Kicking off the Konology miniseries that looks at the work of anime legend Satoshi Kon, Michael, Jake and Steph watch Kon's influential debut, the psychological thriller Perfect Blue. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake And get in touch via email at ghibli@littledotstudios.com Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 17, 2020•50 min
A quick tease of what's to come from Ghibliotheque... The Konology! A miniseries looking at the work of Satoshi Kon, from Perfect Blue to Paprika, taking in Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and the anime series Paranoia Agent along the way. Kon's international reputation, singular artistic vision and unbeatable body of work put him in the annals of animation alongside the masters at Studio Ghibli, so if we were to add a new wings to the Ghibliotheque to cover non-Ghibli filmmakers, we though...
Jul 10, 2020•2 min
This week, Michael and Jake welcome to the Ghibliotheque stand-up comedian, writer and podcaster Ed Gamble ( Off Menu ) to undertake that most excruciating, ambitious of feats: assembling the perfect meal from the delicious dishes served up in Ghibli films. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake And get in touch via email at ghibli@littledotstudios.com Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel. Hosted ...
Jul 03, 2020•56 min
In this ever so slightly off-topic bonus episode of Ghibliotheque, Michael, Jake and Steph talk about the latest, and some say greatest, instalment in Nintendo's long-running Legend of Zelda video game franchise, Breath of the Wild. The game tempted both Jake and Steph to sink hundreds of accumulated hours into their Switch consoles. But what did they learn on their respective adventures? And does this have anything to do with Ghibli? Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLead...
Jun 05, 2020•40 min
In this second part of our Ghibliotheque documentary double bill, Michael and Jake discuss the TV special Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, which originally aired on Japanese TV in 2016 before getting a short cinema run in the USA and, finally, a DVD/Blu-ray release in the UK just this year. Shot in the aftermath of Miyazaki's retirement following the release of The Wind Rises, this doc charts the old master's attempts to incorporate CGI animation into his process, as he works on the short film ...
May 29, 2020•33 min
Michael and Jake return to the Ghibliotheque for the first in a documentary double-bill. Mami Sunada's 2013 documentary started life as a promotional feature chronicling the making of Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises and Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, but the finished film - observational, subtle and insightful - is a compelling and poignant portrait of the Studio at the height of its powers, contemplating an uncertain future as its two genius filmmakers make what, at the time, ...
May 22, 2020•43 min
In this special episode of Ghibliotheque, Michael, Jake and producer Steph dial in remotely to catch up on life during lockdown, with the help of listeners, former guests and other Ghibliotheque friends. Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 24, 2020•46 min
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....
Mar 27, 2020•35 min
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...
Mar 20, 2020•45 min
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: @ghibliothe...
Mar 13, 2020•36 min
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 To...
Mar 06, 2020•29 min
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...
Dec 20, 2019•37 min
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 ...
Nov 29, 2019•27 min
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: @ghibl...
Nov 22, 2019•30 min
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 @...
Nov 15, 2019•29 min
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 e...
Nov 08, 2019•35 min
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 Prod...
Nov 01, 2019•33 min
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 Twit...
Oct 25, 2019•38 min
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. Hosted on A...
Sep 06, 2019•47 min
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. Edit...
Aug 30, 2019•32 min
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 – J...
Aug 23, 2019•30 min
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 ...
Aug 16, 2019•40 min
In this special episode recorded live at Latitude Festival, Michael & Jake venture out of the podcast recording booth and out of the Studio Ghibli canon altogether to discuss Mary & The Witch's Flower, the first film from Ghibli alumni Studio Ponoc. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura previously worked together at Ghibli on the radical When Marnie Was There, but Ponoc's debut feature is a tribute to the magical, fantastical animation perfected by their mentors, ...
Aug 09, 2019•28 min
This season of Ghibliotheque comes to a close with the final masterpiece from the legendary filmmaker, and Studio Ghibli co-founder, Isao Takahata. Described by Hayao Miyazaki as 'descended from a giant sloth', Takahata took his sweet time with his quietly experimental take on the 10th century folk tale, working at his own glacial pace and missing many production deadlines before the film's eventual release in November 2013. Takahata's previous films, Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and P...
Jun 07, 2019•34 min
This week, Michael & Jake zero in on Hayao Miyazaki's most recent release, the wildly ambitious biographical, historical, and very technical aviation drama The Wind Rises. Once thought to be Miyazaki's final film, this magnificent mic-drop masterpiece showed the old master still innovating even as he contemplated retirement - blending the magical animation of his beloved classics with deeper themes relating to inspiration, the purity of craft, and the inescapable blight of the Second World W...
May 31, 2019•36 min
This week, Michael & Jake go all the way back to the beginning for the very first Studio Ghibli production: the fantasy-adventure epic Laputa, also known as Castle In The Sky. By 1986, Hayao Miyazaki was already a seasoned animator, but the pressure was on. Could this new, independent studio revolutionise Japanese animation? Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @MichaelJLeader – Michael @jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts Editing...
May 24, 2019•32 min
This week, Michael & Jake tackle the controversial Ursula K. Le Guin adaptation Tales From Earthsea, the directorial debut from Goro Miyazaki, son of Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. Le Guin once said that only Miyazaki could do her epic fantasy series justice on the big screen - but little did she know that the task would fall to Goro, who had no prior animation, filmmaking or directing experience. He also had no support from his ever-aloof dad, and, on release, received little encourag...
May 17, 2019•39 min
Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through the library of films from the world’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli. This week, Michael & Jake tackle Hiromasa Yonebayashi's second film as director, the fantasy-tinged drama When Marnie Was There. Still, for now, the final Studio Ghibli feature film to be released in cinemas, this adaptation of Joan G. Robinson's British novel transposes the action to the wetlands of Hokkaido - and introduces emotional textures, themes ...
May 10, 2019•31 min
Hosts Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham return to the Ghibliotheque to discuss one of Studio Ghibli's most beloved adventures. Hayao Miyazaki's animated tale of a witch coming of age and leaving home came at a time when the Studio's fortunes were flagging, but the film's box office success secured Ghibli's future for years to come, and would set the tone for many more magical Miyazaki gems, from Spirited Away to Ponyo. Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @ MichaelJLeader – Michael @ jakehcunnin...
May 03, 2019•32 min
Michael Leader & Jake Cunningham invite Honey Ross and her father, broadcaster Jonathan Ross into the Ghibliotheque to discuss their relationship with the films of Studio Ghibli, from Jonathan's career as a TV host, film critic and avowed Asian cinema fanatic, to the Ross family's visit to Studio Ghibli's headquarters to interview Hayao Miyazaki himself. Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter: @ MichaelJLeader – Michael @ jakehcunningham – Jake Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold...
Apr 26, 2019•47 min
