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http://www.hypable.com/2014/08/03/studio-ghibli-announces-closure/ posted:Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli’s general manager, took to Japanese television today to announce the closure of their animation feature film department.  The full (terribly translated) transcript of Suzuki's announcement can be found here: http://oh-totoro.com/post/93700803450/studio-ghibli-announces-closure-toshio-suzuki I'll be honest, in the last couple of years my interest in anime has waned quite a bit. Studio Ghibli's works were some of the last things I sought out and watched without reservation. Watching The Wind Rises and knowing it was Miyazaki's final film was hard enough, but this news just breaks my heart. If Studio Ghibli can't even break even on a film adaptation of a classic Japanese folktale, what hope does the rest of the industry have? (That, and I guess holding copyrights to globally-renowned films isn't a license to print money after all??) I guess if there is any hope here in Studio Ghibli continuing to survive as a production entity, it's that they could still co-produce works with other studios, like Goro Miyazaki is doing for Ronia The Robber's Daughter with Polygon Pictures. Maybe. :/ Some other recent Ghibli news that you may have missed: -A remaster of Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro is getting a DVD/Bluray release in the US at the end of the year/early 2015. It's out already in Japan but with no English dub/sub. -Princess Kaguya has been picked up by GKIDS for a US release. It will see a limited theater run starting October 17.
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Aug 4, 2014 02:35
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 Welp, it was a good run.
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Aug 4, 2014 02:51
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welpquote:Update: A better translation of Suzuki’s comments have been published by AnimeNewsNetwork (via /Film) and offer a little more detail on their current plans. “On what to do with Studio Ghibli’s future, it is by no means impossible to keep producing [movies] forever,” he said. “However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here.” So who knows!  http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-08-03/ghibli-co-founder-suzuki-studio-considers-dismantling-production-department/.77263
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Aug 4, 2014 02:56
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Fingers crossed that this is just temporary, but what he has stated seems like a pretty Japanese way of saying "yeah we're shutting down you guys". The only director left that hasn't retired or stepped down is Goro Miyazaki, and everything he's done has been with daddy supporting him in the background. Even if it was temporary, they'd probably need to hire new staff just to go forward.
Sirotan fucked around with this message at 03:04 on Aug 4, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 03:01
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Definitely a huge change even if it's "just" a restructuring, I do hope they continue to make films into the future. You know what? Shame on me for forgetting Shinkai, Hosoda, and Yoshiura. Probably more I'm neglecting too. 
a kitten fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Aug 4, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 03:09
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Mamoru Hosoda has essentially been a better creator of Ghibli-like films than Ghibli themselves over the past decade or so.
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Aug 4, 2014 16:25
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Nate RFB posted:Mamoru Hosoda has essentially been a better creator of Ghibli-like films than Ghibli themselves over the past decade or so. Yeah, it's been obvious for a while that they're been searching for someone to take over, and it's not too surprising they've given up in the end. I suppose it'll be interesting to see what ex-Ghibli animators do.
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Aug 4, 2014 16:48
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Make a gif of this where he flys in to the World Trade Center.
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Aug 4, 2014 17:00
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Pictured: Miyazaki's plan for Ghibli after he retired
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Aug 4, 2014 17:22
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Srice posted:Pictured: Miyazaki's plan for Ghibli after he retired I'm extremely disappointed with the direction Ghibli has taken in the last decade or so. After Spirited Away, they could have launched themselves into Disney-like international super-stardom, but they seem to have, instead, looked inward; they made films that targeted primarily Japanese nostalgia and sensibilities, and old-fart Luddite sensibilities at that (I have been saying for years that The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is exactly the type of film Ghibli should have been making). As for a successor, they've had since 1998 (when Yoshifumi Kondo died) to train and nurture one, and they haven't. This is just plain lovely business management and I don't believe for a second that there wasn't someone in their company or acquaintance that couldn't step up to the plate. As much as it pains me to say this because a lot of my favourite films are Ghibli, it's too late to salvage and it's probably for the best that they stop.
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Aug 5, 2014 14:32
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Nah. Once Miyazaki gets the kibosh they'll have to figure something out or shut the whole thing down, and I don't know if the rest of them feel the same as Miyazaki.
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Aug 5, 2014 14:41
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Roger Explosion posted:I have been saying for years that The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is exactly the type of film Ghibli should have been making Hosoda probably felt the same way too, which explains why he left. Mamoru Hosoda posted:To talk about Howl’s Moving Castle, my experience at Ghibli was really interesting. I was hired because at that time, the producer wanted to train new directors. Unfortunately, I didn’t get along with the staff on an artistic & logistic level, but still, I’ve learnt many things during my short time there.
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Aug 5, 2014 14:47
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I kinda wish Hosoda would go back to Ghilbi because he's about the only one that holds a candle to Miyazaki at this point. e: Rodyle posted:Hasoda has absolutely no reason to chain himself to that sinking ship. There's a bigger chance of him going back to goddamn Digimon than that. Is it a ship worth saving, or is the general sentiment that Miyazaki was the only thing keeping it afloat? ViggyNash fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Aug 5, 2014 |
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Aug 5, 2014 20:06
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Hasoda has absolutely no reason to chain himself to that sinking ship. There's a bigger chance of him going back to goddamn Digimon than that.
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Aug 5, 2014 20:33
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Rodyle posted:Hasoda has absolutely no reason to chain himself to that sinking ship. There's a bigger chance of him going back to goddamn Digimon than that. Have you SEEN Summer Wars? That's basically Digimon. Maybe he'll be back for that Season 2 sequel 
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Aug 6, 2014 03:24
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Tae posted:Have you SEEN Summer Wars? That's basically Digimon. Oh yeah well of course SW is basically him remaking Our War Game but I meant literally going back. Hell maybe that will actually happen, Hasoda's weird. I'd certainly be happy, because just like Miyazaki's best is Princess Mononoke, Hasoda's best is OWG/SW. All these artsy types are at their best when making rad action movies 
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Aug 6, 2014 03:30
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I'd be okay with Hasoda doign another Digimon movie.Rodyle posted:because just like Miyazaki's best is Porco Rosso 'Rad action movie' still applies though.
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Aug 6, 2014 04:48
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Rodyle posted:I'd certainly be happy, because just like Miyazaki's best is Princess Mononoke, Hasoda's best is OWG/SW. What? No... What? Summer Wars is easily the weakest of his three past films, it's only really saved because the secondary storyline (meeting your significant other's extended family for the first time) is so entertaining and relatable.
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Aug 6, 2014 08:56
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The Oz sections are fine as long as you don't take them too seriously. It's also really funny how you see these extraordinarily complex and intricate action sequences which then cut back to the person in real life playing on a loving Nintendo DS. I will however admit that it is still likely his weakest overall film, but more because Wolf Children and TGWLTT are so great. Also it's Hosoda folks, c'mon.ViggyNash posted:Is it a ship worth saving, or is the general sentiment that Miyazaki was the only thing keeping it afloat? I'm glad I'm not the only one to recognize that Porco Rosso is the best film Ghibli's ever made. Personally I never really got the love for Spirited Away. Nate RFB fucked around with this message at 12:41 on Aug 6, 2014 |
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Aug 6, 2014 12:03
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It would have to be between Porco Rosso and My Neighbour Totoro for best Ghibli film for me. Spirited Away is okay as a series of nicely animated set-pieces, but as a story it just kind of rambles away until the credits roll.
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Aug 6, 2014 12:23
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Here's what you do, you replace the internet scenes in Summer Wars with Digimon. Best of both worlds.
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Aug 6, 2014 12:56
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Nate RFB posted:I'm glad I'm not the only one to recognize that Porco Rosso is the best film Ghibli's ever made. Personally I never really got the love for Spirited Away.
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Aug 6, 2014 13:03
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Roger Explosion posted:Best Miyazaki film. Takahata's works pretty much all trump Miyazaki's.
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Aug 6, 2014 13:17
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I liked Kiki's Delivery Service a lot. That and Princess Mononoke. Porco Rosso is good too though.
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Aug 6, 2014 13:34
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Roger Explosion posted:Best Miyazaki film. Takahata's works pretty much all trump Miyazaki's. I'd agree except for Kiki's Delivery Service, which I reckon is second only to Whisper of the Heart.
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Aug 6, 2014 13:38
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Sakurazuka posted:Spirited Away is okay as a series of nicely animated set-pieces, but as a story it just kind of rambles away until the credits roll. It's nice knowing I'm not the only person on Earth who thinks this. That movie wastes so much of the potential set up in the first half.
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Aug 6, 2014 13:46
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Roger Explosion posted:Best Miyazaki film. Takahata's works pretty much all trump Miyazaki's. Uh, what? Takahata's a dreadful director, the only one worse in their stable is Goro.
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Aug 6, 2014 14:06
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Tae posted:Have you SEEN Summer Wars? That's basically Digimon. Nyaa fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Aug 6, 2014 |
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Aug 6, 2014 15:02
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Really, what they should do/should've done is make a Nausicaa 26-episode anime series, adapting the whole 7-volume manga, to draw in lots of fans and viewers.
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Aug 6, 2014 15:40
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DrSunshine posted:Really, what they should do/should've done is make a Nausicaa 26-episode anime series, adapting the whole 7-volume manga, to draw in lots of fans and viewers. Please don't feed my unrealizable fantasy.
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Aug 6, 2014 15:55
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Roger Explosion posted:As for a successor, they've had since 1998 (when Yoshifumi Kondo died) to train and nurture one, and they haven't. This is just plain lovely business management and I don't believe for a second that there wasn't someone in their company or acquaintance that couldn't step up to the plate. What? Almost all of their films since Spirited Away have been by newer writers and directors, so they've definitely been trying. It's just that there hasn't been anyone up to scratch. A Doomed Purloiner posted:I'd agree except for Kiki's Delivery Service, which I reckon is second only to Whisper of the Heart. Finally, someone else who realises the splendour of Whisper of the Heart, even if it does have that toe-curling singalong.
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Aug 6, 2014 17:13
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Are you really dissing on "Country Roads"? Because regardless of any feelings on John Denver that is an absolutely fantasticly animated sequence packed with emotion and characterization.
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Aug 6, 2014 18:01
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Whisper of the Heart is my #1 favourite Ghibli film. The country roads part is great. I love it. I never see Pom Poko get that much love.
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Aug 7, 2014 04:28
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a kitten posted:Are you really dissing on "Country Roads"? Because regardless of any feelings on John Denver that is an absolutely fantasticly animated sequence packed with emotion and characterization. I specifically mean the bit where Seiji and Shizuku are playing it and the old men join in. They're doing something, and then other people join in uninvited out of nowhere, and it seems generic, forced and sentimental to me. I like the song's other uses where it's more ironic, which I suppose reflects the theme of artistic self-improvement.
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Aug 7, 2014 04:44
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Whisper of the Heart is the best Ghibli film simple because it has Concrete Road in it.
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Aug 7, 2014 04:55
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The Country Road thing is one of my favorite pieces of animated anything ever. Just rewatched it and got the same heartwarming feeling as the first time. It's amazingly done.
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Aug 7, 2014 05:01
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Arguing what the worst Ghibli film is doesn't make sense when they could probably poo poo out stuff better than 99% of anime today. Speaking of Miyazaki himself I just looked up a list of the full length movies he directed: The Castle of Cagliostro Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Castle in the Sky My Neighbor Totoro Kiki's Delivery Service Porco Rosso Princess Mononoke Spirited Away Howl's Moving Castle Ponyo The Wind Rises I haven't watched Castle in the Sky, Wind rises and Porco Rosso (I'm watching that one next) but I wouldn't call a single one of the ones I watched bad. He had an amazing track record.
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Aug 7, 2014 10:05
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Aside from the fact that he had a brief stint there, I've no idea how these inane Hosoda comparisons always come up. Hosoda is literally nothing at all like Ghibli or Miyazaki especially. It explains why he left. Like, the only thing that comes to mind is Wolf Children, which, incidentally, aside from a spectacular opening twenty minutes or so, was easily Hosoda's worse work to date and a film I like less and less the more I think about it. Wasn't even particularly bad on its own merits, just much shallower than advertised. I dunno if I ever got who the focus was even supposed to be, the bland cipher supermom or the bland ciphers her kids quickly became. Anyway, Mononoke/Porco Rosso tied for best movie. Pootybutt fucked around with this message at 13:22 on Aug 7, 2014 |
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Aug 7, 2014 11:58
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Miyazaki's worst movie is Nausicaa, but even then I think the only reason I dislike it is because the manga Miyazaki made so he could make the movie (and which I read before seeing it) is just better than the actual movie (which is probably the same reason why I don't like Akira).
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Aug 7, 2014 13:58
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It's rare that single movies based on sizable books/manga/comics are any good, so yeah, Nausicaa was damned either way it seems.
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Aug 7, 2014 14:35
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