travel to Japan to become manga artists and anime creators.
Regardless of such versatility and diversity within the anime culture, other production houses or animation studios have failed to make their mark.
This question led me on a completely different journey. I started watching other anime shows just to determine what they were lacking.
Style, story, grip, or anything else. Here is what I learned while exploring what sets Ghibli apart from the rest of the market.
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What Sets Ghibli Apart From the Rest?
Ghibli breaks that streak. The head of Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki has a solid sense of storytelling, visualization, and production, so you will never see all these components lacking or clashing at any point.
Moreover, the music used in the movies truly adds to the storytelling. The music in each movie is a complete art that can be enjoyed even without the film.
This is why professional musicians see Ghibli’s music as a marvel. Even after so many years, these timeless tunes have not lost their charm.
Another element that most anime movies lack is the use of nature. Hayao belongs to a generation where nature was seen as an escape, an outlet, and a luxury.
So, all his movies use natural colors and landscapes to offer out-of-the-box stories that most people do not think of today.
Most anime today have hyperactive characters, hypersexualized imagery, bright colors, a lot of action, and aggression, making it movies for kids and youngsters.
Ghibli, on the other hand, has cracked this code, making anime a genre that can be loved by all.
From involving family-oriented stories to adding subtle colors that are easy on the eyes and using nature to complement stories, Ghibli offers a vacation away from your mundane daily routine.
While other anime movies will offer you shallow stories, far away from reality and vivid connections with real life, Ghibli uses psychology to build stories.
From using daily life characters that can talk to making your pet and furniture offer you a magical moment, Ghibli does not deviate from its core of making things relatable.
The storytelling is so smooth that even a child can enjoy it, but the core is so complex that even as an adult, it will take a lot of time to comprehend the gravity of the theme.
I have loved Ghibli throughout my life as a viewer.
From loving “Ponyo” and crying over “Spirited Away” to being astonished by “Castle in the Sky” and bowling my eyes out on “The Wind Rises,” I have been through it all.
However, even after watching these movies for so many years and loving them with whole heart, I still find new things and learn new themes from them every time I rewatch them.
The Legacy of Ghibli Will End With Hayao Miyazaki
This is one of the most haunting parts of loving Ghibli. While other brands and companies have offered their employees the opportunity to branch out, experiment, and work with different techniques, Ghibli has stood firm with its techniques, and rightfully so.
No other anime studio has come close to what Ghibli has to offer, even after so many years of work, and an anime lover can easily differentiate between Ghibli movies and any other movie.
However, just like every high has a low, anime lovers dwell on the idea of legacy. Ghibli has yet to create a hire for its throne that can offer the same experience as Hayao Miyazaki.
Even his son has failed to match the expectations of the father.
Goro, the son of Hayao Miyazaki, is also in the anime business, but just like most Asian family dynamics, he has failed to earn the respect of his father.
Miyazaki is an animator, director, screenwriter, artist, and producer. He is a one-man show who can run everything without any assistance.
One of his movies, “Earwig and the Witch,” is available on Netflix. While most anime lovers like the movie, critics are still trying to evaluate him under the shadow of his father.
This has also led them to have high hopes for Ghibli’s future, but with just one movie, all the high hopes came crashing down.
Now, critics believe that Hayao’s shoes are far too big for the world, and no one in the anime industry, not even his son, will be able to fit in them.
Wrapping Up
The legacy of Ghibli might die with Hayao Miyazaki, but in the hearts of fans, it will live forever.
While movie critics and industry tycoons are pushing for ways to replicate Ghibli’s magic, deep down, we all know that failing is our destiny because Ghibli will stay untouchable, and we will be left with inferior replicas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Highest-Grossing Ghibli Movie?
The Secret World of Arrietty is the highest lifestyle-grossing movie ever, with a whopping 19 dollars in revenue from the US and Canada alone.
Who Is The Head Of Ghibli Studio?
Toshio Suzuki is Ghibli’s chairman Hayao Miyazaki’s hungry chairman.
What Is The Net Worth Of Ghibli Studio?
The net worth of Studio Ghibli is around 36.6 billion Japanese yen, which can be equal to more than 243 million dollars.
