Up next in 10
Studio Ghibli is synonymous with animation excellence, producing some of the most beloved films of all time. But what’s the secret formula behind Hayao Miyazaki’s success? A big part of it lies in Ghibli’s unique ability to adapt stories and make them their own. Many fans don’t realize that films like Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, and more are actually based on pre-existing works—but through Miyazaki’s vision, they’ve been transformed into something entirely new.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Show it to me
0:01
Is this what you smell? Roasted! No way, frog! I'm saving every last bite for myself
0:09
This is Spirited Away. The movie is pure magic, transporting its characters and viewers
0:14
to an otherworldly place through the enchanting medium of animation. But as with all good magic
0:19
the best tricks are the subtle ones that happen right under your nose. Tayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli
0:24
have bewitched us all with their quiet mastery of adaptation. Since their early days, Ghibli has been adapting stories with such skill that their movies often
0:34
surpass the works they're based on. So how do they do it? You can't stay here, they'll find you, and you'll never get to rescue your parents
0:41
I'll create a diversion while you escape. No! Don't leave me! I don't want to be alone
0:45
The success of Studio Ghibli is built off of adaptations. Their most popular and lucrative
0:50
films are based on other works, and it was an adaptation that launched the company to begin with
0:55
Though it was produced one year before the company's founding, 1984's Nausicaa of the
1:00
Valley of the Wind is widely recognized as the first film in the Studio Ghibli catalog
1:04
Written and directed by Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki, the movie was a smash hit both critically
1:09
and commercially, setting the fledgling animation studio up for success on all fronts
1:14
But before Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was a movie, it was a manga. Also written and
1:26
illustrated by Miyazaki, the Nausicaa manga is about a princess who navigates war in a post-apocalyptic
1:31
world filled with bizarre creatures and warring factions. She ultimately brokers for peace as a
1:37
prophesied hero and helps to clear the land of corruption. Since he was the original writer and
1:42
artist, he was uniquely capable of bringing his world and characters to the big screen
1:47
The movie tells an abridged version of the story while still getting at the core of its
1:51
environmentalism and anti messaging and the art is practically lifted from the page and brought to life through animation It feels true to the manga while offering a distinct and enjoyable experience whether you read the original or not It nowhere near the most beloved Ghibli film today
2:06
but Nausicaä is an undeniably beautiful piece of art, and it taught Miyazaki a very important lesson
2:12
Animated adaptations are artistically and financially viable, and he'd repeat that success many times
2:19
Of course, he wasn't the first person to apply this line of thinking to an animation studio
2:23
Disney had been doing it since the 50s, but Ghibli's approach to adaptation is wholly different
2:28
from its Western contemporaries. First of all, unlike Walt Disney, Miyazaki is an artist himself
2:37
Even when adapting other artists' work, Miyazaki's fingerprints are all over the end product
2:43
1989's Kiki's Delivery Service was heaped with praise on release, and so was Miyazaki
2:47
once again claiming the roles of writer and director for the film. Miyazaki was heralded
2:52
as a brilliant innovator for his work, which he of course deserved. But what he can't take credit
2:56
for is the story concept itself. Many people, and especially Western audiences, could be forgiven
3:07
for not knowing that Kiki's Delivery Service is an adaptation of a 1985 children's book of the
3:12
same name. The book, while wonderful in its own right, never reached the worldwide fame of Ghibli's
3:17
adaptation, leaving many to assume the movie is the first and only version of the tale
3:22
Aiko Kodono's book features a young witch named Kiki and her cat Gigi
3:26
going to the city and running a delivery service. It's written as a series of short stories rather
3:31
than one long narrative, which is where the movie and its source material really divide
3:35
With Kiki's delivery service, Miyazaki did what he does best. He took a simple idea and made magic
3:41
Kiki's delivery service is as loved today as it was in 1989, and a large part of why
3:51
is that the world is alive and fantastical yet still grounded in a believable reality Kiki might be able to soar through the sky on a broom but she also scrubs floors and dark rooms packed full of clutter The world is cozy
4:04
yet it still plays out like a grand spectacle. We have Miyazaki's artistic talent to thank for that
4:09
He's able to showcase the tiny mundane details of everyday life in a way that reframes them
4:14
and makes them feel special, and that eye for detail in life translates handily into an eye
4:20
detail in stories. With Kiki's delivery service, Miyazaki read between the lines of an uncomplicated
4:25
children's book, extracted the warmth and fun he saw on the page, and quite literally illustrated
4:31
it on screen. Every frame of the movie is a labor of love, with Miyazaki going to great lengths to
4:36
ensure audiences could see what he sees in Kiki's story. Whether the audience is familiar with the source material or not
4:52
this effort made Kiki's delivery service both a great adaptation and a great movie
4:57
And he'd do much the same thing with Diana Wynne-Jones' fantasy novel
5:01
Howl's Moving Castle, in 2004. However, not all Miyazaki films are so hourly based on his
5:06
or other artists' work. Several Ghibli movies are essentially stealth adaptations of well-known
5:11
stories, whether Miyazaki and his team publicly acknowledge it or not. 1988's My Neighbor Totoro
5:17
is almost certainly inspired by the Norwegian folktale Three Billy Goats Gruff, a theory
5:22
supported by the fact that an illustration of the book appears in the end credits. And 2001's
5:27
Spirited Away is often compared to Alice in Wonderland, with its young female lead getting
5:32
lost in a strange place ruled by a literal big-headed older woman. Alice and Chihiro
5:37
both insist they're dreaming and are determined to wake up and get home. This isn't to say Spirited
5:42
Away is a rip-off of Lewis Carroll's novel or the Disney adaptation. Disney aimed to recreate
5:47
Lewis Carroll's work as closely as possible. Spirited Away, on the other hand, is a refreshing
5:51
take on the well story which removes it from its deeply European roots and reimagines it through the lens of Japanese folklore It a wealth of imagination that only glances at the material that inspired it which is another strength of Miyazaki adaptations
6:05
If I hear one little complaint out of you, you'll be joining your parents in the pig bed
6:11
2008's Ponyo is a retelling of Han Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid
6:15
Obviously, The Little Mermaid has seen its fair share of adaptations over the years
6:19
with the most famous of these being Disney's 1989 animated classic. While both Disney and Ghibli stripped the story of its darker and less palatable aspects
6:28
Miyazaki once again read between the lines of the original story to extract deeper meaning
6:33
But he also used it to create something totally new. Ponyo is essentially a love letter and apology to Miyazaki's son, Goro
6:40
who was neglected by his father growing up. It's an emotional and deeply personal message that adds an additional level
6:46
to what could have been a straightforward adaptation, and the movie is better for it
6:50
I will be a human too! Human? What do you know about humans, Bronnhilder? They spoil the sea
6:58
Ghibli adaptations, and Miyazaki's movies in particular, are all unique creative marvels
7:03
They stand apart from the works that inspired them through free-flowing artistic license
7:07
Miyazaki can transform a work so completely that you can forget it's an adaptation at all
7:13
From Totoro to Spirited Away to Ponyo, Ghibli has been adapting other creative works
7:18
and many audience members have been none the wiser. Even more impressively
7:22
Those who are aware of the original works often prefer Ghibli's telling of events
7:27
But Miyazaki also lovingly embraces his inspirations and adapts them with a keen eye for detail
7:32
Whether it's making his own work jump off the page as he did with Nausicaä, or breathing life into someone else's story like Kiki
7:39
Miyazaki has an uncanny ability to harness the original artistic intent and meaningfully translate it for audiences
7:46
It's a delicate balance to maintain, but through a lifetime of practice
7:50
endless talent, and probably more than a little witchcraft, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli
7:55
have managed to master the art of adaptation