Studio Ghibli movies are known for the beautiful visuals used to tell their animated stories, often featuring scenes of nature, fantastic worlds or pastoral life. HBO Max has made use of this quality with a relaxing video comprised of peaceful images from the studio's films, which are now available to stream on the platform.
The 30 minute video, posted to HBO Max's YouTube, highlights some of the most serene moments from the works of the animation studio. This includes classic anime movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service.
Such compilations are common on YouTube, often involving tranquil sounds or music to assist people in relaxing or working. However, the Studio Ghibli video includes no music and instead entirely relies on the ambiance and imagery of the movies, such as clouds rolling, people working in rice fields and characters resting or sleeping. Opening to the sound of water rippling and insects chirping, the video continues to provide stunning visuals and sound effects for just over six minutes, then loops in a seamless transition.
At the very least, the video is a demonstration of the studio's commitment to beautiful art and its appreciation for the quieter moments. Despite Studio Ghibli's roots in anime, its films have a distinct art style that has caused them to transcend the typical expectations of Japanese animation. Most of the movies created by the studio were directed by Hayao Miyazaki; however, Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind predated Studio Ghibli and is often credited as the movie that resulted in its founding. The film is considered a part of the collection and is available along with the others on HBO Max.
Some fans may be surprised that the films are not available for streaming on Disney's own service, as historically many were released by Disney in cinemas and for distribution in home video form. Disney was also involved in dubbing the movies into English, and as such, they are sometimes assumed to be Disney movies. However, it was HBO Max that acquired the rights to be the US streaming home for the collection of films, despite earlier reports that the movies would not be available on streaming services.
Source: YouTube