こんにちはみんなさん！ (Hello everyone!)
Studio Ghibli’s announcement a couple of days ago had everyone on edge as multiple news sites had reported that the legendary animation studio was shutting down. We learned later that this was not the case; there was a mistranslation and Toshio Suzuki’s words were taken the wrong way. Studio Ghibli is simply taking a break from making animated films for a while. Studio Ghibli is rearranging its internal structure of animators and artists. A lot of layoffs had occurred recently, starting in March, so many assumed this was the beginning of the end for Studio Ghibli. Foreign news sites caught onto this news alongside the mistranslated words, which is what really caused a panic amongst fans.
However, if Studio Ghibli were to ever disband, it would indeed be a sad day for the world of animation. Studio Ghibli has brought us some of anime’s most powerful movies like My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and of course, Spirited Away. This isn’t the first time Studio Ghibli has messed with our feelings though. Spirited Away was supposed to be Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie as well but, he returned to Studio Ghibli to continue making movies. There are statements from internal Studio Ghibli staff that despite Hayao Miyazaki saying Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises) was going to be his last movie, Hayao Miyazaki has been seen regularly inside Studio Ghibli. There are rumours he had even helped out on Omoide no Marnia, Studio Ghibli’s latest movie. It is entirely possible Hayao Miyazaki simply stated he was going to retire in order to grab attention for The Wind Rises. If that is the case, it had the desired effect on the Western world. Despite this, Omoide no Marnia and The Tale of Princess Kaguya did not do well in sales, so they may be the reasons why Studio Ghibli is restructuring the company.
Even though Studio Ghibli may be temporarily halting production, their TV anime collaboration with Polygon Pictures seems to still be scheduled and ready for the 2014 Fall season. Sanzoku no Susume Ronja is being directed by Goro Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. You can find out more about Studio Ghibli’s first TV anime here.
また後で！ (See you later!)
