studio ghibli: how clothing shapes identity

Omg I need you to do howls moving castle

POV: you’re a beautiful dove and Mina has posted

Studio ghibli has such a soft and beautiful aesthetic, i think the better word to describe ut is… peaceful. The music, the colors, the art style and the narrative are so gorgeous and I love everything about it.

I always viewed Chihiro’s characterization a little differently- not as whiny or lazy, but extremely anxious and resistant to change. I think her clothes sort of subtly reflect this by being oversized, emphasizing how small and overwhelmed she feels at the beginning. In the end, I think the hair tie can also represent her newfound bravery. Although she leaves in the same clothes that she started in, her hair tie serves as symbol for the audience that the character growth she experienced won’t be forgotten.

I like the fact that most ghibli movies don’t have a “villain”, like maybe an antagonist but not so much a villain, no one is inherently evil without explanation like in other children movies

Both pronunciations are technically correct! The original word that was used for the name of the studio (which is Italian) is pronounced with a hard G, but the japanese pronunciation is with a soft G, so both are correct

Ngl, the scene when Chihiro's parents turn into pigs absolutely traumatized me as a kid

MINA TALKING ABOUT STUDIO GHIBLI??? OMG I WAS BORN FOR A REASON

As an american, learning some of the historical context in miyazaki’s films seriously enriches my understanding of their themes. Elements like this are almost always overlooked in video essays but they add so much to the story. Thank you Mina, every time I see you’ve uploaded I know I’m in for a treat ♡

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on Howl’s Moving Castle, and it’s semi- Edwardian/ Steampunk aesthetic. I love Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, but I guess they aren’t as good for fashion critique.

the way i cackled when nicki minaj started playing

i genuinely don’t think enough people talk about and appreciate the music in these movies. the soundtracks give the movies (and me) life. like damn props to who wrote the pieces, i love them so much.

Ahhhh i’m so happy you’re talkinng about Studio Ghibli! 😭💕

.....Now I'm imagining a clothing analysis on Howl's Moving Castle

You talked about an article where the author criticized that Ashitaka stayed with the people in Iron Town instead of returning to his village. This is actually addressed in the movie why he does not go home though, it’s because he can’t return! When Ashitaka is cursed by the boar spirit the elder of the town tells him he has to cut off his top knot and that he is forbidden from returning. Because of the curse he is cast out from his village. No one in the village is even allowed to see him off or say goodbye to him (but his sister does anyway). But that is why Ashitaka stays with the people of Iron Town! Hope that clears some things up!

Ghibli movies do such a great job at world building. I remember the first time I watched Howl's Moving Castle I immediately thought "this movie is set in Germany" just based on the architecture alone. A few minutes further into the movie there are posters in German confirming this. Even though the worlds of Ghibli movies are almost always fantastical, there are always enough real world details that make them feel like they could actually exist.

You should become a professor of some sort or an instructor. Like I would absolutely love to take any fashion course from you because you are so eloquent, engaging, and your videos are structured like a well-written essay. I feel like I end up absorbing and learning a lot from your videos. You would have no problem teaching a class.

I have to refute the brothel theory. Miyazaki himself said that Spirited Away was a movie he made for a friend's 10 or 12 year old daughter. And he looked at her and wanted to make a movie for her. Any brothel analogy is simply something invented by people analyzing the film later and NOT something Miyazaki intended nor supports himself.

I think the reason he stayed in iron town, is because before leaving, when he cuts his hair (strong symbol in Asia), I read somewhere that he essentially dies in the eyes of his people, hence why they are so sad. He is in a way exiled/banished/dead so that he can leave them and go on his quest. So I think he stays in iron town because he can't go back to his village. Idk I'm no expert :3

This was such an awesome video!!!! Thanks for all the hard work and compilation of information, the video flew by 😭