Grave of the Fireflies (1988): Production Stories and Animation Details
Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (Official Studio Ghibli) is a 1988 animated feature. This article gathers some trivia and stories behind the making of Grave of the…
Chronological archive
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Browse every SifrInsight article in reverse chronological order, from the newest publication back through the archive.
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
From Up on Poppy Hill (Official Studio Ghibli) is a 2011 animated feature directed by Gorō Miyazaki. Here, I look back at the characters and voice actors of…
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011): Synopsis, Ending, and Analysis
Studio Ghibli#8217;s From Up on Poppy Hill (Official Studio Ghibli Website) is a 2011 animated feature directed by Gorō Miyazaki, with a screenplay co-written by his father, Hayao…
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011): Passing the Baton, On Screen and at Ghibli
From Up on Poppy Hill (Studio Ghibli Official) is a 2011 animated feature directed and storyboarded by Gorō Miyazaki. With a screenplay by his father, Hayao Miyazaki, it…
Ponyo (2008): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
Ponyo (Official Studio Ghibli Website) is a 2008 animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Here, I look back at the characters and voice actors of Ponyo, considering their…
Ponyo (2008): Synopsis, Ending, and Analysis
Released on July 19, 2008, Ponyo (Studio Ghibli Official Website) is an animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Since Princess Mononoke, his films had rarely felt quite so…
Ponyo (2008): 8 Pieces of Trivia and Behind-the-Scenes Stories
Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo (Official Studio Ghibli Website) is an animated feature released in 2008. Here, I’ve collected some trivia and behind-the-scenes stories about Ponyo. None of this is…
Ponyo (2008): Why Does Sōsuke Call His Mother “Lisa”?
Ponyo (Official Studio Ghibli Website) is a 2008 animated feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. I remember having little to say about it after my first viewing. One…
Ponyo (2008): Gran Mamare and Sōsuke’s Future — The Melancholy of Men, Part 3
When Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo(Official Studio Ghibli) came out in 2008, it struck me as very much a children’s film. I was already a university student, and it did…
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
Howl#8217;s Moving Castle (Studio Ghibli Official Website) is an animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 2004. Here, I’ll look back at the characters of Howl#8217;s Moving…
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): Synopsis, Ending, and Interpretation
Howl#8217;s Moving Castle (Studio Ghibli Official) is an animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released on November 20, 2004. Its Japanese tagline was “The two lived together.” I…
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): Why Does Sophie Become Old and Young?
Howl#8217;s Moving Castle(Official Studio Ghibli Website) is an animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 2004. I previously discussed the film as part of my Melancholy of…
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): Sophie’s Captives — The Melancholy of Men, Part 2
When Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl#8217;s Moving Castle(Official Studio Ghibli Website) opened in 2004, I remember much of the conversation centering on its Japanese leads, Chieko Baisho and Takuya Kimura.…
Porco Rosso (1992): Synopsis, Ending, and Analysis
Porco Rosso(Official Studio Ghibli Website) is a feature-length animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released on July 18, 1992. Its Japanese tagline is “This is what it means…
Spirited Away (2001): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
Spirited Away(Official Studio Ghibli Website) is Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature released in 2001. Looking back at the characters of Spirited Away and their English voice actors, I want…
Spirited Away (2001): Synopsis, Ending, and Analysis
Hayao Miyazaki#8217;s Spirited Away (Studio Ghibli Official) was released on July 20, 2001. Its appeal has endured long after its extraordinary box-office success. Here, I summarize Spirited Away…
Spirited Away (2001): The “Phantom Ending” and the Art of Inventing Memories
Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (Official Studio Ghibli Website) was released in 2001. Ghibli’s films attract many urban legends; on this blog, I sometimes write things that resemble them…
Spirited Away (2001): Haku’s Identity and the Mysterious Hand
Spirited Away(Official Studio Ghibli) is Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature released in 2001. This time, I want to consider a persistent rumor about one of the film’s central characters,…
Spirited Away (2001): Zeniba’s Seal and the Two Sides of Miyazaki
In my previous article, I considered why Yubaba takes people’s names in Spirited Away(Official Studio Ghibli). Read the previous analysis: Why Does Yubaba Take People’s Names? This time,…
Spirited Away (2001): Why Does Yubaba Take People’s Names?
In my previous article, I wrote at length about why Chihiro knows her parents are not among the pigs at the end of Spirited Away(Studio Ghibli Official). Read…