Blog Talkback: Miyazaki Week: The End of Studio Ghibli

[Ed Liu]

For the closing essay of Miyazaki Week, Lelouch asks the question nobody really wants to consider:


For quite some time, Studio Ghibli has been known for its great animated movies. The movies they make are not only beautifully animated, but contain great storylines that fully engage the viewer. However, I believe that this trend may come to a swift end once Hayao Miyazaki is done making films for the studio, and once that event occurs, Studio Ghibli will be left struggling to stay on top. You may be thinking that this is a bit presumptuous and Studio Ghibli could do just fine without Hayao Miyazaki, but reality simply points in the other direction. Nine times out of ten, if you asked an individual about Ghibli, Miyazaki would be the first name that came to mind.

Read More > (http://www.toonzone.net/blog/blogs/171/miyazaki-week-the-end-of-studio-ghibli/)

[Classic Speedy]

Why not give Hiroyuki Morita another run? I thought he and his unit did a fine job on the whimsical fantasy comedy The Cat Returns- I wouldn't mind seeing more Ghibli films in that vein.

[defunctzombie]

I think this wouldn't be an issue if Yoshifumi Kondo had lived. Whisper of the Heart was so good. :sad:

[Daxdiv]

I mostly agree with this article. Since I do wonder how much faith the normal viewers have with Ghibli more than Miyazaki himself. Really, out of all the Ghibli Movies that I have watched, Grave of the Fireflies was the only one that I have watched that wasn't a Miyazaki movie since that was done by Takahata, but who knows how long he'll stay at Ghibli?

Here's hoping the new director brings his A-Game and can surpass Miyazaki in both being critically acclaimed and loved by fans.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

One of the problems in Studio Ghibli is that they basically ask their budding directors to be "like" Miyazaki. The irony is especially delicious since they constantly churn out movies preaching about "finding your own voice" and "be true to yourself" while at the same time pidgeonholing everyone in the studio to be more like Miyazaki.

The truth is, nobody can be "like" Miyazaki. So why not let some of these guys go off on their own once in a while. It's not like Ghibli hasn't taken risks before--but they've increasingly been less inclined to do so, with the exception of their veterans, who have far more creative control within the studio.

Imagine if someone like Morita went up to Toshio Suzuki and said, "I wanna do something like Only Yesterday!" The answer, in all likelihood, would be a resounding "Are you CR-AZY? Go back to your desk and color some frames or something!"

BTW--I really wish SOMEONE in Disney would lobby for the release of Only Yesterday. Hey John L, it's nice that you love Miyazaki and stuff, and you're like the #1 reason we're even getting half decent releases of his stuff, but come on bro, how about giving some of the fans of ARTHOUSE Ghibli some love? Sign a deal with Criterion or something something...just get it out here!

[Goodfellow]

There is a difference between Miyazaki and Ghibli? Granted, I'm only a minimal fan of Miyazaki's movies, but I did not know he was not the only director. What other movies have been released by Ghibli that were not Miyazaki?

[Bloody Marquis]

There is a difference between Miyazaki and Ghibli? Granted, I'm only a minimal fan of Miyazaki's movies, but I did not know he was not the only director. What other movies have been released by Ghibli that were not Miyazaki?
Tales of Earthsea, My Neighbor The Yamadas, Pom Poko, and (in a few months) The Borrower Arrietty.

[Classic Speedy]

There is a difference between Miyazaki and Ghibli? Granted, I'm only a minimal fan of Miyazaki's movies, but I did not know he was not the only director. What other movies have been released by Ghibli that were not Miyazaki? Isao Takahata: Only Yesterday, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Pom Poko.

Yoshifumi Kondo: Whisper of the Heart. (and it's worth noting that Kondo is deceased)

Hiroyuki Morita: The Cat Returns.

Goro Miyazaki: Tales From Earthsea.

[defunctzombie]

Tales of Earthsea, My Neighbor The Yamadas, Pom Poko, and (in a few months) The Borrower Arrietty.
Everybody forgets Whisper of the Heart! ;)

[SuperMegaHyper]

Well... I've heard that before.

[Rod Beauvex]

What kind of lame movie is 'Heart', anyway?

Eeek! I kid, I kid!

[defunctzombie]

You better be kidding. ;)

I think people write off Whisper of the Heart because there is no fantastical elements what-so-ever. The whole thing can happen in real life (well, maybe not the cat riding the train). I found this one used at the local movie store, and I think this is why. The back of the box makes you think it will be some kind of fantastical adventure, but that's just a scene from her novel. The sequel is more like the rest of the Ghibli movies.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Everybody forgets Whisper of the Heart! ;)

Not me. It really is a great Ghibli film, and one of my personal favourites.