Why I raised my kids on Studio Gibli films.

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 I'll have to say, when I first saw Spirited Away with my husband after we were first married, I was uncomfortable. The movie didn't employ usual Western storytelling techniques and I couldn't predict the ending or what would happen next. Although the animation was beautiful and the characters were interesting, I still struggled.

Now, fast forward twenty odd years. I'm so glad I raised my kids on Studio Gibli films. In case you are unfamiliar, let me give you a summary of my favorite ones and then I'll explain what I feel these movies do over other animation studios. Here are a few of our favorites

Spirited Away: a young girl gets separated from her parents in the land of spirits and must work in a spirit bath house to find her parents and to find answers. She befriends lots of people who help her reach her goal.

Porco Rosso: A young girl engineers a bi-plane to help a pilot win an arial battle post the Great War.

Howl's Moving Castle: A young girl gets turned into an old lady and finds employment at an eccentric wizard's moving castle. She works alongside the other characters to clean the house and set everything in order, earning the respect and love of the wizard.

Nausica: Valley of the Wind: A young girl helps save her people from the warring nations around her.

In Studio Gibli's films, the main protagonists works hard to make friends and improve the situation around her. I feel like these characters were much more worth of emulation than other characters produced by other animation studios. Their resiliency and hard work leads them to a happier life rather than magic and coincidence. 

I don't know how the Japanese film makers have managed to capture such strong, compassionate, hardworking young women. And why is America cinema falling behind to such amazing films?

Anybody out there a Studio Gibli film lover.

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