User:Sjones23/Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli, Inc. (株式会社スタジオジブリ) is a Japanese animation film studio based in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. The studio is best known for its anime feature films. Studio Ghibli began in June 1985 after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind with funding by Tokuma Shoten. The company's logo features the character Totoro (a large forest spirit) from Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro. At one time the studio was based in Kichijōji, Musashino, Tokyo.

Studio Ghibli has produced seventeen feature films, beginning with Castle in the Sky in 1986. It was followed by Grave of the Fireflies (1988), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Pom Poko (1994), Whisper of the Heart (1995), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001), The Cat Returns (2002), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Tales from Earthsea (2006), Ponyo (2008), Arrietty (2010), and From Up on Poppy Hill (2011). Sixteen of the films received both critical and financial success, with the notable exception being Tales from Earthsea, which, in spite of its commercial success, achieved less critical praise than Ghibli's other productions. The studio has also produced several short films and television commercials, as well as Ocean Waves, a television film. Eight of Studio Ghibli's films are among the 15 highest-grossing anime films, with Spirited Away being the highest, grossing over $274 million worldwide.

Many anime features created by Studio Ghibli have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award. In 2002, Spirited Away won a Golden Bear and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature which remains the only film made outside the English-speaking world to have done so.

Name
The name Ghibli is based on the Arabic name for the sirocco, or Mediterranean wind, which the Italians used for their Saharan scouting planes in the Second World War, specifically the Caproni Ca.309, the idea being the studio would "blow a new wind through the Japanese anime industry".

Although the Italian/Arabic word is pronounced with a hard, the Japanese pronunciation of the studio's name is with a soft g,

Early history
Studio Ghibli was founded in June 1985 with investment from publisher Tokuma Shoten following the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Topcraft and distributed by Toei Company. The origins of the film lie in the first two volumes of a serialized manga written by Miyazaki for publication in Tokuma Shoten's Animage as a way of generating interest in an anime version. Toshio Suzuki was part of the production team on the film and founded Studio Ghibli with Miyazaki, who also invited Isao Takahata to join the new studio.

The studio has mainly produced films by Miyazaki, with the second most prolific director being Takahata (most notably with Grave of the Fireflies). Other directors who have worked with Studio Ghibli include Yoshifumi Kondo, Hiroyuki Morita and Gorō Miyazaki. Composer Joe Hisaishi has provided the soundtrack for all of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films.

Many of Ghibli's works are distributed in Japan by Toho.

In 1997, The Walt Disney Company acquired the rights to nearly every Studio Ghibli work. Some of these conditions were that Disney should not edit any part of the film; this was a result Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind being heavily edited for the film's release in the United States as Warriors of the Wind. The no edits policy was highlighted when Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein suggested editing Princess Mononoke to make it more marketable. A Studio Ghibli producer is rumoured to have sent an authentic Japanese sword with a simple message: "No cuts". In September 2011, theatrical distributor GKids acquired the distribution rights to 13 of Studio Ghibli's films. Also, Disney would also retain the home media rights to the same films.

Over the years, there has been a close relationship between Studio Ghibli and the magazine Animage, which regularly runs exclusive articles on the studio and its members in a section titled "Ghibli Notes." Artwork from Ghibli's films and other works are frequently featured on the cover of the magazine. Between 1999 and 2005 Studio Ghibli was a subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten, the publisher of Animage.

In October 2001, the Ghibli Museum opened in Tokyo. It contains exhibits based on Studio Ghibli films and shows animations, including a number of short Studio Ghibli films not available elsewhere.

Studio Ghibli announced in February 2005 that the company would be moving its headquarters to Koganei, Tokyo and would also acquire the copyrights of Miyazaki's works and business rights from Tokuma.

On February 1, 2008, Toshio Suzuki stepped down from the position of Studio Ghibli president, which he had held since 2005, and Koji Hoshino (former president of Walt Disney Japan) took over. Suzuki said he wanted to improve films with his own hands as a producer, rather than demanding this from his employees. Suzuki decided to hand over the presidency to Hoshino because Hoshino has helped Studio Ghibli to sell its videos since 1996, also helping to release the Princess Mononoke film in the United States. Suzuki still serves on the company's board of directors.

Two Studio Ghibli short films created for the Ghibli Museum were shown at the Carnegie Hall Citywise Japan NYC Festival: "House Hunting" and "Mon Mon the Water Spider" were screened on March 26, 2011.

Upcoming projects
As of 2012, Takahata is developing a project for release after Gorō Miyazaki's (director of Tales from Earthsea and Hayao's son) From up on Poppy Hill. Takahata is working on an adaptation of the tale of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Hayao Miyazaki is developing a project about the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and its founder.

Notable Animators and Character Designers from Studio Ghibli

 * Kitarō Kōsaka (Monster, Master Keaton and Nasu)
 * Masashi Ando (Paranoia Agent and Paprika)
 * Kenichi Yoshida (Overman King Gainer and Eureka Seven)
 * Mitsuo Iso (Dennō Coil)
 * Akihiko Yamashita (Tide-Line Blue, Princess Nine, Strange Dawn, and Relic Armor Legaciam)