The first English language book about Studio Ghibli, now updated to include The Wind RisesThe animations of Japan’s Studio Ghibli are among the highest regarded in the movie industry. Their delightful films rank alongside the most popular non-English language films ever made, with each new eagerly-anticipated release a guaranteed box-office smash. Yet this highly profitable studio has remained fiercely independent, producing a stream of imaginative and individual animations. The studio’s founders, long-time animators Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, have created timeless masterpieces. Although their films are distinctly Japanese their themes are universal: humanity, community, and a love for the environment. No other film studio, animation or otherwise, comes close to matching Ghibli for pure cinematic experience. All their major works are examined here, as well the early output of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, exploring the cultural and thematic threads that bind these films together

Michelle Le Blanc is a freelance author and film critic. She has co-authored books with Colin Odell about John Carpenter, Tim Burton, Horror Films, Jackie Chan and Vampire Films. Colin Odell is a freelance author and film critic. He has co-authored books with Michelle Le Blanc about John Carpenter, Tim Burton, Horror Films, Jackie Chan and Vampire Films and contributed to Wallflower Press’s Alter Image and The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. He is an editor and contributor to the online film review salon Kamera.co.uk and Vector magazine.