Ghibliotheque - A Podcast About Studio Ghibli

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this final episode, the team talk with British-born animator Paul Williams about working on Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, the Japanese animation industry, and an animator's perspective on both Studio Ghibli and, specifically, the work of Isao Takahata. Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this episode, the team visit Studio Ponoc, the animation studio founded by Ghibli veteran Yoshiaki Nishimura (producer of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There). There, Michael and Jake talk with Ponoc's Chief of International, Geoffrey Wexler, about his work at both Ponoc and Ghibli presenting films such as Mary and the Witch's Flower, Modest Heroes, The Wind Rises and From Up on Poppy Hill to the world - as well as answering the eternal question: subs or dubs? Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this second episode, the team visit the Ghibli Museum, the Studio's shrine to the art of animation, and also share their spoils in a segment dedicated to their favourite merchandise finds from the trip. Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this very special miniseries of Ghibliotheque, hosts Michael and Jake and producers Steph and Harold travel to Tokyo for a distinctly Ghibli-themed pilgrimage. In this first episode, the team visit three key locations that should be at the top of any Ghibli fanatic's must-see list: an intricate public clock designed by Hayao Miyazaki, the Tama suburbs that provided the location for Ghibli gem Whisper of the Heart, and Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory, home of the official, Miyazaki-approved Totoro cream puff. Find more pics, videos and treats from our trip to Japan at ghibliotheque.tumblr.com. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner. Edited by Jack Claramunt.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Merry Christmas from the Ghibliotheque! Producer Steph joins Michael and Jake once more for an episode filled with festive shenanigans, including Ghibli-themed Christmas carols sung by Producer Harold, a Ghibli quiz, and a mailbag of listeners' picks for the ideal Ghibli dinner guests. There is also chat about the past, present and future of all things Ghibliotheque. See you in 2020! Follow Michael, Jake and Steph on Twitter: @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake @_stephwatts - Steph Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael and Jake bring this season of Ghibliotheque to a close with the feature debut of Mr Hayao Miyazaki. A very promising director of anime series, Miyazaki made the leap to feature animation in 1979 with this spin-off from the long-running Lupin III series. But is there much Miyazaki magic to be found in this franchise entry? Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After trekking through the entirety of the Studio Ghibli library, Michael and Jake go back to the beginning... to Isao Takahata's ground-breaking 1960s animated feature Little Norse Prince. A hugely influential film that was something of a box office disaster on initial release, Little Norse Prince set in motion many of the themes, collaborations and techniques that would come to define Ghibli two decades later. But how does it play to a modern-day viewer? Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

22 episodes later... Michael and Jake reach the final feature in the Studio Ghibli library. This curio - a teen romance in the vein of Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart and From Up On Poppy Hill - is not only unique because it is Ghibli's only made-for-TV movie, it's also the first feature from the Studio to be directed by someone other than co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. No pressure, Tomomi Mochizuki... How did the newbie fare? Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Isao Takahata returns! This week, Michael & Jake fill in the final gap in the old master's work at Studio Ghibli. 5 years after Pom Poko and 14 years before The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, Isao Takahata experimented with Ghibli's first all-digital animation, the slice-of-life domestic comedy My Neighbours The Yamadas. Full of worldly wisdom and gentle, observational humour, and rendered in an astounding art style that looks like a watercolour sketch come alive, Yamadas is unlike any other entry in the Ghibli canon. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A follow-up to one of Ghibli's most controversial releases, From Up On Poppy Hill was director Goro Miyazaki's second crack at the whip after his debut, Tales From Earthsea. But Poppy Hill is a very different proposition: a nostalgic, wholesome, period-set romance that harks back to Ghibli gems Only Yesterday and Whisper Of The Heart. Does he find firmer footing as a filmmaker this time around? Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael and Jake return to the Ghibliotheque to tackle Hayao Miyazaki's first anime epic, the sprawling fantasy adventure Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. While the film actually predates the founding of Studio Ghibli, many of the key personnel, themes and qualities that would define the Studio's work are here in spades, and the success of Nausicaä put Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki on the path to Ghibli greatness. But what do the boys make of it? Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Audio wizardry from Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded live at the British Museum in support of their Manga Exhibition, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with exhibition curator Nicole Rousmaniere and animation critic Alex Dudok de Wit, following a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises. Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Editing and sound wizardry by Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded live at the British Museum in support of their Manga Exhibition, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with academic and Ghibli expert Rayna Denison, Manga Exhibition curator Uchida Hiromi and ceramic artist Hosono Hitomi, following a screening of Isao Takahata's The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya. Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Editing and sound wizardry by Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded live at the British Museum, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with Manga exhibition curator Matsuba Ryoko and Simon Wright, director of programming at Japan House London, following a screening of Isao Takahata's Pom Poko. The British Museum's Manga exhibition runs until 26th August. For more information, visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga.aspx. Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Editing and sound wizardry by Jamie Maisner.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded live at the British Museum, this episode features Michael & Jake's on-stage conversation with Manga exhibition curator Nicole Rousmaniere and renowned Studio Ghibli expert Helen McCarthy, following a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's animated classic, My Neighbour Totoro. The British Museum's Manga exhibition runs until 26th August. For more information, visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga.aspx. Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.