Studio Ghibli films are often put into the rather vague category of “Japanese animation”. Many viewers expect the studio’s films to be rooted in the culture and stories of it’s home nation, Japan. This makes its foray into adapting western stories all the more intriguing.
Studio Ghibli has been critically lauded since 1985, with the release of its debut feature Laputa: Castle in the Sky. The studio later gained international reverence following the releases of Princess Mononoke (1997) and, more significantly, Spirited Away (2001), which won the Academy Award for best animated feature.
Both the studio’s founders have long-standing interests in adapting western stories. Hayao Miyazaki was member of the children’s literature club at Gakushūin University, which often discussed English works. And Isao Takahata directed one of the first World Masterpiece Theater series of European-inspired anime TV shows in the 1970s.
