Ghibliotheque – A Podcast About Animation and Studio Ghibli

This week, Michael speaks with director Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) about his new film, The Wild Robot, as well as the films that inspired him to get into animation, his formative years at CalArts, and how he was 'tricked' into being a storyboard artist.

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It's the big one! After several films as a rising star, Makoto Shinkai finally takes up the mantle of 'the Next Miyazaki' (at the box office at least) with the blockbuster body-swap drama, YOUR NAME.

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The Shinkai-deology continues with Makoto Shinkai returning to shortform storytelling with the gorgeously-photographed, Tokyo-set drama, The Garden of Words. Michael and Jake also touch on Shinkai's commercial work, including the futuristic family sketch, Someone's Gaze, which was initially commissioned by the Nomura Real Estate Group, before premiering alongside The Garden of Words in Japanese cinemas in 2013.

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Our miniseries on the work of Makoto Shinkai takes an unexpected turn this week, as the director dives head-first into Miyazaki-influenced fantasy-adventure territory with 2011's Children Who Chase Lost Voices.

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This week, our journey through the career of Makoto Shinkai comes to 5 Centimeters Per Second. Now a firm fan-favourite, this 60-odd minute anthology of three interconnected coming-of-age shorts was, for many, their first introduction to Shinkai's work, and it represents an important step in the director's growth as a filmmaker and storyteller.

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This week, our journey through the films of Makoto Shinkai reaches his first feature-length film, and his first full-scale production, 2004's alt-history sci-fi drama The Place Promised in Our Early Days.

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It's the start of a new miniseries! Michael and Jake are back to chart the rise of one of Japanese animation's blockbuster filmmakers, Makoto Shinkai, from his homemade beginnings with his very early works, She and Her Cat and Voices of a Distant Star.

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Comic book artist, animator and film director Dash Shaw joins Michael to speak about his new graphic novel, Blurry, and his two animated features, My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea (2016) and Cryptozoo (2021), as well as his salad days as a young anime fan, his love of independent and European animation, and looking to Miyazaki as an 'old man' mentor.

Blurry is available now from the very best book and comics shops as is Cosplayers; Cryptozoo is streaming on Mubi and My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

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Screenwriter, author and Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce joins Michael to speak about adapting Michael Morpurgo's novel Kensuke's Kingdom, as well as the art of adaptation, when adaptations go wrong, and his career as a writer of books for children.

Kensuke's Kingdom is in UK cinemas now. Find a screening near you: https://www.kensukeskingdom.com/.

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With Coraline celebrating its 15th anniversary and returning to cinemas, Henry Selick joins us to talk about his life and career, from his days at Cal Arts to his work at the forefront of stop-motion feature animation. He talks about the process of developing Coraline, those early days during the formation of Laika Studios, and how technology has changed since his debut feature, The Nightmare Before Christmas. He also tells us about his formative influences and favourite filmmakers within the world of animation.

Scroll back through our archive for our in-depth miniseries all about the films of Henry Selick and Laika, the Selick-tionary and the Laika-nography.

Coraline returns to cinemas from 15th August, and the BFI's Stop Motion season runs through August and into September. For more information about the BFI's Stop Motion season, click here.

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Author and poet A.F. Harrold joins Michael to speak about the experience of having his novel, The Imaginary, adapted into a feature film by Studio Ponoc, as well as his memories of writing the book, his love of libraries, and his approach to writing stories for children.

You can find out more about A.F. and his work at his website, http://www.afharroldkids.com/

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Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura (Mary and the Witch's Flower, Modest Heroes) speaks with Michael about Ponoc's new film, The Imaginary, as well as his love of children's fiction and live-action cinema, and his time at Studio Ghibli producing The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.

Thank you to Eyre Kurasawa for translating our conversation. If you want to hear the full conversation with all of Mr Nishimura's Japanese responses intact, skip to around 31 minutes.

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This special episode of the podcast dives into the stage adaptation of Spirited Away, which is currently running at the Coliseum theatre in London's West End. With Jake on parental leave, Michael enlists the help of co-host Steph Watts and friends of the show Adam Woodward (Little White Lies, TCOLondon) and Sam Clements (90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest) to tackle this epic production that brings Hayao Miyazaki's magical masterpiece to the stage.

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Michael is joined this week by Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima to talk about their new film, Ultraman Rising, as well as their approach to animation, running a smooth ship through production, their experiences studying at The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and their first exposures to the world of Studio Ghibli.

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This week, our Richard Linklectures miniseries comes to an end with a trip to the 1960s for Linklater's rich, textured, gorgeously animated portrait of an era, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood.

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This week, Michael and Jake take a trip into the mind of Philip K Dick with Richard Linklater's second animated film in the rotoscoped style, the psychedelic, sci-fi-tinged thriller, A Scanner Darkly.

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Michael and Jake return with a new miniseries diving into three animated films from independent cinema icon Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Dazed and Confused), starting with his 2001 rotoscoped feature Waking Life: a heady exploration of dreaming, philosophy, existentialism, the frontiers of theoretical science and everything in between.

Watch Richard Linklater talk Waking Life on Tech TV circa 2001 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHNjigGtUZI

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Michael speaks with Spanish director Pablo Berger about his critically-acclaimed and award-winning feature animation Robot Dreams, which is in UK cinemas from 22nd March.

Read Michael's review of the film here, and his feature on the animation process behind the film here.

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Directors Chiara Malta and Sebastien Laudenbach speak with Michael about their astounding new film, Chicken for Linda, which was a hit on the festival and awards circuit in 2023, and is screening around the UK in March, April and May.

Watch a trailer for Chicken for Linda here.

Chicken for Linda screens as part of the Made in Italy Festival at the Ciné Lumière on 23rd March. Tickets are available here.

You can also catch the film at the Cardiff Animation Festival, the Barbican Centre Family Film Club and Flatpack Film Festival.

Thanks to Matt Dinsdale for coordinating this interview, and to Stefania Bochicchio for translating the conversation.

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Michael speaks with director Jim Capobianco about his new film, The Inventor, and working in stop-motion for the first time after years working in hand-drawn and CG animation. They also speak about the film's themes of patronage, inspiration and creativity, as well as Jim's amazing work at Disney and Pixar (including his Oscar-nominated work on Ratatouille), and his longstanding relationship with Cartoon Saloon.

The Inventor is in UK cinemas now, screening exclusively at Vue Cinemas: https://www.theinventorfilm.com/

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Michael speaks with director Yuzuru Tachikawa about his new film, the coming-of-age jazz anime Blue Giant, which has just been released in the UK.

To hear the full interview with all the Japanese exchanges intact, fast forward to around the 30min mark,

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Recorded at the British Film Institute, as part of the London Short Film Festival and the BFI's 'Cartoon Saloon at 25' season, studio founders Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore and Paul Young reflect on the history of the studio after watching 20+ years of Cartoon Saloon's short film work.

This event was curated and hosted by our own Michael Leader. Find out more about the London Short Film Festival here and about the BFI's Cartoon Saloon season here.

For their help with this event, thank you to Charlotte Ashcroft at the LSFF, Susan Brophy and the team at Cartoon Saloon, and Justin Johnson, Kimberly Sheehan, Josh Glenn and Richard Pickard at the BFI.

Scroll back through our archive for a whole miniseries on the work of Cartoon Saloon - the Cartoon Salooniverse! As well as extra interviews with Tomm Moore & Ross Stewart, Nora Twomey, Paul Young and Will Collins.

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It's the end of the year and you know what that means: Lists! We're rounding up our favourite things of 2023. In this first part of a two-part Listmas special, it's a countdown of all the things specifically Japan that didn't get covered in the previous Japan episodes - think bars, food, and any other experiences, Ghibli-related or otherwise.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

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Spoiler warning!

After our spoiler-light episode on The Boy and the Heron last week, we just had to go deeper. So Michael, Jake and Steph reconvened for more of a play-by-play run-through of Hayao Miyazaki's highly anticipated, dense, complicated, wonderful new film.

We'd love to hear what you make of the Boy and the Heron for an upcoming 'mailbag' special! Send us your thoughts and theories at [email protected].

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

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Miyazaki is back! Michael, Jake and Steph return to the Ghibliotheque to discuss Hayao Miyazaki's first film in a decade, The Boy and the Heron - a beguiling and captivating film that has been described as a "semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship".

This is a dense film, so we're doing things a little differently here. This episode is in our standard Ghibliotheque format - context, followed by review. It's also standard length, and offers a 'spoiler light' commentary that doesn't delve too deep into its many surprises and stylistic left-turns. Tune into our next episode for a longer-form deep-dive into the film and its many layers and potential meanings.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

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In this episode of our Japan 2023 miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph open their shopping bags and chat all things merch, from the Ghibli Grand Warehouse shop to notebooks, records and Gacha machines.

Thank you to the Japan National Tourism Organization for their support in planning our research trip to Japan: https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/

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In this episode of our Japan 2023 miniseries, it's the big one. The reason we travelled close to 6000 miles across the globe, from London to Japan: Ghibli Park. Tune in to hear what Michael, Jake and Steph thought about this shrine to all things Ghibli, situated right in the middle of the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, just outside of Nagoya.

https://ghibli-park.jp/en/

Thanks to the Japan National Tourism Organization for their support in planning our research trip to Japan, and to the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, where we stayed before visiting the park, and to the Shiba Park Hotel in Tokyo, where this episode was recorded.

https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/

https://www.associa.com/nma/multi-lingual/?wovn=en

https://www.shibaparkhotel.com/en/

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We made it back to Japan! In this first episode of the Ghibliotheque in Japan 2023 miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph talk through their jam-packed day at Universal Studios Japan, focusing on their top 10 rides including Super Nintendo World, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and all the spooky delights of Universal Horror Nights. We also hear from friends of the show, Ossian and Finnian Collin, who send in their own top 10 USJ rides.

Thanks to the Japan National Tourism Organization for their support in planning our research trip to Japan, and to the Hotel Higashiyama in Kyoto, where this episode was recorded.

https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/

https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/higashiyama-h/room/index.html

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After years of delays, Joe Hisaishi finally made it to Wembley Arena to conduct his music from Hayao Miyazaki's films with the help of the BBC Concert Orchestra and Crouch End Festival Chorus. And the Ghibliotheque gang were there to experience the magic! Here, Michael, Jake and Steph reunite to talk through one spellbinding night.

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This week, Michael and Jake return to the Cartoon Salooniverse to interview producer and studio co-founder Paul Young about the company's history to date, as well as his directorial debut, Screecher's Reach - a distinctively Cartoon Saloon-style entry in the Disney+ series Star Wars Visions.

If you missed it at the time, head back through our archives for the full Cartoon Salooniverse miniseries, in which we followed the studio through their feature films from The Secret of Kells to Wolfwalkers. We have also over the years spoken with key players at Cartoon Saloon including directors Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and Ross Stewart, and writer Will Collins.

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The magical, award-winning Royal Shakespeare Company production of My Neighbour Totoro is returning to the Barbican Centre from November! To mark the occasion, Michael speaks with Tom Morton-Smith, the writer tasked with adapting Hayao Miyazaki's beloved film for the stage.

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As his new blockbuster anime Suzume is released in UK cinemas, director Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You) speaks with Michael and Jake about turning a romantic lead into a three-legged chair, falling in love with Whisper of the Heart, being touted as 'the next Miyazaki', and his filmmaking career to date.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

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As another year of Ghibliotheque draws to a close, it's time for our yearly Christmas special. This time, as well as looking back at the last 12 months of podcasting, and getting excited about what 2023 might bring, we offer up our retelling of some classic festive tales, all with their own Ghibli twist - and of course, producer Harold returns with his yearly dose of charoling, and this year's collection of songs is especially fab!

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

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Recorded live at the Manchester Animation Festival. Following the UK premiere of the documentary Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist, Michael and Jake discuss the film, as well as Satoshi Kon's life and work, with contributions and questions from the audience.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

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Michael Leader sits down with director Naoko Yamada to talk about her new short film Garden of Remembrance, what influences her wider work, and some surprising live-action obsessions.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

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This week, Cartoon Saloon's Nora Twomey joins us to talk about her new film, My Father's Dragon, available to watch on Netflix from today.

Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and show footnotes and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

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This week, friend of the show Alex Dudok de Wit joins Michael and Jake to talk about his new translation of Hayao Miyazaki's graphic novel, Shuna's Journey. Originally released in Japan in 1983, Shuna's Journey has never been translated into English, and so provides a new perspective on Miyazaki's work and worldview in the years before the success of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and the subsequent founding of Studio Ghibli.

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Michael and Jake talk with Basil Twist, the puppetry designer for the stage production of My Neighbour Totoro, which recently premiered at the Barbican Centre in London.

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With Masaaki Yuasa's musical odyssey Inu-Oh being released in UK cinemas this week, Michael talks to the prolific director about his work, influences, and recommendations on anime we should dive into next...

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Michael, Jake and Steph round off the miniseries with a special episode looking back at Henry Selick's short films Moon Girl, Slow Bob in the Lower Dimensions and Seepage, looking ahead to the films made (and not made!) by Henry Selick and Laika since we last heard from them, and looking inside the mailbag at some listener correspondence.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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From the archive, here is Michael talking with Missing Link director and Laika veteran Chris Butler, originally recorded for Truth & Movies, a Little White Lies podcast, back in March 2019.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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We're off on an adventure this week for the final Laika film in our mini-series: Chris Butler's Missing Link.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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If you must blink... Do it now! This week, Michael, Jake and Steph clash swords with Travis Knight's directorial debut, the stop-motion samurai epic Kubo and the Two Strings.

Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and show footnotes and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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Michael, Jake and Steph head into the depths of Cheesebridge for The Boxtrolls, Laika's very loose adaptation of Alan Snow's children's novel, Here Be Monsters.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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We've officially left the Selick-tionary behind and are delving into Laika's independent forays into stop motion in the second half of our series, The Laika-nography. This week, Chris Butler and Sam Fell's creepy delight, Paranorman.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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This week, our miniseries collide with this crossover between the Selick-tionary and the Laika-nography, as Henry Selick teams up with the fledgling studio to create the stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman's creepy kids' novella, Coraline.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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A nightmare world. An incredibly rude cartoon monkey. Brendan Fraser in leather trousers singing Brick House. That's right, in this episode of our Selick-tionary mini series, we're talking about Henry Selick's foray into live action, Monkeybone!

Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and show footnotes and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @ghibliotheque and Instagram @ghibliotheque.pod.

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

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For the second episode of our Selick-tionary miniseries, we dive into the world of Roald Dahl for Henry Selick's stop-motion adaptation of a children's classic, James and the Giant Peach.

Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and show footnotes and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @ghibliotheque and Instagram @ghibliotheque.pod.

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a new Ghibliotheque miniseries! And this one's a two-parter; first up, we're entering the nightmare worlds of stop-motion animator Henry Selick in the Selick-tionary up to his time at Laika Studios. Then we're continuing on to follow Laika's advancement in stop-motion features in the Laika-nography. As always, expect historical context, reviews and film rankings, plus some extra discussions of other films of note over on our Patreon.

For the first episode of our Selick-tionary miniseries, we're heading to Halloweentown for the Selick, Burton and Elfman collaboration that defined a generation of emo teenagers, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and show footnotes and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @ghibliotheque and Instagram @ghibliotheque.pod.

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All aboard the Chatbus for the final stop on our route - to comedian, presenter and writer Bec Hill for tales of her first Ghibli watches, going to Tokyo alone on an unplanned trip, and why Totoro reminds her of a kiwifruit.

More information on Bec's book, Horror Heights: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/bec-hill-2/horror-heights-now-livescreaming/9781444962345/

Join us on Patreon for ad-free and bonus episodes, Discord access and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All aboard the Chatbus once more! Maisie Williams of Game of Thrones, The New Mutants, and host of the Frank Film Club podcast, talks about seeing Ponyo for the first time, her journey through the Ghibli catalogue, and her experiences of voice acting for animation.

Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, Discord access and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on our Chatbus miniseries, playwright and screenwriter Julia Cho joins us to talk about writing Turning Red with director (and former Ghibliotheque guest!) Domee Shi, plus how she got into Studio Ghibli movies, and visiting the Ghibli Museum.

Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, Discord access and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on our Chatbus interview miniseries, we talk to two people who worked on the Oscar nominated documentary, Flee: Background artist Jess Nicholls and Animation Director Kenneth Ladekjær.

Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, Discord access and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All aboard the Chatbus! For the first episode of our new interview miniseries, we talk to the designer of the incredible open world game Sable, Gregorious Kythreotis, and musician Michelle Zauner, aka Japanese Breakfast, who composed the score, about their favourite Ghibli films and their influences on the game.

Sable is nominated for Best British Game at this year's BAFTA Game Awards. Japanese Breakfast's latest album, Jubilee, is nominated for Best Alternative Album at this year's Grammy Awards.

Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, Discord access and more: Patreon.com/ghibliotheque

Email us: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final episode in our Hosodathon mini series is a bumper special, as Michael, Jake and Steph explore Mamoru Hosoda's early works, and read letters from listeners on their thoughts on Hosoda's films.

Check out Hosoda's early works:

Digimon: Our War Game

One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island

Ojamajo Doremi - Doremi and the Witch That Stopped Being a Witch

Superflat Monogram

Samurai Champloo - opening credits sequence

Thank you for listening along to the Hosodathon with us! Email us with suggestions of what to cover next - [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of our Hosodathon mini series, Michael and Jake talk to the director himself, Mamoru Hosoda, all about the making of Belle.

The interview has been edited in a style that lets you hear only the English translation, but if you want to hear the full conversation with Mamoru Hosoda's answers in Japanese, skip forward 25 minutes.

Let us know what you think of Hosoda's works via email: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on our Hosodathon miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph put on their headsets and dive into the magical world of U to discuss Mamoru Hosoda's latest film, Belle, a modern reworking of Disney's Beauty and the Beast told via the director's unique point of view and storytelling methods.

Belle is out now in UK cinemas. Let us know what you thought of the film, or any of Hosoda's works, via email: [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Hosodathon miniseries continues this week with a time-bending tale of a boy whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of a newborn sister. Mirai found director Mamoru Hosoda once again drawing inspiration from his family life, and remains a landmark entry in his filmography for, among other things, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival and becoming the first Japanese animation not made by Studio Ghibli to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in our Hosodathon miniseries, Mamoru Hosoda's biggest hit to date: The Boy and the Beast. Inspired by Hosoda becoming a dad, this is an ambitious story of a boy estranged from his family in real-life Tokyo, who finds an unlikely father-figure in the fantasy world filled with beasts and gods.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter: @ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this third episode of our Hosodathon miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children, the first feature produced by his independent production company Studio Chizu.

Once again mixing personal themes and high-concept storytelling, Hosoda turns his awestruck feelings upon seeing his friends become parents into a sweeping fable about a single mother tasked with bringing up a pair of half-human, half-wolf kids.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second episode of our Hosodathon miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph team up to tackle Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars, an epic tale of an everyday, dysfunctional family banding together to face a world-threatening threat in a virtual world - bringing together two of the director's recurring themes: family dynamics and the impact that the internet has on our lives.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael, Jake and Steph return with an all-new Ghibliotheque spin-off miniseries, leaping into the filmography of one of today's leading anime filmmakers, Mamoru Hosoda, whose latest film Belle is a hotly anticipated new release in early 2022.

We start our Hosodathon journey with 2006's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, the fan-favourite anime gem that first introduced many viewers to Hosoda and his work. Coming off the back of years working on long-running anime series at Toei Animation, including Digimon and One Piece, as well as an ill-fated stint at Studio Ghibli as the initial director of Howl's Moving Castle (before Hayao Miyazaki came back out of retirement and took the reins), Mamoru Hosoda sets in motion much of his unique style and many of his recurring themes in this collision of slice-of-life high school comedy and high-concept sci-fi storytelling.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected]or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the annual Ghibliotheque Christmas episode! At the virtual Christmas party, Michael, Jake, Steph and Harold look back at 2021, declare their favourite books, films, games and music of the year, read out some superb casting choices for a Ghibli Nativity play, and of course it wouldn't be a Ghibliotheque Christmas episode without Harold singing some Ghibli remixes of some festive favourites.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since we're now on hiatus we thought we'd give a nod to a new podcast from some friends and colleagues of the pod, that also digs into the wonderful world of Anime! Anime To Z features comedian Bec Hill and rapper Che Lingo digging through the intricate worlds of some massive anime franchises, starting with the Evangelion rebuild film series.

Have a listen, and if you like it, please subscribe over here - https://podfollow.com/anime-to-z.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter at @ghibliotheque or Instagram at ghibliotheque.pod.

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Ghibliotheque book is now available in shops and from online retailers in the UK, Michael and Jake have a short chat to mark the occasion. Listeners - thank you for all your support of the podcast to date, and if you do pick up the book, we hope you enjoy it!

If you haven't picked up a copy yet, you can do so from your local bookshop in the UK, or you can order online from various online stores, such as Amazon or Bookshop.org.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter at @ghibliotheque or Instagram at ghibliotheque.pod.

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode of The Chat Returns, we're very excited to welcome Siobhan Reddy into the walls of the Ghibliotheque, to talk about how the works of Ghibli have inspired and crossed over with her hugely successful, ambitious and creative works. Studio Director at Media Molecule, the video game developers behind LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway and last year's acclaimed Dreams, we spoke to Siobhan about the nature of storytelling in her works, her approach to a creative a workplace and a lot more.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are very excited to welcome comic artist and big Ghibli fan Erica Henderson into the Ghibliotheque for this episode. Erica's stunning work can be found in the revolutionary Marvel comic Squirrel Girl, the Archie comics standout Jughead and much more, she joins us for a conversation about the Cantonese language Ghibli films that got her into the studio, the Chinatown basement that housed some huge anime discoveries and the mouth-watering food moments in Ghibli's work. 

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode of The Chat Returns, we're joined by the incredible, BRIT award winning, artist Arlo Parks. Whilst recording her acclaimed debut album 'Collapsed in Sunbeams', Arlo and her producer would watch a different Ghibli film each day, so we get into how much Ghibli crossed over into the record, the first time she discovered Ghibli and her fairly controversial choice for a Ghibli hidden gem... 

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we get an early glimpse of an event that Ghibli fans the world over will be clamouring to see, the Hayao Miyazaki exhibition at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. Sadly we can't visit the museum and the exhibition, which opens on 30 September, so for this episode we spoke to Jessica Niebel and J. Raul Guzman, the curating team behind it. Featuring more than 300 objects, including original imageboards, character designs, storyboards, layouts, backgrounds, posters, and cels from Studio Ghibli’s archives - including pieces on public view outside of Japan for the first time - Jessica and Raul give us an audio tour through an incredible exhibition. 

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're so excited to welcome Emily VanDerWerff, one of the finest film and TV critics working today, on to the podcast, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Spirited Away, her favourite film of all time. Together we explore the deep depths of Miyazaki's Oscar winner, Emily's thoughts on the wider Ghibli catalogue and how Hayao Miyazaki's work compares to David Lynch's. 

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ghibliotheque dysfunctional family welcomes Mike Rianda - director of 'The Mitchells vs The Machines, one of our favourite films of the year - on to the podcast to talk about his love of Ghibli, the lessons in animation he took from watching documentaries about the studio, and how he wanted to create a unique art style for 'The Mitchells vs The Machines'

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're very proud to welcome Peter Lord, one of the co-founders of legendary animation studio Aardman, on to the podcast this week to talk about Aardman's relationship to Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki's influence on an Aardman exhibition at the Ghibli Museum and a lot more.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chat Returns, or should we say 🇮🇹 Torna la Chat 🇮🇹 this week with Luca director Enrico Casarosa, on his love of early Miyazaki and how the Studio Ghibli philosophy informed his style of storytelling. From watching Future Boy Conan on TV as a kid in Italy, to screening his Pixar short La Luna at Studio Ghibli, it turns out that Enrico's connection to Miyazaki and the Studio runs deep.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in our Chat Returns miniseries, friend of the show Alex Dudok de Wit returns to tell us all about his new book on Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies - which is available now from all good booksellers.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in our Chat Returns miniseries, we are joined by Elizabeth Ito, creator of the delightful Netflix animated series City of Ghosts, which chronicles the adventures of the Ghost Club as they discover the histories of various vibrant Los Angeles neighbourhoods.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Chat Returns and so does the Cartoon Salooniverse, as Michael and Jake speak with Will Collins, co-writer of both Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers. Down the line from Ireland, Will tells Michael and Jake about his relationship with the films of Studio Ghibli and his ongoing collaboration with Cartoon Saloon filmmakers Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in our Chat Returns miniseries, we are thrilled to speak with one of the leading characters of the Ghibliotheque story so far... Studio Ghibli's long-serving producer, enabler, genius-herder and former President, Toshio Suzuki. Suzuki has played a key role in every Studio Ghibli film to date, and has had significant influence on the careers of all Ghibli's filmmakers, not least Goro Miyazaki, who was tapped to direct Tales From Earthsea by Suzuki. As discussed on our previous episode, Goro Miyazaki describes Suzuki as the 'dark wizard' behind Ghibli, and his mark is still seen even today, on the new release Earwig and the Witch - which is screening in UK cinemas now.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off our new interview miniseries, Michael talks with director, museum project manager and all-round Ghibli veteran Goro Miyazaki about his career, his relationship with the Studio, and his new film, Earwig and the Witch - which is now screening in cinemas across the UK.

Keep an eye out for weekly episodes in our Chat Returns miniseries - featuring conversations with filmmakers, writers, and animators who have either worked directly with Ghibli, or have been heavily inspired by them - over the next couple of months.

Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now.

Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h

Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we close the swing doors of the Cartoon Salooniverse, Michael, Jake and Steph cast the new wide to discuss everything the studio does that isn't feature length, from the Oscar-nominated short film Late Afternoon, to the delightful children's series Puffin Rock, and everything in between, including a conversation about Cartoon Saloon's pitch for a Winnie the Pooh series, and a tantalising look at what's next for the studio. And, of course, we must rank the Cartoon Saloon films - with a little help from our listeners.

• Watch the short film Late Afternoon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvHj_AwFg_g
• Watch There's a Monster in My Kitchen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rIjVDo_u8c
• Watch other Cartoon Saloon shorts, trailers, teasers and clips on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CartoonSaloon
• Visit Monica Armiño's portfolio site for a look at Cartoon Saloon's concept art for Winnie the Pooh: https://monicaarmino.com/winnie-the-pooh/
• Listen to the Best Bits podcast, co-hosted by Will Collins: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-best-bits/id1555161900?uo=4&itscg=30200&itsct=podcast_box
• Listen to The Screenwriting Life podcast, co-hosted by Meg Lefauve: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-screenwriting-life-with-meg-lefauve-and-lorien-mckenna/id1501641442

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode of our Cartoon Salooniverse miniseries brings us up to date, as Michael, Jake and Steph talk about Cartoon Saloon's latest, Oscar-nominated feature, Wolfwalkers, which sees Tomm Moore completing his Irish folklore trilogy of stories, this time working in collaboration with co-director Ross Stewart.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader - Michael

@jakehcunningham - Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in our Cartoon Salooniverse miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph leave behind the folklore-filled landscape of Tomm Moore's Ireland for The Breadwinner, the animated drama about a young girl growing up in Afghanistan in the dying days of Taliban rule, directed by Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey. What happens when such a distinctively Irish studio looks abroad?

Read the article 'The Breadwinner, or the Cinema as Secular Hegemony' by Jalil Kochai here: https://www.milestonesjournal.net/reviews/2018/7/2/the-breadwinner-or-the-cinema-as-secular-hegemony

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you follow a widely-renowned, Oscar-nominated debut feature? In this episode in our miniseries about the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss their second feature, Tomm Moore's coastal fantasy Song of the Sea - a film about a young boy, his little sister (who also happens to be a magical selkie creature), and the rich folklore that rises out of the very landscape of Ireland itself.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael, Jake and Steph return with a new Ghibliotheque spin-off miniseries, dedicated to the wonderful work of Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, who are often referred to as the Ghibli of Kilkenny. Listeners may remember our interview with Cartoon Saloon directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart about their latest film WolfWalkers and the enduring influence of Studio Ghibli, but in this episode we're going right back to the beginning for The Secret of Kells, the company's distinctive, Oscar-nominated debut feature film.

Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Michael and Jake are thrilled to tackle something new for the Ghibliotheque podcast... a brand-new Studio Ghibli film! The latest from Goro Miyazaki, Earwig and the Witch may come from a familiar source, as it's adapted from a novel by Howl's Moving Castle author Diana Wynne Jones, but it showcases a radical new direction for Ghibli as the Studio's first 3D, CG-animated feature. But how has the experiment turned out?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the annual Ghibliotheque Christmas episode! At the virtual Christmas party, Michael, Jake, Steph and Harold look back on the strange year that was 2020, read some excellent letters from listeners and their Ghibli plus ones, and even do a bit of Ghibli-themed karaoke. So grab a drink and a buffet plate, and join in the fun.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This special interview miniseries comes to a close with Pixar writing veteran Mike Jones (Soul, Luca), who talks with Michael and Jake about his experiences adapting the screenplays for The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya for English-speaking audiences, as well as the similarities and differences in Studio Ghibli and Pixar's approaches to storytelling.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our series of conversations with writers, animators and filmmakers about their relationship with Studio Ghibli continues with Rebecca Sugar, creator of the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe, talking with Steph and Jake about her lifelong love of anime, and how the work of Miyazaki and Takahata influenced her approach to animation.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Alpert, the one-time "resident foreigner" at Studio Ghibli and author of the memoir Sharing a House With the Never-Ending Man, joins Michael, Jake and Steph to talk about his 15-year tenure at the Studio, including working on the international distribution of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this new miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph are joined by filmmakers, animators and writers to talk about their relationships with Studio Ghibli. This week, director Domee Shi talks with the gang about the influence Ghibli had on her as a young animator, and how the work of Isao Takahata informed her Oscar-winning Pixar short, Bao.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this new miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph are joined by filmmakers, animators and writers to talk about their relationships with Studio Ghibli and the enduring influence of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. To start, Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart join the gang to talk about their new film, WolfWalkers, and how the work of their studio, Cartoon Saloon (Song of the Sea, Secret of Kells, The Breadwinner), draws inspiration from Ghibli.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode, we talk to actress and activist Shakina Nayfack on providing the voice of Hana in the new English dub of Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers, produced by GKIDS.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Follow Shakina on twitter @Shakeenz

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special mailbag episode, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss Satoshi Kon's final short film, Ohayo, his unfinished works and his legacy, with help from listeners and special guests Paul Williams, Zack Davisson, Shakina Nayfack and Natalie Ng.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Follow this episode's guests on Twitter:

@artporu - Paul Williams

@ZackDavisson - Zack Davisson

@Shakeenz - Shakina Nayfack

@wednesdaydreams - Natalie Ng

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael, Jake and Steph come to the end of Satoshi Kon's short filmography with a voyage into a world of dreams. To many, Paprika is Kon's best-known film, widely released, broadly praised and, if you believe the internet, ripped off by Christopher Nolan in Inception. But is watching Paprika a dream or a nightmare?

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael, Steph and Jake's journey into the animated work of Satoshi Kon continues with the director's foray into TV: the twisty, twisted mystery series Paranoia Agent.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Christmas this week on the Konology, the miniseries that looks at the work of anime legend Satoshi Kon. Michael, Jake and Steph watch Kon's holiday comedy drama, Tokyo Godfathers.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next in the Konology miniseries that looks at the work of anime legend Satoshi Kon, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss Kon's second feature film, Millennium Actress.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off the Konology miniseries that looks at the work of anime legend Satoshi Kon, Michael, Jake and Steph watch Kon's influential debut, the psychological thriller Perfect Blue.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick tease of what's to come from Ghibliotheque... The Konology! A miniseries looking at the work of Satoshi Kon, from Perfect Blue to Paprika, taking in Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and the anime series Paranoia Agent along the way.

Kon's international reputation, singular artistic vision and unbeatable body of work put him in the annals of animation alongside the masters at Studio Ghibli, so if we were to add a new wings to the Ghibliotheque to cover non-Ghibli filmmakers, we thought Kon would be the perfect place to start. Tune in next week for the first episode...

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Michael and Jake welcome to the Ghibliotheque stand-up comedian, writer and podcaster Ed Gamble (Off Menu) to undertake that most excruciating, ambitious of feats: assembling the perfect meal from the delicious dishes served up in Ghibli films.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this ever so slightly off-topic bonus episode of Ghibliotheque, Michael, Jake and Steph talk about the latest, and some say greatest, instalment in Nintendo's long-running Legend of Zelda video game franchise, Breath of the Wild. The game tempted both Jake and Steph to sink hundreds of accumulated hours into their Switch consoles. But what did they learn on their respective adventures? And does this have anything to do with Ghibli?

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second part of our Ghibliotheque documentary double bill, Michael and Jake discuss the TV special Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, which originally aired on Japanese TV in 2016 before getting a short cinema run in the USA and, finally, a DVD/Blu-ray release in the UK just this year. Shot in the aftermath of Miyazaki's retirement following the release of The Wind Rises, this doc charts the old master's attempts to incorporate CGI animation into his process, as he works on the short film Boro the Caterpillar for the Ghibli Museum.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Jake return to the Ghibliotheque for the first in a documentary double-bill. Mami Sunada's 2013 documentary started life as a promotional feature chronicling the making of Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises and Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, but the finished film - observational, subtle and insightful - is a compelling and poignant portrait of the Studio at the height of its powers, contemplating an uncertain future as its two genius filmmakers make what, at the time, was believed to be their final films.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

And get in touch via email at [email protected]

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Ghibliotheque, Michael, Jake and producer Steph dial in remotely to catch up on life during lockdown, with the help of listeners, former guests and other Ghibliotheque friends.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this final episode, the team talk with British-born animator Paul Williams about working on Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, the Japanese animation industry, and an animator's perspective on both Studio Ghibli and, specifically, the work of Isao Takahata.

Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this episode, the team visit Studio Ponoc, the animation studio founded by Ghibli veteran Yoshiaki Nishimura (producer of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There). There, Michael and Jake talk with Ponoc's Chief of International, Geoffrey Wexler, about his work at both Ponoc and Ghibli presenting films such as Mary and the Witch's Flower, Modest Heroes, The Wind Rises and From Up on Poppy Hill to the world - as well as answering the eternal question: subs or dubs?

Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this second episode, the team visit the Ghibli Museum, the Studio's shrine to the art of animation, and also share their spoils in a segment dedicated to their favourite merchandise finds from the trip.

Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

@ghibliotheque

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this first episode, the team visit three key locations that should be at the top of any Ghibli fanatic's must-see list: an intricate public clock designed by Hayao Miyazaki, the Tama suburbs that provided the location for Ghibli gem Whisper of the Heart, and Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory, home of the official, Miyazaki-approved Totoro cream puff.

Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com.

Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner. Edited by Jack Claramunt.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Christmas from the Ghibliotheque! Producer Steph joins Michael and Jake once more for an episode filled with festive shenanigans, including Ghibli-themed Christmas carols sung by Producer Harold, a Ghibli quiz, and a mailbag of listeners' picks for the ideal Ghibli dinner guests. There is also chat about the past, present and future of all things Ghibliotheque. See you in 2020!

Follow Michael, Jake and Steph on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Jake bring this season of Ghibliotheque to a close with the feature debut of Mr Hayao Miyazaki. A very promising director of anime series, Miyazaki made the leap to feature animation in 1979 with this spin-off from the long-running Lupin III series. But is there much Miyazaki magic to be found in this franchise entry?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After trekking through the entirety of the Studio Ghibli library, Michael and Jake go back to the beginning... to Isao Takahata's ground-breaking 1960s animated feature Little Norse Prince. A hugely influential film that was something of a box office disaster on initial release, Little Norse Prince set in motion many of the themes, collaborations and techniques that would come to define Ghibli two decades later. But how does it play to a modern-day viewer?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 episodes later... Michael and Jake reach the final feature in the Studio Ghibli library. This curio - a teen romance in the vein of Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart and From Up On Poppy Hill - is not only unique because it is Ghibli's only made-for-TV movie, it's also the first feature from the Studio to be directed by someone other than co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. No pressure, Tomomi Mochizuki... How did the newbie fare?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isao Takahata returns! This week, Michael & Jake fill in the final gap in the old master's work at Studio Ghibli. 5 years after Pom Poko and 14 years before The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, Isao Takahata experimented with Ghibli's first all-digital animation, the slice-of-life domestic comedy My Neighbours The Yamadas. Full of worldly wisdom and gentle, observational humour, and rendered in an astounding art style that looks like a watercolour sketch come alive, Yamadas is unlike any other entry in the Ghibli canon.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A follow-up to one of Ghibli's most controversial releases, From Up On Poppy Hill was director Goro Miyazaki's second crack at the whip after his debut, Tales From Earthsea. But Poppy Hill is a very different proposition: a nostalgic, wholesome, period-set romance that harks back to Ghibli gems Only Yesterday and Whisper Of The Heart. Does he find firmer footing as a filmmaker this time around?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Jake return to the Ghibliotheque to tackle Hayao Miyazaki's first anime epic, the sprawling fantasy adventure Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. While the film actually predates the founding of Studio Ghibli, many of the key personnel, themes and qualities that would define the Studio's work are here in spades, and the success of Nausicaä put Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki on the path to Ghibli greatness. But what do the boys make of it?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded live at the British Museum in support of their Manga Exhibition, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with exhibition curator Nicole Rousmaniere and animation critic Alex Dudok de Wit, following a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Editing and sound wizardry by Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded live at the British Museum in support of their Manga Exhibition, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with academic and Ghibli expert Rayna Denison, Manga Exhibition curator Uchida Hiromi and ceramic artist Hosono Hitomi, following a screening of Isao Takahata's The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Editing and sound wizardry by Jamie Maisner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded live at the British Museum, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with Manga exhibition curator Matsuba Ryoko and Simon Wright, director of programming at Japan House London, following a screening of Isao Takahata's Pom Poko.

The British Museum's Manga exhibition runs until 26th August. For more information, visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga.aspx.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Editing and sound wizardry by Jamie Maisner.

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Recorded live at the British Museum, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with Manga exhibition curator Nicole Rousmaniere and renowned Studio Ghibli expert Helen McCarthy, following a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's animated classic, My Neighbour Totoro.

The British Museum's Manga exhibition runs until 26th August. For more information, visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga.aspx.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

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In this special episode recorded live at Latitude Festival, Michael & Jake venture out of the podcast recording booth and out of the Studio Ghibli canon altogether to discuss Mary & The Witch's Flower, the first film from Ghibli alumni Studio Ponoc. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura previously worked together at Ghibli on the radical When Marnie Was There, but Ponoc's debut feature is a tribute to the magical, fantastical animation perfected by their mentors, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Does it reach the Studio's standard of quality?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

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This season of Ghibliotheque comes to a close with the final masterpiece from the legendary filmmaker, and Studio Ghibli co-founder, Isao Takahata. Described by Hayao Miyazaki as 'descended from a giant sloth', Takahata took his sweet time with his quietly experimental take on the 10th century folk tale, working at his own glacial pace and missing many production deadlines before the film's eventual release in November 2013. Takahata's previous films, Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and Pom Poko were all hits with Jake in previous seasons - will the streak continue?

Find out more about the Studio Ghibli screenings at the British Museum, with Q&As hosted by the Ghibliotheque gang, here: https://checkout.timeout.com/london/StudioGhibliscreenings/

Read Michael's interview with Isao Takahata - https://medium.com/@Film4/isao-takahata-on-the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya-4221f5df60a9

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This week, Michael & Jake zero in on Hayao Miyazaki's most recent release, the wildly ambitious biographical, historical, and very technical aviation drama The Wind Rises. Once thought to be Miyazaki's final film, this magnificent mic-drop masterpiece showed the old master still innovating even as he contemplated retirement - blending the magical animation of his beloved classics with deeper themes relating to inspiration, the purity of craft, and the inescapable blight of the Second World War. And planes, so many planes.

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

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This week, Michael & Jake go all the way back to the beginning for the very first Studio Ghibli production: the fantasy-adventure epic Laputa, also known as Castle In The Sky. By 1986, Hayao Miyazaki was already a seasoned animator, but the pressure was on. Could this new, independent studio revolutionise Japanese animation?

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@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Michael & Jake tackle the controversial Ursula K. Le Guin adaptation Tales From Earthsea, the directorial debut from Goro Miyazaki, son of Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. Le Guin once said that only Miyazaki could do her epic fantasy series justice on the big screen - but little did she know that the task would fall to Goro, who had no prior animation, filmmaking or directing experience. He also had no support from his ever-aloof dad, and, on release, received little encouragement from critics and fans alike. How does this inauspicious debut play today?

Show notes:

Read Goro Miyazaki’s blog, ‘Zero Marks as a Father, Full Marks as a Director’ -http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/earthsea/blog/blog39.html

Read Ursula K Le Guin’s blog, ‘Gedo Senki, a first response’ -http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

This week, Michael & Jake tackle Hiromasa Yonebayashi's second film as director, the fantasy-tinged drama When Marnie Was There. Still, for now, the final Studio Ghibli feature film to be released in cinemas, this adaptation of Joan G. Robinson's British novel transposes the action to the wetlands of Hokkaido - and introduces emotional textures, themes and tones that have never been seen before in a Ghibli film. Where does it sit in the annals of the Ghibliotheque?

Show notes:

-- Read Michael's interview with Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham return to the Ghibliotheque to discuss one of Studio Ghibli's most beloved adventures. Hayao Miyazaki's animated tale of a witch coming of age and leaving home came at a time when the Studio's fortunes were flagging, but the film's box office success secured Ghibli's future for years to come, and would set the tone for many more magical Miyazaki gems, from Spirited Away to Ponyo.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel & Steph Watts. Editing by Lister Rossell

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Michael Leader & Jake Cunningham invite Honey Ross and her father, broadcaster Jonathan Ross into the Ghibliotheque to discuss their relationship with the films of Studio Ghibli, from Jonathan's career as a TV host, film critic and avowed Asian cinema fanatic, to the Ross family's visit to Studio Ghibli's headquarters to interview Hayao Miyazaki himself.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel & Steph Watts. Editing by Lister Rossell

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Merry Christmas from the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli!

To round off 2018, producer Steph Watts joins Michael & Jake for a special episode packed with festive treats, ranging from Ghibli Christmas cracker jokes and a Ghibli dad-themed quiz, to Jake's own Leaderboard ranking of all the films covered on the podcast so far. The Ghibliothechnicians also dig deep into the Ghibli memory mailbag, sharing some of the listeners' fondest reminiscences of the Studio and their magical movies.

Follow Michael, Jake and Steph on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@_stephwatts - Steph

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

To finish this second season of Ghibliotheque, Michael & Jake return to the mighty Hayao Miyazaki for his family-friendly follow-up to Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle: the fish-out-of-water fantasy Ponyo. After the increasing influence of CGI on Ghibli animation, Miyazaki envisioned this project as an ambitious return to the Studio's hand-drawn roots. But does the legendary director succeed ... or flounder?

Read Michael's interview with Kathleen Kennedy: https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/18590/kathleen-kennedy-interview-war-horse-lincoln-studio-ghibli-jurassic-park-4-more

Read Roger Ebert's review of Ponyo: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ponyo-2009

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

This week, Michael & Jake are joined by Iana Murray to paw over the only feature-length sequel in the Ghibli canon, and Hiroyuki Morita's sole directorial credit for the Studio: the feline fantasy adventure The Cat Returns.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

This week, Michael & Jake discuss Hiromasa Yonebayashi's Ghibli debut, Arrietty. Based on the Mary Norton children's classic, this fantasy following the adventures of a tiny girl and her miniature family was by no means small-scale - eventually becoming the Studio's highest grossing film in the United States. But is it a mini-masterpiece or small fry?

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this episode, Michael and Jake leave the cosy confines of the Ghibliotheque for an in-depth conversation with The Red Turtle director Michaël Dudok de Wit, recorded live at the British Film Institute as part of their Podstock programme. Dialogue-free, French-animated and developed over a number of years in collaboration with 'artistic producer' Isao Takahata, The Red Turtle is a unique entry in the Studio Ghibli canon, and Michaël shares with the Ghibliotechnicians his memories of creating what is, to date, the only non-Japanese Ghibli production.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this episode, pigs fly (or one does, anyway) as Michael & Jake take off with Hayao Miyazaki's 1992 porcine aviator adventure, Porco Rosso. Initially planned as short in-flight movie for Japan Airlines, the film ballooned as Miyazaki went the whole hog, packing the film with period detail, memorable characters and thrilling airborne action sequences - resulting in a 90-minute piggy bank stuffed to the brim with magical Ghibli moments. Will our hosts roast the hog, or will they deem it a full-boar Miyazaki masterpiece?

Show notes: 

News report referring to the planned Porco Rosso sequel: https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/16222/hayao-miyazaki-on-a-porco-rosso-sequel-and-studio-ghibli-s-closure

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this episode, Michael & Jake get to grips with one of the oddest films in the Studio Ghibli canon: Isao Takahata's 1994 urbanisation polemic Pom Poko. Focusing on a community of magical tanuki raccoon-dogs who use their powers of transformation - and their large, mythical testicles - to hold back the development of their forest habitat, Pom Poko has earned a unique reputation among fans of the studio. But is it one of the (family) jewels in the Ghibli crown?

Show notes: 

Mixing Work With Pleasure by Toshio Suzuki: http://www.jpic.or.jp/japanlibrary/en/books/001886.html

Junji Ito: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junji_Ito

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

Michael & Jake return to the Ghibliotheque for a new mini-series, and kick things off with one of Studio Ghibli's biggest hits: 2004's magical adventure Howl's Moving Castle. Howl’s was initially slated as the first Ghibli movie to be directed by an outsider, but Hayao Miyazaki came out of his post-Spirited Away retirement to create what would become one of the veteran director's defining latter-day works. But is its reputation well-deserved?

Show notes:

Mamoru Hosoda on getting fired from Howl's Moving Castle: https://www.polygon.com/2018/10/20/18001588/mamoru-hosoda-fired-howls-moving-castle-interview

Xan Brooks interviews Hayao Miyazaki:https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/sep/14/japan.awardsandprizes

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts

Editing by Lister Rossell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this special end-of-season episode, Michael & Jake are joined by Telegraph critic, Wittertainment guest-host and all-round Studio Ghibli expert Robbie Collin, given the choice to bring with him any Ghibli film to discuss, Robbie selected Isao Takahata’s Only Yesterday, an animated drama aimed squarely at an adult audience. One of the Studio’s deepest cuts, Only Yesterday was a box office hit on its initial release in Japan, but it wasn’t released in the USA for 25 years. The film is as experimental, poignant and pointed in its message as you’d expect from Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) - and has over the years become a firm fan favourite.

This episode brings this initial volume of Ghibliotheque to a close. Thank you for listening, it’s been a real adventure, hasn’t it? If you’ve enjoyed the show and would like to hear more episodes of Michael and Jake diving deep in to Studio Ghibli then make sure you tweet: 

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@robbiereviews - Robbie

Show notes:

Read Robbie’s tribute to Isao Takahata here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2018/04/06/studio-ghibli-isao-takahata-brought-indescribable-beauty-everyday/ (behind a paywall though)

For more details about Film4's Studio Ghibli Season, click here: https://bit.ly/2JYqrBj

Additional production on this episode from Steph Watts - @_stephwatts

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Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this episode, Michael & Jake travel back to 1997 for Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy epic, Princess Mononoke. A huge box office hit in Japan, Mononoke was originally set to be Studio Ghibli's entrance onto the international stage, but this long, complex and violent adventure baffled Disney executives. Ghibli stood firm, refusing cuts or edits, resulting in a smaller, limited American release - but the ensuing film still stands as a testament to Miyazaki's unparalleled craft and unique vision.

Show notes:

- Read more about Stephen Alpert's memoir, I am a Gaijin: The Man Who Sold Ghibli to the World: http://blog.alltheanime.com/books-gaijin-at-ghibli/

- Read more about the use of CG in Princess Mononoke: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mh/cg.html

- Princess Mononoke: The First Story: https://www.viz.com/read/art-book/princess-mononoke/product/3625

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

For more details about Film4's Studio Ghibli Season, click here: https://bit.ly/2JYqrBj

Additional production on this episode from Steph Watts - @_stephwatts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this special, host's-choice episode, Michael picks one of his personal favourite Ghibli films for Jake to watch: the whimsical teenage romance, Whisper Of The Heart. Adapted by Hayao Miyazaki from a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, the film was the first, and, sadly, only directorial credit for veteran Ghibli animator Yoshifumi Kondo before his untimely death in 1998 at age 47. It remains one of the Ghibli library's deep cuts, one considered by many fans to be one of the Studio's best. But what will Jake make of it?

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

For more details about Film4's Studio Ghibli Season, click here: https://bit.ly/2JYqrBj

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

In this episode, Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham are joined by film programmer and journalist Beth Webb (Empire Magazine, Little White Lies, Bechdel Test Fest) to talk about everyone's favourite forest spirit, My Neighbour Totoro. First released in a double bill with Grave Of The Fireflies in 1988, Totoro was, at first, only a modest success, but thanks to merchandising and some timeless Miyazaki magic, the film has become one of the Studio's most iconic releases, and the character himself serves as Ghibli's company mascot to this day.

Read Beth's 30th anniversary article on My Neighbour Totoro here: http://lwlies.com/articles/my-neighbour-totoro-hayao-miyazaki/

Read Hayao Miyazaki and Akira Kurosawa's 'fireside chat' here: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/miyazaki_kurosawa_p1.html.

Follow Michael, Jake and Beth on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

@BethKWebb - Beth

For more details about Film4's Ghibli Season, click here: https://bit.ly/2JYqrBj

Additional production on this episode from Steph Watts - @_stephwatts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

Tissues are recommended for this episode, as Michael and Jake discuss Isao Takahata’s devastating Second World War tragedy, Grave Of The Fireflies. A modest success on its first release in 1988 (when it was presented as an odd double bill with the chipper adventure, My Neighbour Totoro), Grave Of The Fireflies is now recognised as the crowning achievement of Takahata’s long and influential career in animation - and one of the most powerful films ever made, animated or otherwise.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

For more details about Film4's Ghibli Season, click here: https://bit.ly/2JYqrBj

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

To coincide with UK broadcaster Film4's complete Studio Ghibli retrospective this summer, Michael Leader (Little White Lies, Sight & Sound), an avowed Ghibli fanatic, is sitting down with Jake Cunningham (The Independent, BFI), who has never seen any of the Studio’s work before. Together they'll be looking at the history behind Ghibli's films (including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke), getting a critical perspective from Jake as a first-time viewer and forcing Michael to rank some of his favourite ever films.

In this episode, Michael and Jake tackle Studio Ghibli's biggest hit, Spirited Away. First released in 2002, Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy adventure broke box office records in Japan, went on to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. In the years since, it has become the defining work for both Ghibli and Miyazaki - and there's no better place to start our adventure through the Studio's library of films.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

For more details about Film4's Ghibli Season, click here: https://bit.ly/2JYqrBj

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli.

To coincide with UK broadcaster Film4's complete Studio Ghibli retrospective this summer, Michael Leader (Little White Lies, Sight & Sound), an avowed Ghibli fanatic, is sitting down with Jake Cunningham (The Independent, BFI), who has never seen any of the Studio’s work before. Together they'll be looking at the history behind Ghibli's films (including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke), getting a critical perspective from Jake as a first-time viewer and forcing Michael to rank some of his favourite ever films.

Released on Fridays over the summer, subscribe now to get Ghibliotheque delivered straight to your feed.

Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:

@MichaelJLeader – Michael

@jakehcunningham – Jake

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.