Has Disney Animation Lost Its Magic?

Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have been able to capture the essence of magic far greater than the Disney Animation Studio.

December 2, 2021

Studio Ghibli and Disney-Pixar are two powerhouses in modern animation, with the former keeping alive the hand-drawn style of early animation and the latter pushing the boundaries of 3D animation. Despite their different film markets and Disney’s global presence, audiences around the world are enraptured by the magic Studio Ghibli can create. But, how does Ghibli capture magic that Disney seems to lack? 

Walt Disney founded his titular animation company in 1923 with a focus on rubber-hose and West Coast-style animation. The Disney style of fluid movement, gloves, and childlike characterization made Disney and his style famous. As technology progressed, their style became synonymous with high-quality CGI animation. 

It’s like magic. Ghibli makes real-life movie magic.

— High School Student Madison Pangelinan

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation company founded by Hayao Miyazaki in 1985. Miyazaki and his team utilize intricate watercolor, acrylic, and hand-drawn animation styles. Ghibli’s art style is radically different from the CGI animation of Disney and the anime styles of their native Japan. The attention to detail and fantastical elements are the most distinctive feature of the Ghibli Style. 

But a hand-drawn style is not an inherently superior animation style. 

The two factors that separate Ghibli from Disney are the music and the thematic elements. Joe Hisaishi is the genius behind the scores of virtually every Ghibli film. He is able to imbue such emotion and fantasy in every bar he writes. While Disney aims to write scores and songs that would pander to a wider audience and be popular on the radio, Hisaishi composes for the movie and the story. Although “One Summer Day” and “Merry-go-round of Life” are two fairly popular Hisaishi songs, the compositions are not meant to be used as marketing ploys—they are meant to transport the listener into the movie. 

High school student Madison Pangelinan says that “the songs aren’t like ‘Let It Go.’ They don’t start and stop with a musical break, the Ghibli music flows good only adds, never take [sic] away.” 

Miyazaki is notorious for his method of making the mundane seem magical. Throughout the internet, tasks as simple as cooking a meal or cleaning the house have been made beautiful and romanticized by the hands of Ghibli. More mature themes and motifs are present throughout the films while still remaining youthful and kid-centric. Compared to Ghibli, Disney sacrifices the magic they espouse to receive a larger audience.

“I honestly don’t think Disney can ever compare to Ghibli,” Pangelinan says. “When you walk out of Ponyo or The Secret Life of Arrietty, it’s like everything is special and wonderful and all is right. It’s truly magic.” 

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