My Neighbour Totoro review – Miyazaki’s supernatural masterpiece still enchants
Studio Ghibli’s inspirationally lovely film about a girl’s encounter with a gentle creature only becomes more beguiling with repeated viewings
July 2024
The Imaginary review – charming anime about made-up best friends from former Ghibli protege
Spirited Away animator Yoshiyuki Momose takes the reins in this dreamy and dark family fable, adapted from AF Harrold’s novel of the same name
May 2024
The week in theatre: Withnail and I; Spirited Away; Mary Said What She Said; Boys on the Verge of Tears – review
Spirited Away review – Studio Ghibli gem becomes a theatrical feast
April 2024
Studio Ghibli’s work ‘like Shakespeare’, says My Neighbour Totoro stage show’s director
Hayao Miyazaki’s animations praised by Phelim McDermott as new production in West End announced
March 2024
‘Irreplaceable’: will Hayao Miyazaki, Japan’s animation auteur, ever retire?
The Boy and the Heron’s Oscar win has prompted debate over whether the 83-year-old could put down his pencil
December 2023
Wendy Ide's film of the week
The Boy and the Heron review – overplotted Miyazaki still delights
At 82, the revered director of Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro has made his most personal film yet – a sometimes unwieldy tale of a 12-year-old boy coming to terms with his mother’s death
From Barbie to Cameron: the most memorable comebacks of 2023
Observer writers choose the outstanding returns of the year in the worlds of politics, fashion, sport and film
‘I’m really serious this time!’: have Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli made their final masterpiece?
The veteran animation genius has said he’s retiring – but as he’s changed his mind before, should anyone take his word for it? We travel to Ghibli HQ in Tokyo to find out what’s going on
November 2023
Observer New Review Q&A
Actor Mei Mac: ‘I gave a piece of my soul to My Neighbour Totoro’
The star of the hit RSC production on playing a four-year-old, her love of the sea and why Ghibli storytelling changes how you view the world
October 2023
Japan: Myths to Manga review – kids, can you see the rabbit grinding rice on the moon?
Japan’s rich folklore has hugely influenced movies, manga, anime and video games, as this intriguing show proves. Children will love it – but adults should bring kneepads
September 2023
Studio Ghibli to be acquired by Nippon TV after struggle to find a successor to Miyazaki
Deal secures the long-term future of studio led by celebrated Japanese animator
July 2023
The Guardian view on Studio Ghibli: a Japanese success story in a faltering film world
Latest Studio Ghibli mystery film release ends months of guesswork for Japanese fans
June 2023
Studio Ghibli to release Hayao Miyazaki’s final film with no trailers or promotion
The director and veteran of Studio Ghibli plans to retire after the release of How Do You Live? which will forgo trailers and marketing ahead of its Japanese release next month
March 2023
My Neighbour Totoro to return to the Barbican
The Studio Ghibli adaptation, which is up for nine Olivier awards this weekend, will open in November
November 2022
No fun rides but plenty of spirit: Studio Ghibli offers anime fans a new walk in the park
Ghibli Park, which opened this week, offers an immersive glimpse into the worlds created by the likes of Hayao Miyazaki, but don’t expect any rollercoaster rides
October 2022
My Neighbour Totoro review – dazzling staging of the Studio Ghibli classic
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production has astonishing puppetry, magical music and huge emotional impact
July 2022
The Deer King review – Studio Ghibli graduates take on dystopian deer tamer saga
Two grandees of Japanese animation adapt a Nahoko Uehashi fantasy novel that covers too much ground to take flight
June 2022
Muppet power! RSC uses puppet legends for My Neighbour Totoro extravaganza
The RSC’s version of the Japanese classic has smashed box office records – before the curtain’s even gone up. We meet the Jim Henson puppeteers bringing Studio Ghibli’s beloved fluffy monsters to life
