In many of Studio Ghibli’s films there are underlying themes and issues. Director Hayao Miyazaki, tends to focus on larger world issues, such as environmentalism, conservation, greed and the natural world. It is believed in Japan that the spirit world exists along side the human world and that actions on either side will have a knock on effect on the other. It is important that the balance is kept.
The 1997 film, Princess Mononoke predominantly focuses on conservation and preservation. The film is set in the late Muromachi period in Japan. The story follows the protagonist Ashitaka, a young prince, who has been cursed by an evil boar demon. He travels West and finds himself in Irontown, run by Lady Eboshi – the main antagonist. Eboshi’s mission is to kill the forrest spirit, cut down the forrest and destroy anything that gets in her way, all so her and the workers can mine more ore. Ashitaka discovers that Lady Eboshi was the one who shot the boar, consequently cursing him as well.
He then meets San the wolf girl. Along with her wolf mother Moro (a god) and wolf brothers who’s soul purpose is to protect the forrest. Ashitaka teams up with San to save the forrest spirit and prevent Lady Eboshi’s chaos.
The film focuses mainly on the evils of industrialism. Lady Eboshi’s disregard for the natural world symbolises the overall greed of todays society. It shows the destruction and negative effects of destroying nature for economic gain. The film captures the imbalance and loss of habitat thus mirroring the current day issues of deforestation. Each day more than 2.4 million trees are cut down, despite larger companies pledging to plant more. The short term effects of destroying such huge amounts of habitat is that the ecosystem doesn’t have the necessary foundations to create life thus having a chain reaction on the whole environment.
Ashitaka with demon 
San and her wolf brother. 
Lady Eboshi 
Forest spirit – DAY 
Forest spirit – NIGHT 
Iron town 
Forest spirit effecting Eboshi’s gun
Spirited away, released in 2003. The film focuses on a young girl named Chihiro, who’s parents take a wrong turn whilst driving to their new house. They go through an old railway station and find themselves in an abandoned town with plates and plates of “free food” Her parents pig out on food and ultimately become pigs themselves. Chihiro the meets Haku (it is later revealed that he is actually a river spirit) He tells her that she needs to speak to Yubaba, the owner of the bath house in order to save her parents. Yubaba is a witch, who prides herself in control and money, she sits in the penthouse surrounded by money and jewels. Yubaba takes Chihiro’s name and changes it too Sen.
There is a scene in the film in which a “stink spirit” enters the bath house, Sen is told she must deal with the customer as no one wants deal with him. Whilst doing this she nearly drowns, however she notices a “thorn” in the spirits side. Upon pulling it out the spirit releases a pile of rubbish. The spirt then tells Sen that she has saved him.
The stink spirit is a prime example of what happens when humans mistreat the earth. Its is the overall consequences of humans destructive actions. It represents human corruption.
Stink spirit 
Chihiro and staff pulling out rubbish 
Pile of rubbish from the stink spirit 
Chihiro 
Chihiro’s parents “pigging out” 
Chihiro’s parents as pigs 
Yubaba
Miyazaki encourages humans to respect nature, find a way to coexist and untimely continue with natural preservation. He discusses this point in many of his interviews. Some of my personal favourite quotes are:
“Humans have both the urge to create and destroy.”
“In the past, humans hesitated when they took lives, even non-human lives. But society had changed, and they no longer felt that way. As humans grew stronger, I think that we became quite arrogant, losing the sorrow of ‘we have no other choice.’ I think that in the essence of human civilization, we have the desire to become rich without limit, by taking the lives of other creatures.”
References
Wood, J., 2021. 30 Memorable Hayao Miyazaki Quotes. [online] Mentalfloss.com. Available at: <https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/90573/30-memorable-hayao-miyazaki-quotes> [Accessed 2 June 2021].
Writer, S., 2020. How Many Trees Are Cut Down Each Day?. [online] Reference.com. Available at: <https://www.reference.com/science/many-trees-cut-down-day-42bf5e6262028f2d#:~:text=Throughout%20the%20world%2C%20about%20900,trees%20cut%20down%20every%20day.> [Accessed 2 June 2021].
Filmography
Princess Mononoke. 1997. [DVD] Directed by H. Miyazaki. Japan: Studio Ghibli.
Spirited away. 2001. [film] Directed by H. Miyazaki. Japan: Studio Ghibli.
Kayla Laisby 