“Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.”
For Hayao Miyazaki — the iconic animator and co-founder of Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli — ‘love’ is two people inspiring each other to live, and the idea is perfectly encapsulated in Ghibli movies like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and many more. The films cast a spell of creativity and romance over wide-eyed audiences, making the mundane magical. With stories of parents turning into pigs (Spirited Away), warrior princesses being raised by wolves (Princess Mononoke) and fighter-pilot pigs (Porco Rosso), Miyazaki strikes the perfect balance between fantasy and reality, because in between shots of warring princesses and flying homes are moments where… nothing really happens, at least nothing which would forward the plot. But isn’t life lived in these nothings? A child walking around her house, a mother preparing dinner, and daily commutes. These instances of mundanity highlight the beauty in our everyday lives and provide a sort of comfort that is hard to find in our fast-paced world.
This is what makes people fall in love with Ghibli films, wearing clothes that you can run and jump and climb trees on, the peace that comes from sitting by the window side of the train and watching the world move by, walking through the town, reading on a bench, gazing at the sunrise and long laughs with friends. Yes, there is pain and suffering, with the movies tackling serious issues such as the self-destructive tendencies of humans in Howl’s Moving Castle and depictions of parental abuse in Only Yesterday. Yet, love, warmth, and wholesomeness can always be found.
And then there’s the food. Every Ghibli film contains aesthetically pleasing food shots. From Chihiro’s tears of relief at getting a rice ball from Haku to Howl cooking bacon and eggs for everyone in his castle, food expresses joy, comfort and emotion without a single dialogue. It won’t be wrong to say that the food of Studio Ghibli films, be it onigiri, a warm bowl of noodles, red bean paste buns, rice porridge, or even Ponyo’s ‘happy drink,’ is reminiscent of Enid Blyton and Anne of Green Gables in the best possible way, filling viewers with warmth (and hunger) and reminding them of the small moments of joy that make life worth living.
The young, starry-eyed protagonists heal the viewers’ inner child, making us feel braver, kinder, and more hopeful with every watch. In his own words, Miyazaki created these masterpieces “to tell children that it’s good to be alive.” So, the next time you find yourself feeling down, a hot mug of tea (or Ponyo’s happy drink) and a dive into the magically immersive world of Studio Ghibli might be the perfect panacea to your blues.