A spiritual Studio Ghibli installment comes next year from the mind of a Hayao Miyazaki pupil. Studio Ghibli developed a clear visual and narrative style that’s instantly recognizable across different genres and historical periods due to its movies’ extraordinary hand-drawn animation and expressive character designs, as well as its mature themes and its willingness to let stories unfold at their own pace. Ghibli movies find beauty in seemingly insignificant moments, and their fantasy elements tend to coexist with relatable human experiences.
Studio Ghibli’s reputation is largely associated with a handful of exceptionally successful productions, particularly Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. All of these movies introduced millions of viewers to the studio’s unmistakable art style. Spirited Away famously became an international phenomenon and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and Totoro‘s adorable forest spirit became the studio’s official mascot. However, the studio’s catalog contains several exceptional films that receive considerably less attention, including the teenage drama Ocean Waves, the environmental commentary Pom Poko, and the nostalgic romance From Up on Poppy Hill.
While Hayao Miyazaki is widely known as the mind behind Studio Ghibli, the studio has served as a cradle of talented artists with their own impressive animation careers.
Cocoon – One Summer Of Girlhood Arrives On Blu-Ray January 2027
Animator Hitomi Tateno Brings His Studio Ghibli Experience To Cocoon – One Summer Of Girlhood
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Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood brings together some remarkable talent from the Japanese animation industry. Director Yukimitsu Ina is one of the creative minds behind Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, and SASAYURI is the animation studio founded by former Studio Ghibli animator Hitomi Tateno, whose credits include My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle. Adapted from Machiko Kyo’s 2009 manga of the same name, Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood follows two schoolgirls, San and Mayu, whose peaceful summer on a secluded island comes to an abrupt end when war reaches their community.
Although Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood is set during the war, its point of view is that of two young women who find their innocence and sense of security gradually stripped away.
Yukimitsu Ina is accompanied by recruited veteran animators Akihiko Yamashita, known for his work on Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron; as well as Shinji Otsuka, known for Kiki’s Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. The involvement of so many artists associated with Studio Ghibli makes Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood a must-watch, with Hitomi Tateno bringing decades of experience to a project that approaches its historical subject with as much sensibility as all Studio Ghibli productions. Originally premiered in Japan on March 30, 2025, Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood received a U.S. theatrical release through GKIDS on September 4, 2026, and its Blu-ray release is scheduled for January 19, 2027.
Studio Ghibli Created An Entire Subgenre Of Animation
Ghibli-Like Animated Movies Are A Well-Defined Concept
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Numerous animation studios and filmmakers honor Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn artistry. Founded in 2015 by former Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and populated by several former Ghibli artists, Studio Ponoc carries Ghibli’s legacy in its debut feature, Mary and the Witch’s Flower, which has been followed by touching animated movies such as the anthology Modest Heroes and the fantasy film The Imaginary. Other Japanese filmmakers have continued similar storytelling traditions through their own studios. Mamoru Hosoda’s Wolf Children and Mirai explore the extraordinary experiences hidden within everyday life, Makoto Shinkai has found massive success with Your Name, and Studio Colorido has produced several particularly Ghibli-adjacent coming-of-age adventures, including Penguin Highway and A Whisker Away.
Other productions favor supernatural storytelling. Directed by former Ghibli artist Masashi Ando, The Deer King builds an elaborate fantasy world around a father struggling to protect an adopted child. Studio 4°C has also delivered visually ambitious alternatives in Children of the Sea and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, the former exploring humanity’s relationship with the ocean and the latter finding warmth in an unconventional mother-daughter relationship. Outside Japan, Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon has established one of the strongest independent counterparts to Ghibli, with folklore-inspired productions like The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers, alongside the more grounded historical drama The Breadwinner and the fantasy adventure My Father’s Dragon.
Which Studio Ghibli-like animated movie do you like the most?
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