I like the fact that most ghibli movies don’t have a “villain”, like maybe an antagonist but not so much a villain, no one is inherently evil without explanation like in other children movies
yeah, they show both characters in a sympathetic light, WHILST still condemming them for evil actions. It teaches kids that you can have compassion and understand WHY someone did something bad/evil, without excusing their actions and letting them be free of consequence. I love it
I think this is a western thing. I'm taking Script classes and while analyzing movies, our teacher told us and I quote, that a lot of our antagonists should be "unstoppable nature strengths "
I always viewed Chihiro’s characterization a little differently- not as whiny or lazy, but extremely anxious and resistant to change. I think her clothes sort of subtly reflect this by being oversized, emphasizing how small and overwhelmed she feels at the beginning. In the end, I think the hair tie can also represent her newfound bravery. Although she leaves in the same clothes that she started in, her hair tie serves as symbol for the audience that the character growth she experienced won’t be forgotten.
Yes!!! I agree. I never saw the dub and it’s been well over a decade since I saw it, but I remember Chihiro and her parents were moving. I think she was bummed about changing schools because her mom was mentioning making new friends.
I agree with this we may not see much of a physical change in Chihiro's character but it is the change within that is envoked by the end of the film when she wears that hairtie. To me it carries not only the symbol of her experiences in the Spirit World but also holds close to her all the close relationships/friendships and bonds she made with the different people, animals haha and creatures/beings (No Face) she met in the Spirit World
Studio ghibli has such a soft and beautiful aesthetic, i think the better word to describe ut is… peaceful. The music, the colors, the art style and the narrative are so gorgeous and I love everything about it.
I use the soundtracks from Studio Ghibli films to study to-they’re so chill and unobtrusive and really don’t distract, but create a kind of quiet focus for me.
That claim is truth for films like Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle. But Princess Mononoke on the other hand was such a tough watch, it hurt me so much seeing the humans destroy the fotest with no regards for the creatures living there 😭😭😭
Yes, I believe this was done intentionally to place emphasis on the little things in life- almost as a way of romanticizing everyday life. Such as the excitement you get from looking at a delicious meal- ghibli does a fantastic job at bringing these features to the forefront of their movies.
@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 i agree, but although the message and some images are kind of harsh, the movie still manages to have beautiful moments with amazing music and views, especially wen they’re in the forest
The opposite happened to me agdjs. I was SO jealous of them eating all that tasty food like I was ready to risk it all. Turning to a pig is 100% worth it.
As an american, learning some of the historical context in miyazaki’s films seriously enriches my understanding of their themes. Elements like this are almost always overlooked in video essays but they add so much to the story. Thank you Mina, every time I see you’ve uploaded I know I’m in for a treat ♡
Both pronunciations are technically correct! The original word that was used for the name of the studio (which is Italian) is pronounced with a hard G, but the japanese pronunciation is with a soft G, so both are correct
@@nina5drioli The studios not italian bit the creator loves planes and so named it after an Italian plane nicknamed ghibli (the inspiration for the plane name was the libiyan arabic word ghibli but thats as far as ill go)
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on Howl’s Moving Castle, and it’s semi- Edwardian/ Steampunk aesthetic. I love Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, but I guess they aren’t as good for fashion critique.
@@romipiratería Same! When she listed the films I kind of expected her to do a Ghibli trilogy of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s- the three films that I think are well suited/ rich for costume analysis.
ahhh Kiki’s delivery service and my neighbor totoro are my childhood favorites🥲 I have such fond memories of watching them, the amount of comfort and nostalgia I feel from just thinking about it is immense honestly. And Howl’s moving castle I’ve watched for the first time quite recently and I’m in love it’s so good💔
i genuinely don’t think enough people talk about and appreciate the music in these movies. the soundtracks give the movies (and me) life. like damn props to who wrote the pieces, i love them so much.
I think almost every Ghibli movie directed by Hayao had the music composed by Joe Hisaishi. His work is phenomenal! There's a Studio Ghibli's 25th birthday concert on UA-cam.
Everyone mentions the music when talking about Ghibli’s films, it’s a huge part of what makes them special. Hell, even the channel Sideways made a video about it quite a while ago.
joe hisaishi is so talented, i was happy to know that even the ni no kuni games that ghibli worked on included music by him! being able to just run around the world and listen to ghibli music is just aaaaa lovely.
I don't agree, a lot of people love the music, there are so many covers on the internet and lots of playlist just of ghibli music. The composer for (at least most of) these films, Joe Hisahishi is extremely famous and beloved.
You talked about an article where the author criticized that Ashitaka stayed with the people in Iron Town instead of returning to his village. This is actually addressed in the movie why he does not go home though, it’s because he can’t return! When Ashitaka is cursed by the boar spirit the elder of the town tells him he has to cut off his top knot and that he is forbidden from returning. Because of the curse he is cast out from his village. No one in the village is even allowed to see him off or say goodbye to him (but his sister does anyway). But that is why Ashitaka stays with the people of Iron Town! Hope that clears some things up!
I would also like to add that the inability or refusal to “return” is something that comes back in Miyazaki movies to some extent; see for example Chihiro’s instructions not to look back at the end of Spirited Away. I think it has to do with change; how the only viable way is forward, by remembering one’s experiences and building on them to make something better, not by trying to return to one’s past or stay frozen in time.
@@Schneeeulenwetter the fact that the crystal dagger holds some sort of significance for engaged couples definitely frames Ashitaka’s relationship with San in a specific way
And it's the same with Kaya! She gives him the necklace and then Ashitaka give it to San, proof that "he moved on". In Emishi tradition girls gave a dagger to their future husband on the day of their wedding, but since he was leaving, in the scene it was used as a symbol of love. I read an article where they state some translations took the liberty to depict Kaya as his sister because it wouldn't be "morally correct" in a way to leave his soon-to-be-wife and never come back. In my native language (fr) she is his sister as well. Although it could simply be a translation error since she calls him "onii-sama" Also, according to Miyazaki, Kaya was already pregnant with Ashitaka's child, so his legend was passed on by their descendants. So clearly they were lovers.
Ghibli movies do such a great job at world building. I remember the first time I watched Howl's Moving Castle I immediately thought "this movie is set in Germany" just based on the architecture alone. A few minutes further into the movie there are posters in German confirming this. Even though the worlds of Ghibli movies are almost always fantastical, there are always enough real world details that make them feel like they could actually exist.
it’s interesting you thought so because the book it’s based on is from an English writer Diana W. Jones. and to me (in the books that is) it seems like the fictional world is more like 19th century England than Germany. but in the movie it really is very similar to Germany and the during the First World War. also, fun fact. the war is not a very prominent plot line in the book. it’s more focused on the magic and its characters while with Miyazaki it’s more like an anti-war commentary than anything else.
I think the reason he stayed in iron town, is because before leaving, when he cuts his hair (strong symbol in Asia), I read somewhere that he essentially dies in the eyes of his people, hence why they are so sad. He is in a way exiled/banished/dead so that he can leave them and go on his quest. So I think he stays in iron town because he can't go back to his village. Idk I'm no expert :3
You should become a professor of some sort or an instructor. Like I would absolutely love to take any fashion course from you because you are so eloquent, engaging, and your videos are structured like a well-written essay. I feel like I end up absorbing and learning a lot from your videos. You would have no problem teaching a class.
I almost screamed when I saw this notification! Studio Ghibli deserves so much more love from Western audiences. I consider it much more empowering and supportive to young girls than Disney, because it doesn’t reinforce childlike/“innocent” beauty standards and pit women against each other (via the “jealous old hag” archetype). It’s just so relaxing and lovely and wholesome, Studio Ghibli makes you feel calm and happy while also framing young girls as limitless with their creativity :)
I had to pause the video and cry at the beginning of the Princess Mononoke segment. It really broke my heart to learn that a character’s inspiration and background came from a culture that’s no longer around.
I have to refute the brothel theory. Miyazaki himself said that Spirited Away was a movie he made for a friend's 10 or 12 year old daughter. And he looked at her and wanted to make a movie for her. Any brothel analogy is simply something invented by people analyzing the film later and NOT something Miyazaki intended nor supports himself.
That makes sense but also id have to add maybe he did do it intentionally for the adults to teach them about child prostitution. Example, kind of how many movies or shows add inappropriate jokes for the adults but are subtle that it goes over kids heads.
Yes! Thank you! I hate this theory. It turns a sweet coming of age story into something horrible and dark! Especially when Miyazaki has always said he wants his movies to encourage children to live and look forward to the future.
@@philia95 Giving a subconscious safety warning is good for kids IMO. That's why tons of fairy tales cover super dark topics like being kidnapped, killed, eaten, ect. Nothing in life is fully innocent and happy, and keeping children from leaning even subconscious and metaphorical dangers makes them very vulnerable to manipulation and abuse as adults. Ghibli in his many films shows kids and minors in dark situations, but also shows how their optimism, courage, and resilience can change the world. It is often the adults who are stuck in their ways and are too afraid to make the changes necessary to fix a situation.
I think you have to take into consideration that My Neighbor Totoro loosely referenced a Japanese murder case which was also explicitly confirmed by ghibli studio
Genuinely, I knew Miyazaki was progressive, but his takes on period dramas.... *damn.* As an American, I really had no clue how politically charged some of the choices in Mononoke were!
He's talked about having been way more politically active in his youth and used to identify as a Marxist, but he's def retained his left-wing values. He decried the Abe administration revising the constitution and not giving proper recognition of the nation's past war crimes, which resulted in a bunch of right-wing dweebs getting assmad and even swearing off his films. He refused to step foot in the US from 2003-2009 because of the Iraq War, and even weighed in on the 2016 election and called both Trump and Clinton terrible candidates, lol.
Dear Mina, could you please do Sophie's Outfits from Howls moving castle? Its one of my favorite ghibli movies so I would be happy if you talked about them
Now that u mention it. It reminds me of Youbaba’s dress (i don’t know how to spell her name, never saw it written) actually a lot of the heroines wear a blue dress Sheeta, sophie, youbaba. San (in a way)
The film acc takes inspirations from DWJs books but Yall would be disappointed to learn the book is v different to the movie but both a good in there own right just events happen differently and characters are different as well as there motives as well as the books don’t put much empathises on their clothing
@@elliezzz7812 I read the book and the book does have a lot of characters that aren't in the film but I just wished that Mina would talk about Sophie's or Howls clothing that's all
i love that you went into the differences between the sub and dub versions of spirited away, Haku's more formal language is definitely something that just doesn't translate into the english dub! and also the note on what Zeniba said to Chihiro at the ending too. I grew up with the japanese version and never understood why so many people shipped Haku and Chihiro so much!! I never saw them in much of a romantic context and for me their relationship was much more focused on the friendship and solidarity aspect and it finally makes sense why. I have been watching so many of your videos since I first watched your keira knightley video (i'm a big fan of our queen of period dramas) and I am in love with the amazing content you produce I love your work Mina and hope you continue to enjoy sharing the beauty and complexities of fashion with people for as long as your heart desires
The way this video is absolutely free is shocking. I’d imagine this is the kind of information that would be embedded in some sort of historical or pop culture fashion course in university. My brain has been so thoroughly enriched 😌
Amazing breakdown! Thank you so much! So many Japanese people think Japan is a single-race county and abandoning the existence of other races. Not just Emishi, Ainu, and Ryūkyūans but more, all the Korean Japanese people and people with different ethnicity who are born and raised in Japan. And some people still see them as "foreigners" especially if they don't look like a typical east Asian. it's probably not as bad as 10-20 years ago but still, some people don't realize how diverse Japan is. Thank you so much. the video made me realize again how good Studio Ghibli movies are and how good Lady Eboshi's character is.
Super random but the train scene in spirited away always touched me, even when I was just a kid. There’s a sense of tranquility and sadness to it, its hard to describe but by far my favorite (even if it makes me cry sometimes!!)
@@liliaweber7257 Not so creepy, more realistic/opportunistic. Wearing the pelt would have made her smell more like her family, thus an easier time being adopted into it, and she would need the fur to protect against the cold. The lost pup would no longer have need of it.
I think studio Ghibli is so successful because they somehow communicate in a universal human language. Even in movies like Spirited Away that are filled with Japanese culture that I don't understand, I can feel the emotions through the visuals, expressions, and body language.
I would love to hear your take on the clothing in "When Marnie Was There" - another Studio Ghibli film. Mostly because it has some early 20th century inspired western clothing, modern garments, and some traditional Japanese clothing as well. The main character, if I'm remembering correctly, is mixed white and Japanese. I think it would be interesting to discuss.
another thing about princess mononoke that i love is the bond between ashitaka and san. it feels to me like them coming together represents two subjugated peoples (the emishi and the nature spirits) uniting to fight against the destructive side of industrialism. i also think it's important that the demon that cursed ashitaka was created by a bullet from irontown, bc that strengthens the connection between ashitaka and san as two people whose lives have been threatened by the same thing. loved your analysis of lady eboshi's role as well! i've always loved how many layers there are to her character
Watching the Ghibli films for the first time I was fascinated by Miyazaki's meticulous world building (including the clothes), in many cases being an exaggerated portray of the time period where the original material was written. But I'm really all in to hear an expert analyze it and not a noob like me.
I'm so happy you chose Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke for this video. They're amazing movies, and it makes sense for this topic. I own the "Art of" books for each of these movies because they're my favorite Studio Ghibli movies. Great video! I love learning about Japanese history, cause I really don't know a thing and have a lot to learn!
Actually, since the word comes from an italian airplane that was named after an italian (and I think also arabic?) word, its true pronunciation is with the hard G. Miyazaki has admited that he mispronounced the word by pronouncing it "Jiburi" instead of doing it with the hard G, but the Japanese pronunciation stayed like that because it was already popular. Anyway, this video was really enjoyable.
Actually what zeniba says at the end in Japanese can be interpreted either the way the subs translated it or the dub. The word あった (atta) can be translated to either meet or for something to be there or in this case to have happened, depending on context and what Chinese character you write the word in. So none of the translations are wrong :)
But didn't she say atta koto, not atta hito? So you wouldn't refer to a person you met as an occurrence or a thing, a こと, bc that's rude, like referring to a person as "it". So it would be あったこと、not 会った人。Even considering Haku as the river, you could still say kawa to deatta but for sure in this story Haku is a proper jinbutsu so.. yeah I think Mina's right on this one and the sub is more accurate.
@@luca.desu.2590 I don’t know what your Japanese level is but atta koto here doesn’t refer to meeting an object, it just refers to “to have met”. Like 食べたこと doesn’t refer to the thing that was eaten bc that would be 食べたもの, it means “to have eaten”.
@@luca.desu.2590 I would agree that within the context and broader themes of the movie “something that has happened is never forgotten” is the choice that makes more sense, but neither of the translations is wrong in a linguistic sense They did change it up a little in the dub for the sentence to make more sense in English, I’m not saying it’s a word for word translation. If you assume that it’s 会う and not ある, a direct translation would be something like “to once have met is never forgotten”, which doesn’t make sense in English grammar.
@@heathersaxton8118 but I take your point that it could technically mean the occurrence of having met, but that's so splitting hairs without any antecedents and nothing to indicate that specific occurrence over all others, so the point that the sub overemphasizes the romance over the original meaning stands
When I was a kid, I identified with Ashitaka and the Emishi based on their clothing. Although not similar to Hmong clothing, it still resonated with me.
Only recently have I begun to understand the importance of voicing indigenous cultures in mainstream media and Miyazaki did so well incorporating a lost history. Such a good video Mina! Learnt so much about Mononoke for this, it carries such heavy and important themes about traditional ownership of land, and the atrocities of genocide.
Seriously, the Princess Mononoke dub is top tier, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett Smith, they were doing the most! and I personally love the 'held back frustration' Billy Crudrup brings to Ashitaka. How is it even slightly embarrassing to watch the dubs... especially since many of us watched these movies as children, who aren't exactly known for their ability to read quickly.
Yeah it's so weird esp because it's not like you can only watch a movie one way once and that's it. Personally, if I have the option to choose either I'll watch the dub first and then the sub. Once I've seen it and heard the audio I can pay more attention to the other details including the tones of voice in the sub. But there's no right or wrong way to do it.
I hate reading subtitles. I can't focus on the visuals and I always keep rewinding especially if the conversation is fast paced. There's nothing weird with liking Dub. Some of us just don't care. Thanks for bringing this up.
I generally prefer watching anime in Japanese with subtitles, but with Miyazaki films I'll usually watch it both ways because they do such a great job with their dubs.
I studied Princess Mononoke in Japanese film class in college and I'm very impressed with your thorough review of the costumes and historical inspirations/setting! Thank you for letting everyone know about them, it's so important that the information on native tribes of Japan become more widespread to break the narrative of a completely homogenous country. Loved the Spirited Away section as well!
I always loved Ghibli's style of storytelling and how they're not afraid of coming with more morally gray-ish characters (both "heroes" and "villains"). Also Miyazaki's love for nature always inspired me as an artist and as a person since I was 4 years old. I think this is why I LOVE solarpunk, a kind of more optimistic punk where nature and the advances of techonoly go by hand. Techonology is made to help people, not to harm nature. Also as a person with celtic heritage not being treated too well by their country it resonates with me so much everytime Ghibli and so many other artists really yearn for this type of modern-traditional connection
OMG, please do another Ghibli movies analyses. I think Porco Rosso, Princess Kaguya and Grave of the Fireflies would be very interesting considering the time and place they are set. I love that you also talked about Chihiro's Bath House in the movie. In generall I never realised how Spirited Away have a juxtaposition with Modern x Traditional, Western x Eastern.
I have watched A LOT of Ghibli analysis on these two movies specifically, but I had never seen or thought about the Zeniba/Yubaba paralels. I really loved that! Thank you! One thing I really love about Chihiro it's the water metaphors. Miyazaki could talk about the destruction of nature in so many forms but he chose to use characters that are rivers. There's the whole bathhouse thing, as you explained beautifully. Also, to go into the spirit world Chihiro crosses a body of water. In Shinto there's this river that symbolizes the border between visible/invisible worlds. Then when she visits Zeniba, Chihiro crosses water too. It does feel that she has to/when she crosses waters she is able to see things differently.
Hi Mina! As a Japanese, I'm so glad that you picked Ghibli and talked about the detail of the outfits. It is kinda rare to see this much detailed analysis about Japanese traditional clothes from non-Japanese person, so I'm shocked lol. I just want to say that "THE BROTHEL THEORY" 18:06 about Spirited Away is almost the well-known FACT among the Japanese fans. It is confirmed by the actual producers and animators, including Hayao Miyazaki himself. The women shown in that bathhouse are "Yuna(湯女)", which are the unlicensed prostitutes who specifically worked in bathhouses in Edo period. It is said that they were so popular that Edo government had to close over 200 bathhouses in Edo to keep the public morals. It is also true that No Face represents a pedophile, he literally said ”I want you" "I offer you money". So there actually is a pretty dark metaphor.
studio ghibli can bring world peace, cure diseases and calm any panic attacks at 3 in the morning. okay may be i'm overreacting, but lets be honest who are we talking about? 🧙♀️🌸
@@work-in-progress But can you 'at least' use the Edit-Option of youtube for the start of the sentences? So they can be big, as they deserve to be? As they WISH to be?
i would love to see u talking about nana and ai yazawa in general!! ur research is always incredible and i respect ur work a lot !!! (plus u kinda look like a nana character already hehe)
Mina would you ever consider doing a video on Josephine Baker or Marlene Dietrich? I'd love your thoughts on their styles and influence in pop culture.
If you want a really interesting anime movie with historical references reflected in clothing, may I recommend Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress! the story goes through an actress's life as she recounts her own life story and blends it with the many films she's starred in, many being historical dramas. it might be an interesting one to look at
Yes, Satoshi Kon deserves so much appreciation for his films and impact on the anime and film industry. Still lowkey mad that Aronofosky basically stole his story and gave him zero credit, in spite of _buying the rights to his film_ to adapt for Hollywood, using several of his themes, motifs, and story elements, and collaborating with him prior to his death. It’s so disrespectful, cowardly, and disingenuous to deny any of Kon’s influence on his film only after he died, just because he wanted to take all the credit for the ideas in Black Swan. It made me lose any respect for him or his films, especially since the Inception directors had no problem crediting Satoshi Kon because it’s just the right thing to do. He could’ve just said he was inspired by Kon’s film (PB) and Aronfosky could’ve given the criminally underrated director some traction-it’s not like his movie would be any less popular, because Americans don’t trust anime or believe it’s a valid medium. But his decision to lie just looks like he copied Kon and wanted to cover his tracks. Ugh 😑
@@apocalypseready6256 Exactly but sadly it's in the copyright system as well :""0 after a person dies basically they have the rights to buy it and do whatever :""D We see this with Disney as well and the Grimm brothers But yeah I agree for the most part :""D
4:15 holy shit that whistle scared the living crap out of me, I don't know why it sounds like it's coming from behind my back and I legit thought someone had climbed on my window.
This added context is so helpful! It's so interesting how he approached trying to bring back the memory of an indigenous tribe lost to genocide. I definitely mean to watch that first movie sometime soon. Also I switched from the dub to sub, but didn't watch it enough times as a kid to remember the impression the dub had on the story. It was still so amazing to me.
OMG MY FAV UA-camR TALKING ABOUT STUDIO GHIBLI??? LITERALLY STAB ME, also I always pronounce it wrong I think, I’m not even sure😂😭 btw your hair is so cute today!! I hope u do more anime clothes analysis videos😚😚
You have NO idea how many times I've seen these movies and just now I realized that I have never noticed ANY of this!! Like... Yubaba using shoes indoors or her western attire, you just blew my mind.
This was wonderful thank you!! But I did kind of wonder at the part where you brought up kyosei. Very interesting point. I haven't read the Amemiya text and I'm not very familiar with the concept, but I take it that Kozy's point is that if the ending of Princess Mononoke is supposed to be its idea of"harmoniously living together," the checks and balances will always add up in favour of the dominant group. Cool idea, reminds me of how civil rights movements are 'supposed' to face their oppressors gracefully and quietly starve and get bashed. Still seems odd to call it a "self-serving romanticism," though. True, the dominant group can wilfully ignore the principle, then once they're on top wave it in the face of any minorities they think are gettin any ideas, but while it may appear to serve them, it doesn't, not fully. Conflicts will come to a head. Take the Emishi example - they might look left for death and disappearance, but their spectre - Ashitaka here - comes back to haunt the Yamamoto, returns as a force of resistance in their plans for exploitation and expansion, acts also as a creative force, a call for change and betterment. Makes me think of postcolonial discourse and the rise of Indigenous voices especially with regard to climate shit that colonisers/ethnic majorities have fucked up. After all, it's the curse Eboshi creates that effectively summons Ashitaka into the fray. Their violence against harmony does not go unanswered. Then with San - I mean hell if I don't empathise with her grief and her rage, but the fact remains that killing Eboshi doesn't stop it at all. I see the force that perverts kyosei not as a particular majority group, but technology as the ruthless march of overcoming. I find it especially apt that it's the apes in the film who want to eat Ashitaka to gain his strength. The way I see it, both Eboshi and San violate kyosei with their violence. Ashitaka is the one trying to seek peace. We might think San is much more or even well in her right to bring violence, but she's violating it in principle all the same. What would have happened if she succeeded in killing Eboshi? The iron works go quiet...then a new head springs up (probably a nastier one who doesn't buy up brothel girl contracts or care for lepers), and bigger towns, more iron, more guns. Someone's going to want that immortality some day, and unless we're lucky enough to have someone like Ashitaka around - taking kyosei as principle, striving for harmony even in the face of unjust or hopeless odds - it's all just going to die. So while it looks like taking the path of kyosei disproportionately benefits certain groups..I mean the way I see it, humans, real human people aren't the winners here. What's winning is the forces of expansion, conquest, techne, power, possession, etc. Maybe there's the odd Eric Schmidt character here and there who just froths it, but the vast majority of us lay on a spectrum, and a lot are gradually coming to face the idea that these technological revolutions have been poisoning ourselves and Everything Else since the bloody advent of agriculture. They make a lot of things shittier, the only thing that always wins out is hallowed Progress and its devotees/High Priests. Humans are caught in the middle, in between primeval nature and the day after tomorrow's Progress. We are the mediators - maybe of two external metaphysical forces, maybe of the two sides of a line down our heart, maybe both ? Wow lord I really let myself go here. Uhhhh, sorry that was all I dropped something on my keyboard what I meant to say was Great video Very nice I like!
I’ve been reading Miyazaki’s “Turning Point,” which covers films like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle in length. So this video is kind of perfectly timed for me! Love your video essays/commentary, always so interesting. xo
I saw Princess Mononoke when I was too young. All the blood and violence scared me, and I haven't been able to watch it again since, but I want to eventually. Thank you for the video!
this was such a well put together video, I always come to your channel when drinking my morning coffee because it makes me feel peaceful and I always learn something new and fascinating ✨ i greatly admire your work
Honestly I just want Mina to make a list of recommended shows bc I found Over the Garden Wall through this channel and it’s literally amazing and a lot of the shows and movies she talks about are some of my favorites. I want more to watch, I rarely find things I like 😢
I would LOVE if you did The Irregulars- personally was a big fan of the overall aesthetic of the design, but definitely questioned how much was historically accurate 🕵️
It's great that you included the Victorian Western influence on the Eastern Japanese world. Apparently according to artwork of the Victorian time period it was a cultural trade as Western women would adopt Kimonos to wear around when Japanese women were wearing Victorian clothing.
As a big fan of Studio Ghibli & Miyazaki, I really enjoyed your analysis and insights! The nod to Cruella really gave me flashbacks to the awful wardrobe on the remake😩👏. Idk they could have used faux fur to recreate some of her looks, I can understand what their intention was but still, the styling really left me scratching my head. Anyways, great video Mina!
"Ghibli" the word is actually pronounced as Gib-ly. But Studio Ghibli is pronounced studio Jibly, the katakana in their emblem spells studio "jiburi". This is because Hayao Miyazaki mispronounced Ghibli as Jibly.. so no matter what, you are both mispronouncing and correctly pronouncing the name at the same time
the wolf whistle when you mention Lady Eboshi is really REALLY loud compared to the rest of the audio for some reason (also I could barely hear you actually saying "Lady Eboshi" because of it) just thought I should mention it, great video otherwise 👍 just watch the audio levels
I don't understand how you got me so hooked to your channel, I found it some days ago and watching only a few of your videos I feel like I can understand clothing and fashion a little bit more than before. I draw, and the things you explain about some outfits and how to get them right for each character helps me a lot to make myself questions to improve the way i make the clothes of my drawings, thank you so much and if you can keep doing this, go on, because you're doing great
This was so good !! If you ever do another Ghibli video I would love to hear your take on Nausicaa (the clothing in that movie has always captivated me) and/or From Up on Poppy Hill. My thesis work brought me into a lot of readings on post war (wwii) Japan’s aesthetic influences-partly thanks to your video on schoolgirl uniforms-and couldn’t help thinking about the history when watching it. Anyway, love this and all your work!
Spirited Away changed my life: the story, the music, the mindblowing animation, EVERYTHING about it enamoured me and somehow led me to the worldview I have today.
I'd love to see a video on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It has such a unique style of clothing, in my opinion, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
This was really good. I always struggle to find good sources about traditional japanese (and asian in general) garments, so I know this got a lot of work and research put into. Lovely vídeo! Will share with friends
I really loved this! Spirited away (I've watched it more than 6 times) and Princess Mononoke are my favourite films from Studio Ghibli. I've always wondered about the implication of culture and traditions in the clothes because where I live it's not common to talk or know about oriental culture. Thank you for making this vid!
This was so beautifully put together, I've watched both of these movies many times but I did not pick up on some things esp in Spirited Away. Costume design means so much. It's amazing what ideas and interpretations can be obtained just from those things. thanks, mina!
I like the fact that most ghibli movies don’t have a “villain”, like maybe an antagonist but not so much a villain, no one is inherently evil without explanation like in other children movies
yeah, they show both characters in a sympathetic light, WHILST still condemming them for evil actions. It teaches kids that you can have compassion and understand WHY someone did something bad/evil, without excusing their actions and letting them be free of consequence. I love it
I think this is a western thing. I'm taking Script classes and while analyzing movies, our teacher told us and I quote, that a lot of our antagonists should be "unstoppable nature strengths "
Except the fish
@emperorpalpatine1 And that one guy from Castle in the sky
I always viewed Chihiro’s characterization a little differently- not as whiny or lazy, but extremely anxious and resistant to change. I think her clothes sort of subtly reflect this by being oversized, emphasizing how small and overwhelmed she feels at the beginning. In the end, I think the hair tie can also represent her newfound bravery. Although she leaves in the same clothes that she started in, her hair tie serves as symbol for the audience that the character growth she experienced won’t be forgotten.
Yes!!! I agree. I never saw the dub and it’s been well over a decade since I saw it, but I remember Chihiro and her parents were moving. I think she was bummed about changing schools because her mom was mentioning making new friends.
I like this interpretation 😊
I agree with this we may not see much of a physical change in Chihiro's character but it is the change within that is envoked by the end of the film when she wears that hairtie. To me it carries not only the symbol of her experiences in the Spirit World but also holds close to her all the close relationships/friendships and bonds she made with the different people, animals haha and creatures/beings (No Face) she met in the Spirit World
i think my interpretation was a mix of both
Studio ghibli has such a soft and beautiful aesthetic, i think the better word to describe ut is… peaceful. The music, the colors, the art style and the narrative are so gorgeous and I love everything about it.
So true. I had a hard time sleeping for years and these movies really helped. They are the opposite of stress and fear.
I use the soundtracks from Studio Ghibli films to study to-they’re so chill and unobtrusive and really don’t distract, but create a kind of quiet focus for me.
That claim is truth for films like Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle. But Princess Mononoke on the other hand was such a tough watch, it hurt me so much seeing the humans destroy the fotest with no regards for the creatures living there 😭😭😭
Yes, I believe this was done intentionally to place emphasis on the little things in life- almost as a way of romanticizing everyday life. Such as the excitement you get from looking at a delicious meal- ghibli does a fantastic job at bringing these features to the forefront of their movies.
@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 i agree, but although the message and some images are kind of harsh, the movie still manages to have beautiful moments with amazing music and views, especially wen they’re in the forest
Omg I need you to do howls moving castle
Yess
the HATS alone seem like they could make an entire video
yes.
hi frederic lol
plssss
POV: you’re a beautiful dove and Mina has posted
me
relatable
More like a depressed pigeon.
@@haii1120 doves and pigeons are the same bird, you’re still beautiful
love when she says that
MINA TALKING ABOUT STUDIO GHIBLI??? OMG I WAS BORN FOR A REASON
literally my 2 fav things
Ngl, the scene when Chihiro's parents turn into pigs absolutely traumatized me as a kid
The opposite happened to me agdjs. I was SO jealous of them eating all that tasty food like I was ready to risk it all. Turning to a pig is 100% worth it.
This whole movie traumatised me, I had nightmares
Same. That scared the hell out of me.
i watched it for the first time when i was literally like 12-13 and i still got traumatized that movie is batshit crazy
ME TOO… I cried and had nightmares 😭
As an american, learning some of the historical context in miyazaki’s films seriously enriches my understanding of their themes. Elements like this are almost always overlooked in video essays but they add so much to the story. Thank you Mina, every time I see you’ve uploaded I know I’m in for a treat ♡
OH PLEASE!
Edit grammar into the Title!
I beg ya!
@@slevinchannel7589 m
Both pronunciations are technically correct! The original word that was used for the name of the studio (which is Italian) is pronounced with a hard G, but the japanese pronunciation is with a soft G, so both are correct
Wait what… the studio is Italian? I’m Italian, how come nobody told me this lol
@@nina5drioli the word is italian, the studio is japanese
I've always pronounced it with a hard G, due to my language
@@nina5drioli The studios not italian bit the creator loves planes and so named it after an Italian plane nicknamed ghibli (the inspiration for the plane name was the libiyan arabic word ghibli but thats as far as ill go)
Yeah, every Japanese person I know calls it JIB-lee.
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on Howl’s Moving Castle, and it’s semi- Edwardian/ Steampunk aesthetic.
I love Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, but I guess they aren’t as good for fashion critique.
I like Kiki's witch costume though.
Yesss totally, i was expecting an analysis of Howl's moving castle too because the fashion there is so interesting
@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 Me too! Outside of that though I just don’t think the film is as rich for costume analysis.
@@romipiratería Same! When she listed the films I kind of expected her to do a Ghibli trilogy of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s- the three films that I think are well suited/ rich for costume analysis.
ahhh Kiki’s delivery service and my neighbor totoro are my childhood favorites🥲 I have such fond memories of watching them, the amount of comfort and nostalgia I feel from just thinking about it is immense honestly. And Howl’s moving castle I’ve watched for the first time quite recently and I’m in love it’s so good💔
i genuinely don’t think enough people talk about and appreciate the music in these movies. the soundtracks give the movies (and me) life. like damn props to who wrote the pieces, i love them so much.
I think almost every Ghibli movie directed by Hayao had the music composed by Joe Hisaishi. His work is phenomenal! There's a Studio Ghibli's 25th birthday concert on UA-cam.
Everyone mentions the music when talking about Ghibli’s films, it’s a huge part of what makes them special. Hell, even the channel Sideways made a video about it quite a while ago.
joe hisaishi is so talented, i was happy to know that even the ni no kuni games that ghibli worked on included music by him! being able to just run around the world and listen to ghibli music is just aaaaa lovely.
JOE HISASHI YES !!!! my god everything he composed just makes me cry every time. it makes my chest puff up with so much adoration and ahhh 😭😭🤧
I don't agree, a lot of people love the music, there are so many covers on the internet and lots of playlist just of ghibli music. The composer for (at least most of) these films, Joe Hisahishi is extremely famous and beloved.
You talked about an article where the author criticized that Ashitaka stayed with the people in Iron Town instead of returning to his village. This is actually addressed in the movie why he does not go home though, it’s because he can’t return!
When Ashitaka is cursed by the boar spirit the elder of the town tells him he has to cut off his top knot and that he is forbidden from returning. Because of the curse he is cast out from his village. No one in the village is even allowed to see him off or say goodbye to him (but his sister does anyway). But that is why Ashitaka stays with the people of Iron Town! Hope that clears some things up!
I would also like to add that the inability or refusal to “return” is something that comes back in Miyazaki movies to some extent; see for example Chihiro’s instructions not to look back at the end of Spirited Away. I think it has to do with change; how the only viable way is forward, by remembering one’s experiences and building on them to make something better, not by trying to return to one’s past or stay frozen in time.
Also in the German dub she s not his sister
@@Schneeeulenwetter the fact that the crystal dagger holds some sort of significance for engaged couples definitely frames Ashitaka’s relationship with San in a specific way
Kaya was his fiancee, not his sister
And it's the same with Kaya! She gives him the necklace and then Ashitaka give it to San, proof that "he moved on". In Emishi tradition girls gave a dagger to their future husband on the day of their wedding, but since he was leaving, in the scene it was used as a symbol of love.
I read an article where they state some translations took the liberty to depict Kaya as his sister because it wouldn't be "morally correct" in a way to leave his soon-to-be-wife and never come back. In my native language (fr) she is his sister as well. Although it could simply be a translation error since she calls him "onii-sama"
Also, according to Miyazaki, Kaya was already pregnant with Ashitaka's child, so his legend was passed on by their descendants. So clearly they were lovers.
Ghibli movies do such a great job at world building. I remember the first time I watched Howl's Moving Castle I immediately thought "this movie is set in Germany" just based on the architecture alone. A few minutes further into the movie there are posters in German confirming this. Even though the worlds of Ghibli movies are almost always fantastical, there are always enough real world details that make them feel like they could actually exist.
I love Miyazaki's attention to detail in the backgrounds, they're always so lively.
it’s interesting you thought so because the book it’s based on is from an English writer Diana W. Jones. and to me (in the books that is) it seems like the fictional world is more like 19th century England than Germany. but in the movie it really is very similar to Germany and the during the First World War.
also, fun fact. the war is not a very prominent plot line in the book. it’s more focused on the magic and its characters while with Miyazaki it’s more like an anti-war commentary than anything else.
Also interesting to note is that the original books had very strong Welsh attaches as well (Howl is literally a world hopping modern Welshman)
Ahhhh i’m so happy you’re talkinng about Studio Ghibli! 😭💕
Omg the ghibli queen! Hi
hi i love you both!!
I see Studio Ghibli, I click.
Ahh monikaaa
@@kallandar13 mind explaining what this anime is about
.....Now I'm imagining a clothing analysis on Howl's Moving Castle
YES!! please!!
YESSSS
OMG PLEASE
the way i cackled when nicki minaj started playing
hi dustin
I think the reason he stayed in iron town, is because before leaving, when he cuts his hair (strong symbol in Asia), I read somewhere that he essentially dies in the eyes of his people, hence why they are so sad. He is in a way exiled/banished/dead so that he can leave them and go on his quest. So I think he stays in iron town because he can't go back to his village. Idk I'm no expert :3
You should become a professor of some sort or an instructor. Like I would absolutely love to take any fashion course from you because you are so eloquent, engaging, and your videos are structured like a well-written essay. I feel like I end up absorbing and learning a lot from your videos. You would have no problem teaching a class.
I couldn’t agree more! I’m currently a fashion student and I learn more from Mina than my actual college classes
I’d be really surprised if Mina never goes on to get a PhD or some such in this field
Totally agree
@@hollyjollyy I feel the same way😍
absolutely agree . x
I almost screamed when I saw this notification! Studio Ghibli deserves so much more love from Western audiences. I consider it much more empowering and supportive to young girls than Disney, because it doesn’t reinforce childlike/“innocent” beauty standards and pit women against each other (via the “jealous old hag” archetype). It’s just so relaxing and lovely and wholesome, Studio Ghibli makes you feel calm and happy while also framing young girls as limitless with their creativity :)
I had to pause the video and cry at the beginning of the Princess Mononoke segment. It really broke my heart to learn that a character’s inspiration and background came from a culture that’s no longer around.
My favorite UA-camr talking about my favorite movie studio?
YES PLEASE
I adore your profile picture, extremely apt, considering the topic of the video! 🥰
I love studio Ghibli especially the movie whisper of the heart
(◡ ω ◡)❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have to refute the brothel theory. Miyazaki himself said that Spirited Away was a movie he made for a friend's 10 or 12 year old daughter. And he looked at her and wanted to make a movie for her. Any brothel analogy is simply something invented by people analyzing the film later and NOT something Miyazaki intended nor supports himself.
That makes sense but also id have to add maybe he did do it intentionally for the adults to teach them about child prostitution. Example, kind of how many movies or shows add inappropriate jokes for the adults but are subtle that it goes over kids heads.
Yes! Thank you! I hate this theory. It turns a sweet coming of age story into something horrible and dark! Especially when Miyazaki has always said he wants his movies to encourage children to live and look forward to the future.
@@philia95 Giving a subconscious safety warning is good for kids IMO. That's why tons of fairy tales cover super dark topics like being kidnapped, killed, eaten, ect. Nothing in life is fully innocent and happy, and keeping children from leaning even subconscious and metaphorical dangers makes them very vulnerable to manipulation and abuse as adults. Ghibli in his many films shows kids and minors in dark situations, but also shows how their optimism, courage, and resilience can change the world. It is often the adults who are stuck in their ways and are too afraid to make the changes necessary to fix a situation.
I think you have to take into consideration that My Neighbor Totoro loosely referenced a Japanese murder case which was also explicitly confirmed by ghibli studio
@@Unfortu.nartely That is not true and is also only another theory
Genuinely, I knew Miyazaki was progressive, but his takes on period dramas.... *damn.* As an American, I really had no clue how politically charged some of the choices in Mononoke were!
He's talked about having been way more politically active in his youth and used to identify as a Marxist, but he's def retained his left-wing values. He decried the Abe administration revising the constitution and not giving proper recognition of the nation's past war crimes, which resulted in a bunch of right-wing dweebs getting assmad and even swearing off his films. He refused to step foot in the US from 2003-2009 because of the Iraq War, and even weighed in on the 2016 election and called both Trump and Clinton terrible candidates, lol.
This was such an awesome video!!!! Thanks for all the hard work and compilation of information, the video flew by 😭
Omg Gibi hi 😂
Dear Mina, could you please do Sophie's Outfits from Howls moving castle? Its one of my favorite ghibli movies so I would be happy if you talked about them
Don’t know if you like sewing, but sewstine (Christine) made a video where she creates Sophie’s dress and talks about the film. :D
Now that u mention it. It reminds me of Youbaba’s dress (i don’t know how to spell her name, never saw it written) actually a lot of the heroines wear a blue dress
Sheeta, sophie, youbaba. San (in a way)
The film acc takes inspirations from DWJs books but Yall would be disappointed to learn the book is v different to the movie but both a good in there own right just events happen differently and characters are different as well as there motives as well as the books don’t put much empathises on their clothing
And also some of the characters have been morphed into one to simplify the plot
@@elliezzz7812 I read the book and the book does have a lot of characters that aren't in the film but I just wished that Mina would talk about Sophie's or Howls clothing that's all
i love that you went into the differences between the sub and dub versions of spirited away, Haku's more formal language is definitely something that just doesn't translate into the english dub! and also the note on what Zeniba said to Chihiro at the ending too. I grew up with the japanese version and never understood why so many people shipped Haku and Chihiro so much!! I never saw them in much of a romantic context and for me their relationship was much more focused on the friendship and solidarity aspect and it finally makes sense why.
I have been watching so many of your videos since I first watched your keira knightley video (i'm a big fan of our queen of period dramas) and I am in love with the amazing content you produce I love your work Mina and hope you continue to enjoy sharing the beauty and complexities of fashion with people for as long as your heart desires
The way this video is absolutely free is shocking. I’d imagine this is the kind of information that would be embedded in some sort of historical or pop culture fashion course in university. My brain has been so thoroughly enriched 😌
Sub to her patreon. 💖
Amazing breakdown! Thank you so much! So many Japanese people think Japan is a single-race county and abandoning the existence of other races. Not just Emishi, Ainu, and Ryūkyūans but more, all the Korean Japanese people and people with different ethnicity who are born and raised in Japan. And some people still see them as "foreigners" especially if they don't look like a typical east Asian. it's probably not as bad as 10-20 years ago but still, some people don't realize how diverse Japan is. Thank you so much. the video made me realize again how good Studio Ghibli movies are and how good Lady Eboshi's character is.
The scene where Lin and Chihiro are sitting under the moonlight as Lin talks about getting out of the bathhouse will always stick with me.
Super random but the train scene in spirited away always touched me, even when I was just a kid. There’s a sense of tranquility and sadness to it, its hard to describe but by far my favorite (even if it makes me cry sometimes!!)
OMG when you said "hey babes, bad time ahead" I cried
A common fan theory is that San's Wolf pelt is from a lost child of Moro's who San's human parents killed
I really expected to hear her point out that it's creepy to wear the skin of a family member
@@liliaweber7257 Not so creepy, more realistic/opportunistic. Wearing the pelt would have made her smell more like her family, thus an easier time being adopted into it, and she would need the fur to protect against the cold. The lost pup would no longer have need of it.
I think studio Ghibli is so successful because they somehow communicate in a universal human language. Even in movies like Spirited Away that are filled with Japanese culture that I don't understand, I can feel the emotions through the visuals, expressions, and body language.
I would love to hear your take on the clothing in "When Marnie Was There" - another Studio Ghibli film. Mostly because it has some early 20th century inspired western clothing, modern garments, and some traditional Japanese clothing as well. The main character, if I'm remembering correctly, is mixed white and Japanese. I think it would be interesting to discuss.
Princess Mononoke is probably my favorite studio ghibli film
another thing about princess mononoke that i love is the bond between ashitaka and san. it feels to me like them coming together represents two subjugated peoples (the emishi and the nature spirits) uniting to fight against the destructive side of industrialism. i also think it's important that the demon that cursed ashitaka was created by a bullet from irontown, bc that strengthens the connection between ashitaka and san as two people whose lives have been threatened by the same thing. loved your analysis of lady eboshi's role as well! i've always loved how many layers there are to her character
Watching the Ghibli films for the first time I was fascinated by Miyazaki's meticulous world building (including the clothes), in many cases being an exaggerated portray of the time period where the original material was written.
But I'm really all in to hear an expert analyze it and not a noob like me.
I IMMEDIATELY watched this as soon as it popped up on my feed and was not disappointed!!
Uggh, but now I want an Inuyasha fashion analysis video!!
I'm so happy you chose Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke for this video. They're amazing movies, and it makes sense for this topic. I own the "Art of" books for each of these movies because they're my favorite Studio Ghibli movies. Great video! I love learning about Japanese history, cause I really don't know a thing and have a lot to learn!
The aesthetics of Studio Ghibli movies are breathtaking
Actually, since the word comes from an italian airplane that was named after an italian (and I think also arabic?) word, its true pronunciation is with the hard G. Miyazaki has admited that he mispronounced the word by pronouncing it "Jiburi" instead of doing it with the hard G, but the Japanese pronunciation stayed like that because it was already popular. Anyway, this video was really enjoyable.
Actually what zeniba says at the end in Japanese can be interpreted either the way the subs translated it or the dub. The word あった (atta) can be translated to either meet or for something to be there or in this case to have happened, depending on context and what Chinese character you write the word in. So none of the translations are wrong :)
But didn't she say atta koto, not atta hito? So you wouldn't refer to a person you met as an occurrence or a thing, a こと, bc that's rude, like referring to a person as "it". So it would be あったこと、not 会った人。Even considering Haku as the river, you could still say kawa to deatta but for sure in this story Haku is a proper jinbutsu so.. yeah I think Mina's right on this one and the sub is more accurate.
@@luca.desu.2590 I don’t know what your Japanese level is but atta koto here doesn’t refer to meeting an object, it just refers to “to have met”. Like 食べたこと doesn’t refer to the thing that was eaten bc that would be 食べたもの, it means “to have eaten”.
@@luca.desu.2590 I would agree that within the context and broader themes of the movie “something that has happened is never forgotten” is the choice that makes more sense, but neither of the translations is wrong in a linguistic sense
They did change it up a little in the dub for the sentence to make more sense in English, I’m not saying it’s a word for word translation. If you assume that it’s 会う and not ある, a direct translation would be something like “to once have met is never forgotten”, which doesn’t make sense in English grammar.
@@heathersaxton8118 no I'm assuming it's ある because you wouldn't refer to Haku as a こと
@@heathersaxton8118 but I take your point that it could technically mean the occurrence of having met, but that's so splitting hairs without any antecedents and nothing to indicate that specific occurrence over all others, so the point that the sub overemphasizes the romance over the original meaning stands
When I was a kid, I identified with Ashitaka and the Emishi based on their clothing. Although not similar to Hmong clothing, it still resonated with me.
If you ever continue this, I think The Tale of Princes Kaguya would be a perfect subject!
Audibly cheers to one's self when reading the title of this video.
I was so thrilled when I saw it
Samesies.
Only recently have I begun to understand the importance of voicing indigenous cultures in mainstream media and Miyazaki did so well incorporating a lost history. Such a good video Mina! Learnt so much about Mononoke for this, it carries such heavy and important themes about traditional ownership of land, and the atrocities of genocide.
Why do people feel like they need to apologize for watching dubs
Because gatekeeping anime nerds are the worst
Seriously, the Princess Mononoke dub is top tier, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett Smith, they were doing the most! and I personally love the 'held back frustration' Billy Crudrup brings to Ashitaka. How is it even slightly embarrassing to watch the dubs... especially since many of us watched these movies as children, who aren't exactly known for their ability to read quickly.
Yeah it's so weird esp because it's not like you can only watch a movie one way once and that's it. Personally, if I have the option to choose either I'll watch the dub first and then the sub. Once I've seen it and heard the audio I can pay more attention to the other details including the tones of voice in the sub. But there's no right or wrong way to do it.
I hate reading subtitles. I can't focus on the visuals and I always keep rewinding especially if the conversation is fast paced. There's nothing weird with liking Dub. Some of us just don't care. Thanks for bringing this up.
I generally prefer watching anime in Japanese with subtitles, but with Miyazaki films I'll usually watch it both ways because they do such a great job with their dubs.
I studied Princess Mononoke in Japanese film class in college and I'm very impressed with your thorough review of the costumes and historical inspirations/setting! Thank you for letting everyone know about them, it's so important that the information on native tribes of Japan become more widespread to break the narrative of a completely homogenous country. Loved the Spirited Away section as well!
‘Yes nerds, you’re eating today!!’ Feeling so seen!
I always loved Ghibli's style of storytelling and how they're not afraid of coming with more morally gray-ish characters (both "heroes" and "villains"). Also Miyazaki's love for nature always inspired me as an artist and as a person since I was 4 years old. I think this is why I LOVE solarpunk, a kind of more optimistic punk where nature and the advances of techonoly go by hand. Techonology is made to help people, not to harm nature. Also as a person with celtic heritage not being treated too well by their country it resonates with me so much everytime Ghibli and so many other artists really yearn for this type of modern-traditional connection
As a Japanese girl, studio gibli is my Disney and I’m so glad you’re talking about it
i really hope that studio ghibli never does a 3-d movie again, there’s something about the 2-d animated movies that are so magical and aesthetic
OMG, please do another Ghibli movies analyses. I think Porco Rosso, Princess Kaguya and Grave of the Fireflies would be very interesting considering the time and place they are set.
I love that you also talked about Chihiro's Bath House in the movie. In generall I never realised how Spirited Away have a juxtaposition with Modern x Traditional, Western x Eastern.
I have watched A LOT of Ghibli analysis on these two movies specifically, but I had never seen or thought about the Zeniba/Yubaba paralels. I really loved that! Thank you!
One thing I really love about Chihiro it's the water metaphors. Miyazaki could talk about the destruction of nature in so many forms but he chose to use characters that are rivers. There's the whole bathhouse thing, as you explained beautifully. Also, to go into the spirit world Chihiro crosses a body of water. In Shinto there's this river that symbolizes the border between visible/invisible worlds. Then when she visits Zeniba, Chihiro crosses water too. It does feel that she has to/when she crosses waters she is able to see things differently.
Hi Mina!
As a Japanese, I'm so glad that you picked Ghibli and talked about the detail of the outfits. It is kinda rare to see this much detailed analysis about Japanese traditional clothes from non-Japanese person, so I'm shocked lol.
I just want to say that "THE BROTHEL THEORY" 18:06 about Spirited Away is almost the well-known FACT among the Japanese fans. It is confirmed by the actual producers and animators, including Hayao Miyazaki himself.
The women shown in that bathhouse are "Yuna(湯女)", which are the unlicensed prostitutes who specifically worked in bathhouses in Edo period. It is said that they were so popular that Edo government had to close over 200 bathhouses in Edo to keep the public morals.
It is also true that No Face represents a pedophile, he literally said ”I want you" "I offer you money". So there actually is a pretty dark metaphor.
studio ghibli can bring world peace, cure diseases and calm any panic attacks at 3 in the morning. okay may be i'm overreacting, but lets be honest who are we talking about? 🧙♀️🌸
Ok, but grammar?
@@slevinchannel7589 English in my 4th language. You can relax I know it's "maybe" and "let's"
Yup grave of the fireflies is the best representation to this statement😃
@@work-in-progress Ok.
@@work-in-progress But can you 'at least' use the Edit-Option of youtube for the start of the sentences? So they can be big, as they deserve to be? As they WISH to be?
i would love to see u talking about nana and ai yazawa in general!! ur research is always incredible and i respect ur work a lot !!! (plus u kinda look like a nana character already hehe)
Si, icono de moda !!
Mina would you ever consider doing a video on Josephine Baker or Marlene Dietrich? I'd love your thoughts on their styles and influence in pop culture.
If you want a really interesting anime movie with historical references reflected in clothing, may I recommend Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress! the story goes through an actress's life as she recounts her own life story and blends it with the many films she's starred in, many being historical dramas. it might be an interesting one to look at
Yes, Satoshi Kon deserves so much appreciation for his films and impact on the anime and film industry.
Still lowkey mad that Aronofosky basically stole his story and gave him zero credit, in spite of _buying the rights to his film_ to adapt for Hollywood, using several of his themes, motifs, and story elements, and collaborating with him prior to his death. It’s so disrespectful, cowardly, and disingenuous to deny any of Kon’s influence on his film only after he died, just because he wanted to take all the credit for the ideas in Black Swan.
It made me lose any respect for him or his films, especially since the Inception directors had no problem crediting Satoshi Kon because it’s just the right thing to do. He could’ve just said he was inspired by Kon’s film (PB) and Aronfosky could’ve given the criminally underrated director some traction-it’s not like his movie would be any less popular, because Americans don’t trust anime or believe it’s a valid medium. But his decision to lie just looks like he copied Kon and wanted to cover his tracks. Ugh 😑
YES SATOSHI KON fuckn love him so much 😭
@@apocalypseready6256 Exactly but sadly it's in the copyright system as well :""0 after a person dies basically they have the rights to buy it and do whatever :""D
We see this with Disney as well and the Grimm brothers
But yeah I agree for the most part :""D
that wolf whistle scared the FCK out of me nHNDFKSHFDSDF i really thought i was about to die
The itty bitty piggy line had me SCREAMING 😭
mina and studio ghibli? perfect! i love it!
4:15 holy shit that whistle scared the living crap out of me, I don't know why it sounds like it's coming from behind my back and I legit thought someone had climbed on my window.
This added context is so helpful! It's so interesting how he approached trying to bring back the memory of an indigenous tribe lost to genocide. I definitely mean to watch that first movie sometime soon. Also I switched from the dub to sub, but didn't watch it enough times as a kid to remember the impression the dub had on the story. It was still so amazing to me.
mina: hello my beautiful doves
*serotonin levels rise*
I ADORE studio ghibli. Their work has such an ethereal and peaceful vibe to it.
Princess mononoke is my fav and seeing it from this perspective is just so refreshing
I'm watching this at 3AM at night, with earphones, full volume and the whistling scared the absolute CRAP out of me. HOLY SHITE.
OMG MY FAV UA-camR TALKING ABOUT STUDIO GHIBLI??? LITERALLY STAB ME, also I always pronounce it wrong I think, I’m not even sure😂😭 btw your hair is so cute today!! I hope u do more anime clothes analysis videos😚😚
You have NO idea how many times I've seen these movies and just now I realized that I have never noticed ANY of this!! Like... Yubaba using shoes indoors or her western attire, you just blew my mind.
I've always loved yubaba's maximilist aesthetic in both clothing, interior design and attitude
This was wonderful thank you!! But I did kind of wonder at the part where you brought up kyosei. Very interesting point. I haven't read the Amemiya text and I'm not very familiar with the concept, but I take it that Kozy's point is that if the ending of Princess Mononoke is supposed to be its idea of"harmoniously living together," the checks and balances will always add up in favour of the dominant group. Cool idea, reminds me of how civil rights movements are 'supposed' to face their oppressors gracefully and quietly starve and get bashed.
Still seems odd to call it a "self-serving romanticism," though. True, the dominant group can wilfully ignore the principle, then once they're on top wave it in the face of any minorities they think are gettin any ideas, but while it may appear to serve them, it doesn't, not fully. Conflicts will come to a head.
Take the Emishi example - they might look left for death and disappearance, but their spectre - Ashitaka here - comes back to haunt the Yamamoto, returns as a force of resistance in their plans for exploitation and expansion, acts also as a creative force, a call for change and betterment. Makes me think of postcolonial discourse and the rise of Indigenous voices especially with regard to climate shit that colonisers/ethnic majorities have fucked up. After all, it's the curse Eboshi creates that effectively summons Ashitaka into the fray. Their violence against harmony does not go unanswered.
Then with San - I mean hell if I don't empathise with her grief and her rage, but the fact remains that killing Eboshi doesn't stop it at all. I see the force that perverts kyosei not as a particular majority group, but technology as the ruthless march of overcoming. I find it especially apt that it's the apes in the film who want to eat Ashitaka to gain his strength. The way I see it, both Eboshi and San violate kyosei with their violence. Ashitaka is the one trying to seek peace. We might think San is much more or even well in her right to bring violence, but she's violating it in principle all the same. What would have happened if she succeeded in killing Eboshi? The iron works go quiet...then a new head springs up (probably a nastier one who doesn't buy up brothel girl contracts or care for lepers), and bigger towns, more iron, more guns. Someone's going to want that immortality some day, and unless we're lucky enough to have someone like Ashitaka around - taking kyosei as principle, striving for harmony even in the face of unjust or hopeless odds - it's all just going to die.
So while it looks like taking the path of kyosei disproportionately benefits certain groups..I mean the way I see it, humans, real human people aren't the winners here. What's winning is the forces of expansion, conquest, techne, power, possession, etc. Maybe there's the odd Eric Schmidt character here and there who just froths it, but the vast majority of us lay on a spectrum, and a lot are gradually coming to face the idea that these technological revolutions have been poisoning ourselves and Everything Else since the bloody advent of agriculture. They make a lot of things shittier, the only thing that always wins out is hallowed Progress and its devotees/High Priests. Humans are caught in the middle, in between primeval nature and the day after tomorrow's Progress. We are the mediators - maybe of two external metaphysical forces, maybe of the two sides of a line down our heart, maybe both ?
Wow lord I really let myself go here. Uhhhh, sorry that was all I dropped something on my keyboard what I meant to say was Great video Very nice I like!
I’ve been reading Miyazaki’s “Turning Point,” which covers films like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle in length. So this video is kind of perfectly timed for me! Love your video essays/commentary, always so interesting. xo
a mina x studio ghibli crossover.... the world is healing 🌈
I saw Princess Mononoke when I was too young. All the blood and violence scared me, and I haven't been able to watch it again since, but I want to eventually. Thank you for the video!
Mina This was such a beautiful video. I love how you mixed commentary about the costume design with film analysis.
My favorite movies!!!😍 I love how much we're learning from you in all your videos, AND inspired by your style💜 Blessed to have found your channel!
this was such a well put together video, I always come to your channel when drinking my morning coffee because it makes me feel peaceful and I always learn something new and fascinating ✨ i greatly admire your work
Studio Ghibli has my favorite set of movies, my dad introduced me to them when I was 7... Howl was my first movie. It's one of my favorites!
Honestly I just want Mina to make a list of recommended shows bc I found Over the Garden Wall through this channel and it’s literally amazing and a lot of the shows and movies she talks about are some of my favorites. I want more to watch, I rarely find things I like 😢
I would LOVE if you did The Irregulars- personally was a big fan of the overall aesthetic of the design, but definitely questioned how much was historically accurate 🕵️
It's great that you included the Victorian Western influence on the Eastern Japanese world. Apparently according to artwork of the Victorian time period it was a cultural trade as Western women would adopt Kimonos to wear around when Japanese women were wearing Victorian clothing.
As a big fan of Studio Ghibli & Miyazaki, I really enjoyed your analysis and insights! The nod to Cruella really gave me flashbacks to the awful wardrobe on the remake😩👏. Idk they could have used faux fur to recreate some of her looks, I can understand what their intention was but still, the styling really left me scratching my head. Anyways, great video Mina!
Mentioning Cruella gave me some Vietnam flashbacks, lol.
I nearly fell out of my chair at that whistle sound effect at 4.16! Got such a fright!
eeeeeeee I'm so excited!!! :)
"Ghibli" the word is actually pronounced as Gib-ly. But Studio Ghibli is pronounced studio Jibly, the katakana in their emblem spells studio "jiburi". This is because Hayao Miyazaki mispronounced Ghibli as Jibly.. so no matter what, you are both mispronouncing and correctly pronouncing the name at the same time
mina uploading a ghibli related video the day i'm getting a ghibli tattoo?? god's timing is always right
Studio ghibli films are comfort in visual form, I love them so much
the wolf whistle when you mention Lady Eboshi is really REALLY loud compared to the rest of the audio for some reason (also I could barely hear you actually saying "Lady Eboshi" because of it) just thought I should mention it, great video otherwise 👍 just watch the audio levels
^^ I was wearing my airpods and it actually startled me LOL
I don't understand how you got me so hooked to your channel, I found it some days ago and watching only a few of your videos I feel like I can understand clothing and fashion a little bit more than before. I draw, and the things you explain about some outfits and how to get them right for each character helps me a lot to make myself questions to improve the way i make the clothes of my drawings, thank you so much and if you can keep doing this, go on, because you're doing great
This was so good !! If you ever do another Ghibli video I would love to hear your take on Nausicaa (the clothing in that movie has always captivated me) and/or From Up on Poppy Hill. My thesis work brought me into a lot of readings on post war (wwii) Japan’s aesthetic influences-partly thanks to your video on schoolgirl uniforms-and couldn’t help thinking about the history when watching it. Anyway, love this and all your work!
Spirited Away changed my life: the story, the music, the mindblowing animation, EVERYTHING about it enamoured me and somehow led me to the worldview I have today.
I'd love to see a video on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It has such a unique style of clothing, in my opinion, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
27:05 I'm impressed how translations can change the author's intention and ideas.
This was really good. I always struggle to find good sources about traditional japanese (and asian in general) garments, so I know this got a lot of work and research put into. Lovely vídeo! Will share with friends
I really loved this! Spirited away (I've watched it more than 6 times) and Princess Mononoke are my favourite films from Studio Ghibli. I've always wondered about the implication of culture and traditions in the clothes because where I live it's not common to talk or know about oriental culture. Thank you for making this vid!
studio ghibli's aesthetic is so calming to me... 💌
The way I literally finished a Studio Ghibli binge a week ago and then Mina posts this????
I feel blessed 🥰
Yubaba has 🤩💖🥰gsslight, gatekeep girlboss💖🤩🥰 energy
This was so beautifully put together, I've watched both of these movies many times but I did not pick up on some things esp in Spirited Away. Costume design means so much. It's amazing what ideas and interpretations can be obtained just from those things. thanks, mina!