How to Introduce Your Child to Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli films have been a touchstone in my life for many years. They are masterpieces of art with stunning attention to detail. The films defy stereotypes: the female protagonists are deeply rooted, the lead roles are striking vulnerability, and the characters are memorable.
While the films are not perfect – some of them are controversial or even disappointing in certain aspects – they are worth sharing with your children. Here’s how to do it.
Know your children
We call Ghibli films “quiet films” in my home because of the generally peaceful pace and tone of the stories, even when there is war or chaos in the plot. (Joe Hisaishi’s luscious musical scores only add to this aesthetic.) Even so, some young children may find elements in some Studio Ghibli films confusing or intimidating. You need to assess in advance the maturity levels of your tiny humans, including how they deal with abstract concepts or the “unknown.”
Be honest with yourself – don’t try to get them to watch the movie before they’re ready, just because you want them to join the fandom as early as possible. Keep in mind that these films require patience from the audience and some children may need to be shown repeatedly to fully appreciate or understand the artwork, storylines, or characters.
Do a little prep work
A little research will help you and your children evaluate Studio Ghibli’s offerings in more detail. Start by reading the original Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones or the translation of Kiki’s delivery service (魔女 の 宅急便 or Majo no express mail) by Eiko Kadono aloud to your kids before bed. Try reading the various translations of Japanese fairy tales and stories written for children occasionally. Talk with the children about food, clothing, and traditions from different cultures, including Japanese.
Consider revisiting Studio Ghibli films you haven’t seen in a while, or renting copies of films you haven’t seen yet. When watching real cartoons, take notes – things you liked, things you didn’t understand, and things you need to think about when it comes to being appropriate for children of different temperaments, temperaments, and ages. If you know ahead of time which parts of the movies might confuse or scare your kids, you can better plan what and when to let your kids watch.
If you really want to do your best, read Hayao Miyazaki’s ” Starting Point: 1979-1996″ and ” Turning Point: 1997-2008″ on your own. You can even watch the documentary Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (夢 と 狂 気 の 王国 or Yume to kyôki no ohkoku) on DVD or through a streaming service such as Netflix. This will provide some context about Studio Ghibli’s history.
Go get some merchandise
Decorating a children’s bedroom with beautiful reproductions inspired by Studio Ghibli films is an easy way to introduce young children, especially babies and toddlers, to films when they are too young to understand or pay attention to animation or stories. You can find tons of awesome fan art on Etsy.
Even plushies and cute clothes do a lot to bring the stories and characters to young children in advance: we have the plush Totoro my kids can’t live without, and we all have Studio Ghibli shirts that are just as cool as any retro band. tee and we found them all at Hot Topic.
Movies for children to watch – age guide
It makes sense to invite young children to watch dubbed versions of these films, but if your kids want to watch films in Japanese with English subtitles, go for it. This changes the perception of the story for the better in many ways and comes close to the original vision of each film. All Studio Ghibli movies are distributed in North America by Disney or GKIDS, and you can easily purchase DVD or Blu-ray versions from Amazon or other online retailers. For the sake of simplicity, I only include the English titles for each movie in this list.
Age 4+
My neighbor Totoro and Ponyo . While kids as young as two can appreciate it, both games have a leisurely pace, like all Studio Ghibli films. These are charming, quirky stories, but young children with little attention can find it difficult to stay involved. (I say this, but it’s my fault that I let my youngest watch this when I had to work, when I had to work. We all do what we have to, right?)
Age 6+
Kiki’s delivery service; Howl’s Moving Castle ; Castle in the sky ; “The cat is back” ; My neighbors Yamada ; Pom Poco ; and The Secret World of Arrietti is suitable for all ages, but it can be difficult for children under 6 to understand certain story details and character dynamics. In The Howl’s Moving Castle and The Castle in the Sky, there are battle scenes that can scare even young viewers. In The Secret World of Arrietti, there is a boy with a congenital heart defect who is struggling with the possibility of dying. However, all of these films are surprising and encourage children to show courage and trust in themselves. Really great messages for any audience.
Age 8+
Spirited Away and Whisper of the Heart are suitable for ages 8 and up. Spirited Away is full of beautiful detail gleaned directly from Japanese folklore and history. There are some dark aspects in the tale in the form of the Faceless and Haku characters, as well as some scenes of blood that can intimidate young viewers. However, this is one of the most gorgeous and emotional films I’ve ever seen. Everyone should watch such a film. Whisper of the Heart is a teenage romance, but it is low-key and contains many fairy-tale elements that make it sweet and sweet. It also highlights the importance of hard work to achieve your dreams.
Age 10+
Ocean waves ; Just yesterday ; When Marnie was there ; and From Up on Poppy Hill are suitable for most children aged 10 and over. Please note that these films are life stories. It is a beautiful anime with a subtle emotional depth.
Age 12+
Princess Mononoke; The grave of the fireflies; Tales from Earthsea; The wind is picking up; The Tale of Princess Kaguya ; and Porco Rosso are probably best for teens . Violence and some mature topics are more obvious or descriptive in these headlines. In Princess Mononoke, a man, and later a mystical creature, is decapitated at various points in the story. In Tomb of the Fireflies, two children struggle to survive the dire aftermath of World War II in Japan.
It is worth noting that The Wind Rises is considered controversial for many reasons, including the fact that the protagonist is involved in the creation of military aircraft for the Axis powers during World War II. Almost all of the Ghibli stories contain anti-war sentiments, but this film still needs to be accompanied by a discussion about the complexities and atrocities of war.
More animation to watch
- Age 6+: Ronja is a show on Amazon Prime that is also a great introduction to the artwork and stories that Studio Ghibli is known for, but the series is digitally animated. It’s slow and probably best for patient viewers, but the plot is geared towards younger children.
- Age 8+: Nausicaä in the Valley of the Wind is generally considered part of Studio Ghibli’s filmography, but it predates the studio – which is what led to the founding of Studio Ghibli. It’s a great anime, but it has violence that is probably best handled by kids ages 8 and up.
- Age 12+: Lupine III: Cagliostro Castle is another film that predates Studio Ghibli, and the way smoking and drinking is portrayed in the film is probably better suited to older children. Studio Ghibli created Red Turtle in partnership with a French animation studio, and it is special because it has no dialogue. There is brief nudity, but it is not sexy or free – a man is shipwrecked on the island, and a mysterious red turtle turns into a woman and becomes his life companion.
There are many more films and short films that well-known names, including Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Yoshiaki Nishimura and many others, have worked on before or outside Studio Ghibli. They are all worth your time, but be sure to review each option before your kids do, just to make sure it’s something that you think is in the interests and maturity of your kids.
Miyazaki recently retired to complete work on his latest film, How Are You Living? , for his grandson. It should be released in the next few years. While you wait for that to happen, rent or buy a copy of Yoshiaki Nishimura’s Mary and the Witch’s Flower from his new animation studio, Studio Ponoc. Ponoc is the artistic heir to the Ghibli anime heritage.