While Walt Disney Animation Studios may be the biggest and most famous animation studio in the world, Disney will never be Studio Ghibli. What Disney has in terms of quantity, Ghibli more than makes up for it with quality films that pull the heartstrings and push the boundaries of feature-length animated narratives.
Almost all of Studio Ghibli's library has garnered critical acclaim, but even the worst Ghibli films showcase qualities that outpace the competition. Though every movie is unique, they each have qualities that make them instantly recognizable as Studio Ghibli films. From characters to music, storytelling to design, Ghibli reigns over all other animation studios.
10 Only The Best Actors Hollywood Has To Offer For The English Dubbing
After Walt Disney Studios took over the international distribution rights to Ghibli's films in 1996, the quality of dubbing and of selected actors increased tremendously. It's considered a high honor for actors to work on a Ghibli film, and some of the biggest stars in Hollywood have found their way into a Ghibli film.
Studio Ghibli's English dubs include big names like Kirsten Dunst as Kiki in Kiki's Delivery Service, Michael Keaton as Marco in Porco Rosso, or Cary Elwes as the Baron Humbert von Gikkingen in Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns.
9 Relatable Protagonists Make Viewers Connect To The Stories
Even if the film is about a banished prince, a group of raccoon dogs (tanuki), or a 13-year-old delivery witch, viewers can find something they relate to the protagonists of Ghibli films.
In Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka tries to be a peacekeeper, Pom Poko has the tanuki fighting for their environment, and in Kiki's Delivery Service, Kiki is just trying to find her own place in the world. They are three wildly different films, yet just about anyone can find them relatable, even decades after these films have been made.
8 The Brilliant Musical Scores Elevate The Art
Ghibli's most prominent musical composer is Joe Hisaishi, whose work can be found in all of Hayao Miyazaki's films, including his upcoming adaptation of How Do You Live?. Thanks to Hisaishi, the scores for Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle are as recognizable and heartwarming as Totoro himself.
Michio Mamiya, Katz Hoshi, Shigeru Nagata, Yuji Nomi, Akiko Yano, Tamiya Terashima, Cécile Corbel, Satoshi Takebe, Takatsugu Muramatsu, and even the band Shang Shang Typhoon have also created beautiful scores for Ghibli over the years.
7 The Animated Food Always Makes Your Mouth Water
One of the most satisfying aspects of any Ghibli film, the design and animation of various foods throughout the films can only be described as "food porn."
From those enormous, mouth-watering strips of bacon in Howl's Moving Castle (even though they were just sitting out on some table for who knows how long) to the simple beauty of the homemade ramen in Ponyo; the food is always a major highlight for viewers as most food in western animations mostly resemble a pile of mush.
6 Loose Narratives Make For Deeper Lives Of The Characters
It's often said that it's hard to describe the plots of Ghibli films, and there's some truth to that. Even when adapted from other works, Ghibli films tend to keep the story loose and unfettered.
Though Ponyo is based on The Little Mermaid, the film is more about a small magical fish-turned-magical girl whose powers have real-world consequences as she gets a taste of human life. The films often have a setup and a conclusion, but the bulk of the films are about the character's experiences.
5 Compelling Female Characters Who Put Other Studios To Shame
What sets Studio Ghibli apart from other animation studios is the care they take in creating compelling and admirable young female protagonists. The term "strong female character" is often thrown around, but this is far too shallow an assessment of the women and girls of Studio Ghibli.
Fierce and principled characters like San and Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke or heroines who find their confidence like Haru from The Cat Returns or Chihiro in Spirited Away stand amongst Studio Ghibli's best characters.
4 Distinctive Character Designs That Enrich The Mind
While some Ghibli films are highly stylized and distinct from the rest of the studio's library, most of the films tend to follow a similar character art style. Despite this, the Ghibli designers and animators do an excellent job of distinguishing different movie characters from each other and making visual choices that make each film unique.
The Robots from Castle In The Sky, No-Face from Spirited Away, The Spirit of the Forest from Princess Mononoke, and Totoro himself are a handful of Ghibli's most special designs.
3 Use Of Space In Its Visual World-Building
Ghibli films are so rich and enduring, in part for the unbelievable world-building that each film creates. Even in Isao Takahata's The Tale of Princess Kaguya or Our Neighbors The Yamadas, which rely on simplistic backgrounds inspired by watercolor paintings and comic strips, the world-building is enhanced by the feeling of space.
Other Ghibli films go the more traditional route but still manage to electrify the screen, like the massive airships in Castle In The Sky or the tiny Borrower home in Arrietty.
2 A Piece Of Humanity In Every Frame
There's an infamous 2016 quote from Hayao Miyazaki where, after being shown a demo of an animation created by an A.I., he said, "I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself."
When sitting down to watch a Ghibli or Miyazaki film, any viewer can see the care that Ghibli animators put into each frame. The films resonate with Miyazaki's onus towards visualizing humanity, like, for example, Ghibli's signature giant teardrops.
1 They Don't Need "Jokes For The Parents" In Order To Appeal To Adults
What truly sets Studio Ghibli films apart from American animation studios is the complete lack of sneaking jokes that are directly aimed at the parents of the children who watch their films. There are plenty of kid movies with wink-wink, nudge-nudge jokes that the kids will understand when they're older.
For Ghibli films, these tactics are unnecessary due to the captivating stories and the high-quality production of the films themselves. Ghibli films elevate animated films, making them more than just a children's movie to throw jokes into. The timelessness of Studio Ghibli films makes them just as enjoyable for kids and adults alike.