Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

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Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Henry Spencer » Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:01 pm

Never been a big fan or anything, but figured people here would like to know, that are into anime:

http://someoneone.blog116.fc2.com/blog-entry-8987.html
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=867218

It's also a bit of a wake up call to people that 2D animation is well and truly dead now. Most anime being made nowadays is almost all computer generated. This added to Satoshi Kon's death a couple of years ago pretty much means the death knell for a bunch of people with regards to anime (or at least anime aimed at an older audience, at least).
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Kenny » Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:33 pm

That's pretty unfortunate.

I wouldn't say 2D is "dead" though. It's gonna become a niché market like Stop Motion is now. Though if cynical industry analysts are to be believed, cinema in general will go wayside eventually due to the exploding digital "stay at home" market.

Truth be told, I'm finding more joy staying at home watching Youtube vids or other streaming media than an actual movie going experience now. It's quick, convenient, and I get my fill faster. I think as a consequence I'm getting a shorter attention span because of it which is probably why fast intense movies like Transformers make big business.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Thief » Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:36 pm

Pretty much all of the "2D" animation that's coming out of Japan is horrible nowadays. I get that it's cheaper and what not but... ugh. Japanese animation was doing their best work when they were doing traditional animation that was spliced with a little computer animation. Compare this:

phpBB [video]


to something like this

phpBB [video]


both are clearly well animated but I'm so sick of the same boring cell-shaded computer animated look that everything coming out of Japan is taking.

EDIT: Found a better quality macross video
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby AnimeGamer183 » Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:45 pm

That a bit of a shock to me considering that I had no idea they were in such bad shape. They were an anime epic? I dont understand how they went under, the costs of regular animation have significantly dropped over the past decade. This makes me worried about anime in general, they were a mecca in the realm of anime, if someone as big as them went under it makes me wonder who is actually going to survive? Maybe its just cause many of their works were theatrical releases and that might entail some extra costs? Maybe the quality of their work has gone down in recent years? I must admit I havent really kept up with most of their new stuff post Spirited Away. Also a sad realization we wont see another game like Ni No Kuni, that they had a hand in. Very sad day in the world of anime, apparently Miyazaki has been retired for a few years now too, perhaps that is also a factor?
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Henry Spencer » Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:51 pm

The reason we are seeing so many crappy 3D CG anime nowadays is because it's so much cheaper and more convenient for these Japanese animation production houses. Heck, even a big production like the recent Berserk movies recently got converted into a crappy looking CG look (really low budget, by the looks of it), instead of the traditional look that the original series had. The whole CG process in anime is still in the growing period and it's a real mess at the moment. These animation studios still haven't gotten the hang of it.

2D animation is just so expensive to make and Ghibli's main directors seem to have retired, so the quality isn't up the standard anymore.

Personally, I much preferred the 80s/early to mid 90s style of anime - messy at times, but at least honestly 2D animation through and through. I honestly think the last anime series that I actually liked was Ergo Proxy and the last anime film I liked was Paprika (beautiful film and Kon's last completed film before his death). Everything since the late 00s has sucked. I've just completely gone off the entire medium.

Kenny wrote: That's pretty unfortunate.

I wouldn't say 2D is "dead" though. It's gonna become a niché market like Stop Motion is now. Though if cynical industry analysts are to be believed, cinema in general will go wayside eventually due to the exploding digital "stay at home" market.


Well, I didn't mean "completely dead" I just meant in terms of popularity. I love 2D animation, but just look at Walt Disney, kids TV shows and now the Japanese animation industries and it's plain as day. Just like practical effects in Hollywood blockbusters, creature effects in horror movies, stop motion or puppet shows are all practices that are just a done deal. It's kind of harsh for those people who worked in those fields for so many years, but it is what it is. Makes me wonder what happens to those people. Unfortunately, not everything is cyclical. :sad:

Truth be told, I'm finding more joy staying at home watching Youtube vids or other streaming media than an actual movie going experience now. It's quick, convenient, and I get my fill faster. I think as a consequence I'm getting a shorter attention span because of it which is probably why fast intense movies like Transformers make big business.


I'm enjoying TV shows (out of the US) more than I am most movies at the cinema nowadays. I'm finding I am out of touch with today's Hollywood system.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Thief » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:07 pm

Have you heard of Dream Machine, Henry? It's supposedly the film that Satoshi Kon was working on before he died (which they intend to finish and release).
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Riku Rose » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:22 pm

Having watched only Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro I've never quite seen the appeal of Studio Ghibi. They aren't bad films but I just never felt they was anything special like most. I'm glad I watched them sober otherwise I would have been even more confused by what I was watching.

Still a sad day for the fans who truly did love their movies.

I'm a huge Disney fan but don't think I've seen any of their films since they went all 3D. I should get around to watching them some day as Tangled and Frozen are meant to be great.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Henry Spencer » Mon Aug 04, 2014 11:14 am

Thief wrote:Have you heard of Dream Machine, Henry? It's supposedly the film that Satoshi Kon was working on before he died (which they intend to finish and release).


Aye, massive fan of the guy, but they've been saying that for years now. I just don't see it happening. Last I heard the animation studio had run out of money, or something like that? No idea whether they took the project somewhere else or if they're outsourcing it or what, but it isn't looking good.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Kenny » Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:32 pm

Riku Rose wrote: Having watched only Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro I've never quite seen the appeal of Studio Ghibi. They aren't bad films but I just never felt they was anything special like most. I'm glad I watched them sober otherwise I would have been even more confused by what I was watching.

Still a sad day for the fans who truly did love their movies.

I'm a huge Disney fan but don't think I've seen any of their films since they went all 3D. I should get around to watching them some day as Tangled and Frozen are meant to be great.


Whisper of the Heart, Porco Rosso, and Arrietty are good ones.

Tangled is very good as well but man, did I not like Frozen.

Henry Spencer wrote:
Thief wrote:Have you heard of Dream Machine, Henry? It's supposedly the film that Satoshi Kon was working on before he died (which they intend to finish and release).


Aye, massive fan of the guy, but they've been saying that for years now. I just don't see it happening. Last I heard the animation studio had run out of money, or something like that? No idea whether they took the project somewhere else or if they're outsourcing it or what, but it isn't looking good.


All it takes is an outside investor to help make that happen but it all depends how much money they're asking for.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Sonikku » Mon Aug 04, 2014 3:12 pm

Agh, my favorite animation studio. :( And cheap 3D computer stuff wins. Sometimes I hate capitalism.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Henry Spencer » Mon Aug 04, 2014 3:58 pm

Kenny wrote:All it takes is an outside investor to help make that happen but it all depends how much money they're asking for.


It honestly blows my mind that for a director with so many high profile fans (Madonna, Darren Aronofsky, Terry Gilliam and Christopher Nolan being just a few examples; they've all used images from his five anime projects in their own work and/or have stated to being fans) haven't stepped in and tried to help with that. If I was a fan in their position, I would do it.

Perfect Blue (Kon's directorial debut) was made with a 30k budget and the guy who took over the directorial duties for Dreaming Machine (which was going to be Kon's final film) after Kon passed, stated a couple of years ago that at the time the project was halted, around 600 of the 1500 shots have been animated. So there's a bit left to go, but unfortunately - art doesn't matter, money does. :sad:
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Kenny » Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:54 pm

That's about $44k in 2014 dollars but even with 900 shots to go, I'd be interested to know how many of them require CG (if at all) and how many hours need to be put in for each shot. Just because Perfect Blue was relatively cheap to make in its day doesn't mean his newer endeavors may have been.

I'm also wondering if they are accepting of having Westerners finance as well. Cause once you have a third party put in money in something, they would want to have a hand in development. If the intention is to preserve Satoshi Kon's vision, that would be the last thing they would want.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby beedle » Tue Aug 05, 2014 10:00 am

It's not dead it's still knocking around, think it's just a hiatus. I don't really care anyway, their films are not bad, but they've never clicked with me much. I guess like Princess Monoke is good, but the rest just doesn't interest me.


Also that attack titan thing, i don't watch anime, but I tried watching it a few months ago and it was the most boringest thing ever.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Yokosuka » Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:11 am

What a shocking news that would be despite its little predictability. Suzuki has failed to find (or grow) guaranty successors to the two old men and want to take no economical risk after his last commercial failures, wise decision that is.

Their main problem right now is that they have to not await too much time before beginning a new ambitious and safe project, successive annual small benefits could make the studio definitively unable to invest big money.

Sad news for 2D animation in general. Now the hope is focused on European countries such as France (recently Le Jour des Corneilles, Ernest et Célestine, the quality 2D animation school Gobelins at Paris) or Ireland which is starting to invest a lot of money there.
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Re: Studio Ghibli Shutting Down

Postby Thief » Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:16 am

beedle wrote: Also that attack titan thing, i don't watch anime, but I tried watching it a few months ago and it was the most boringest thing ever.


I'm sick of being the one in my group of friends who just "hates everything"... but holy crap is Attack on Titan horrible.
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