Studio Ghibli has produced many animated features that are praised for their imaginative storytelling and characters, though all of the films tend to take inspiration from other media sources. Based in Tokyo, Japan, the animation studio was founded in 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata along with producer Toshio Suzuki. Studio Ghibli was founded after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Miyazaki's 1984 post-apocalyptic animated feature based on his manga series of the same name.
Though Miyazaki and Takahata had some previous acclaim in the Japanese film and TV industry, they truly enjoyed critical and commercial success with their The Wind Rises – are among Japan's highest-grossing films at home and worldwide. Many Studio Ghibli releases have been highly acclaimed, with a few of them garnering Oscar nominations. Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003, becoming the first and so far only hand-drawn and non-English film to receive the honor.
Studio Ghibli films take their inspiration from a variety of different sources. A few of their titles have been adapted from Miyazaki's manga works, but many are based on manga series or books from other authors. Though these films are based on existing media, the classic Studio Ghibli style still shines through. Here's every Studio Ghibli movie and what they were based on or inspired by.
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky was the first animated feature produced for Studio Ghibli. Set in the late 19th century, the movie focuses on a boy and girl who are trying to protect Sheeta's crystal pendant from being stolen while also looking for the titular floating castle in the city of Laputa. Castle in the Sky was partially inspired by Jonathan Swift's satirical fantasy novel Gulliver's Travels, in which Laputa is a floating island propelled by a giant crystal and controlled by the island's citizens. However, Castle in the Sky also makes references to the Hindu epic Ramayana, as Colonel Muska says that Laputa's fire is "Indra's arrow in Ramayana," and Sheeta's name sounds similar to Sita, the female protagonist of that story.
Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)
Isao Takahata's atomic bombing of Hiroshima). The devastating Studio Ghibli film focuses on two siblings, the teen Seita and his younger sister, Setsuko, who are fighting to survive after the death of their mother. Grave of the Fireflies is based on a 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. The author revealed in a 1994 interview with Animerica magazine (via Ghibli Blog) that he'd received many offers to adapt his story into a live-action film, but after seeing the storyboards for Takahata's anime adaptation, he concluded that animation was the best method with which to tell the tragic tale.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Hayao Miyazaki's Disney's English-language version of My Neighbor Totoro) who begin to interact with friendly woodland spirits near their new rural home in 1950s Japan. In an interview in the book The Place Where Totoro Was Born (via Anime News Network), Miyazaki says he was first inspired to create a film with a rural Japanese setting while he was working on the 1974 anime series Heidi, Girl of the Alps. He went to Switzerland to learn how to draw its plants and wildlife and decided that he preferred the greenery of Japan. He then decided he wanted to make a film that would showcase how spectacular Japan's nature is. Miyazaki achieved that with My Neighbor Totoro, a movie that's a love letter to the environment.
Another possible influence on the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro is the Norwegian fairy tale "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." The fluffy gray forest guardian Totoro gets his name from four-year-old Mei mispronouncing the Japanese word for "troll," and Satsuki thinks her little sister is referring to a character in one of their books. Later, at the end of the film, Mei and Satsuki's mom is seen reading "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" to her daughters. Even if it's not a direct influence, it is fun to see the classic fairy tale referenced in Miyazaki's film.
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Kiki's Delivery Service, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is a fantasy and coming-of-age story that focuses on Kiki, a teenage witch who moves to the city of Koriko. She makes a living delivering baked goods by broomstick in exchange for lodging from Osono, a kind bakery owner. The Studio Ghibli film was adapted from the 1985 children's fantasy novel of the same name by Eiko Kadono. While the book tells more of an episodic story, Miyazaki decided to add more setbacks and feelings of loneliness to the movie's script in order to better illustrate the themes of growing up and being independent.
Only Yesterday (1991)
Isao Takahata's Only Yesterday is a drama about Taeko Okajima, a 27-year-old unmarried woman who decides to take a trip to visit her older sister's in-laws in the countryside. During the trip, she becomes nostalgic for her younger self and looks back on old memories, both good and bad. The Studio Ghibli film is based on the 1982 manga of the same name by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone.
Porco Rosso (1992)
Porco Rosso, which is still due a sequel, is an adventure-fantasy film set in 1929. The Hayao Mizaki-helmed Studio Ghibli film focuses on Porco Rosso, a former World War I fighter pilot who now works as a freelance bounty hunter tracking down air pirates. He has also been cursed to have a pig's head. Porco Rosso was based on Miyazaki's three-part 1989 manga Hikōtei Jidai, also known as The Age of the Flying Boat.
Ocean Waves (1993)
Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, Ocean Waves is a TV film from Studio Ghibli that centers on a love triangle that develops when high schoolers Taku and Yutaka both fall for Rikako, the new girl in town. The animated feature is based on the 1990-1992 serial novel of the same name, which was written by Saeko Himuro.
Pom Poko (1994)
Hayao Miyazaki's Pom Poko focuses on a group of tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dogs, who band together to save their home from being destroyed by land developers. The title of the Studio Ghibli film, whichg refers to the sound of tanuki drumming their bellies, is from a 1919 poem by Ujō Noguchi that also became a popular children's song in Japan.
Whisper Of The Heart (1995)
Whisper of the Heart is a musical coming-of-age romantic drama centered on Shizuku Tsukishima, a 14-year-old aspiring writer who aims to find the mysterious boy who previously checked out her library books. The Studio Ghibli film, which is scripted by Miyazaki and directed by Yoshifumi Kondō, is based on the 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Princess Mononoke is an epic historical fantasy set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (around 1336 to 1573). The Studio Ghibli film focuses on a prince named Ashitaka who becomes involved in the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans consuming its resources. Writer-director Hayao Miyazaki based the setting of Iron Town on director John Ford's Western movies, imagining it as a "tight-knit frontier town."
However, Miyazaki also drew inspiration from Mudmen, a manga series written and illustrated by Daijiro Morohoshi. Set in Papua New Guinea, the manga focuses on fictional of the real-life Asaro Mudmen tribe, known for their body paint and masks. Miyazaki revealed in an interview (via Sora News 24) with manga artist and writer Kentaro Takekuma that Mudmen had a big effect on him and influenced his films.
