Recurring Themes in Studio Ghibli Anime Films, Explained

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Studio Ghibli‘s leaders are three directors: Kiyofumi Nakajima, Hayao Miyazaki, and Goro Miyazaki, and one chairman: Toshio Suzuki. Each leader has something slightly different and significant to contribute to Studio Ghibli films. They also share many similar visions and explore similar themes.

Some themes revolve around childhood, and others are a bit more grave and explore the complexities of humanity and violence. Part of what makes Studio Ghibli such a reputable production company is how sincere and thoughtful they are with their stories and the messaging in their movies. Even movies that explore the same themes, like coming-of-age or illness, explore different aspects of those themes.

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Studio Ghibli Theme: A Child’s Experience of the World

Toddlers & Young Children Have a Certain Kind of Imagination, Curiosity, and Fears

Many Studio Ghibli movies feature young protagonists, toddler-age and up. These characters truly behave like real children, from the way they explore the world to the way they make sense of mysteries and questions to the way they process fear. The world can be a frightening and out-of-control place for a child, and it can also be a magical and delightsome experience.

Ponyo explores a child’s pure delight as they experience the world around them, as well as the simplicity of their desires. Ponyo leaves her ocean home because she’s curious about the human world, and she has the strong determination that comes with naïveté. She doesn’t realize what fallout her actions may cause, she only knows her own desires. That isn’t to say that Ponyo is a selfish person. She, like every other toddler, is actually quite capable of compassion and empathy, but her scope of understanding is naturally limited by her inexperience.

My Neighbor Totoro has two child protagonists, a toddler named Mei and her middle school-aged sister, Satsuki. The two girls have similar interests, they love exploring nature, they’re vivacious, and they have very vivid and creative minds. My Neighbor Totoro appeals to the viewer on two levels: it has something to say to the child audience, and something to say to the parent audience. To the child audience, it shows a world where children are safe to explore nature and delight in their own growing minds.

It doesn’t ignore the difficulties of the world, but rather it shows children a way to cope with it, just as Mei and Satsuki cope with the pain and uncertainty of being separated from their mother as she recovers from an illness. To the parent and guardian audience, My Neighbor Totoro reminds them of what it’s like to be a child, and gives concrete examples of how to be nurturing and affirming. Nanny acts as a vital member of the children’s village, who watches out for the girls the same way that she would for her own grandchildren. Tatsuo, Mei and Satsuki’s father, shows how to take a child’s tempestuous emotions in stride, and how to foster their creative mind without overwhelming it or stamping it out.

Spirited Away explores a similar fear to My Neighbor Totoro. Most children inherently fear being separated from their parents; it’s a primal fear. Just as Mei and Satsuki are separated from their mother because of her illness in Totoro, Spirited Away‘s Chihiro is also separated from her parents. Chihiro is an exploration of the worst sort of outcome for a child–without being too overwhelming to a young audience. Chihiro’s parents are taken from her when they transgress in the spirit realm and are turned into pigs. Chihiro isn’t alone; she has help from people like Haku, Lin, and Kamaji, but she still processes feelings of existential fear and loneliness. The fantasy setting and happy ending make the message just removed enough to be both healing and palatable for a younger audience.

Ponyo

A five-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who longs to become a human after falling in love with him.

Release Date

July 19, 2008

Studio

Studio Ghibli

Cast

Tomoko Yamaguchi , Kazushige Nagashima , Yûki Amami , Yuria Nara , Matt Damon , Cate Blanchett , Liam Neeson , Hiroki Doi

Runtime

101 minutes

Awards Won

Tokyo Anime Awards

Where to watch

HBO Max

Distributor(s)

Toho

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Studio Ghibli Theme: The Balance Between Industrialism & Environmentalism

Innovation Is Beautiful If It’s Not for Blind Greed

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Hayao Miyazaki said that he looks forward to a time “when land developers go bankrupt, Japan gets poorer and wild grasses take over.” Of course, he doesn’t mean that he wants people to lose their homes and their livelihoods. He doesn’t wish to demonize innovation–he and his colleagues push for innovation, themselves. Rather, he’s pointing out how greed doesn’t know when to stop. If land developers were to lose some of their coins and the world wasn’t taken over by the locusts of over-consumption, then the world may be a more prosperous place. Many Studio Ghibli films explore the line between innovation, greed, industrialism, and environmentalism.

Princess Mononoke makes a direct metaphor out of how over-consumption decimates the innocent of the earth, upsets nature’s balance, and how it will eventually turn back around on its instigators. Lady Eboshi is a wonderful antagonist because it’s very understandable why she does what she does. She wants to make a safe and prosperous home for herself and marginalized people, like the poor and the sick. But her industrial iron mining tears apart the Earth, poisoning the ecosystem around her until it fights back. The iron curse that turns animals, and eventually humans, into demons consumed by pain is a direct metaphor for that pollutive over-consumption. Rather than going back to the drawing board, Lady Eboshi doubles down and launches a war to protect her interests, as capitalists historically do.

Nausicaa’s world is falling apart from pollution in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Rather than nailing down exactly where everything went wrong and fixing it, humanity splinters on itself, fighting each other over what limited resources are left, presumably until the world finally ends. Nausicaa breaks away from the cycle by studying the world around her. She doesn’t resent how caustic the world has become. Instead, she wants to understand how it operates and why. That understanding awakens Nausicaa and leads her to great acts of compassion, which end up being the first big step toward saving the world from itself.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami’s curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

Release Date

December 19, 1997

Studio

Studio Ghibli

Cast

Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka

Runtime

2 Hours 14 Minutes

Production Company

DENTSU Music And Entertainment, Nibariki, Nippon Television Network (NTV)

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Studio Ghibli Theme: Pacifism & Anti-War Parables

War Only Begets More War

Pacifism is often associated with weakness, and it’s interesting to interrogate why that is. Studio Ghibli ponders that very question often, especially when it depicts peace as a radical and revolutionary act. Normally, a revolution is associated with violence, but seeking true peace is the ultimate disruptor. It’s not an easy path, but it’s worthy and necessary, and several Studio Ghibli films unpack why that is, both by exploring the virtues of peacekeepers and the futility of war.

Howl Pendragon refuses to be a magical footsoldier for the King of Ingary and his war in Howl’s Moving Castle. The movie portrays the war in general terms; the war just exists and there isn’t much political intrigue to explain how it happened or why it continues. The messaging of Howl’s Moving Castle is that war is often a petty bid for power from men who stand to suffer the least from violence. The King of Ingary smiles jovially and throws his weight around as the people suffer and soldiers lose their humanity. Calcifer warns Howl that if he gives in to pressure and joins the battle for the king, then he will never know what it’s like to feel human again.

Grave of the Fireflies doesn’t bother with metaphor. It’s a war drama based on a semi-autobiographical account by Akiyuki Nosaka. Nosaka survived the Kobe firebombing in World War II, and most of his family did not. Seita and Setsuko’s story is like so many other young children’s. Every child deserves safety, food, and community, but war strips them of those inherent rights. Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most difficult Studio Ghibli movies to watch, but it’s a vital story based on real historical events. It’s important to never ignore the real cost of violence. Grave of the Fireflies confronts the audiences with reality, and doesn’t allow the viewer to turn away, dismiss, or diminish the suffering caused by American bombs.

Howl’s Moving Castle

When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.

Release Date

June 17, 2005

Studio

Studio Ghibli

Cast

Takuya Kimura , Tatsuya Gashûin , Chieko Baisho

Runtime

1 Hour 59 Minutes

Production Company

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, DENTSU Music And Entertainment, Mitsubishi.

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Studio Ghibli Theme: Experiences with Chronic Illness

Miyazaki Made Sure to Humanize Illness

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Hayao Miyazaki experienced a lot of chronic illness in his life. He’s spoke about how My Neighbor Totoro has autobiographical elements, because he, too, lived in the countryside with his sibling while his mother recovered from a chronic and threatening illness–tuberculosis. Miyazaki’s also spoke about his friend who has a disability who struggles to do a high five. When he speaks of the people he knows and loves, it comes from a very deep and feeling place. Studio Ghibli movies are careful not to ignore those living with illness, and to humanize them to the public in combat of ableism and disability erasure.

Lady Eboshi makes a place for the chronically ill in Irontown in Princess Mononoke. The illness that the bandaged men live with is never named, but it’s assumed to be leprosy because of how the men are drawn and how they describe their illness. Hayao Miyazaki grew up next to a leprosy symposium, and that’s how he learned about the illness, which is regarded with a lot of fear and taboo. Part of what makes Lady Eboshi such a good character is that she does see the problems of the world–like the way the world treats people with leprosy, and she tries to do something about it, recognizing their worth in society and as humans.

Naoko Satomi lives with a very serious chronic illness in The Wind Rises. She caught tuberculosis from her mother, and though she fell in love with Jiro, she wanted to wait to recover from her illness before she married him. Ultimately, the couple decided to marry regardless of her illness which may or may not go away. Jiro supports and loves and cares for Naoko, and though he’s concerned for her, he doesn’t boil her down to her illness. He rolls with the changes he must make in light of her illness, and appreciates every moment that he has with her.

The Wind Rises

Original title: Kaze tachinu
A look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.

Release Date

February 21, 2014

Cast

Hideaki Anno , Hidetoshi Nishijima

Runtime

2 hours 6 minutes

Production Company

Studio Ghibli, Nippon Television Network (NTV), Dentsu

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Studio Ghibli Theme: The Cycle of Violence

Studio Ghibli Teaches What to Do with Violence

Hayao Miyazaki said that his films don’t depict violence to glorify it. Rather, they’re exploring a very true reality that all too many people, especially children who are a vulnerable class, encounter. He said that it’s not a comfort to ignore violence altogether. Rather, it’s better to explore violence on an age-appropriate level, breaking down where it comes from and how it functions. It teaches people, especially young people, what to do about violence.

The overarching metaphor in Princess Mononoke is all about violence. Prince Ashitaka lived peacefully with his people until calamity ran down his door. The infected boar passes its demon curse onto Ashitaka, and though he doesn’t deserve the pain, he must deal with it all the same. If he doesn’t deal with the pain of the curse he didn’t ask for, it will deal with him. The iron curse wants to change Ashitaka. It causes him great pain, and puts hate in his heart that wasn’t there before.

He rises to the occasion by keeping true to himself, and what he was taught. He leads with compassion, even when it makes the pain feel worse. He doesn’t give in to resentment. By processing his and the world’s suffering in such a way, he disrupts the cycle of violence instead of perpetuating it. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is as much about war as it is about environmentalism and pollution. It’s often called the spiritual cousin to Princess Mononoke. Nausicaa also must process trauma and suffering that she didn’t ask for, then decide how that suffering will define her.

When the Tolmekian soldiers murder Nausicaa’s father just as she was so close to finding a cure for his pollution-borne illness, Nausicaa nearly loses herself to the pain and sorrow. Lord Yupa stays Nausicaa’s hand, and teaches her the greatest lesson about what violence begets and what to do with it. It would be easy to distract herself by taking revenge on the Tolmekian soldiers. Instead, she listens to Lord Yupa and perseveres to find a solution to why the world is crumpling into sickness and war in the first place. It’s Nausicaa’s crucial choice that makes all the difference.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä, the young princess of the Valley of the Wind, strives to protect her people and the natural world from the toxic jungle that threatens their existence. As she explores the mysteries of the jungle, she encounters giant insects and discovers the true nature of the environmental catastrophe. Her compassion and bravery lead her to seek harmony between humans and nature, battling destructive forces and uncovering ancient secrets along the way.

Release Date

March 11, 1984

Cast

Sumi Shimamoto , Gorô Naya , Yôji Matsuda

Writers

Hayao Miyazaki , Cindy Davis , Donald H. Hewitt , Kazunori Itô

Runtime

117 Minutes

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Studio Ghibli Theme: Coming-of-Age

Ghibli Characters Begin to Step Into Adulthood

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Coming-of-age stories are about children, teenagers, or young adults taking a step into adulthood. It doesn’t have to mean that they are a fully capable adult by the end of the story. Often, it’s the first step toward the character establishing the kind of person they will be once they reach the age of majority. It’s a crucial transition that challenges where Studio Ghibli characters are challenged, and they learn something new about themselves and the world.

When the witch, Kiki, turns thirteen in Kiki’s Delivery Service, it’s time for her to leave home and set up shop as the resident witch in a new town. Oddly, Kiki’s mother hasn’t much time to train her in any witch’s skills beyond flying. Kiki is plucky and determined, though, and she eagerly leaves home to travel to a seaside town where she sets up a flying delivery service. Kiki learns how to pivot and improvise in various situations as she delivers her goods, and people in town get to know her as a trustworthy person. She also has a brush with burnout, and learns how to find balance between work and rest.

Shizuku is a developing artist in Whisper of the Heart. She’s an avid reader, and she wants to be a writer, herself. The movie details how Shizuku tries out different kinds of writing, experimenting with form and style. She also figures out what inspires her as an artist. A big awakening for Shizuku is learning how to balance figuring out her passions while she also takes concrete steps to secure her future–like making sure to study so that she can stay in school and continue to work on her writing.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

Release Date

December 20, 1990

Studio

Studio Ghibli

Cast

Kirsten Dunst , Phil Hartman , Janeane Garofalo , Matthew Lawrence

Runtime

1 Hour 43 Minutes

Production Company

Kiki’s Delivery Service Production Committee, Nibariki, Nippon Television Network (NTV)

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