Footnote #18 - Studio Ghibli (with Susan Napier)

The latest Footnote episode of the podcast sees the return of Professor Susan Napier (Goldthwaite Professor of Rhetoric, International Literary and Cultural Studies at Tufts University), who straight from her guest turn on Chris and Alex’s discussion of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (2002) chats about the animated works and philosophy of Studio Ghibli. Listen as they examine Studio Ghibli’s contribution to global animation history and their vexed industrial and creative relationship to the Walt Disney Studio; the multimedia reach of the company and its turn to theatrical stage shows and theme parks; the methodological fascination of Ghibli given their synonymy with Japanese anime (and how they differ from other representational traditions within the animated medium); and how the aesthetics and narratives of Studio Ghibli’s feature films are the bearers of high levels of love, detail, and the magic of artistic creation.

**Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo**