UnEarth Magazine.

_{Writing by Sophia Nistor – Art by Reese Abromarage}

Studio Ghibli films are one of the few films that transport us into a world without boundaries. A world where luminescent forest beings are intertwined with ancient trees, wind flows through grass on islands afloat in the sky, and characters journey through mysterious caves with gigantic otherworldly creatures. A world where you can take a train over an endless expanse of water and fly over the countryside with a strange cat-like creature named ‘Totoro’. In these scenes, characters are in harmony with nature and their surroundings— a relationship where nature is not merely an insignificant background, but instead an essential feature of the films. It is through these depictions that we question our relationship with the natural world.  

Studio Ghibli’s founders Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki were dedicated to bringing these imaginative worlds to life through detailed hand-drawn animations. By immersing ourselves in these fantasy worlds, we not only feel a sense of inspiration from the beauty that humans can create through art, but we are also reminded of the aspects of the world that can often be overlooked in our everyday lives. It is in these films that magic feels real and a part of everything that surrounds us—every living being, landscape, and moment.  

The emotional messages of the films are driven not only by the unforgettable characters but also by their connection with the natural world— such as the pilots who find peace above the clouds in Porco Rosso or the characters who journey through the surreal terrain of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. These storylines differ from conventional films because they focus on the characters’ relationships with non-human entities and landscapes, instead of purely on human relationships and interactions. Characters are often immersed in natural elements such as the movement of trees, the light shining through clouds, or the delicateness of falling rain. In these films, no landscape, no feature of nature, and no living being goes unnoticed. 

Princess Mononoke (1997) is one of Studio Ghibli’s most influential eco-centric films. The film largely follows Princess Mononoke or “San” a young woman who has become intimately connected to nature through being raised by a wolf goddess named Moro. The natural setting is composed of a lush forest landscape brought to life through its mystical creatures. Although most of these forest creatures such as the ghostly ‘Kodama’ remain silent and appear only as celestial-like beings who linger mysteriously in trees, they are a central part of the film, shaping the liminal, surreal atmosphere of the forest in which San lives. However, the enchanting setting of the forest is a sharp contrast from the human settlement called “Iron Town” that is being built within it. The film follows this divide, where there is a conflict between the forest gods and the people within Iron Town.  

Throughout the film, the visual elements allow the viewer to gain an insight into not only the inner psyche of the characters but also the turmoil and suffering of the forest because of human exploitation. By addressing the complex relationship between humans and nature, the film highlights the darker side of humanity where technology, industrialization, and human greed consume the natural world, harming the environment and the precious life within it.  

The film profoundly conveys this degradation—first by creating a magical world in which the audience connects with through the eyes of the characters. However, as the land begins to suffer due to Iron Town, the storyline completely transforms into this darker tone as the forest is stripped away, the land turns dull, and the magic disappears. In a interview with the film’s creator, Hayao Miyazaki, he discusses his intention of portraying this environmental degradation as a representation of humanity’s complex relationship with nature throughout history where, “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.” 

The change of the once magical forest into a lifeless landscape is especially jarring in the film. However, this is the reality of our modern world beyond just Princess Mononoke. We are in a time where we are becoming increasingly separate from the natural world, creating technology that disconnects us all while some people are blinded by greed instead of protecting what truly matters. We must not forget that there still is magic in nature that surrounds us. After all, we cannot exist without nature, and when we disturb the balance of nature the forest makes sacrifices to restore it. The brilliance of Princess Mononoke is in its ability to evoke questions about the modern state of environmentalism where we ask— how much damage can nature endure before it can no longer restore this balance?