Two Cents from 2020: Studio Ghibli
I’ve always assumed that I love Studio Ghibli. Hell, I even had a semi-Ghibli-themed wedding (and now, a semi-Ghibli-themed kitchen with Ghibli knick-knacks peppered in corners of my house).
But recent revisits of my childhood favourites made me question my unassuming love.
Take The Cat Returns, for instance. 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Chock-full of endearing elements — cats, whimsical adventures, all weaved together in beautiful animation.
Here’s its Wiki summary:
High school student Haru rescues a cat that was about to be run over by a truck and discovers the cat is actually a prince named Lune. Out of gratitude, Lune’s father, the Cat King, asks her to marry Lune. Haru is brought to the Cat Kingdom, where she starts to develop feline features. When she is prevented from leaving, the Baron and Toto, two statues that have magically been given life, provide assistance in gaining her freedom.
If I were to distil the essence of the story:
Haru got bride-napped for saving a life.
Now let’s look at Howl’s Moving Castle. 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A magical world beyond your imagination, adorable characters, picturesque sceneries.
Here’s its Wiki summary:
Sophie has an uneventful life at her late father’s hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends wizard Howl, who lives in a magical flying castle. However, the evil Witch of Waste takes issue with their budding relationship and casts a spell on young Sophie, which ages her prematurely. Now Howl must use all his magical talents to battle the jealous hag and return Sophie to her former youth and beauty.
^Not very accurate (at least not through my lens). Sophie is my main hero as she bounces back quickly despite being mystically aged overnight. She’s even capable of making self-deprecating jokes and appreciations of her aged state. But Howl is a very-gorgeous-but-whiny-af-weakling. He literally melts when his hair colour changes against his will.
If I were to distil the essence of the story:
Opposites attract + Love is blind.
One more (because I abide by the rule of three): Arietty. 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Glorious world-building, interesting juxtaposition, striking colours.
Here’s its Wiki summary:
Arietty, a tiny teenager, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban home, unbeknown to the homeowner and housekeeper. Like others of her kind, Arietty remains hidden from her human hosts, but occasionally ventures forth from beneath the floorboards to borrow sugar cubes and other supplies. A secret friendship forms when 12-year-old Shawn meets Arietty, but their relationship could spell danger for Arietty’s family.
If I were to distil the essence of the story:
Escape in the face of conflict.
That is precisely what Arietty and her family has done. The secret friendship between Shawn (normal human) and Arietty (tiny human) fails to encourage them to change the status quo.
Perhaps they feel overpowered by the force of nature, which compelled them to do nothing. Perhaps they need a rude awakening in the form of a tiny person being pinned breathless. Regardless, 0 inspiration.
His stories may have protagonists and antagonists, and sometimes none at all. He paints challenges for them, but they do not necessarily seek solutions for any.
Arietty talks about racial conflicts. And how the protagonists bound with each other, and yet the smaller protagonist still ends up escaping with her family. Both of them are unable to effect any changes.
Or Mononoke. The iron village is destroyed, nature is destroyed, yet nothing has changed. Humans continue fighting for humans, fighting against nature.
Perhaps his stories are about finding comfort in the uncomfortable, about balancing in the unbalanced world, and about avoiding conflict in a world full of conflicts.
Or perhaps he just wants to provide solace for his viewers. He just wants them to immerse in his beautiful worlds, cast away all imbalances, all negative energy, and just flow.
Perhaps that’s why I still love Studio Ghibli.
