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Ghibliotheque: An Unofficial Guide to the Movies of Studio Ghibli

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Based on the Ghibliotheque podcast, which leafs through the library of films from the world's greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli. A fully illustrated book that reviews each Studio Ghibli movie in turn, in the voice of expert and newcomer.

Will include details of production, release, themes, key scenes and general review as well as Ghibli-specific information. To be illustrated with stills and posters from each movie and (hopefully) portraits of directors, writers and creative team.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published September 2, 2021

About the author

Michael Leader

9 books28 followers
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.

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5 stars
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201 (39%)
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66 (13%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
Profile Image for Ivana Krekáňová.
Author 18 books45 followers
November 28, 2023
Toto je v našej rodine značne unikátna kniha v tom, že si ju navzájom kradneme a listujeme: raz je v obývačke na sedačke, raz u detí v izbe, raz v spálni. Všetci si ju vychutnávame, lebo všetci máme radi filmy štúdia Ghibli. Napísali ju dvaja chlapíci, ktorí v roku 2018 začali pracovať v jednej kancelárii a obaja boli filmoví nadšenci. Akurát jeden bol až fanatickým nadšencom Ghibli filmov a ten druhý z nich nič nevidel.

A tak ho ten prvý previedol celou tou fantastickou japonskou filmografiou plnou fantázie, spravili podcast a nakoniec sa vydali aj do Tokia, do kolísky štúdia Ghibli. No a Ghibliotéka je ich vysnívané dieťa, výsledok celej tej niekoľkoročnej cesty svetom úžasných animákov spolu s neoddeliteľným príbehom dvoch zakladateľov štúdia, režisérov Hajao Mijazakiho a Isao Takahatu.

Ghibliotéka je súhrnom celovečernej tvorby štúdia Ghibli, zoradenej chronologicky od Naušiky z Veterného údolia po Earwig a čarodejnice (a všetko to u známe medzitým, nech už je váš favorit Cesta do fantázie, Zámok v oblakoch, Mononoke, Totoro, Čarodejnica Kiki, alebo – ako v prípade našich detí – Léto s Marnie). Pri každom filme (so skvelou obrazovou prílohou) vás prevedú kontextom vzniku, súvislosťami, dejom, prijatím zo strany publika a nechýba ani filmová recenzia.

Ak ste fanúšikmi, nesmie vám chýbať, ak nie ste, bezpochyby vás do toho fantastického sveta imaginácie postrčí. Celkovo je to taká príbehová a tematická skladačka (vďaka tomu, že ide chronologicky a tak nevyhnutne mapuje aj vývoj a cestu kľúčových osôb), no a dozviete sa napríklad aj to, ako vlastne Ghibli vyslovovať.

(Citujem: -Věčná otázka. Nekonečná diskuse. Téma, které zaručeně zkazí každý rozhovor o Ghibli. Jak se vlastně vyslovuje „Ghibli“ – slovo, které si Japonci vypůjčili z italštiny a následně ho přeložili do angličtiny? Má znít „Ghibli“, nebo „Džibli“? Tošio Suzuki ve svých pamětech v závěru knihy prohlašuje na toto téma celkem jednoznačně: „Mimochodem, japonská výslovnost slova Ghibli, které pochází z italštiny, byla z fonetického hlediska chybná, mělo znít giburi, a nikoliv džiburi. Teď už je ale trochu pozdě to napravovat.“- koniec citátu. Nemáte za čo.)
Profile Image for Svetlana.
407 reviews10 followers
August 15, 2022
Good book with the overviews of Ghibli studio films. A lot of lovely illustrations. I don’t like a tiny font of this book; the book is oversized format, why such a tiny font?!
Otherwise, a good content for the funs. Many films I even did not know exist.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
200 reviews2 followers
February 3, 2022
I love this podcast so much and getting to have it in book form is just as good. I loved the additions of the images and the history behind each movie (it's what I love about the podcast).
It would of been nice to see more of both Michael and Jake's voices individually instead of as one. But other than that, really enjoyed.
If you're a Ghibli fan:
1. Listen to the Ghiblioteque podcast
2. Watch all the movies
3. Buy this book.
Profile Image for Eule Luftschloss.
1,914 reviews52 followers
March 12, 2024
Two guys meet at work, share the same interests and decide to make a podcast about them watching Ghibli movies together. And then they write a book about it.

This has a short introduction and then a list of all Ghibli movies, with some screenshots, random tidbits about the movies. From inspirations to the production process to how it did in the box office.

For a random library find, this was great and strengthened my resolve to watch them all - maybe apart from Grave of the Fireflies. Would not go out of my way to get this, though. There is, after all, so much fun stuff a Ghibli fan could spend their money on.
Unsure if I'll try the podcast, but that is more me being very picky with podcast for ear pain related reasons.
Profile Image for Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies).
865 reviews305 followers
February 12, 2024
I absolutely loved taking on the project of reading this book and watching the films in order of release date. I loved the combination of backstory and review in each chapter, together with the artwork and film posters. I had seen the ‘big ones’ already but it was the others that were a revelation. From Nausicaa on I was gripped. I loved the different inspirations, the different stories, the differing animation styles. Highlights include a deep dive shout raccoon foxes and their magical testicles, all the nature, every cooking segment and cleaning scene, weeping through Grave of the Fireflies, revisiting my favourite of them all, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the heart wrenching story of When Marnie Was There. What an incredible body of work.
Profile Image for Bárbara Costa.
205 reviews54 followers
April 14, 2022
Always a good excuse to (re)watch some Ghibli movies (except Grave of the Fireflies, because I'm not in need of a bucket of tears, at the moment).
Profile Image for Jia嘉.
98 reviews4 followers
January 24, 2024
I expected maybe more of a storytelling of each movie but it was more like the background, the idea, external reviews on the movies.

Still enjoyed reading it and looking at the BEAUTIFUL STUDIO GHIBLI SCENES

NICE READ! nice coffee book table! :D
12 reviews
January 22, 2024
Perfektne spracovaná prechádzka svetoznámym "anime" štúdiom Ghibli a celým jeho procesom,pozadím a tvorbou ich jednotlivých diel.
Profile Image for Giovanna.
83 reviews1 follower
January 31, 2022
This book surpassed my expectations! I hadn't realised it was a fan publication when we bought it but it's so thoroughly researched and fluidly written that I hope Ghibli endorses it fully. It's a lovely companion to the films. I recommend watching the films before reading the context and reviews.
Profile Image for Claudia Elizondo.
15 reviews2 followers
January 6, 2023
Must read para fans de las películas de Ghibli, súper bonitas ilustraciones y me gustó la mezcla de info behind the scenes con reviews de las películas. Me dieron ganas de sentarme a ver a Totoro o a Porco Rosso
Profile Image for Sarah Dunmire.
441 reviews4 followers
July 24, 2022
It was cool to read some studio background information on the Studio Ghibli movies I grew up with at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The book is basically a published podcast of two guys who are fans of the movies. The movies are presented in chronological order with the studio tidbits and then their review. It’s a nice read and inspired me to watch the rest of the movies I hadn’t seen yet from Studio Ghibli, but it does feel unofficial, as the title says. I would also say that I sometimes disagree with the authors on their reviews. For example, they did not like Howl’s Moving Castle, and that is a favorite of mine. They loved Whisper of the Heart, and I thought that was overly dramatic for middle school romance.
Profile Image for BookofElves.
58 reviews18 followers
January 14, 2023
As a Studio Ghibli fan since childhood, I loved this book! Michael and Jake seem like a fun duo who I'd happily have many Ghibli-related chats with! The book has a great mixture of images, posters, background history and reviews! It's a lovely collection of the movies, and it's something you can always go back to!🤍
Profile Image for erin ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ.
107 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2022
forgot to add this, but i loved this book 😭 i love ghibli so much it’s so innocent and magical it was so cute to flick thru
Profile Image for Ben Rhodes.
3 reviews
March 5, 2024
I loved this book so much! It’s so beautifully crafted and designed, visually it’s a 10/10 but it also taught me some cool facts about the studio that I didn’t know before! Made me want to rewatch a lot of my favourite films!!
Profile Image for Alex .
172 reviews3 followers
June 19, 2022
Un libro entretenido lleno de anécdotas sobre el universo de Studio Ghibli y sus producciones.
Profile Image for Aina Cifre.
74 reviews
December 21, 2022
Un libro muy elaborado e informativo, aunque esperaba que se centrara más en detalles del guión de las películas y diseños de personajes.
Profile Image for Simon Binning.
165 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2023
This book is put together by Mike Leader and Jake Cunningham, who produced a podcast of the same name. Leader had always been a Ghibli fan, and Cunningham hadn't, so each episode allowed the expert to outline the film and its place in Ghibli history, and the novice to give a review of his first viewing.

The book follows the same format. Each film takes a chapter, and there is information about the studio's decisions and backroom details, followed by a detailed review of the resulting film.

This approach has its problems. Anyone who has read books created from a series of newspaper columns or radio pieces will recognise them immediately. There is a huge disjoin between each chapter, and the result is very bitty.

The story of the studio, fascinating as it is, becomes almost something to wade through before the review appears. For me, it would have been far better as a separate section of the book.

The reviews themselves are the best parts of the book. They are thoughtful and detailed, without being too long, and the way Cunningham relates the films to each other certainly made me think and see connections I hadn't seen before. I came away with a much better understanding of some of the films and their meaning, particularly within a Japanese cultural framework.

The book is lavishly produced, with lots of great pictures, and I rarely criticise the design or form of a book. Tastes differ, and that's fine. But I must take issue with whoever designed this book. The main text is probably the smallest I've ever seen in a mass-released work, and the chosen font is a light one. It is a difficult book to read, and that's never good.

I know I'm getting old, but there's really no reason for it. Enlarging the text would not have increased the page count by very much, and would have made it a more pleasurable experience. There are also some random blocks of text on coloured ground, which are unreadable under artificial light. Why?

If you've seen a few Ghibli films, and would like to know more, then this isn't a bad place to start. It's far from perfect, and could have been a lot better if the authors had decided to start afresh and not merely transcribe their podcast format into print. Indeed, it may be better to hunt out Leader and Cunningham's original episodes, and listen to them instead.
Profile Image for Lowin1000.
388 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2024
Rezension
[Genre: Sachbuch]

F: Dein Lieblingsfilm vom Studio Ghibli?

In diesem Buch ,, Ghibliothek-Der inoffizielle Guide zu den Filmen von Studio Ghibli “was von Michael Leader & Jake Cunningham geschrieben wurde,dreht es sich um ein sehr bekanntes Filmstudio!

Ghibli Ist das Gegenstück zum westlichen Disney.

Der Regisseur und Drehbuchautor Hayao Miyazaki hat Ghibli mit Isao Takahata gegründet und im Buch wird es deutlich das sie nie dachten das sie so großen erfolg haben werden.Für mich ist es kein Wunder da hier viel Talent und Liebe zum Detail drinne steckt.

Dieses Abenteuer mit Michael Leader und Jake Cunningham zu starten hat mir eine Menge Freude bereitet! Beide haben hier etwas Großartiges geschaffen, um Fans wie mich abzuholen und in Erinnerungen zu schwelgen und auch über manche Dinge eine andere Sicht zu bekommen. Es fühlt sich an ,als hätte ich endlich alles erfahren .

Und auch unwissende können und werden bestimmt davon verschlungen .Studio Ghibli wird jeden entführen, der es zulässt .Es ist für jeden etwas dabei .

Das was in allen Filmen drin ist die Liebe zur Natur und die atmosphärischen Kulissen und leckeres Essen!

Ich liebe alles an der Ghibliothek und für mich eine Bereicherung in meiner Bibliothek!

Eine klare Empfehlung an alle die eine wunderschöne Zeit haben möchten!

Ich bedanke mich herzlichst für das Bereitstellen des Leseexemplars an den Verlag!

Alles Gute, eure Jassy!
Profile Image for Fipah.
245 reviews75 followers
December 23, 2023
Toto je asi jediné dostupné dielo ku kompletnej filmotéke štúdia Ghibli v češtine, je to veľmi pekne spracované – určite je to skvelé ako darček, myslím si, že fanúšikovia to určite ocenia, má to veľmi pekné fotografie a celý text v sebe nesie veľa lásky autorov ku Ghibli filmom.

Formát je jednoduchý: jedná sa o chronologicky usporiadané filmy. Každý film je následne rozdelený do dvoch častí: prvá je taká úvodná a popisuje rôzne okolnosti ako film vznikal, prečo sa rozhodli ísť k takej a takej téme, ako to celé nadväzuje na históriu štúdia a na ich predošlé filmy a záverom či film bol úspešný, koľko zarobil a aké je jeho posolstvo. Druhá časť je vždy recenzia. Tie recenzie na môj vkus boli takého druhu... ktorý ja až tak osobne nemusím, ale mnohí ho môžu oceniť. Často sa mi zdalo, že slová použili, ale veľa nepovedali – a inak preto ani neobsahovali priveľa spoilerov a nevadilo mi prečítať si o filmoch, ktoré nemám pozreté, pretože tie "spoilery" mi často prišli také, že by sa aj tak nechádzali v upútavkách a neboli ničím ultra prekvapivým (nie vždy samozrejme, ale väčšinou mi to také prišlo).

Uvedomujem si ale, že písať pútavé recenzie, ktoré nie sú len kvetnatou chválou na "majstrovstvo režiséra", ale viac konkretizujú, je celkom umenie – rovnako ako spraviť takéto kompendium filmotéky animačného štúdia. Bolo to milé, niekedy trochu nudné, ale milé.
Profile Image for Namratha.
1,123 reviews252 followers
May 23, 2022
I think the title says it all and it more than lived up to its promise. Getting a layered, detailed and revered insight into the Ghibli oeuvre was a journey worth taking. It faithfully covers Ghibli's best, mediocre and downright painful with a tart and honest approach.

You luxuriate in the blue skies, rippling green grass, detailed architecture, soft focus imagery, vibrant film posters, powerful storylines and memorable characters which have been the strongholds of Studio Ghibli. The book has a two-pronged approach : production and technical analysis by a long-time Ghibli enthusiast and thought-provoking reviews by a newly hatched fan. Together, they take us into the brilliant mind of Hayao Miyazaki and his constantly changing world views, doesn't dare forget about Ghibli's other essential creative mammoth, Isao Takahata and explains how Toshio Suzuki, the canny producer artfully made the two powerhouses arrive at a grudging consensus, time and time again. It also does a dutiful nod to the next generation of Ghibli animators and writers who had some improbably big shoes to fill.

This is a must-have for a Studio Ghibli disciple and if you are like me, you will immediately want to bundle up for a much-needed movie marathon.
Profile Image for Benita.
253 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2024
Mich begleitet Studio Ghibli schon seit meiner Kindheit. Anfangen mit Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland bis zum bislang letzten Werk Der Junge und der Reiher. Daher habe ich mich wirklich sehr gefreut, als dieses wunderschöne Buch bei mir ankam.
Ich weiß natürlich auch, dass Totoro das Aushängeschild von Studio Ghibli ist, trotzdem hätte ich mir gewünscht, dass auch die anderen Filme mit auf dem Cover vertreten wären. Vor allem, da Totoro auch nicht gerade zu meinen Favoriten gehört 😂. Könnte mich selber aber niemals auf nur einen Favoriten unter den Filmen entscheiden.
Es ist gefüllt mit Bildern, Filmplakaten und unglaublich vielen Infos zu allen Studio Ghibli Filmen und ich habe wirklich jede Seite daran geliebt. Für mich ist dieses Buch ein absolutes Must Have als Fan all dieser Filme und den Werken, die mit wo viel Liebe in diesem Studio erschaffen wurden.
Vor allem noch mal zurück in die Welt meiner liebsten Filme abzustauben war einfach schön. Natürlich gibt es auch bei den Studio Ghibli Filmen welche, die mir nicht so zugesagt haben. Trotzdem war es spannend mehr über die Entstehung, die Ideen dahinter und das große Ganze zu lesen.
Insgesamt kann ich nur sagen, ich bin sehr glücklich, dieses Buch mein eigen zu nennen 🥺❤️.
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