Studio Ghibli's star director, Hayao Miyazaki, has again come out of retirement to create another film. The upcoming movie is titled How Do You Live? and will be based on a 1937 novel written by Genzaburo Yoshino. Miyazaki is known to draw inspiration from novels, creating movies like Howls Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service as very loose adaptations to the stories found in books.
Whether Miyazaki returns from retirement after How Do You Live? is completed, Studio Ghibli will continue to make breathtaking films. The studio is known for its artistic attention to detail and its odd but endearing stories. Redditors have begun to notice a trend of hidden details and secrets in the movie that only deepen their appreciation for their creations. From subtle callbacks to plot points to attention to real-world physics, the hidden details in Studio Ghibli films are just another reason they are the best of the best.
Pouring Tea In The Secret World of Arrietty
In The Secret World of Arrietty, the characters are only a few inches tall and live in the walls. Their belongings are things they borrowed from the big people, such as dollhouse tables and chairs, playing card walls, and tiny play tea sets.
Redditor Genericusername123 noticed that Ghibli's animators really went into detail about how the tiny world would work. "When a tiny person pours tea from a tiny teapot," they said, "it comes out as a droplet." This detail was an intelligent addition since water molecules wouldn't flow out of a tiny spout the way they would out of a human-size teapot.
Fireflies Or Incendiary Bombs In Grave Of The Fireflies?
Grave of the Fireflies is Studio Ghibli's anti-war film with a heartbreaking premise. It follows two children, a brother and sister, trying to survive after their mother's death in World War II. The siblings are exposed to the horrors of war, and both sadly die at the end.
A deleted user noticed that the cover of Grave of the Fireflies tells an equally troubling story when the image is brightened and the outline of a B-25 bomber is revealed. "Some of the lights are not fireflies but incendiary bombs," this user said, revealing that the childlike delight at the fireflies was just another example of the disturbing nature of war.
A Ghibli Engine in Porco Rosso
Porco Rosso tells the story of an Italian World War I veteran who was miraculously turned into a pig during the war. When a group of sky pirates in biplanes start to cause trouble, Porco Rosso and his friends are the only ones who can stop them.
Since this film is all about planes, Studio Ghibli had a fun chance to sneak in a little Easter egg for the studio. Redditor Sam_JN said, "Porco Rosso buys an engine that says 'Ghibli.'" This detail is especially significant since Miyazaki named Studio Ghibli after the Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli, a WWI Italian aircraft.
The Name Mistranslation In Howl's Moving Castle
Redditor ThatOtherGuy80 pointed out a fun hidden secret in Howl's Moving Castle that is less a detail from Studio Ghibli and more an example of mistranslations between languages.
Miyazaki based the film about the wizard Howl on an English novel by the same name. When Howl's Moving Castle was adapted to film and translated into Japanese, several names did not work phonetically with the language. So, when the completed movie was translated again for English audiences, several names had changed from the original books. "The character known as Michael in the books became 'Markl' in the film," this Redditor pointed out, showing how details can greatly change from language to language.
Vaccine Scars In My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro follows two young girls whose mother becomes ill and must stay in a hospital. The girls deeply miss her, but as they explore, they find comfort in playful spirits within their home and a tremendous cuddly beast called Totoro.
While it is never clear what illness their mother suffers from, several audiences have guessed that it is spinal tuberculosis since Miyazaki's mother and many others in Japan had once greatly suffered from the disease. Redditor Smalltung noticed that the film animators included "two vaccination scars on the upper left arm of [a] village boy," further supporting the theory about the disease.
Chihiro Learning To Not Look Back In Spirited Away
In Spirited Away, a young girl named Chihiro is distressed about moving away from her hometown and friends. However, through a series of magical events, she finds her parents turned into pigs before they ever make it to their new home. She then starts working at a spirit bathhouse. Several of the characters in Spirited Away have mythological origins, and they teach Chihiro some important lessons.
Redditor Obachuka noticed a common theme in the movie that is brought together in the end when Haku tells Chihiro not to look back while she is returning to her parents. "She has to move on like she moved away from her friends at the beginning of the movie," this user said. So Chihiro's whole journey was about not looking back and moving on to her next adventure.
Howl Searching For Sophie In Howl's Moving Castle
At the beginning of Howl's Moving Castle, Sophie walks to her sister's bakery when two gentlemen suddenly accost her. As she becomes uncomfortable, Howl approaches, stating that he had been looking for her. This seemed at first to be a way to help Sophie out of the awkward situation, but by the end of the film, audiences realized it might have been something different.
Redditor Demi_95 noticed later that Sophie "tells a young Howl from the past" to find her in the future. Therefore, when Howl told Sophie that he had been looking for her when they first met, he was telling the truth.
A Picture Of Kiki In Spirited Away
Studio Ghibli doesn't hide Easter eggs from their other films as often as Pixar, but eagle-eyed fans can still find a few hidden references to other Ghibli movies from time to time. One such Easter egg was in Spirited Away, and it referenced another favorite Miyazaki movie.
Redditor Cubbage-kun noticed a "Kiki's Delivery Service reference in Spirit Away," sharing an image of a tapestry in Zeniba's cabin that features a witch girl in a black dress with a little black cat. The picture was missing Kiki's iconic red bow, but the image certainly brings the young delivery witch to mind.
Sosuke Under Water In Ponyo
Ponyo is one of Miyazaki's top films, and his version of The Little Mermaid. It features a little boy named Sosuke who finds a "goldfish" near his home. He decides to care for the little fish and is surprised when she begins to quickly resemble a little girl who calls herself Ponyo. The two go on many adventures, trying to avoid Ponyo's father and take care of each other.
Redditor Ignitethis211 shared a detail they noticed when Ponyo and Sosuke were holding their heads underwater. "Sosuke's nose has oxygen coming out since he is a human, but Ponyo, who can breathe underwater, does not," they said. Ponyo's comfort under the water is also apparent, while Sosuke appears unsure of what he is doing.
The Cat Bus Is A Boy In My Neighbor Totoro
In My Neighbor Totoro, Totoro introduces Satsuki and Mei to a magical cat who also seems to function as a bus. The group climbs aboard, and the bus dashes through the forest and town, leaping long distances and giving the two girls a magical time.
However, Redditor Sovheim noticed that the Catbus came with some anatomical features that they had not been expecting. "The Catbus has testicles," they said, sharing an image of the underside of the bus as it leaps over the camera. Sure enough, the bus is sporting a male cat's anatomy.