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NEWS: Ghibli Co-Founder Suzuki: Studio Considers Dismantling Production Department


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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:19 pm Reply with quote
Dang, this is not a good news.

I hope the studio doesn't dismantle but who knows..
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Яeverse



Joined: 16 Jun 2014
Posts: 1135
Location: Indianapolis
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:22 pm Reply with quote
Unfortunately theyve been unable to ever make an actually good movie due to potentially incompetent content creators that failed to ever generate an actually imaginate or engaging story. Just about all of their movies failed to ever stimulate any sort of emotion or dwelled too much on being gross over approximations of themes they were tackling that they came off feeling weak, lifeless, and offensive. This fate was bound to happen with other people in other companies making truly definitive movies and this studio unable to adapt to changing and evolving market conditions in this fierce environment. Ultimately the studio needs to take the time to invest in new graduates of animation and creative writing departments, overhaul and modernize their character and background design, and bring out more modern deep movies in the other half of this decade in order to reach the upper echelon of quality like their competitors.

Last edited by Яeverse on Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:24 pm; edited 2 times in total
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:23 pm Reply with quote
It really feels like Miyazaki didn't do a stellar job of fostering a new generation of writers and storytellers to take over after him. All of the other major players are also aging. The other problem is you can't keep having $20-30 million dollar films that don't do so well, that'll wreck any studio.
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bleuster



Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 455
Location: Orange County
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:32 pm Reply with quote
I know there are a few people saying it's fine since the studio was really in the hands of a few key figures, so if it ends, then that's that. It's just sucks if they have to let the hundreds of talented people go find new work; work that they may not be familiar with since most studios are focused on more modern methods.

But I know they haven't made an official statement on closure just yet.

I'm not really a Ghibli fan, so eh.
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firedragon54738



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 3113
Location: wisconsin
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:49 pm Reply with quote
Well that sucks it kind of wonders what Gorō Miyazaki is going to do and a shame that new talent dont have there time to shine any more. This mite be anther nail in the death of anime
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EyeOfPain



Joined: 14 May 2013
Posts: 312
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:51 pm Reply with quote
bleuster wrote:
I know there are a few people saying it's fine since the studio was really in the hands of a few key figures, so if it ends, then that's that. It's just sucks if they have to let the hundreds of talented people go find new work; work that they may not be familiar with since most studios are focused on more modern methods.
Is that really an issue? I was under the impression that nearly all animators are effectively freelance, so a change in the studio landscape shouldn't have a drastic effect on employment opportunities, other than one less project to work on every few years.

Even if Ghibli does exclusively employ animators, that should be a highlight on their resumes.

Oh, and I haven't really been that excited for a Ghibli film since Spirited Away. So I guess I'm not that heartbroken. Even if they decide to continue producing new features, Suzuki's comments don't inspire much confidence about their future.


Last edited by EyeOfPain on Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:54 pm; edited 1 time in total
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GWOtaku



Joined: 19 Jul 2003
Posts: 678
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:52 pm Reply with quote
I can't believe how many places reported this as a "GHIBLI IS SHUTTING DOWN" story while citing a bloody tumblr post. In reality, everything Suzuki said on TV echos things he's been quoted as saying before earlier in the year. Here's hoping that massive downsizing isn't what they settle on in the end. That means a lot of talent out of work and a loss we'd all be poorer for. It won't be easy to build a post-Miyazaki, post-Takahata future. But that's a road worth at least trying to take.

Last edited by GWOtaku on Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
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americananimotk



Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 42
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:55 pm Reply with quote
Do remember that when Walt Disney died, the company literally ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off for a good 12 to 13 years before they got their act together with The Little Mermaid. I have a feeling that it is going to a very similar ordeal with Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki's retirement. However, I do think that Disney may decide to swoop in and buy them out like most other companies that have partnered with Disney usually end up. Either way, I am a huge fan and I would hate to see them go.

Last edited by americananimotk on Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:57 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Moefan199



Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 19
Location: Mississippi
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:56 pm Reply with quote
I don't completely understand what is going on and it seems the people at Ghibli doesn't either. They might dismantle production team, the whole studio, or redesign into a studio to support newer generation talent? I hope they don't make any rash decisions here. They need to take a little time and decide what they can and want to do. I hope they at least try and let some of their younger talent have a chance and take the wheel of the company. After that they can decide if it is working and go from there.
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Trypticon



Joined: 25 May 2013
Posts: 80
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:17 pm Reply with quote
Яeverse wrote:
Unfortunately theyve been unable to ever make an actually good movie due to potentially incompetent content creators that failed to ever generate an actually imaginate or engaging story. Just about all of their movies failed to ever stimulate any sort of emotion or dwelled too much on being gross over approximations of themes they were tackling that they came off feeling weak, lifeless, and offensive.


I really have to go ahead and disagree with what you say here, as a matter of fact, I wholeheartedly disagree with your post in its entirety because, as much as it pains me to say this; your sentiment sounds like a lack of understanding of the content and rather reductionist. Grave of the Fireflies, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away are among some of the most amazing and compelling movies filled with wonder I have had the pleasure of seeing and I don’t hesitate for an instant to recommend them to anyone.

You're entitled to your opinion, however, I'm within my right to disagree. To refer to these pieces of Art/Entertainment as “weak, lifeless, and offensive” is just downright disingenuous.

Яeverse wrote:
Ultimately the studio needs to take the time to invest in new graduates of animation and creative writing departments, overhaul and modernize their character and background design, and bring out more modern deep movies in the other half of this decade in order to reach the upper echelon of quality like their competitors.


Most of the titles in the Studio Ghibli roster are definitive classics, after all, more people will remember and talk about Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away 20 years from now rather than the current shonen of the month.

Also, and I’m sure I’m not alone on this, but I find the character designs, story ideas, and themes of Studio Ghibli movies to be quite timeless and crafty.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:22 pm Reply with quote
I wonder what would have happened to people like Kunihiko Yuyama if he didn't get saddled with making Pokemon for over a decade but instead had ended up continuing to make original films. It's probably too late for him to ever make a directorial comeback with serious material, which is a shame.
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H. Guderian



Joined: 29 Jan 2014
Posts: 1255
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:24 pm Reply with quote
After being thoroughly underwhelmed by Wind Rises, and enjoying (but not loving) the other films, I have been fairly lukewarm on the Studio.

Also the trailer for Marine? It did nothing to make me want to see it. You can easily get better backgrounds in a Shinkai commercial, nevermind his movies. Why was that movie animation? What of the medium lends itself to that story? Some stories work better as games, some stories work perfectly as books. Animation has its own perks and it doesn't seem like Ghibli wants to have fun animating in fear of looking childish or devaluing their 'family-safe' animation brand.

I think they need to do more than rely on exclusively fairy tales repurposed feature films. Have some fun animating for the sake of animating. They seem to be stuck trying to force their style of animation animation as high art.

There's nothing wrong with a studio coming down. There was a whole "Living Museum" idea where Miyazaki wanted to put all the classic 2D animators to keep working on their craft without adapting to 3D. Spirited Away's success gave them faith to keep working with 2D.
They need a good hit, and they should enjoy making it as much as we should have watching it!
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Gasero



Joined: 24 Jul 2009
Posts: 939
Location: USA
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:39 pm Reply with quote
I wonder if any of this has to do with a lack of Miyazaki's willingness to foster a new generation of visionary leaders at Studio Gibli. I don't know anything about the staff there, but it doesn't seem like Miyazaki was letting anyone else lead big projects (wouldn't we know their name by now?).

This is the same concern I had for Nintendo before other directors like Sakurai started getting more attention with projects like Super Smash Bros and other Hal Labs games.
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PurpleWarrior13



Joined: 05 Sep 2009
Posts: 2024
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:41 pm Reply with quote
I don't see what's wrong with Ghibli's current movies. I haven't seen The Wind Rises, but I loved Ponyo, Arietty, and Poppy Hill. I heard Earthsea wasn't that good, but even that's eight years old now, and it's only one film...
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6248
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:46 pm Reply with quote
My goodness, I hope Studio Ghibli doesn't close. Confused

That would be the saddest day in anime history and another disaster for anime fans worldwide. Sad
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