The animated works of Studio Ghibli have long been a staple in the DVD and/or Blu-ray libraries of anime aficionados across the world. From the Academy Award winning Spirited Away by acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki to works adapted from English-language novels such as Howl’s Moving Castle and Arrietty – it is a studio which doesn’t really have a bad film in its library. Whether looking to revisit their works or watching them for the first time, Netflix will have you covered over the next three months.
Netflix Australia has confirmed that they will be bringing 21 Studio Ghibli works to their video-on-demand streaming service from 1 February 2020 until 1 April 2020. On the first of each month, a new set of films will be available to watch. The following films will be on offer each month:
February 2020: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves and Tales from Earthsea
March 2020: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbours the Yamadas, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Arrietty and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
April 2020: Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises and When Marnie Was There.
The only major omission is Grave of the Fireflies directed by Isao Takahata. While no reason has been given, it may potentially be due to differences in licencing.
Here’s hoping these anime staples reach an even broader audience in Australia over the coming months. Just keep in mind that while some Studio Ghibli films are great for watchers young and old, some of them do touch upon topics and themes which may make them more enjoyable to older audiences (Say 15+).
Feel like picking up a physical copy of one or more Studio Ghibli films? Madman Entertainment manages physical publishing of all the films in Australia and New Zealand.
