Studio Ghibli, the venerable anime studio notorious for retaining the digital rights its films, has struck deals to bring its beloved library to streaming services. WarnerMedia's HBO Max announced in October that it had secured the rights the the Ghibli catalog, and today Netflix followed suit, with news that it will begin rolling out 21 of the studio's anime classics, beginning next month. There's a catch, however.

Viewers in the United States, Japan and Canada won't be able to binge them on Netflix, as the agreement doesn't include those markets. So what countries will get the Ghibli classics on the streaming service?

The Release Schedule

Over the next three months, Netflix will release the 21 films in batches of seven, beginning Feb. 1 with Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Ocean Waves (1993) and Tales from Earthsea (2006).

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March 1 will bring international Netflix subscribers Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001), The Cat Returns (2002), The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013). Notably absent from this month is Whispers of the Heart, to which The Cat Returns functions as a spinoff. To see that classic, you need to wait a month.

Finally, April 1 will complete the rollout with Pom Poko (1994), Whisper of the Heart (1995), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), The Wind Rises (2013) and When Marnie Was There (2014).

Notably absent from this entire list is Grave of the Fireflies.

The International Community

Young Sophie and blonde Howl and holding hands walking through the air from Howl’s Moving Castle.

While U.S. fans might be disappointed those films aren't coming their way, the push to expand the Ghibli library right now isn't about North America. It's about giving animation enthusiasts from around the world an opportunity to experience these films, possibly for the first time. According to the Netflix announceement, "For the first time ever, this expansive catalog of Studio Ghibli films will be subtitled in 28 languages, and dubbed in up to 20 languages. This partnership will enable fans in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America to enjoy beloved classics ... bin their native languages."

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Studio Ghibli has, for years, refused to sell the streaming rights to its films. Producer Toshio Suzuki explains the decision to change that: “In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences. We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience." Studio Ghibli aims to reach a new audience with their films. Ghibli has for years been available to Western audiences with relative ease, thanks either to Disney or GKids. But this is not the case in other countries.

The Netflix deal is made in collaboration with Ghibli's distribution partner, Wild Bunch International. Vincent Maraval, chief executive officer at Wild Bunch International, further reinforced the focus on providing streaming for the international community: “In finding the best digital partner for Studio Ghibli, our most valuable and faithful collaborators for 20 years, the Netflix team convinced us with their consistent love and energy for finding the best ways to promote the incredible and unique catalogue worldwide with respect to the Studio Ghibli philosophy.”

What About Studio Ghibili Fans in America?

San stands in front of wolf, Moro, in Princess Mononoke

While many American and Canadian fans might be disappointed by the lack of Ghibli coming their way, don't worry. We're still getting Ghibli streaming. The Netflix distribution deal doesn't negate the  announcement that HBO Max will release the entire Ghibli Library for streaming on its own service.

Knowing that, it would've been impossible for Netflix to license Ghibli's library when another company already owned the streaming rights for the United States. So there was never any chance this deal would affect anyone living in the U.S. Furthermore, GKids is releasing all the Ghibli films for digital download for the first time ever, meaning American fans will have plenty of access to the classic animated films.

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