As of today, you will now be able to live out your childhood fantasies once again. Legendary Japanese arthouse studio, Studio Ghibli has now given the rights to 21 of its films to Netflix.
Yes, the Academy Award winning classic ‘Spirited Away’ is amongst the films to make it on the streaming giant, alongside ‘Princess Mononoke’, ‘Arrietty’, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ and ‘The Tale of Princess Kaguya’.
The move is part of a global expansion for the studio, making its expansive catalogue available on Netflix in the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. The films will be subtitled in 28 languages and dubbed in 20 languages—including Arabic.
“In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences,” Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki said, “We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience”.
As of today, ‘Castle in the Sky’, ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, ‘Only Yesterday’, ‘Porco Rosso’, ‘Ocean Waves’, and ‘Tales from Earthsea’ are available for viewing.
The films ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’, ‘Princess Mononoke’, ‘My Neighbors the Yamadas’, ‘Spirited Away’, ‘The Cat Returns’, ‘Arrietty’ and ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya’ will follow on March 1.
The studio has also finally added its iconic (and magical) soundtracks to streaming services. Almost all of the studio’s film scores are now available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music, amongst other services.
“Music has long played a central role at Japan’s Ghibli, heightening the whimsy and drama of the studio’s beloved animated films,” reads the description on Apple Music’s ‘Studio Ghibli Essentials’ playlist. “Prolific composer Joe Hisaishi has created delicate and sweeping orchestral pieces for directors like Hayao Miyazaki, while pop-based theme songs for films such as ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and ‘Ponyo’ have been delighting listeners around the globe for decades.”
