Beware Studio Ghibli Pirate Bootlegs

One of the biggest issues surrounding Studio Ghibli fandom in recent years is the explosion of pirate bootleg DVDs. Many online retailers are stocking DVD box sets that are, in fact, illegitimate and entirely unauthorized, and of questionable quality. If you see any of the packages shown above, avoid at all costs.

In the United States, Ghibli movies on DVD and Blu-Ray come from only two official sources: Disney and GKIDS. The Disney titles are well known and have been available on a number of home video formats for nearly two decades. GKIDS is a newer partner and are now in the process of releasing Ghibli features under their banner. Both brands are easily recognized and well known. They can be trusted.

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki is the only officially-sanctioned Studio Ghibli box set available in the US. This Blu-Ray package includes all of the director's feature films, from Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro to The Wind Rises. This deluxe set was released in 2015 and is available exclusively at Amazon. This is the same package as the one that was released in Japan, and exported to all major global markets.

All other "Studio Ghibli" box sets available online are bootlegs. All of them. Don't be fooled into thinking that you've found a bargain or a rare gem. The audio/visual quality on these pirated discs are sub-par at best, and often merely ripped from the ancient (and sub-standard) Video CD format, and nearly always come from China.

As always, caveat emptor. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don't be taken in by pirate scams. And do not buy from online retailers who are selling you this junk. They're ripping you off. The official releases are widely available and easily affordable. Support those who are working hard to provide you with these great movies. Don't support the Chinese mafia, kids.