Has Studio Ghibli Hurt Anime?

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Studio Ghibli, the cornerstone of the Anime world in a sense. Having set anime in motion in the western world, it’s importance is undeniable. Yet as anime has grown throughout the years, has the presence of Studio Ghibli become detrimental?

Hurting the Industry

Before we start, I too enjoy Miyazaki’s movies. While it may not be all of them, I do agree that some are masterpieces while other have a bit to be desired. Yet with Studio Ghibli always taking the mainstage on the global scene, where does that leave other film studios?

While I have a strong preference for producers like Makoto Shinkai, he isn’t the only one who suffers from this overshadowing. Mamoru Hosoda has come up with stories that are above the caliber of what Studio Ghibli has been putting out. If you haven’t heard of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, or Wolf Children then my point is proven. I highly recommend these movies if you haven’t already seen them, as well as Bakemono no Ko, which I had just found out about too.

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Not only has the overshadowing caused harm to these studios in a foreign market, so has their claim to fame. With Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle making it into Oscar contention this year, Shinkai’s Kimi no Na ha was snubbed as a result. Due to this Shinkai lost a large deal of free publicity as well at a chance of receiving an accolade.

Will Hayao Miyazaki ever retire?

Having come out of retirement recently, Miyazaki is back at it working on his new movie GhibliBoro the Caterpillar. Yet with this development, how does this affect the Ghibli Studios. As it stands, a majority of the films that Hayao Miyazaki has not been involved with have not done as well. In essence, the studio seems to have a heavy reliance on the work Miyazaki puts in, which may be a reason as to why he comes out of retirement so often. Yet with all of the reputation of Ghibli on Miyazaki’s shoulders, the Studio will never grow without him. In essence, every time Miyazaki leaves retirement, he hurts both his own studio as well as his body.

Studio Ghibli’s Legacy

Studio Ghibli has done more for the anime world than one can imagine. Yet as time goes on, it’s monopoly over the genre has kept smaller studios in the shadows stifling their progress. Whether it be the Miyazaki making new movies or Studio Ghibli getting the starring role, Ghibli steals the publicity. Am I saying for Studio Ghibli to step down? Without a doubt, no. Maybe even for a moment though, it can let others make their way in order to bask in the limelight.

David Harada
A weeb in hiding by day, an avid Manchester United supporter by night. Living on both sides of the coin, David has graduated with a Liberal Arts Degree in Philosophy and Writing from Soka University of America. With a strong background in Japanese culture and being able to speak the language to boot, this man straddles the line between full-time nerd and sideline athlete. To him, as long as it is interesting he will watch it!