Attention all Studio Ghibli fans! On 1 April, seven films from the studio’s archive will be added to Netflix internationally. Alongside Hayao Miyazaki classics like Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro already on the platform, this brings Netflix’s total of Ghibli animations up to a whopping 21 — more than enough heartwarming auteur content to get you through this lockdown.
Joining the roster is Pom Poko (1994), a sweet fantasy film filled with Japanese racoon-dogs (or “tanuki”) fighting gentrification; Whisper of the Heart (1995), where an aspiring writer who finds someone else has taken out all her favourite library books goes on a quest to find her elusive literary soul-mate; there’s also Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008) a comedy about a goldfish princess who wants to be where the people are, but her Dad isn’t having it, firm in his belief that humans are pretty awful. (He’s not wrong?)
Additionally, coming to Netflix is the Christian Bale-led fantasy adventure Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), From Up On Poppy Hill (2011) and The Wind Rises (2013), a duo of sweet historical drama films set in Japan post-WW2, and finally, When Marnie Was There (2014). The film is a sort of more messed-up Parent Trap, featuring two young girls who quickly become friends, but later realise their connection to each other is stronger than they previously thought.
US and Canadian fans will have to wait a little longer to get their kawaii-fix, at least until the release of the new HBO Max streaming service later this year. In the meantime, everyone stay safe and stay indoors!