Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away, 2001, film still. It’s startling to find real-life architectural counterparts to filmic references: Notoya Ryokan, for instance, which served as inspiration for the otherwise-otherworldly bathhouse in Spirited Away (2003). There is always some reference point in reality or, at least, in some genuine historical belief. Yet, there is something worth examining in the assertion by Studio Ghibli co-founder and anime titan Hayao Miyazaki that: ‘The creation of a single world comes from a huge number of fragments and chaos.’ There is no shortage of apparent chaos in the films’ strange locations, rituals and creatures but from what or where do the fragments derive? Quintessentially Japanese, the films delve deep into the country’s history, folklore, superstitions (the Operation Yōkai ghost parade of Pom Poko, 1994, for instance) and stories – whether of fiction or memory. Courtesy: Studio GhibliĪttempting to explain why their films resonate so much goes against the poetic spirit of Studio Ghibli, where enigmatic space is continually left for the audience’s imaginations to roam. Hayao Miyazaki, Howl’s Moving Castle, 2004, film still. Their form of magic realism places great importance on the realism side, as much as it captivates with the spectacle of magic. Their emotions, however sentimental, frequently have a tinge of melancholy, longing or, at least, incompleteness. Their dreams, however fantastical, are always anchored rather than untethered.
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This is partly because Studio Ghibli made an entire, enchanting film around that precise image ( Laputa: Castle in the Sky, 1986) but also because Thoreau’s view underlines one of the central reasons behind the animation house’s appeal. Now put the foundations under them.’įollowing the news that Studio Ghibli’s back catalogue will become available on Netflix (released in batches from now until April), I sat down to watch and rewatch the Japanese anime classics and found Thoreau’s words ringing in my ears. When Tian Yi understands the source of resentment, he and Fu Ling set out to defuse the growing hostility and impending war.While writing Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau rejected the idea that the spiritual and the practical were opposites: ‘If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost that is where they should be. And starting a war seems to be a good idea. Some don’t want to be considered as gods they want to acquire and enjoy the wealth and benefits for being the “superior” clan.
In the end, all the manipulations stem from within the Yu Clan. When the human race carefully observes the movement of the stars and mistakenly points to Yi Fu Ling (Traey Miley) as the suspect, heir/king of Yu Clan, Feng Tian Yi (Zhang Ruo Yun) tries his best to save and protect her, truly believing that she’s innocent of the accusation. One day, the castle explodes, causing an uproar in the Yu Clan.
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They live away from the people, high up in the mountains, busy constructing a castle in the sky, to the envy of others. A Castle in Sky – how would one get there? Fly! In ancient times, because of their ability to fly (or make flying objects), the Yu Clan is regarded as gods by all.