Relive the evolution of Studio Ghibli

For many Westerners, the films of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli are the entry point for Japanese animation. With their meticulously detailed worlds and breathtaking, hand-drawn style, they’re the type of movies that transcend their genre and cause people to say things like, “I don’t like anime, but I like Miyazaki.” Now, thanks to this fanmade supercut, you can relive the magic of all of Studio Ghibli’s feature films starting with Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind (which was technically released before the studio was officially founded in 1985) all the way to When Marnie Was There from 2015.

It’s easy to see that, even back in the studio’s early days, their films had that same immersive quality that fans have come to expect. The worlds of My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service feel real and alive despite their fantastical elements. That realism only becomes more pronounced as the quality of animation progressed, making the early-2000s’ Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle feel like portals to other worlds.

It’s also interesting to see the differences between the films Miyazaki wrote and directed himself and the slightly less fantastical ones helmed by other Ghibli collaborators. Isao Takahata’s Grave Of The Fireflies stands out as being an anime film that’s completely grounded in reality but is nonetheless beautifully made and emotionally devastating. And with the announcement earlier this year that Hayao Miyazaki is coming out of retirement, we can all look forward to at least one more engrossing film being added to this collection.

[via Digg]