The Magic of Studio Ghibli's Fanbase

   See how the fans shine in a million different ways!

    In 1985, history was made when Hayao Miyazaki established Studio Ghibli (1), a Japanese film studio that makes astoundingly gorgeous animated movies that all types of people can enjoy. To say these movies are amazing is a major understatement, and this is made evident when you take a look at the lively and dedicated fans of Ghibli. From the release of Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the earliest Ghibli movies, to the soon to be released How Do You Live? coming in July of 2023, the Ghibli fandom displays their love of these movies in countless ways. 

Handmade Creativity

Fanart depicting screencaps from various movies
(@vincenttrinidadart on Instagram)

    The fans of Ghibli are unbelievably talented, and many of the artists in the community spend hours creating beautiful reinterpretations of Ghibli characters and backdrops. If you browse for content centered around Ghibli on any social media platform, you will find boundless posts of unique fanart. There is a wide range of drawings, paintings, and digital works that represent how the artist wishes to capture the cute creatures, stunning settings, delicious foods, and adored characters. If you go to instagram and search the hashtag "#StudioGhibli", over two million posts come up, with hundreds being added every day. Instagram is only scratching the surface, as there are many more posts to see on other platforms, such as TikTok, Pinterest, Deviantart, etc.

Embroidery of My Neighbor Totoro animals
(@sleepybunnyhandmade on Instagram)

  

    Fanart can also take on different forms of artistry other than paintings. For instance, many fans make all kinds of physical or less conventional creations; there's pottery, embroidery, food art, tattoos, and more. The embroidery piece pictured here by @sleepybunnyhandmade on Instagram took the creator nearly 30 hours, as stated in their post. One talented fan, who goes by @skep_sis_ on instagram, spent days painting the walls of their room to look like a scene from the movie Princess Mononoke, with a jaw-dropping result.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrF6dgaIJfJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

(@skep_sis_ on instagram)

    Some fans love these movies so much, they get depictions of their favorite characters and scenery permanently displayed as tattoos. There is a wide variety of Ghibli tattoos out there, ranging from simple linework, to large, colorful, and rendered artworks. Many tattoo artists put time into creating designs for the adoring Ghibli fans, while some fans make their own design ideas.

Different Ghibli staple characters by
Kadelfitattoo

Various tattoo designs by RachelBaldwinTattoo

   

    It's clear that the fandom expresses their love and creativity in countless different media. The multitude of movies all contain iconic characters that are loved by all, so much so that the fans can't help but create their own artistic interpretations.  

From Art to Real Life

Spirited Away cosplayers at Anime Expo 2016
(Ami Amour)

    Many fans express their artistic skills and appreciation for Studio Ghibli on a whole different level. Across many fandoms, a popular activity that arises is known as cosplay, which is when fans will dress themselves up to emulate a character from various different works of fiction (2). This is frequently done on a small scale, where one person or a small group of people who are all in the same fanbase dress up, often filming videos and taking pictures to post online. However, when some fandoms are large enough, there are whole events dedicated to cosplaying or roleplaying. For example, upon the opening of Ghibli Park, a Studio Ghibli inspired theme park (3), a cosplay event under the World Cosplay Summit was held at the park (4). There is also the Anime Expo, which is the largest anime convention in the United States (5). This event is held in the Los Angeles Convention Center (6) and attracts many incredible Ghibli cosplayers. Many people who participate in cosplay buy their costumes, but many also love to create their own costumes from scratch. They prepare for events for hours, sewing and stitching a character's clothes. Stephanie Oplinger on Youtube details how she created her unique interpretation of Howl's outfit from Howl's Moving Castle, creating a 10 minute video with a tutorial and final product. The characters of Ghibli films are so incredibly loved by the fans that every year, hundreds of people dedicate time and money to come together and have fun sharing their love of the studio's work.

Enchanting Music

    The magic of Ghibli movies doesn't just come from the jaw-dropping visuals-- the music in the movies are genuine masterpieces and the fans can't get enough. Joe Hisaishi is the brilliant composer behind the films. There are countless covers made by fans to express, in their own way, the beauty of the music, and there is even a fan club with over one thousand members for Hisaishi on facebook. The music is so popular that hundreds of fans go to live music performances, often conducted by Hisaishi himself, where they play the music live over film clips. Many post their own clips to social media, expressing how much they love the music and how much it touches them. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co2koU_DcXU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Clip from live performance (@johnzbananami on instagram)

Theatrical Experience

Live-Action Spirited Away Cover

    Annually, an event called Ghibli Fest excites fans as they have the opportunity to experience Ghibli films in theaters. Seeing such beauty on the big screen is a dream for many. With Ghibli Fest, from March through November, they are able to do so. Not only that, but the 2023 event towards the end of April featured Spirited Away: Live on Stage, a live-action interpretation screening of Spirited Away (7). The original movie is one of the most loved by the fanbase, and those who had yet to see the live-action in North America could hardly hold back their excitement as the tickets sold left and right. Every year, fans wait for the lineup of movies and scurry to catch tickets to any movie in a theater near them.

Coming Together

    Fans cannot help but seek each other out to discuss their opinions and love for all the different films. Whether these discussions take place on Reddit, Discord, or any other online forum, fans share their collections of Ghibli CD's and merchandise, as well as general discussion about the beauty behind the films. Fans commonly discuss the unique traits, such as the frequent female leads, the use of inexperienced child voice actors for younger characters to have a more authentic feel, the deeper meaning behind the movies, and more. These also present the opportunity for fans to share their own work, as many write fanfiction, which is a story written by a fan who creates their own world and scenario based off of previously existing characters and stories. Many of these stories explore beyond the movie's ending, especially in respect to the romantic aspects of the films. Fans will post to fanfiction based websites and share to forums their own fictional ideas ranging from anything about day in the life moments between characters to creating an entire intense story, sometimes with brutal plot points. 

My Experience as a Fan

Version of my "No face" Spirited Away 
Desk Lamp

    I will never forget the first Ghibli movie I watched. I was so unbelievably immersed in the scenery and story of Spirited Away and I couldn't help but watch a handful more and share them with all my friends for years to come. The music is so captivating; it's enough to constantly stick in my head as well as bring tears to my eyes. I have collected countless posters of screencaps from movies, as well as jewelry, such as the same earrings that Howl wears in Howl's Moving Castle and hoop earrings with Totoro charms from My Neighbor Totoro. I've participated in Ghibli Fest theater showings in the past and began to collect figurines, as many do.

    The entire fandom and I can eagerly say it is absolutely worth it to watch these films. The culture surrounding the movies is incredible, and the fanbase is one of the most welcoming and talented out there. Ghibli has created not just films, but a whole world full of incredibly spirited human beings and lively artistic creations, all with appreciation for one of the best studios to ever animate! 

Works Cited

(1) Bauer, Pat. “Studio Ghibli.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Studio-Ghibli.

(2) “Cosplay Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosplay.

(3) Senzatimore, Renee. “Studio Ghibli to Host Cosplay Event at Ghibli Park.” CBR, 15 June 2022, https://www.cbr.com/studio-ghibli-to-host-cosplay-event-at-ghibli-park/.

(4) “World Cosplay Summit 2023.” WORLD COSPLAY SUMMIT 2023, 16 Mar. 2023, https://worldcosplaysummit.jp/en/. 

(5) Sharon. “Anime Expo 2016 Day 1 - A Studio Ghibli Kinda Day.” Ami Amour, 7 Mar. 2018, https://amiamour.com/anime-expo-2016-day-1-a-studio-ghibli-kinda-day/.

(6) “Anime Expo.” Anime Expo, 28 Apr. 2023, https://www.anime-expo.org/ax/.

(7) “Studio Ghibli Fest.” GKIDS Films, 6 Mar. 2023, https://gkids.com/ghiblifest/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cKiBhD5ARIsAKXUdya3Bo63qY-HrqFwML8NKPhUErdpdhr6F6n-mGgZXAMOfi0YV3FnDswaAtL1EALw_wcB#about.

Images and Videos Cited

“Different Ghibli Staple Characters by Kadelfitattoo.” Facebook, 6 Jan. 2023, https://www.facebook.com/TheGhibliFamily/photos/a.1532378840415571/3513482072305228/?type=3. Accessed 2 May 2023.

Instagram, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co2koU_DcXU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. Accessed 2 May 2023.

Instagram, 18 Apr. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrF6dgaIJfJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. Accessed 2 May 2023.

“Spirited Away No Face Lamp House Desk Toy.” BooWave, https://www.boowave.com/product/spirited-away-no-face-lamp-house-desk-toy/. Accessed 2 May 2023.

“Totoro on 13.5 Cm Hoop.” Instagram, 7 Nov. 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CkrnE6vPuQF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.

Trinidad, Vincent. “Fanart Depicting Screencaps from Various Movies.” Instagram, 5 Mar. 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CLblyHbAW_W/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. Accessed 2 May 2023.

“Various Tattoo Designs by RachelBaldwinTattoo.” Pinterest, https://pin.it/688un0z.