On Thursday night (19 October) Studio Ghibli fans were treated to an art history lesson immersing them into Japanese culture and fantasy.
Seed Talks – a company travelling across the UK presenting insightful talks – organised the evening with author and anime enthusiast Helen McCarthy at the Friends’ Meeting House.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 as an independent Japanese anime film company and has since produced over 20 award winning films.
They started becoming popular in the US and UK in 2005 but soared when Netflix began adding them in early 2020 – with much-loved favourites including My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001).
McCarthy said the films are: “A plea for people to live while they can and enjoy while they can.”
They often explore rites of passage – focusing on love, friendship, family, nature and politics.
Directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata promote culture and community, but McCarthy argues there are a plethora of moral messages – such as environmentalism and worker’s rights.
She said: “The directors talk about their views and morality which has emerged organically throughout the process – but people read whatever message they want to read in the films.”
McCarthy shared the inspiring story of how Miyazaki and Takahata’s debut film in 1968 – The Great Adventures of Horus, Prince of the Sun – failed to be a success at the time.
During this time they established a partnership that would last for 50 years, appealing to people internationally – Spirited Away is the second highest-grossing anime feature film made in Japan.
They used colour designs from Michiyo Yasunda to create some of Studio Ghibli’s most iconic scenes. She went on to train other women in the industry – colour design became an area of animation women had carved out for themselves.
The lecture also explored the legacy of Studio Ghibli away from our screens, with McCarthy discussing the tourist attractions inspired by the films.
Interestingly, the Ghibli museum in Tokyo shows exclusive short films on limited runs at random – there is no programme in advance so fans are treated to a surprise each time.
The Ghibli park in Aichi has a spectacular recreation of the My Neighbour Totoro set and Ponyo (2008) is based on Tomonoura National Park – providing jobs and tourism throughout Japan.
McCarthy ended the lecture with a Q&A – stating that her favourite Studio Ghibli work is My Neighbour Totoro. She said: “Everybody will have different life-changing moments from the Studio Ghibli films. My Neighbour Totoro speaks to everyone. It teaches me something every time I watch it.”
Miyazaki has come out of retirement for his final film – The Boy and the Heron. Set to be released in UK cinemas on 26 December, the film marks the end of an era for Studio Ghibli.
