STUDIO GHIBLI VS DISNEY – WHICH IS BETTER?

When you think of Disney the only thing that comes in your mind is fairies, magic, prince, princess, and marriage. But when you think of Ghibli, you get a mesmerizing feeling of adventure, nature, beauty, hope, inspiration, which leaves a very wholesome effect on your mind. 

Studio Ghibli movies have always been known for their aesthetic graphics, beautiful sceneries, inspiring storylines whereas Disney movies are known for fantasy, marriage, romance, and royal culture. It rarely has anything inspiring or thought-provoking, except for Mulan, a Disney character but not exactly a legitimate Disney princess. Mulan was the only inspiring, empowering Disney movie made by the Disney franchise that did not revolve around any royal culture or romantic fantasies. 

There are a lot of aspects in which we can justify that Ghibli movies are better than Disney movies. Let’s begin! 

STORYLINE! 

Be it Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty or any Disney princess – Disney has always shown a meek princess who gets rescued by a prince and then marries him a few hours later; it is so illogical. There is no empowerment or inspiration. 

These movies create unrealistic beauty standards that lead to insecurities among young girls and give rise to body shaming. These movies are aimed for very young audiences, hence it also creates unrealistic expectations for men. The age where these young girls should be dreaming of becoming an astronaut, athlete or teacher, they are aspiring to be Disney Princesses, waiting for their prince charming on a white horse, which is far away from reality. 

Comparatively Ghibli movies like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle Grave Of Fire Flies move your soul. You cannot watch Grave of Fire Flies without sobbing your eyes off on how they have portrayed the realities of World War. After the atomic bombing, this is a tale of two siblings surviving on their own terms as their lives fall apart. It’s gruesome and realistic and makes people aware that while Wars might be a show of power for some, it can take everything from the innocent. 

Another example of an absolute masterpiece is Princess Mononoke, which is thought-provoking and very well written. It’s a complete package with light romance, badass action, and cute comedy. 

EXPRESSIONS AND ANIMATION 

Prominent expressions are the main element of Japanese anime, and Studio Ghibli is no exception. Even though the characters are not real and the lip moment is only in one direction, but the other facial expressions through eyes, eyebrows and other body gestures make the characters seem alive. The camera movements and other cinematography are so brilliant that it makes you feel as though you are also living in that movie. The lovely meadows and rich beaches give you a feeling of Hawaiian lands. If you really are from Hawaii, then do check out some amazing Spectrum Hawaii packages for a seamless streaming experience. 

While in Disney animations, the expressions start to seem monotonous after a while. There are only typical reactions of “surprise”, “exclamation”, “sorrow” and “joy.” Most of these expressions are shown using the same kind of gestures. The sceneries aren’t as beautiful as Studio Ghibli’s. Take Spirited Away, My neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle, for instance, these pieces of art literally play with your imagination with their large beautiful green fields, hill areas, historic architecture, and whatnot.  The animation is so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing that you want to see it again and again. 

KIDS CENTRIC  

When it comes to anime, talking particularly about Studio Ghibli, you will notice that if a certain movie is labeled for kids, then it is possible that even adults would enjoy watching it because of its big-eyed cute characters and fuzzy neighborhood monsters, that you could just pet them. The content of such movies is always imaginative and away from serial romance or anything of that sort. Most of the stories are based on characters that are commoners who choose to stand up against their struggles and fight for happiness. 

Whereas, in Disney, even though the movies are labeled as “for children” it creates very unrealistic expectations in the young minds, making them believe that finding true love and your prince charming is all that is to live and that you have to look a certain way or be a certain way to be accepted and loved. It does not have any inspiring content for young kids, esp. girls; it doesn’t deal with anything that will expand your imagination. The exception can be made when it comes to Lion King and Frozen, but it’s always about the royalties in Disney. Even in the Lion King, a Lion is technically King of the jungle. 

This can get a little overwhelming especially for someone who isn’t from strong financial background since little kids notice everything and often put themselves in the shoes of the character. 

THE SOUNDTRACKS 

Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme…. to, this is the circle of life! Disney movies have made sure that it brings together all its fans through the soundtracks because after all, “We are One!” Sometimes when you just want to reminisce your childhood and take a break from all your worries, it’s time to Let It Go, 

That doesn’t mean studio Ghibli soundtracks aren’t worth the discussion. Whether it’s Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Castle, Spirited Away, they all have iconic soundtracks that are really soothing to hear. However, when compared to Disney, Disney’s songs are more classic and easier to remember. So, plus one for Disney.

Our Winner

Considering all the arguments, it is fair to say that Studio Ghibli is far more creative, innovative, better at designing and producing overall better content than Disney, but yes when it comes to OSTs Disney takes the lead! 

So which movie are you planning to stream this weekend? Get Spectrum Internet for fast streams and uninterrupted content always!