Literature Review: Imagination in Studio Ghibli Films

Ada Albright

Writing 2: Academic Writing

Julie Johnson

February 2, 2021
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In the scholarly conversations that surround film, it's natural to see controversial opinions

and differing stances on the effectiveness of the film in question. It is interesting when not a

single film but an entire collection of films are acclaimed in a similar manner. The films by

Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki are an example of such a feat. While such a homogeneous

conversation–most in the discourse community have shared opinions–may limit dissent by

nature, in the case of Miyazaki’s films, a group consensus allows the conversation to become

focused on the micro-subtleties of the topic at hand. This is not to say that bias does not reduce

credibility. Bias is a common attribute in the following sources and is particularly apparent in the

non-academic ones. There is indeed little debate in the following sources as to whether or not

Miyazaki’s films are imaginative, nuanced masterpieces. Analysis is directed instead into how

Studio Ghibli’s films achieve such creative excellence. In both casual YouTube videos and

scholarly articles alike, a general consensus emerges: Miyazki’s films skillfully illustrate

fantastical worlds through nuanced means, subverting the typical constructs of animated films

for children, creating depth, and submerging the audience in childhood nostalgia.

The Youtube channel Hello Future Me’s video essay “Hard Worldbuilding vs. Soft

Worldbuilding | A Study of ...” investigates what the author refers to as “soft” worldbuilding in

Studio Ghibli films, contrasting it to the more common style of “hard” worldbuilding. The

channel defines “hard” world building as a strategy that immerses the viewer through detailed

and realistic logic, defining every parameter of a fantastical world.1 Conversely, “soft”

worldbuilding immerses the viewer through more flexible rules and incorporation of the

unknown, allowing for imaginative involvement of the viewer. By pointing out that soft

1
Hello Future Me, “Hard Worldbuilding vs. Soft Worldbuilding | A Study of ...” YouTube video, 17:56. June 13,
2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcyrrTud3x4.
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worldbuilding is the less common type, Hello Future Me stresses the unique approach that Studio

Ghibli takes when creating films; an approach that disrupts what is conventional. The video

shows clips of Studio Ghibli films as evidence of soft worldbuilding and cites interviews with

the film’s director Hayao Miyazaki. Analyzing these scenes reveals that soft worldbuilding

allows for more imaginative freedom for both creator and viewer. The video explicitly does not

claim that soft worldbuilding is inherently better than hard, they are both equally immersive in

differing ways. The video instead juxtaposes the two styles, focusing on the strengths of soft

worldbuilding in the context of Miyazaki’s films. To clarify, the YouTube video does not claim

that soft worldbuilding is better. However, the creator does make it clear that the use of soft

worldbuilding lends itself to a whimsical, imaginative atmosphere in film. This argument

substantiates the idea that Miyazaki uses nuanced means (soft worldbuilding) to create

imaginative, nostalgic worlds. For example, the world of Miyazaki’s Ponyo overflows with

witchcraft and unexplained miracles.

The discourse community— a concept defined by linguist John Swales as, “...a group of

people working toward a common goal who share a set of ideas, principles, and rules...”2—for

Miyazaki’s films is not exclusive to casual genres like YouTube. Instead, Ghibli’s scholarly

conversation lives within what Lisa Bickmore describes as an “(eco)system” where, “the genre at

hand might fit into larger genre sets and systems.”3 In Deborah Ross’s peer-reviewed scholarly

article, "Miyazaki's Little Mermaid: A Goldfish Out of Water" she compares both Miyazaki’s

and Disney's “Little Mermaid” retellings to investigate her hypothesis: that the Disney film The

Little Mermaid exhibits “strain” surrounding the imaginative aspect of its fantasy world that may

2
John Swales, “The Concept of a Discourse Community,” Gauchospace.
3
Lisa Bickmore, “Genre in the Wild: Understanding Genre Within Rhetorical (Eco)Systems,” PressBooks (Open
English @ SLCC, August 1, 2016), Gauchospace.
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or--ultimately--may not be found in Miyazaki’s Ponyo.4 This strain arises from an essential

problem in animated films; the film must be structured without taking away from the viewer’s

own imaginative freedom. Ross argues that Miyazaki approaches the problem directly and

competently. On the other hand, Ross implies that Disney seeked to overly control his audience

and effectively “evaded” this problem. Ross’s positive sentiments regarding Miyazaki’s expertise

in portraying imaginative worlds are a common narrative in Studio Ghibli’s scholarly

conversation. While Ross’s essay focuses on one of Miyazaki’s films, exhibiting a narrow scope

of focus, others provide a survey of Miyazaki’s work.

An example of the aforementioned broad scope of focus is in Asher Isbrucker YouTube

video entitled “The Immersive Realism of Studio Ghibli,” in which he analyzes Miyazaki’s films

through the lens of world building.5 Isbrucker talks about the imaginative appeal that Miyazaki’s

films hold, partially credited to their use of immersive realism. While Isbrucker does not bring

Disney films into his analysis as in Ross’s article, he similarly praises Miyazaki’s use of

imagination in his films. He describes Studio Ghibli films as holding “magic,” discussing the

balance between “fantasy” and “reality” that make Ghibli films so tantalizing. The video also

analyzes the animators and their attention to detail, another similarity with Ross’s article. Like in

Hello Future Me’s YouTube video, there is significant bias in Isbrucker’s analysis. The intended

audience of his video (along with Isbrucker himself) are fans of Studio Ghibli. While Isbrucker is

well-researched and meticulous, his video (like the previous source) is not peer-reviewed. It

becomes apparent, due to emerging consensus that Ghibli films are near perfect, that the

4
Deborah Ross, "Miyazaki's Little Mermaid: A Goldfish Out of Water," Journal of Film and Video 66, no. 3 (2014):
18-30, Accessed February 17, 2021, doi:10.5406/jfilmvideo.66.3.0018.
5
Asher Isbrucker,“The Immersive Realism of Studio Ghibli - YouTube,” YouTube video, 10:00. November 23,
2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Q6y4-qKac.
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scholarly conversation surrounding imagination does not pertain to debate but rather finding new

ways to appreciate and analyze Ghibli’s beloved films.

Insider’s YouTube video entitled, “The Best Moment In 'Spirited Away' Is A Scene

Where Nothing Happens…” breaks down a particular six minute liminal scene in Hayao

Miyazaki’s Spirited Away by analyzing the purpose and emotional value of the scene.6 The video

shows clips from the film and pinpoints the exact moment it diverges from the typical fast paced

action of the average film. Insider argues that it is these liminal moments in the film that create a

sense of realism by grounding the viewer temporally and spatially. The video defines this six

minute sequence as a “pinch.” Not only is this pinch a beautiful, contemplative way to ground

the viewer, but it is also a technique used to remind the viewer of what is “at stake” through

subtle reminders. The video quotes Miyazaki, describing the pinch with the Japanese word “ma”

or emptiness (the “time between a clap”). The purpose of the video is to express appreciation for

the skillful sentimentality of Ghibli films through analysis. The video argues that Miyazaki’s use

of “ma” is a significant contributor to what makes his films so magical. This analysis takes a

more technical approach to identifying what makes Ghibli films so captivating, while still

underlining the nostalgic moments “ma” creates in film.

English studies PhD candidate Weeraya Donsomsakulkij discusses Studio Ghibli,

specifically Spirited Away, in her peer-reviewed article "Spirited Away: Negotiation between

Capitalism and Reminiscent Environmental Ethics.”7 Donsomsakulkij analyzes Miyazaki’s film

in the scope of its message regarding the balance between capitalism and the health of the

environment in the Anthropocene. While this peer-reviewed academic article differs from other

6
Insider, “The Best Moment In 'Spirited Away' Is A Scene Where ...” YouTube video, 4:44. April 19, 2020,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YWxUTvaJ0E.
7
Weeraya Donsomsakulkij, "Spirited Away: Negotiation between Capitalism and Reminiscent Environmental
Ethics," Resilience: A Journal of the Environmental Humanities 2, no. 3 (2015): 147-51, Accessed February 16,
2021, doi:10.5250/resilience.2.3.0147.
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sources by following an environmental humanities disciplinary approach, it still reaffirms the

general consensus. Donsomsakulkij asserts that, “Spirited Away is also an environment-oriented

film that applies the magical features of fantasy in order to highlight the negotiation of relations

that should be maintained between the growth of capitalism and the environment.” Similarly to

Insider’s video, Donsomsakulkij focuses on the film Spirited Away and comments on the

“magical” aspects of Ghibli. She describes the magic of Spirited Away as “charming” yet also as

a tool for conveying the importance of a balanced relationship between capitalism and the natural

world. However, instead of going into depth about how Miyazaki’s film creates magic, the article

analyzes how this imaginative world creates depth through eco-conscious ethical symbolism.

Previous sources allude to the depth of Ghibli films but do not focus on said depth’s details or

implications. This article is an example of how a shared agreement in a discourse community can

allow the scholarly conversation to transcend discipline, delving into high concept topics.

While the sources discussed in this literature review are united in their intended

audiences and general appreciation of Miyazaki’s work, they differ in what facet of his films they

focus on, yet all touch on the imaginative elements of Studio Ghibli. Bringing these various

sources together and comparing their ideas is the very act that connects them as a discourse

community. As Swales states, “...to constitute a discourse community, members must

communicate amongst themselves…”8 Their aim, as a collective, is to offer a greater

appreciation of Studio Ghibli films. In this sense, the conversation is limited; there is little

opportunity for criticism in a vacuum of adoration. However, this positive consensus allows for a

constructive scholarly conversation that builds on itself in a patter of excited voices. While it is

difficult to fathom—my own bias is also relentlessly in favor of Studio Ghibli’s works—it is

possible that the scholarly conversation will drift to a more critical consensus in the future.
8
John Swales, “The Concept of a Discourse Community,” Gauchospace.
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Bibliography

Bickmore, Lisa. “Genre in the Wild: Understanding Genre Within Rhetorical

(Eco)Systems.”PressBooks. Open English @ SLCC, August 1, 2016. Gauchospace.

Hello Future Me. “Hard Worldbuilding vs. Soft Worldbuilding | A Study of ...” YouTube video,

17:56. June 13, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcyrrTud3x4.

Isbrucker, Asher. “The Immersive Realism of Studio Ghibli - YouTube.” YouTube video, 10:00.

November 23, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Q6y4-qKac.

Insider. “The Best Moment In 'Spirited Away' Is A Scene Where ...”YouTube video, 4:44. April

19, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YWxUTvaJ0E.

Ross, Deborah. "Miyazaki's Little Mermaid: A Goldfish Out of Water." Journal of Film and

Video 66, no. 3 (2014): 18-30. Accessed February 17, 2021.

doi:10.5406/jfilmvideo.66.3.0018.

Swales, John. “The Concept of a Discourse Community.” Gauchospace.

Donsomsakulkij, Weeraya. "Spirited Away: Negotiation between Capitalism and Reminiscent

Environmental Ethics." Resilience: A Journal of the Environmental Humanities 2, no. 3

(2015): 147-51. Accessed February 16, 2021. doi:10.5250/resilience.2.3.0147.