Visit Ghibli Blog on Twitter and Facebook

As Ghibli Blog passed its tenth anniversary this year, we* have been doubling our efforts to grow our brand on Twitter and Facebook. Both "franchises" feature unique content, as I scour the internets for Studio Ghibli swag, merchandise, news clips, and the occasional piece of fan art.

My goal for Ghibli Blog has always been to foster discussions and examinations of these great animated movies, and the longer articles will continue to appear on the main website. For shorter snippets and quick bites of Ghibli goodness, we post on Twitter and Facebook.

As we are planning our expansion into DT Media, our social media sites also cover movies, music and videogames. But I am always very mindful to keep Studio Ghibli in the center spotlight, so I don't want anyone worrying about a lack of focus. And this main Ghibli Blog website will always remain focused solely on "Ghibli, Animation and The Movies."

As always, our Twitter feed is available here on the main website in the middle column. Please join our social media community at Twitter and Facebook. We're very glad to have your support.

(*"We," of course, refers to myself and wife Marcee, who manages our Facebook page.)

Ghibli Blog on Feedspot's Top 100 Animation Blogs

Recently, RSS feed website Feedspot was kind enough to award Ghibli Blog as one of the "Top 100 Animation Blogs" on the internet. We're very honored and thankful for the recognition.

I promised Feedspot founder Anuj Agarwal to acknowledge with a shout-out not only on Ghibli Blog Twitter and Ghibli Blog Facebook, but also on the main website. And, hey, they even gave us a shiny medal. How cool is that?

Thank you very much for the appreciation, and, as always, much thanks to everyone who supports Ghibli Blog in all our franchise locations. We work hard every day to inform and entertain Ghibli Freaks everywhere.

Spirited Away and Ghiblies Episode 2 in US Theaters December 4/5

To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Studio Ghibli, Gkids Films, Hot Topics and Fathom Events are teaming up to release Spirited Away in a limited theatrical run in the US. Tickets are available online, as well as local theaters that are participating.

The English-language dubbed soundtrack (produced by John Lassetter and Disney) will be shown on December 4; the Japanese-language version (with subtitles) will screen on December 5.

The best surprise of all: Ghibli's 2002 short film Ghiblies Episode 2 will also appear at both screenings. This film played the opening slot of a double bill with The Cat Returns the Favor in Japan, and both movies area available together on DVD and Blu-Ray. This will be the first time Ghiblies has been shown outside of Japan. Hopefully, there will be a home video release on our shores in the near future.

Studio Ghibli theater events are pretty popular, so I would strongly advise buying your tickets quickly, before they run out.

Spirited Away 15th Anniversary: Theater Locations

Photos - Boro the Caterpiller

Details of Hayao Miyazaki's upcoming CG short film, Boro the Caterpiller, are few and far between. We still have yet to see any storyboards or production artwork or screenshots. The only detail yet shown is this illustration of the main character, who Miyazaki describes as "a tiny, hairy caterpillar, so tiny that it may be easily squished between your fingers."

Planned for a 2017 release, hopefully some new details will emerge soon. And perhaps we will also learn new details of the proposed Miyazaki feature film which may or may not happen. And you thought Studio Ghibli was finished!

Hayao Miyazaki Planning His Next Feature Film

You knew Hayao Miyazaki would never stay "retired" for long.

On Sunday, Japan's NHK network aired their latest program on Studio Ghibli, Owaranai Hito Miyazaki Hayao (Hayao Miyazaki: The Man Who is Not Done). The program followed Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli as he worked tirelessly on his latest animation progress, a  CG short film titled Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpiller). This project is scheduled to be completed in another year, and will screen exclusively at the Ghibli Museum in Japan.

The surprise announcement by NHK, however, is that Miyazaki is now in the pre-production stages of a new feature animated film. Miyazaki reportedly grew unsatisfied with only working on a short film, and began creating storyboards for a full-length movie. Snippets of these storyboards are teased in the program (a longtime Ghibli and NHK tradition), and boards for 100 cuts are promised by the director.

This is in keeping with Miyazaki's filmmaking style, in which he creates the first act (of five) before production officially begins. The rest of the script and storyboards are created during the production itself, in a crazed, seat-of-the-pants style that somehow, miraculously, works.

The project has yet to be officially announced or even green-lighted. In his proposal, Hayao Miyazaki names Summer 2019 as a possible release date, or perhaps the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

As always, time is the most pressing issue for Studio Ghibli. The strain on staffing during the twin productions of The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya proved too much for Miyazaki, who was forced to work clean-up animation on many cuts himself. It was this strain that finally convinced him to retire from feature film directing, although it had been planned as part of the studio's long-term strategy (where the baton was being passed to the new generation of directors, including Goro Miyazaki and Hiromasa Yonebayashi).

That physical toll, combined with the exploding production costs (even The Wind Rises failed to turn a profit), resulted in Studio Ghibli dismissing their full-time animation staff and continuing with a skeleton crew. The studio insists they are only taking a break, but their future remains questionable. Could a new Hayao Miyazaki movie turn Ghibli's fortunes around? Or is the Miyazaki brand name no longer bankable? Would audiences turn out for another "final" film?

Will the new Miyazaki movie become a reality? I certainly hope so, but I am also realistic. Time and budgets may be running out. The studio needs a reliable revenue stream to survive. Perhaps they outsource much of the animation work? Perhaps they hire staff on a contract basis, as they did in their early years? Perhaps Goro-san and Yonebayashi-san become reliable successes at the box office? Perhaps other media ventures (television, music videos, videogames) will become viable again? Questions abound from all directions, with few answers and no direction home.

Despite what you may have heard, kids, the long, strange trip is not yet finished. Stay tuned.

Photos - The Story of the Yanagawa Canals

 

The Story of the Yanagawa Canals is the 1987 live-action documentary directed by Isao Takahata and produced by Hayao Miyazaki (the first project under his production company, Nibariki). It aired on Japan's NHK network and has appeared on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD and Blu-Ray, the latter as part of the excellent Isao Takahata Blu-Ray Box package. This is a lesser known work in the directors' canon, but no less brilliant or compelling.

Yanagawa features a number of short animation clips, describing details of the vast and complex system of waterways, sluices, gates and canals that developed and evolved over centuries. Some segments show moments of daily farming life, and there are even a couple comical bits like frogs swimming about. All of these were animated at Studio Ghibli, although the studio wasn't technically credited for the production, which began in 1984.

Earlier this year, Toshio Suzuki revealed a fascinating story about the early days of Studio Ghibli. After the box office success of Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Hayao Miyazaki's fortunes (which suffered through the difficult years of 1977-83) dramatically turned around, and he found himself with real money for the first time in his career. Suzuki suggested that Miyazaki-san serve as producer of Takahata's Yanagawa documentary project, and so Nibariki was founded.

Unfortunately, as nearly always happens, Paku-san found himself behind schedule and over budget. Miyazaki became exasperated as his money steadily drained away. In a panic, he turned to Suzuki-san, who offered some sly advice: Why not direct another feature film? With the financial backing of publisher Tokuma Shoten (the publishers of Animage Magazine, of which Suzuki was in charge), the decision was made to found a new animation studio.

Hayao Miyazaki would dub this new home Studio Ghibli, based on the Italian word for a hot wind. He, Takahata and Suzuki would be its founding fathers. Miyazaki set to work on Ghibli's inaugural movie, Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Paku-san would serve as producer, as he did on Nausicaa. Suzuki would serve as the Svengali, the power behind the throne. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Story of the Yanagawa Canals was finally completed in 1987, after a very long three-year production schedule. Miyazaki finally hit the brakes and cut off Paku-san's budget. "That's it! End of story! Go to bed!"

These screenshots come courtesy of Generacion Ghibli, everyone's favorite Studio Ghibli website from Spain. Be sure to visit them and follow them on Twitter. And don't forget to purchase the new book, Antes De Mi Vecino Miyazaki.

When Marnie Was There Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray/DVD (UK)

On October 3, UK animation publisher StudioCanal released a new deluxe edition Blu-Ray/DVD package for Studio Ghibli's latest studio feature, When Marnie Was There. This new version features a slipcase cover, an impressive foldout case to hold the discs, and a set of five full-color postcards from the movie.

StudioCanal has always delivered impressive home videos of the Ghibli catalog, and this latest release will be embraced by fans. There appears to be some glitches with the initial print run, but I would expect these to be resolved.

The future of Studio Ghibli remains mysterious and murky. It remains unlikely that Hayao Miyazaki will return for another feature film, as Toshio Suzuki remains squarely against the idea. Isao Takahata has spoken of at least one film project which could materialize into a fully fledged production, but his famously long preparation times (to say nothing of securing financing) make this questionable.

Fortunately, there is still good news to report. Hayao Miyazaki is working on his newest CGI short film, and the US localization for Goro Miyazaki's Ronja the Robber's Daughter has recently wrapped up. The Red Turtle debuted at Cannes to great acclaim and will soon arrive in theaters around the world, and may pave the way for similar projects in the future. And the studio continues to work hard on their catalog titles and merchandising around the world.

The most important announcement will be Hiromasa Yonebayashi's next feature film, which he is busily writing and preparing. He has a long and fruitful relationship with Ghibli, and if their finances are secure (traditional Japanese animation has become ruinously expensive), I would fully expect the successor to Marnie to be produced at Ghibli. At least, that's my own personal wish.

In any case, this new Marnie release is very impressive and always welcome. This is a great movie that deserves to find an audience. If you're getting tired of the formulaic animated movies coming from Hollywood (especially studios not named Disney/Pixar), then you need to give Yonebayashi's coming-of-age ghost story a chance.

Update Roundup: Social Media, DT Media, New Books Coming Soon

I wanted to pass along a few quick notes to everyone who visits Ghibli Blog. Activity on this main site has been quiet for much of this year, but I am working to change that and publish on a more or less regular schedule.

In addition to this site, Ghibli Blog Twitter is very active, with new content available every day. I have been working hard to build our community, with over 1,060 followers. We (meaning Marcee and myself) are also working hard to build up our Ghibli Blog Facebook page.  Content from the Twitter page will also be posted here, in addition to any special messages we wish to send out to our readers.

Most importantly, we have been working hard to create a new indie publishing company, DT Media. Three new books will be published, all written by me (and this is why I've been so busy this year). We will make formal announcements when everything is ready (translation: once we've saved up the money for the books and website). Our Twitter and FB pages will shift to reflect this, combining DT Media and Ghibli Blog.

The first book, Zen Arcade, is a collection of 140 classic videogame reviews for NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, NEC Turbografx-16 and SNK Neo-Geo. The titles have all been released on Nintendo's Virtual Console and all the major digital platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, Steam, iOS and Android. This book will be an essential and entertaining resource for all fans and collectors of retro video games.

The second book, Pop Life, is a collection of reviews and essays collected from Ghibli Blog, as well as my other online sites, Daniel Thomas Vol. 4 and DanielThomas.org. Readers will find reviews and essays on movies, animation, music, home audio, videogames, politics and daily life. Many new essays have also been written and the older material has been edited and revised to stay up-to-date. This book is a grand celebration of popular culture and life, and is full of keen insights, smart humor and biting satire. If you're a fan of Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael and Hunter S. Thompson, you'll love this book.

The third book, Greatest Hits, is an anthology of essays taken from four books: Zen Arcade and Pop Life, mentioned previously, as well as two new books which are still in production, Videogame Classics and Masters of Reality. This digital edition (e-book) of this book will be available for FREE to everyone who subscribes to our mailing list. I like to think of this as a welcome to our fans and readers, our way of saying thanks. It is also an opportunity to show you just what we are planning in the future, and share those stories with you now.

Videogame Classics features review essays on the greatest videogames ever made, from the earliest days of Atari to the current hits. We are working hard to dig deep and share with you many beloved classics that may have fallen through the cracks of time, or may have been forgotten. For all lovers of video games, this volume will be a touchstone and reference for the vast history of this great medium.

Finally, Masters of Reality is the Studio Ghibli project that I have been promising for ages. It is a very ambitious project, and is still in the early stages of production. Our goal is to present reviews and essays on the great works of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, careers spanning across five decades. We will discuss television, film, comics, books, and more, with writing that is insightful and inspiring. There may be more than one book in the series, but that has yet to be determined. For Greatest Hits, I have assembled a large number of essays for your enjoyment.

All of our books will be available on e-book and paperback. The complete details will be announced soon. We still need to assemble the books (cover and formatting), build the website, and begin growing the mailing list. And I will continue to work on providing content here on Ghibli Blog as best I can.

Anyway, that's the roundup. Please join our community at Twitter and Facebook, if you have not yet done so. As always, thanks to your continuing support of this website and all that I do.

P.S. One last thing. In September, I was involved on an upcoming Blu-Ray movie project. I shouldn't make any public announcements yet, but you're going to love it. Let's just say that an all-new audio commentary track is involved. Stay tuned.

Poster: Miss Hokusai

Miss Hokusai, the latest anime masterwork by esteemed veteran director Keiichi Hara (Doraemon, Crayon Shin-Chan, Colorful) and animation studio Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell), is currently enjoying a theatrical run across the US, courtesy of GKids Films.

This movie tells the story of O-Ei, a fiercely independent-minded artist who creates portraits under the name of her famous father, the Japanese painter Hokusai. This family melodrama promises comparisons to the great films of Yasujiro Ozu, as well as the emotional dramas of our favorite director, Isao Takahata. The art and visual design looks fantastic, filled with the many details, great and small, that make anime so uniquely inspired.

This film will open in Minneapolis next week, October 28. Marcee and I are planning to see it and expect to have a terrific time. I'm greatly looking forward to this movie, and strongly urge all anime fans and Ghibli Freaks to attend if it is playing in your city. Let's show our support for hand-drawn animation!

Ronja the Robber's Daughter Coming to Amazon Prime

 

Ronja the Robber's Daughter will be coming soon to online streaming service Amazon Prime. Studio Ghibli made the announcement via their Twitter page, as recording wraps up for the 26-episode TV series.

Ronja was directed by Goro Miyazaki and jointly produced by Studio Ghibli and Polygon Pictures (Transformers Prime). The art design combines traditional hand-painted 2D backgrounds with 3D CG characters. It's a fascinating combination of old and new, and even if it lacks the lush animation of classics like Heidi, Girl of the Alps (which is clearly a major influence upon this series), I am greatly impressed at what the younger Miyazaki and his teams have created. This is a series that is worth watching, and may point to the future of Japanese animation in the CG-era.

A release date for Ronja has yet to be announced, but it is widely believed to happen before the end of this year. Likewise, a Blu-Ray and DVD release is also widely expected sometime next year, but is yet to be announced.

My Neighbor Totoro Lunchbox Cooler

This is cute. It's a My Neighbor Totoro lunchbox cooler, available here in the States at Hot Topic for $12.99. Marcee uses a small cooler similar to this, and it does a very good job of carrying your food on the go.

I posted a photo of this earlier on the Ghibli Blog Twitter page, and I wanted to share it again here on the main website.

Antes De Mi Vicino Miyazaki

This June 7, a new Studio Ghibli book was published in Spain by the authors of Mi Vecino Miyazaki. This prequel volume, titled "Antes De Mi Vecino Miyazaki," covers the early careers of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and their works from the 1960s and 1970s. Authors Alvaro Lopez Martin and Marta Garcia Villar have assembled a terrific book that is an absolute must for all Ghibli Freaks.

Martin and Villar are the brains behind Generacion Ghibli, the terrific Studio Ghibli website in Spain. They have been big supporters of Ghibli Blog for a long time, and I am always happy to return the favor. I contributed a paragraph to their first book, and for the second, I was asked to write the introduction. I was thrilled to work with such fine people and help share the love of these great animated works, and assembled a lengthy essay detailing the first half of the Takahata/Miyazaki canon.

At present, Antes De Mi Vecino Miyazaki is available only in Spain, and the book is written exclusively in Spanish. I understand that the publisher is interested in an American release in English. That would require a bit of work, but is certainly an achievable goal. I would love to see Viz Media pick up the US distribution rights. Heck, I'd love to pick up the book for my upcoming publishing label. Unfortunately, copyrights issues are more strict in the States than the EU, where these images fall within the boundaries of Public Domain.

Please don't let the language barrier discourage you. This book is packed with full color pictures from such classics as Horus, Prince of the Sun, Lupin the 3rd, Heidi, Girl of the Alps, 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, and Anne of Green Gables. The cover and layout designs are terrific, very professional in every respect.

Every Ghibli Freak owes it to themselves to add their book to their collections. It raises the standard for the rest of us, no question about that. I know that I will have to work twice as hard with my own (ongoing) Ghibli book project. You can order your copy from the Amazon link above. Pick up your copy today!

50 Great Movies: 2016 Edition

 

50 Great Movies, 2016 Edition

1. Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles)

2. Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz)

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)

4. Seven Samurai (1954, Akira Kurosawa)

5. Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)

6. Duck Soup (1933, Leo McCarey)

7. The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)

8. Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock)

9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, Carl Th. Dreyer)

10. Omohide Poro Poro (1991, Isao Takahata)

11. Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)

12. City Lights (1931, Charlie Chaplin)

13. Spaceballs (1987, Mel Brooks)

14. My Neighbor Totoro (1988, Hayao Miyazaki)

15. Ran (1986, Akira Kurosawa)

16. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)

17. The Fog of War (2003, Errol Morris)

18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, Steven Spielberg)

19. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, Steven Spielberg)

20. The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)

21. The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968, Isao Takahata)

22.. Mimi wo Sumaseba (1995, Yoshifumi Kondo)

23. La Dolce Vita (1960, Federico Fellini)

24. The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming)

25. Paths of Glory (1957, Stanley Kubrick)

26. Elizabeth (1998, Shekhar Kapur)

27. Network (1976, Sidney Lumet)

28. Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)

29. Floating Weeds (1959, Yasujiro Ozu)

30. The Big Sleep (1946, Howard Hawks)

31. The Red Shoes (1948, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)

32. Throne of Blood (1957, Akira Kurosawa)

33. Modern Times (1936, Charlie Chaplin)

34. Young Frankenstein (1974, Mel Brooks)

35. Blazing Saddles (1974, Mel Brooks)

36. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (1984, Hayao Miyazaki)

37. Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino)

38. Dreams (1991, Akira Kurosawa)

39. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968, Sergio Leone)

40. Fantasia (1940, Walt Disney)

41. Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1963, Stanley Kubrick)

42. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996, Jim Mallon)

43. Clue (1985, Jonathan Lynn)

44. Beetlejuice (1988, Tim Burton)

45. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, John Hughes)

46. Metropolis (1926, Fritz Lang)

47. The Searchers (1956, John Ford)

48. Ben-Hur (1959, William Wyler)

49. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Wes Anderson)

50. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Ang Lee)

I am currently working on one of my book manuscripts that will be published later this year. This book (tentatively titled "Hang Time") features movie and music essays, as well as personal essays. Right now, I am performing one final copy-editing sweep, tightening up the chapters, cutting out what works, and seeing what needs to be added in order to reach my goal of 80k words. One other manuscript is finished, and there are two others I'm planning to complete before launching.

Four years ago, I published a list of "50 Great Movies," give or take a couple extras. I decided to rewrite and revise that list for Hang Time, and share the results with everyone on Ghibli Blog. This is a very lean and mean list of great movies that mean everything to me. These movies have inspired me, thrilled me, challenged me. It's all very personal and not meant to be an academic study of "the greats," whatever that means. Art is only valuable if it means something to you. Right?

I wonder if I should turn this list into a book? That's always a possibility for a future project, however I believe there are already many Greatest Movies books available now. What do you think? Would you like to see this list expanded into a book? For now, I will leave that decision to you. My plate is very full at the moment. I need to figure out what to do with the Studio Ghibli book project.

Anyway, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions, and thank you very much for supporting Ghibli Blog. You are the reason all of this exists.

Photos: Antes De Mi Vicino Miyazaki

Here are some sample pages from the upcoming Studio Ghibli book, Antes De Mi Vicino Miyazaki. Just like its predecessor, each page features full-color photos and artwork from the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. The layouts and artwork are absolutely superb, and I find myself completely rethinking my own Ghibli Book plans. Just let me get through the next two manuscripts first.

This is going to be a terrific book, a must for all Ghibli Freaks. I can't wait to see the fans go crazy when this is released in May 27. That's only next week!

New Studio Ghibli Book Coming May 27 in Spain

Excellent news, everybody! We have a new Studio Ghibli book coming soon!

Alvaro Lopez Martin and Marta Garcia Villar, the authors of last year's excellent full-color book, Mi Vicino Miyazaki, have returned with their second volume, Antes De Mi Vicino Miyazaki. This book details the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata before the founding of Studio Ghibli. It will be released in hardcover, in Spain, on May 27.

Once again, the authors have kindly asked me to contribute, and I wrote the Preface for the book. It was a joy to work with Alvaro and Marta again, and humbly thank them for their kindness and generosity.

For my English-speaking readers of this site, I should advise you that Antes De Mi Vicino Miyazaki is entirely in Espanol. No English-language translation or US release of either book is currently planned, but Alvaro and Marta both tell me they would love to see that happen.

I am currently working on the manuscripts for my indie publishing company, which will launch this year. Among my book projects will be two volumes about Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki and Takahata, based on the many essays from Ghibli Blog. I am greatly anticipating these volumes, and appreciate the competition from the excellent Mi Vicino Miyazaki series. I will have to work extra hard to ensure that I can keep up.

Also, for the record: Yes, I would be thrilled to secure the US rights to these two books and publish them in English and Spanish. But securing the copyrights for the use of art assets would be a major expense. It might also prove challenging with the second volume, as we would need to contact Toei (Horus), Zuiyo (Heidi, Girl of the Alps), Nippon Animation (Marco, Anne) and TMS (Lupin, Conan, Sherlock) for clearance. You see, Lisa, grownups have this thing called "money."

Alvaro and Marta can be found on the excellent Ghibli fansite Generacion Ghibli. I highly recommend that all fans bookmark and follow the site. If you are interested in these terrific books, visit them and show your support!