TOKANIO PRODUCTIONS
&
GROUP FUJIMUNE, THE
ジブリの思い出
＜日本語＞
人生にある思い出は永遠です。ある心から大切な思い出は受け継がれる、まだ永久に続けるの思い出残ると。ある出来事はもっと重大になれば、その思い出はもっと忘れられない。人間がいつもいつも生きるできないから、そんな思い出を経験するのなんと良い時間は今だ、大好きな人々やそれらの思い出を共有することためらうできないのそれでも。さて、私たちの心の中にみんなと共有したいの大切な思い出は何でしょうか？キキが箒と飛んでいることを思い出してる？トトロが好奇心に満ちているの子供たちのいるところで魔法をすることを思い出してる？ポニョが人間になったことも？千尋がハクの本当の名前をついにわかったのことはどう？パズーとシータがあの天空の城を発見していたのこと？それらの思い出を期待したはないね！
まあ、この重大な理由だからここに便利なのね：2025年夏に、徳間書店の設立者徳間康快の援助と、宮崎駿と高畑勲と鈴木敏夫がスタジオジブリを設立した40周年記念です！スタジオジブリは世界になんと一番有名なアニメ制作会社、大人気日本アニメ映画の場所です。大部分のスタジオジブリの映画は興行的大成功になった、それとも受賞者になった、例えば日本アカデミー賞の最優秀作品賞で二つの受賞、またはアカデミー賞の最優秀アニメーション作品賞で二つの受賞。ジブリ映画のキャラクターたちため声を与えるの俳優たちは後でもっと人気になった。ほとんどのスタジオジブリ映画は批評家と観衆たちによって賞賛された、要素は可愛いキャラクターデザインがいるけど美しいでも骨の折れるアニメーション、ユニークな物語と愛らしいキャラクターたち（色々な素晴らしい女の手本を含めて）、それぞれのジブリ映画に絶対忘れないの聴こえるの音楽と曲、そして爆笑いと悲痛の泣きのように感情、など。確かに、エンターテインメントの世界にたくさんの人々は自分の作品のためインスピレーションを与えられた、ピクサー・アニメーション・スタジオのスタッフのように、あるストーリーについて考える困っている時に何度も何度もジブリ映画を観れば助けるできる！
日本にスタジオジブリの影響として、三鷹の森ジブリ美術館と愛知県にジブリパークのようにアトラクションがいる、ジブリ映画でグッズがいっぱい、元ジブリプロデューサー西村義明によってジブリのアニメーションとファンタジー物語スタイルに敬意を表するスタジオポノックに至っていること、コスプレと歌舞伎を含めて舞台となんと少ないビデオゲーム！スタジオジブリもツイッターアカウントがあったんだけどあいにく今消えちゃった。それにもかかわらずやっぱり日本にスタジオジブリの影響は大きいなんだ、他の世界の部分にも、たくさんの国に人々はジブリ映画を観ることが大好き、国語がいっぱいに翻訳されたも。それは面白いね、だから、大部分のジブリ映画の物語の舞台は日本はないけど不思議な知らない世界はないならばヨーロッパのように場所または昔の時代に。
私がスタジオジブリの登場や映画のメイキングと他の起こったの出来事について歴史を与えたくない、でもこの段落に単純化するはしょうがないならばそれはいい：昔々、あるところに「トップクラフト」というアニメーションスタジオがいました。名作映画は1984年から「風の谷のナウシカ」、根源は宮崎駿の漫画でした、実は宮崎駿の監督第二作品、第一作品は1979年から「ルパン三世 カリオストロの城」。たぶん、大部分のトップクラフトのスタッフがスタジオジブリのスタッフになった、オリジナルストーリーかどうか漫画か小説のように他の根源かどうかそれぞれの映画の興行的成功は違う、例外は1988年に長編２本立て「となりのトトロ」と「火垂るの墓」です。スタジオジブリのため二つの宮崎駿の名作監督映画「もののけ姫」と「千と千尋の神隠し」はなんと興行的一番大成功があった、現在にそれらは日本の史上興行成績上位の映画も。全部25スタジオジブリ映画です（「めいとこねこバス」と「ジブリ実験劇場 On Your Mark」のように短編映画を除いて、テレビアニメ「山賊の娘ローニャ」も）、ほとんどすべては映画館に公開された、二つだけはテレビに放送された；一つは日本とフランスの合作、もう一つはアニメーションのためにCGIを使った、間にすべての他は手描きのアニメーションを使用した、完成まで何年もかかったは当たり前だ、「君たちはどう生きるか」の特に、2017年から2023年まで「風立ちぬ」の後の退職をやめたの宮崎駿がこの映画を作った、ポスターだけ限られた広告とついに公開された。
宮崎駿といえば大部分のスタジオジブリ映画を監督した！マスコットトトロじゃない、宮崎駿はスタジオジブリの印のようにね！間に、鈴木敏夫は宮崎駿の右腕、すべての宮崎監督映画のプロデューサーです！人々がなんとシュールなアニメーションと物語を語る混合が大好きだから宮崎駿がアニメの世界の影響力のある人物の一人になった、ギレルモ・デル・トロによると映画によって自分の自叙伝を語っている、幾分か話題について自分の意見を観衆たちで表現しているも。「風の谷のナウシカ」と宮崎駿は環境で扱いに欲求不満があった、「ハウルの動く城」とイラク戦争で反対した、「君たちはどう生きるか」と人生を生きている何を学べたの勉強を聞きたい人と知らせている（実際はすべてのジブリ映画は哲学的な教訓か！？）。子供たちはジブリ映画を観るが好きだから宮崎駿が「崖の上のポニョ」を作った、そして「風立ちぬ」と飛行機を作りたいだけの夢があったの堀越二郎を見上げた（戦争のためそれらの飛行機を作っていたにもかかわらず）。
宮崎駿だけじゃない（そうでなければこの随筆の全部の話題になっただろうね）、他の人々がスタジオジブリ映画のために監督になった：宮崎駿の息子宮崎吾朗、望月智充、近藤喜文（1995年から「耳をすませば」の監督、あいにく公開の三年後死亡しました）、森田宏幸、米林宏昌（結局スタジオポノックのため監督になった）、そしてマイケル・デュドク・ドゥ・ヴィット。二番多い監督したジブリ映画は宮崎駿の大切な友達高畑勲です！宮崎駿のように高畑勲のアニメーションに職業はなんと長いでした、でも「平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ」の後で思ったはもうセルアニメが好きじゃないって、私が本当の理由でわからないけどその代わりに水彩画アニメーションと実験したいんでした、二つの結果は「ホーホケキョ となりの山田くん」と「かぐや姫の物語」。その第二結果は高畑勲の最高傑作ありそうなのね、だけど2018年に死亡まで最後の映画でした。
もちろん、音楽がないとスタジオジブリ映画は完成するできない！久石譲のおかげで、ほとんどすべての宮崎駿監督映画のため作曲した、でもそれだけじゃない、高畑勲監督映画「かぐや姫の物語」も作曲家でした（私の意見にその映画になんと美しい音楽だった、映画の始まりから、映画の終わりに最後のピアノ音符まで）。明らかに、久石譲だけはない、ジブリ映画のために他の作曲家たちがいる、例えば「火垂るの墓」の忘れられない音楽で間宮芳生、「平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ」の楽しい精力的な音楽で上々颱風、「コクリコ坂から」のジャズピアノ音楽で武部聡志、そして「借りぐらしのアリエッティ」のアイリッシュハープ音楽でセシル・コルベル（まだ私の一番大好きなジブリサントラです）。私の好きな日本歌手の一人手嶌葵の職業の始まりは宮崎吾朗監督映画「ゲド戦記」、ホントに美しいと天使のように歌声はその映画の唯一良い要素だったな！手嶌葵が宮崎吾朗の好きな協力者になった、「コクリコ坂から」に四つの曲を歌った。どのようにスタジオジブリで手嶌葵を絶対忘れないの方法は「ゲド戦記歌集」と「コクリコ坂から歌集」、瞑想のためそれらの二つのアルバムを聴いてください！手嶌葵が今何をしているかしら．．．？
曲といえば、毎回ジブリ映画に主題歌を聴く時に（挿入歌も）、オリジナルまたは既にいるの曲（それともカバー）かどうか、いつも恵みだね、それでもジブリ映画はディズニーからミュージカルアニメ映画のようにはない。幸せ楽しいかどうか悲しみでもよく考えるも、ドラえもん映画のようにジブリ映画の歌のメロディーを簡単にわかるできる。過去に、大部分のジブリ映画の曲は私の一番おすすめ曲だった、J-POPで続けている魅惑だからそれはいいだったね。「となりのトトロ トトロ」や「ポニョ ポニョ ポニョ さかなの子」を誰が忘れたい？！有名な歌手たち井上あずみと松任谷由実を思い出してる？「思い出のマーニー」ためプリシラ・アーンの全英語の主題歌「Fine On The Outside」はどう？「風の谷のナウシカ」の主題歌の歌手安田成美の復帰を期待したい？（いつ安田成美が曲を歌っているやめたの？1990年代かしら？）
どうやって私とジブリ映画と関係があるって？私が全25ジブリ映画を観ました、大部分を何度も観たでも一番おすすめジブリ映画をまだ決めるできない！時々に「天空の城ラピュタ」と「魔女の宅急便」、他の時に「借りぐらしのアリエッティ」から「思い出のマーニー」まで（全部五つのジブリ映画だ）、でも考えなしに決めるできれば、私の一番大好きなジブリ映画は「竹取物語」のもっとドラマチックな脚色「かぐや姫の物語」です；この映画の綺麗な水彩画アニメーションと久石譲から感動の音楽（忘れないの劇中歌も）だからまだ私の一番大好きな映画です．．．それとも、「もののけ姫」か「猫の恩返し」も．．．ねえ、「猫の恩返し」はなんと大笑いしてしまう映画と思ったよ！とにかく、私の一番おすすめジブリ映画は何かの答えは違うかもしれないね！
この随筆の始まりに思い出について話し合った。なぜ過去に私がジブリ映画を何度も観たの一つの重大な理由はそれらの映画を観ていることは大切な思い出を作っているのように、もう絶対ジブリ映画を観るの時間がないならばそれらの思い出は永遠を望めた。実際は、正直に、何もことをするがなかった時にジブリ映画だけを観たいんだったよ、だけど日本語かどうか近頃色々なたくさんの映画を観る続けているからよかった（それは良いことじゃないか？！）、それでも随筆を書いたの他の好きな話題のように、いつもいつもジブリファンです、それでいつもいつもジブリ映画は心の中にいる、セックスだけじゃないでも守りたいと大事にしたいの大好きな人のように。どうしてか感じるはスタジオジブリの映画と物語とキャラクターたちと関連づけるできる、そもそも興味があった感謝している、環境と人生の感謝を含めてそんな主題を扱っているの方法だからかどうか、どうやってキャラクターデザインとアニメーション実行に関して大部分の現在のアニメのように振る舞っていないも、それとも本当に何でも理由がないけどジブリ映画を観ていることは楽しいことばかりだ！私が信じるはスタジオジブリは日本のアニメと映画を定義する、その国のエンターテインメント産業の影響は匹敵することはない。人生に一度「千と千尋の神隠し」を観なかったならば本当のジブリファンじゃない！
もう一度思い出について、ジブリ映画を観ているから自分自身のたくさんのジブリ思い出を作ったよ、あるいは、これらは私のジブリ映画から大好きなシーンの一覧：「火垂るの墓」の最後のシーンを忘れないでしょう、「紅の豚」にポルコ・ロッソとドナルド・カーチスの最後のけんかも、「耳をすませば」に雫が聖司について「やな奴やな奴やな奴」って言っているまたは聖司がバイオリンを演奏する間に「カントリー・ロード」を歌っているシーンも、「猫の恩返し」に二つの猫が窓から投げられたの爆笑シーン、「ゲド戦記」にテルーが「テルーの唄」を歌っているシーン、「借りぐらしのアリエッティ」にアリエッティが翔で忍耐強く続けるを勧めていること、「コクリコ坂から」にカルチェラタンのすべてのメンバーたちが「紺色のうねりが」を歌っているシーン、「風立ちぬ」に二郎が聞いたは私の一番大好きなジブリキャラクター菜穂子は肺出血があった時に二人が抱くの感動シーン、主題歌を除いて「かぐや姫の物語」に二つの劇中歌「わらべ唄」と「天女の歌」、そして「思い出のマーニー」にマーニーが杏奈で言っているは「泣いてもいいよ、杏奈」ってのシーン（私が感じたは高月彩良と有村架純の声優でなんと魅惑された．．．実際は、その映画を観なかったならばそれらの二人女優を見上げていないだろうなのよ！）。幾つかだけでももっとたくさんがいる、でもすべてのそれらはジブリ映画を観ている時まだいつも人生にいる続けるの大事な思い出。もう一度すべてのこれらの名作映画を観るできるによってすべてのそれらの思い出を再生するの時間があれば私が絶対やる、でもあいにくふさわしいタイミングは必要、現実に他の興味と責任がいっぱいだから、例えば、来週に次の観たい映画は何でしょうかな～？
この随筆を読んだ後で仮定するはあなたもジブリ映画を観ている時に思い出があるね、それでホントにジブリファン？すべてのジブリ映画を観たか？あなたのジブリで思い出を比較するため分けるはいいですか？代わりに、この随筆を読んだ後で前に絶対スタジオジブリ映画を観なかったならば今「千と千尋の神隠し」または「となりのトトロ」のように映画をはやく観てください、何とかしてそれらのなんとマジカル思い出がいるでしょうね！史上最高の映画のように、宮崎駿と高畑勲とこの名高いアニメスタジオから他の人々が監督したの映画は間違いなく思い出深い、それぞれの物語とスクリーンにキャラクターは喜び、毎回またその同じジブリ映画を観る時にいつも楽しい経験。その上に、どんな時代でも、しばしば教会の説教のように学べるできる。現在の環境が改善しているはない、ある人が自分の人生を感謝していないだから自殺がいる、そして世界にまだ戦争が起こっているも。環境と自分の人生と平和を気にするはないの人々がスタジオジブリ映画を観るならば気が変わるだろうかどうか暴力団員と傲慢な政治家誰による。
若い子供か大人かどうか、アニメと映画が大好きも、日本文化も大好きや、正しい限りたとえ何を信じるでも、個性は何のジブリ映画によって決められる、25映画が25個性に至る！さて、選ぶはどうぞ！
そうか、2025年も「スーパーマリオブラザーズ」40周年記念か。私の次の随筆のためにスーパーマリオのゲームをプレイをする時間はいつだろうかな．．．？
＜英語＞
There are memories in life that last forever. There are memories that are cherished from the heart and are passed down from generation to generation, and can still be everlasting. The significant the event, the more unforgettable that memory is. Because human beings like us don’t last forever, the best time to experience such memories is right now, even if there’s no way we can hesitate to share those memories with those we love. Let’s dig deep into our minds and see what memories we hold dearly can be experienced by everyone who wants to share in the feeling: So, when was the last time you saw Kiki fly her broom? When was the last time you saw Totoro work out his magic in front of curious children? How about the day when Ponyo became human? Or when Chihiro broke Haku’s spell? Or maybe even Pazu and Sheeta discovering the floating Castle in the Sky? Not exactly the kinds of memories you were expecting, huh!?
Those memories ought to be kept in handy here for one very important occasion: In the summer of 2025, we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary since Miyazaki Hayao, Takahata Isao, and Suzuki Toshio, with much assistance from Tokuma Shoten founder Yasuyoshi Tokuma, formed Studio Ghibli, one of the most influential animation studios on the planet, not to mention home to some of the greatest Japanese anime films in history, if not the history of animation in general. People love Studio Ghibli films so much that a variety have went on to become either box office phenomenon or award winners and nominees for such categories as best picture (in the case of the Japan Academy Prize) or best animated feature (in the case of the Academy Awards, AKA the Oscars), and those who have provided voices for characters in Studio Ghibli films saw it as an opportunity to boost their acting careers. Almost every film that comes out of the studio has received praise from critics and audiences alike, with factors such as well-done but painstaking animation albeit with adoring character designs, unique storytelling featuring lovable casts of characters (not to mention an outstanding range of positive female role models), the glorious soundtrack and songs heard on each film, and the range of emotions each film brings, from non-stop laughs to devastating heartbreak and tears, among others. Surely, there must’ve been a variety of people in entertainment that see Studio Ghibli as an inspiration for their own works, including the staff at Pixar Animation Studios who tend to watch Ghibli films over and over in order to take down notes whenever they’re stuck on a story that they need to tell themselves!
Studio Ghibli’s lasting impact on the country it originated from (Japan, obviously) ranges from attractions such as the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka or the Ghibli Park in Aichi, an endless array of merchandise revolving around its films, as well as the formation of Studio Ponoc by former Ghibli producer Nishimura Yoshiaki that manages to pay homage to Studio Ghibli’s style of animation and fantasy-like storytelling, plus people cosplaying as the characters in the films, adaptations to the stage including Kabuki, and surprisingly very, very, very few video games! At one point, Studio Ghibli also had a Twitter account, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long! Nonetheless, Studio Ghibli has definitely left a huge mark on Japan with these examples in mind, and around the world too, with its films having being shown in multiple countries and translated into numerous languages! Quite interesting to note, since much of Studio Ghibli films aren’t exactly set in Japan, but in European-esque lands or of other times that are long past, if not unknown mysterious and surreal fantasy worlds.
Now, clearly, I’m not here to provide a sort of history of the studio in regards to how it was created, the behind-the-scenes process of its films, and all of the other moments that occurred along the way, though if I have to provide a simplified version in this next paragraph, I will: There once was an animation studio named Topcraft, which was best known for the production of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in 1984, based on the manga of the same name by Miyazaki Hayao, who had just come off of directing his first film, Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, which was released five years earlier. Many people who represented Topcraft may have later moved on to work for Studio Ghibli, with each film (whether it be an original story or based on a different medium like another manga or a novel) that was produced and released sharing an interesting amount of box office success, with the double feature of My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies in 1988 unfortunately considered a commercial failure and an exception as a result. Two well-known Ghibli films, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away (both directed by Miyazaki Hayao), have achieved the most box office success out of all of them, and are currently considered the studio’s big money-makers, as well as some of Japan’s highest grossing movies of all time. There are twenty-five Studio Ghibli films in total (not including any of its short films such as Mei and the Kittenbus or On Your Mark, or even the television anime series Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter), nearly all of them seeing a theatrical release, and only two made for television; One of the films a co-production between Japan and France, another made entirely with computer animation even with all others completely hand-drawn, with common sense being that these kinds of animated films can, more often than not, take a significant amount of years to make, especially in the case of The Boy and the Heron, which began work in 2017 after Miyazaki Hayao announced he was coming out of retirement (which initially started following The Wind Rises), and only finally being released in Japanese movie theaters in 2023, with extremely limited advertising material!
Speaking of Miyazaki Hayao, much of Studio Ghibli’s films are directed by him! He’s basically the main face of the studio (not Totoro, the mascot), with Suzuki Toshio being his somewhat “right-hand man,” having been a producer of every single one of Miyazaki’s films. People who watch Studio Ghibli films especially those directed by Miyazaki Hayao have come to enjoy his incredibly surreal blend of animation and storytelling, making him one of the animation industry’s most influential figures partly because it can be noticed that he’s trying to tell his own autobiography by means of his films (at least according to Guillermo del Toro), expressing his own perspectives on certain topics to the audience watching: From anger over the poor handling of the environment with Nausicaä, to opposition to the Iraq War with Howl’s Moving Castle, and sharing lessons about what he has learned about living life to those willing to listen with The Boy and the Heron (In fact, it seems as if every time Studio Ghibli releases a film, it’s trying to teach us a philosophical lesson!). He made Ponyo because he appreciated how much children have enjoyed his works, and he made The Wind Rises as a way of admiring much of the contributions of Horikoshi Jiro, a man whose dream was simply to make airplanes and that’s it (even if those airplanes end up being used for war).
Miyazaki Hayao isn’t the only prominent figure at Studio Ghibli, otherwise this entire essay would’ve been only about him! Other people have taken the director’s chair to provide their own vision of how a Ghibli film should be, including Miyazaki Hayao’s own son Goro, Mochizuki Tomomi, Kondō Yoshifumi (who unfortunately passed away three years after his first and only film, Whisper of the Heart, released in 1995), Morita Hiroyuki, Yonebayashi Hiromasa (who eventually represented Studio Ponoc), and Michaël Dudok de Wit. In second place for most films directed for Studio Ghibli: Takahata Isao, Miyazaki Hayao’s best friend in the whole world; Just like Miyazaki, Takahata had come a long way throughout his career in animation, but one day, after Pom Poko, he thought he was getting tired of doing hand-drawn cel animation, and wanted to experiment with watercolors instead (for reasons I never figured out), thus leading to directing My Neighbors the Yamadas and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, the latter apparently being his magnum opus since Grave of the Fireflies, and sadly his final film before his death in 2018.
Of course, no Studio Ghibli film is complete without stellar music! Much of the thanks goes to Hisaishi Joe, the man who provided the music for almost every single one of Miyazaki Hayao’s films, not to mention caused Takahata’s swansong, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, to truly be made its worth, from the film’s introduction to the last piano note as Princess Kaguya ascends to the moon after saying her goodbyes to the people of Earth. Clearly, other people helped provide musical rainfall to the Ghibli world, including Mamiya Michio’s hauntingly beautiful score to Grave of the Fireflies, Shang Shang Typhoon’s fun-filled and energetic score to Pom Poko, Takebe Satoshi bringing out the piano jazz in From Up on Poppy Hill, and Cécile Corbel with her Celtic harp-filled soundtrack for The Secret World of Arrietty still being one of my all-time favorites! Teshima Aoi, one of my favorite Japanese singers, actually got a kickstart to her career via Studio Ghibli, specifically Miyazaki Goro’s Tales from Earthsea, with her truly lovely and soft angelic vocals being the film’s perhaps only saving grace. She eventually cemented herself as Miyazaki Goro’s favorite collaborator, returning for his sophomore film From Up on Poppy Hill and lending her voice to four of the film’s songs. Finally, what I’ll most definitely remember Teshima Aoi for when it comes to her contributions to Studio Ghibli are the image albums for the two aforementioned Miyazaki Goro films, which, in my opinion, are definitely worth a listen to when you’re looking for a period of peace, meditation, and harmony! I wonder what Teshima Aoi is up to now…!
Speaking of songs, each time we hear an ending song for a Studio Ghibli film (or any song heard throughout such a film for that matter), whether it be an original song or an already-existing song (or even a cover of one), is always an absolute blessing, even though not all Ghibli films have characters breaking into song like a Disney animated movie, with one recognizable melody after another, regardless of whether they put you in a happy and jamming mood or a sad yet reflecting one (similar to other anime film series like Doraemon). At one point in my life, I think I remember considering nearly every one of those songs featured in Studio Ghibli films being some of my favorite songs to listen to of all time, and that ought to be saying a lot considering my continuous love and taste for Japanese popular music! Who could possibly forget how the Totoro and Ponyo songs go?! Who would not realize how much Inoue Azumi or Matsutoya Yumi are masters of their singing craft?! Who remembers the time Priscilla Ahn provided an all-English ending theme to When Marnie Was There? And who cannot wait for Yasuda Narumi (the one who performed the Nausicaä theme song) to make a singing career comeback since we probably haven’t heard her sing any kind of song since the start of the 1990s, I guess?!
If you ask me about what my experience with Studio Ghibli films is like, it should be made clear that I have seen all twenty-five of its feature films, many of which I have seen multiple times, and I’m still struggling to pick out an exact favorite! Sometimes it’s either Castle in the Sky or Kiki’s Delivery Service (the two Ghibli films I have seen the most times), other times it’s from The Secret World of Arrietty all the way to When Marnie Was There (that would be five films in total), but if I was to pick only one Studio Ghibli film right off the top of the bat, it would be The Tale of the Princess Kaguya; This film’s lush watercolor animation, glorious soundtrack from Hisaishi Joe (not to mention the array of heartwarming songs), and the way it faithfully adapts the original Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, with crystal clear amounts of emotional and dramatic heft, has resulted in it being one of my absolute favorite films of all time… or I could’ve picked Princess Mononoke or The Cat Returns, the latter being one of the funniest films I have ever seen in my life! The answer to what’s my favorite Ghibli film is surely going to vary!
Perhaps one main reason I have watched Studio Ghibli films multiple times in the past is that watching those kinds of films are like creating precious memories, as I discussed earlier in this essay, and I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure such memories last in case I didn’t have time to watch any Ghibli films ever again. In fact, to be honest, Studio Ghibli films were the only kinds of films that I could rely on watching when there’s nothing for me to do, although thankfully I have managed to continue my exploration of the world of cinema in all of its forms by watching all kinds of movies out there (whether in Japanese or not), yet like all of my other favorite things that I have discussed in the form of essays, there is no way I am ever going to forget that I was definitely a huge fan of watching Studio Ghibli films, and they will always forever remain so dear to me, like someone that you love close to your heart whom you would do anything to protect and cherish (and not just having meaningless sex). The fact that I at least did whatever it took to enjoy Ghibli films as much as possible ought to really say something about how much I have strongly connected with the studio’s filmography in some way, and I am very appreciative of the amount of interest I have taken towards Studio Ghibli overall in the first place, regardless of whether it’s because of the way it handles certain subject matter, especially the environment and the appreciation of life itself, or probably the way it tries not to act like most modern anime these days in regards to character designs and animation execution, or that they’re simply just a joy to watch and that’s all that there is to it (It’s most likely that third reasoning)! I believe Studio Ghibli is, without a doubt, the definition of Japanese anime and Japanese cinema, and its impact on the country’s entertainment industry is unparallel! You’re not a Studio Ghibli fan if you haven’t seen Spirited Away at least once, that I can tell you!
Going back to the conversation about memories, I can be certain that I have managed to create a ton of Studio Ghibli-related memories that have remained forever close to me, or you can pretty much call them my all-time favorite moments from watching those kinds of films. I will never forget the remaining final moments of Grave of the Fireflies that had me in tears, or the final fight between Porco Rosso and Curtis, or Shizuku from Whisper of the Heart either calling Seiji a “stupid jerk” or singing a Japanese version of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as Seiji plays the violin, or the two times a cat gets thrown out of a window in The Cat Returns, Arren seeing Therru singing in Tales from Earthsea, Arrietty convincing Shō to fight for the things that are worth fighting for, the entire Latin Quarter singing “The Indigo Waves” in From Up on Poppy Hill (a song most likely written as a result of the impact of the March 11, 2011 Tōhoku natural disaster), Jiro and Nahoko sharing an embrace after Jiro learns of Nahoko’s suffering of a pulmonary hemorrhage in The Wind Rises (with Nahoko being my #1 favorite Ghibli character), the two to three songs featured in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (not including the ending theme song), and Marnie telling Anna that it’s okay to cry in When Marnie Was There (with Takatsuki Sara and Arimura Kasumi providing some of the best voice acting I have ever heard; In fact, I would not have fallen in love with those two actresses if I wasn’t interested in watching that film). Those are only a few that come to mind, and obviously there’s a whole lot more, but they’re considered some of the most important memories that I have when watching Ghibli films, and ones that will continue to linger for the rest of my life. If I could do anything to sacrifice some time to watch these timeless films again right now and relive all of those unforgettable moments once more, I most certainly would, but I shall wait when it is the appropriate time for me to do so, unfortunately, especially with loads of other interests and responsibilities in mind, for example figuring out the next movie that I plan on watching next week!
I can assume that by the time you’re finished reading this, you must’ve had quite a handful of memories yourself when watching Ghibli films, and I would love if you could share them here to see how we can compare, or if I can determine if you have truly watched every single film from the studio there is, leading to how much of a devoted Ghibli fan you are. Alternatively, by the time you’re finished reading this, if you have never seen a Studio Ghibli film in your entire life before, then I would absolutely recommend at this time that you put on a film like Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro, and I guarantee you those magical memories will be created somehow! Like some of the greatest motion pictures ever made, every film brought to you by Miyazaki Hayao, Takahata Isao, and others at one of the Japanese anime industry’s most prestigious studios, is, without question, nothing less than memorable in some way, with each story told and each character shown on the screen providing audiences with an absolute delight, thus resulting in an experience watching such a film always worth reliving with each repeat viewing. In addition, more often than not, no matter what time period we live in, people can actually learn something from watching Ghibli films (the same way as a sermon in Church), even as today’s environment is not getting any better, and there are some who just aren’t appreciating that God even gave them life in the first place (resulting in various suicides), not to mention the amount of war that is still going on in certain parts of the world. Therefore, encouraging those who simply don’t care about the environment or their own lives at all, or even warmongers, to watch Ghibli films might cause them change their minds, but that’s going to have to depend on the person (Though gangsters and arrogant politicians would never learn, won’t they)!
Aside from all that, regardless of whether you’re a young child or an adult, an animation enthusiast or a lover of cinema, or regardless of interest in Japanese culture, no matter what you believe in as long as you believe in what’s right, there’s always an ideal Studio Ghibli film that matches the kind of person that you are; Twenty-five films mean twenty-five different personalities. You just have to pick and watch just the right one!
Oh, that’s right; 2025 is also the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., so looks like I’ll have to find some time to play Super Mario games again in order to prepare for my next essay, don’t I?!