An Unofficial Guide to the World of Studio Ghibli UPDATED EDITION

by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham

From the creators of the podcast and bestselling book Ghibliotheque , this is a young film fan's comprehensive guide to one of the most exciting and influential film studios in cinema history. Hello from Ghibliotheque! We are Michael and Jake, and together we make a podcast called Ghibliotheque , all about the films of the legendary Japanese animation company, Studio Ghibli. We think that Studio Ghibli has made some of the greatest films of all time, like My Neighbor Totoro , Kiki’s Delivery Service , Princess Mononoke , and Spirited Away . We love nothing more than sharing these films with other people, whether that’s by watching them together on the big screen, or writing a book like the one you’re holding right now. This book is our handy, illustrated guide to the world of Studio Ghibli, a world that is like no other. Over the following pages you’ll meet strong heroes, get to know wild and beguiling creatures, taste mouth-watering food, and travel via fast and fantastical modes of transportation. There is so much to explore and discover, so let’s quote the motto of the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, and let’s get lost, together. Enjoy! Across eight chapters, we will get up close and personal with the movies, learn who's who at the Oscar-winning studio and explore the impact that Ghibli World has left on our planet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan

125 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Michael Leader is a film writer, curator, and co-creator of the animation-focused podcast series Ghibliotheque. He is co-author of the books Ghibliotheque: The Unofficial Guide to the Movies of Studio Ghibli and the Ghibliotheque Anime Movie Guide. His writing has appeared in the pages of Sight and Sound and Little White Lies magazines, and from 2019 to 2022, he was Series Producer and Commissioning Editor of the BBC iPlayer short-form documentary series Inside Cinema and Inside Games. He lives in Sussex with his partner and a small child.

Reviews

[Andi Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

banger book the only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me is the fact that arrietty only gets mentioned twice but that's just personal bias

[Elina Mäkitalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiva opas Studio Ghiblin maailmaan. Kirjassa on testejä ja neuvoja miten esimerkiksi piirtää Totoro tai kuinka tehdä lennokki. Kirjassa on myös paljon muuta tietoa. Pidin kirjan lyhyistä mutta riittävän informatiivisista tekstiosuuksista, kuvista sekä selkeästä ja houkuttelevasta ulkonäöstä ja sisällön sijoittelusta.

[PiaReads]

Very cute illustrated and with great studio ghibli inspired diy and cooking ideas. I love browsing through the colourful pages but hoped for more information on the movies i like, which aren’t as popular. Though I did get inspired to check out Marnie.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

A lovely illustrated guide perfectly designed for young readers to learn more about Studio Ghibli's work. With fun little activities and the cutest moments and characters recreated on the pages, it's an enjoyable read for fans of the animations and fills a gap in the young cinephile's collection (I would've read this to pieces as a kid).

[Nanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, to-the-point with trivia here and there, as well as plenty of visualisation, and small activity breaks, this book is made by fans and for the fans.

But, as expected, it is mostly Miyazaki and the more popular productions. I do appreciate the shout for the scores of Takahata's Princess Kaguya though.

Should be a nice read for kids and teens. 3.5 stars actually.

[Beth Oehler]

Fun!! ❤️

[Clo-Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a great and short inside look into the world of studio Ghibli. I’ve also read their Ghibliotheque, which was awesome too.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't say anything else, good print quality, obviously it's not up to date until 2023, but most of them are still great movies.

[Florencia Facal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this guide when I became a Studio Ghibli fan. It was the first one I found with beautiful illustrations and in Spanish. It's a quick read, not too long.

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

there's a reason this is unofficial - it isn't very good

[Jasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a Studio Ghibli fan, this is such a good read. I want to watch more movies & I want to visit Japan already 😜