Grave of the Fireflies (1988): Why Did Seita and Setsuko Have to Die?
Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1988. I have written about many films, but for a long time I could not put my…
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Browse every SifrInsight article in reverse chronological order, from the newest publication back through the archive.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988): The Mystery of the “Rain of Fire”
Isao Takahata experienced an air raid in Okayama when he was nine. In his 1988 film, Grave of the Fireflies(Official Studio Ghibli), he wanted to recreate the “rain…
Grave of the Fireflies (1988): Seita’s Emotional Wounds and the Parallel with Shinji Ikari
Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies(Studio Ghibli Official) was released in 1988. Based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s novel, it follows Seita and his younger sister, Setsuko, during the final…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
My Neighbor Totoro(Official Studio Ghibli Website) is a 1988 animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Here, I look back at the characters and voice actors, considering their appeal…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Synopsis, Analysis, and Character Map
Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro(Studio Ghibli Official) was released on April 16, 1988. Its Japanese promotional line was: #8220;This strange creature is still in Japan. Probably.#8221; Many of…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Kanta, Satsuki, and a Reading of Their Future
Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro(Official Studio Ghibli) gives us Kanta, Satsuki’s classmate and, to my eye, a boy plainly in love with her. But does that…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): What Satsuki’s Tears Reveal
In Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film, My Neighbor Totoro(Official Studio Ghibli), Satsuki and Mei live with their father while their mother is in hospital. Neither girl usually shows how…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Two Readings of the Mother’s Lie
In Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film, My Neighbor Totoro(Studio Ghibli Official), the scene in which Yasuko Kusakabe combs Satsuki’s hair is especially beautiful. Yet I think the mother tells…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Why the “God of Death” Urban Legend Took Hold
Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film, My Neighbor Totoro(Official Studio Ghibli), has become one of Studio Ghibli’s defining works. Many of us watched it again and again as children. I…
Castle in the Sky (1986): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map
Castle in the Sky(Studio Ghibli Official) is an animated feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released on August 2, 1986. Here, I want to revisit the film#8217;s characters and…
Castle in the Sky (1986): Synopsis, Analysis, and Character Map
Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky(Studio Ghibli Official) was released on August 2, 1986. It was Studio Ghibli’s first film—or, rather, the studio was founded to make it.…
Castle in the Sky (1986): Why Did the Robot Trooper Fall?
In my previous piece on Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky(Studio Ghibli Official), I explored Pazu’s difficult life and his feelings about his father through a line I…
Castle in the Sky (1986): What Pazu’s Wind Quote Means to Him
Hayao Miyazaki’s 1986 film Castle in the Sky(Studio Ghibli Official) is, I think, one of his most popular works. It was probably the Miyazaki film I watched most…