Studio Ghibli at 40: Holding Onto Wonder in an AI Age

Studio Ghibli, Japan’s most celebrated animation studio, marks its 40th anniversary this June.

Known for its hand-drawn films like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro, the studio was co-founded in 1985 by legendary director Hayao Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata.

With two Oscars under its belt, the most recent in 2024 for The Boy and the Heron, Ghibli has long blended fantasy with mature themes like war, ecology, and loss.

But with Miyazaki now 84 and the studio signaling this may be his final film, fans and critics alike wonder what’s next.

Ghibli’s global legacy remains strong through Netflix streaming and its Ghibli Park in Japan, yet the rise of AI-generated imagery in 2025 that mimicked its nostalgic style sparked debate about copyright, originality, and the future of artistic animation.

As animation evolves, Studio Ghibli faces a turning point: whether it can carry forward its distinct vision without its founding artists, or whether its golden era ends with Miyazaki. The studio’s story now stands at the crossroads of tradition and technology.