With the upcoming release of Studio Ghibli’s Earwig and the Witch, I thought it might be interesting to look at some Studio Ghibli film adaptations of Western literature. While some of their films have certainly been influenced by Western novels, such as Laputa: Castle in the Sky which was partially inspired by the floating island of Laputa in Gulliver’s Travels, I will be focusing specifically on movies that are clearly adaptations.
Considering that Studio Ghibli have been producing films since 1986, it is interesting to note that their first adaptation of Western literature was released in 2004. Until then, many of Studio Ghibli’s films were either based on Japanese novels and manga or were original works.
The 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle is an adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name written by British author Diana Wynne Jones. While mostly loyal to the novel, the film does make several changes to the story such as removing Sophie’s sister Martha, changing Sophie’s motivations and removing her ability to speak to inanimate objects among others. It is also worth noting that Diana Wynne Jones wrote two sequels called Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways that follow different characters with the cast from Howl’s Moving Castle in supporting roles.
Their next film, released in 2006, would also be another adaptation of Western literature. Tales from Earthsea was based on the book series of the same name written by American author Ursula K. Le Guin. The production proved troubled as Hayao Miyazaki disapproved of the decision to make his son Gorō Miyazaki the film’s director. Ursula K. Le Guin herself wrote about some of the differences between her books and the film on her blog. The film itself would end up having a mixed reception with many considering it to be Studio Ghibli’s worst film.
The 2010 film Arrietty was an adaptation of the 1952 novel The Borrowers by British author Mary Norton. One of the most obvious differences between the film and the novel is the setting with the The Borrowers set in England and Arrietty set in Japan. Besides that, there are some other differences such as the personality of the boy from the novel and Shō, his film counterpart, as well as the removal of some plotlines such as the borrower family’s desire to find other borrowers.
The last theatrical film by Studio Ghibli, as of this article, When Marnie Was There was released in 2014 and adapted the 1967 novel of the same name by British author Joan G. Robinson. The setting is again changed from England to Japan but, beyond a few minor details, the film is a surprisingly loyal adaptation of the novel with few changes to the main story.
Finally, the film that inspired this article in the first place, the 2020 TV film, and Studio Ghibli’s first film in years, Earwig and the Witch is an adaptation of the 2011 novel by Diana Wynne Jones. Because the film has yet to be released, it is hard to tell how loyal or different it will be compared to the novel. However, it does seem that the movie will actually be set in England this time and I’m sure that, just as with all the other films, people will not hesitate to compare the film to the book once it has been released.
It is interesting to me how Studio Ghibli only began to produce films based on Western literature in 2004 and also how five out of the nine of their film releases since 2004 have been these adaptations. Let me know your thoughts on Studio Ghibli, their adaptations of Western novels, your thoughts on the novels themselves and any additional information you have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!