4 Life Goals as Told by Studio Ghibli

By Taylor Dashiell on February 5, 2016

Along with every Disney movie imaginable, I was raised on Studio Ghibli films. Producing primarily animated features, Studio Ghibli never fails to take you on a heart string-strumming adventure that keeps you entranced and wishing you lived in the characters worlds.  But at the core of every Ghibli movie, under all the magic and lore, are people just trying to get through life, while finding lifelong friends along the way. So this is a compilation of lessons and goals I’ve set for myself based on these wonderful films, a life wish list, if you will.

1.      Find a City by the Sea

Courtesy: Maudit

Courtesy: aprettyfire

Kiki’s Delivery Service is the story of Kiki, a young witch-in-training who must spend a whole year away from home in order to become a full witch. She’s kind, sassy, and a little headstrong, so when she sets out on her journey she knows exactly what she’s looking for: a city with an ocean view. I love the ocean, even when I was little, and the film reinforced that love one hundred fold. Access to the sea was actually one of the primary factors in what colleges I applied for; the thought of being in a landlocked state still terrifies me. And though Kiki has her broom to get around on, she does make use of the trolleys and buses when need be, and public transportation has been my godsend since moving to Tallahassee. I’m still looking for my city right on the water, but the one in the film is reminiscent of Stockholm,so I better get my passport!

2. Write a Novel

Courtesy: womanowar

Shizuku Tsukishima and I have a lot in common. We both discovered our affinity for writing in middle school, we both drafted our first novel over a summer vacation, and we had a cute love interest who was studying violin carving in Italy that same summer. Okay that last part was just Shizuku, but two out of three isn’t bad. Whisper of the Heart is a great little coming of age film about two kids trying to find where they, and their passions, fit in this big world. And even though no relationship I have will come close to being as cute as Shizuku and Seiji’s, I totally know what it’s like to think you’re writing isn’t good enough. It goes a little like this:

Courtesy: outtv.ca

Courtesy: Hullbeta.io

 

3. Eat a Lot of Good Food

Courtesy: Baruhara

Studio Ghibli movies have always made me hungry and you can find a good spread in just about every feature, but nothing tops the food in Spirited Away. The movie follows Chihiro, a young girl who’s moving to a new town with her Mom and Dad when they all get trapped on the “other side” after her parents eat the food of the spirits and get turned into pigs, literally. Way to go guys. It’s up to Chihiro to find a way to break the spell they’re under, but not before you witness pots and trays overflowing with the most deliciously fictitious entrees you’ve ever seen. Thanks to some very determined writers and research there are quite a few articles listing the food depicted, even for Spirited Away. I would love to eat my way through a Ghibli film, but for now, all I can do is watch (and drool).

 

4. Be Kind to Everyone (and Everything) I Meet

Courtesy: rainbowgored

Last, but certainly not least, we have the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s a pretty good rule, and I think Prince Ashitaka is the perfect character to demonstrate it. Yes, I saved the prince for last. In Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka is exiled from his mountain village after a demon’s touch curses him. He heads west where he finds a mining town called Iron Town (clever, I know) which is ruled by a very ambitious Lady Eboshi and her warriors. Her search for wealth and iron ore has led to the burning of the surrounding forest, which has angered the gods and spirits that live within it. The little guys are Kodama, child-like tree spirits, who happen to be the friendliest spirits in the entire film, but are being killed off as more trees are cut down. This turf defiling discrepancy eventually escalates into an all out war.

Courtesy: savaotaku

At the head of it on the gods’ side is San, pictured above displaying the right amount of anger at the situation. She’s a human girl who was raised by a wolf goddess and therefore doesn’t identify as human and is addressed as Princess Mononoke (demon/spirit princess) by the people of Iron Town. Though he’s new to the conflict, Ashitaka approaches it from a neutral position, hoping that one side will come to their senses before hatred take over completely.

Courtesy: thatborderlinegirl

Each film had a lot to teach me, and even now when I watch them back, I take away a new lesson. It’s impressive that so many crucial teachings were in movies of my childhood. So remember: you’re never too old to watch animated films and you’re never too young to learn the big lessons.

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