The Ghibli Universe Beyond Miyazaki: Takahata, Yonebayashi and More

Studio Ghibli is often discussed as a vehicle for Hayao Miyazaki's vision, which is understandable given his dominant creative presence. But the studio has also produced significant work by other directors, work that expands the Ghibli universe in important ways. This guide introduces the key films and directors beyond Miyazaki.

Isao Takahata: The Studio's Other Great Master

Isao Takahata co-founded Studio Ghibli with Miyazaki and produced some of its most ambitious films. His approach is almost the opposite of Miyazaki's: grounded in observed reality rather than fantasy, interested in social and historical structures rather than individual heroism, and willing to embrace profound sadness without the consolation of wonder.

His key films include:

• Grave of the Fireflies (1988): The most devastating film in the Ghibli catalogue. Our Grave of the Fireflies collection includes the 1000-piece official poster puzzle.
• Only Yesterday (1991): A film about a Tokyo office worker revisiting her rural 1960s childhood through memory. Radically interior for an animation.
• Pom Poko (1994): A tragicomic film about tanuki (raccoon dogs) trying to resist the destruction of their forest home by Tokyo's suburban expansion. Our Pom Poko collection covers this often-underrated film.
• My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999): A visually experimental slice-of-life comedy about an ordinary Japanese family.
• The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013): Takahata's final film and perhaps his masterpiece: a spare, hand-drawn adaptation of a 10th-century Japanese folk tale.

Hiromasa Yonebayashi

A former Ghibli animator, Yonebayashi directed two significant Ghibli films. The Secret World of Arrietty (2010), adapted from Mary Norton's The Borrowers, follows a family of tiny people living beneath the floors of a Japanese house. Our Arrietty collection is available for fans of this charming, intimate film.

Exploring Beyond the Main Films

For Ghibli fans who have seen all of Miyazaki's work, these films offer a completely different perspective on what Ghibli is and what it can do. They share the studio's visual quality and commitment to authentic human experience, but bring entirely different aesthetics and concerns to the same creative space.

Also explore our Tales from Earthsea collection, our The Wind Rises collection and our complete history of Studio Ghibli.