In times like these we all need a bit of escapist fantasy in our lives, and the writers and animators at Studio Ghibli are pretty much the masters of providing that onscreen. Convenient, then, that every one of the Japanese animation studio’s films has been made available to watch in the US today (May 27), with the launch of HBO Max.
Previously, Studio Ghibli’s back catalogue had been made available to stream on Netflix, but not in the US. Now, everyone can immerse themselves in the worlds of Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service (or just lose themselves in Ghibli’s irresistible depictions of food).
Hayao Miyazaki’s environmental epic Princess Mononoke is another highlight from the newly-available Studio Ghibli collection, as relevant today as when it was released in 1997 (although, tbh, any of the films – which together total almost 22 hours of glorious animation – are a worthy way to while away the hours in isolation).
For a slightly less time-intensive way to step inside the Studio Ghibli universe though, you can also browse Dazed’s favourite short films from the studio, or else take a virtual tour around Tokyo’s Studio Ghibli museum.