Every Studio Ghibli movie nominated for Oscars

❘ Published: 2024-01-24T17:13:28

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli has bagged an Oscar nomination with The Boy and the Heron, so here’s a throwback to all the nominations the iconic anime studio has received over the years.

Studio Ghibli is a famous animation studio known for its immersive realism and visually appealing storytelling. Hayao Miyazaki, one of the founding members, is the biggest name in the anime industry. As a living legend, Miyazaki has directed dozens of movies throughout his career.

Every work he created is considered a masterpiece that received global recognition. His unique art style, genuine characterization, and messages always captivate the viewers. However, other anime movies from the same studio don’t lag behind at all.

Overall, Studio Ghibli’s magically whimsical movies often get nominations for Oscars in the Best Animated Feature category. Oscars 2024 recently revealed the nominees; unsurprisingly, the recent Studio Ghibli was also nominated. Here’s a look at all the Studio Ghibli movies nominated for Oscars.

1. Spirited Away (2001)

You can become a character out of an anime with the filter.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away is a Studio Ghibli classic that was released in 2001 and still stands among one of the greatest anime ever. The story is about Chihiro, whose parents are turned into pigs, and she then wanders into the world of Yokai to find a way to save them. However, the world is scarier than she realizes since it’s ruled by a witch who turned those who disobey her into animals. Spirited Away is the only Studio Ghibli movie to win an Oscar.

2. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

An image of Sophie and Howl with their friends in Howl's Moving Castle

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

This Studio Ghibli was nominated for an Academy Award but lost to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The protagonist is an average young woman named Sophie Hatter, who the Witch of the Waste curses after meeting with Howl. As a result of the curse, Sophie finds herself looking like a 90-year-old woman. Stuck in a feud between a witch and a wizard, all Sophie can do is leave home without getting discovered by her mother.

3. The Wind Rises (2013)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

The Wind Rises is a fictionalized biographical film that follows the story of Jiro Horikoshi. He dreamt of flying, but he chose to be a Japanese airplane designer. He was the designer of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft and its successor, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. It was used by Japan during World War II. The movie is an adaptation of Miyazaki’s manga of the same name. The movie lost to Frozen at the Academy Awards.

4. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

Director: Isao Takahata

Nominated for the Oscars, this Studio Ghibli movie lost to Big Hero 6. It’s an adaptation of the popular Japanese folklore, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, from the 10th century. A bamboo cutter, Okina discovers a small baby inside a glowing shoot and takes her home. Okina and his wife raised her as their daughter and named her Kaguya. However, Kaguya’s origins come to light after she becomes a princess when Okina finds a large fortune.

5. When Marnie Was There (2014)

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

When Marnie was There was also nominated for Best Animated Feature, but it lost to Inside Out. The movie follows Anna Sasaki, who stays with her relatives in a town in the Kushiro wetlands in Hokkaido. When Anna stumbles onto an abandoned home nearby, she encounters Marnie, an enigmatic girl. Marie begs her to swear to keep their secrets a secret from everyone. As Anna spends more time with Marnie during the summer, she discovers the truth about her family and foster care.

6. The Red Turtle (2016)

Director: Michaël Dudok de Wit

The Red Turtle was nominated for the Academy Awards and lost to Zootopia. It is an international co-production between Studio Ghibli and several French companies. It has no dialogue and tells the story of a man who becomes shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. He meets a giant red female turtle.

7. The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

The movie was recently nominated for an Oscar after winning the Golden Globe. Originally called ‘How Do You Live?’ for its Japanese release, the movie’s title was changed to The Boy and the Heron. The movie follows Mahito, a young boy who yearns for his mother. He ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. Since the, he finds a new beginning in life.