Why Studio Ghibli’s Foray Into 3D Animation Is Perilous

Studio Ghibli has been a powerhouse in animation since its inception in 1985, producing iconic characters and classic movies that have a deep, whimsical nature to them. They’re such a big name that they even have their own theme park in the works. Speak to any fan of Japanese films, animation, or good movies in general, and one is very likely to come across one of their many offerings.

With Earwig and the Witch, Studio Ghibli makes its first claim in the still ever-evolving medium of 3D animation. The film seems to retain the classic Ghibli character design aesthetic, transplanted over to the new format, which can be seen in the film’s trailer released last year. The film is being spearheaded by Gorō Miyazaki, son of Hayao Miyazaki, the renowned animation director who helped found the studio and has been arguably the face of the company throughout his many retirements and un-retirements.

Any time an animation studio with roots in 2D makes the jump to 3D, the announcement has been met with lamentation. This is understandable as more and more, 2D animation seems to be a dying breed, relegated to lower budgets and the 30-minute television series format, while seeing actual theater releases feels like finding a unicorn. While 2d animation television shows appear to be going through a golden age of great shows like Owl House, Studio Ghibli producing its first 3D movie feels like the end of an era.

The road to this new style of animation is perilous, though, and while Earwig and the Witch’s change in format is not necessarily the sole way the animation studio is going to approach their releases, it does signal a shift. While hoping for the best, Gorō Miyazaki has some pitfalls to overcome if Studio Ghibli is going to remain the powerhouse in the industry that it is while eschewing one of the factors that made it so distinct.

That’s one of the first problems that Studio Ghibli is going to run into when it comes to these types of animated features. They have the chance of getting lost in the sea of other 3D animated movies that are released every year. Since 3D is the primary format of animated movies in the US, seeing the whimsy of Ghibli’s cottagecore aesthetic is going to be blunted when it’s seen on yet another 3D character rather than the stark contrast it had with its previous releases. It should be noted that, in Japan, 2D animation sees plenty of movie releases like films by director Makoto Shinkai, and it’s understandable that Studio Ghibli’s movies would be made with Japan in mind first, so this issue isn’t quite as prevalent outside of the scope of the United States.

Another issue that comes with the swap in style is, looking back at Ghibli’s 2D films, the movies still hold up incredibly well. These movies have always had lush, painted backgrounds that fit well with their aesthetic and intricate details, giving the studio a reputation for perfectionism. 3D animation has gotten a lot better over the years, with advancements in technology and computing capabilities driving the medium forward with every passing day. However, being a strictly computer-generated medium, one of the largest barriers for its progression forward is technology.

If one were to watch Spirited Away and Ice Age back-to-back, it’s a lot easier to determine which movie was made 19 years ago in 2002 based on visual quality alone. As well, while 3D animations are generally stylized, the main benefit of it as a medium is the ability for the computers to render certain things more realistically like materials, lighting, and surfaces. Things like subsurface scattering, ambient occlusion, and path tracing are all things that computers have gotten better at simulating over the years but that 2D animation doesn’t need to worry about quite as much. These rendering techniques are still constantly improving, and while they look good upon initial release they have a tendency to show their age much more rapidly.

Studio Ghibli, in the meantime, is known for pushing the envelope for animation. So many of their movies have sequences in them that are so insanely complicated that it’s mind-bending to consider that somebody had to draw it frame-by-frame. A lot of the time, these sequences feel included because the animators were showing off, daring any other animated film to up the ante. By entering the third dimension, Studio Ghibli not only has to compete with veterans of the realm like Pixar, Dreamworks, and Disney, but also their own reputation. With technology being such a hard limit on the capabilities of what these films are able to accomplish, will the company still be able to distinguish itself with its extraordinary quality of productions? Perhaps since 3D animation has come so far, Studio Ghibli has chosen the perfect time to test these new waters.

Dreamworks and Disney started out as some of the more prevalent creators of 2D-animated feature films before switching gears and becoming full-time 3D animation studios. The decision of these film companies to make this change prompted outcry, but, over time, people have grown used to the fact that this is how these companies are approaching animation now. Perhaps as Studio Ghibli produces more 3D features people will also grow accustomed to it, with just fond memories of the days of Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle. Perhaps its 3D productions will be just as impressive as its previous films, and they will serve as a propellant for the medium and a catalyst for new techniques, just as they always have. Time will tell, but one can only hope for the best for Gorō Miyazaki as he has some pretty big shoes to fill as his career continues.

Earwig and the Witch was released on Japanese TV on December 30, 2020, and is set to release in The United States in early 2021.

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