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So it's been confirmed that Studio Ghibli is shutting down it's feature animated films department. This is pretty big and also really sad news. I know a lot of people who don't even really like anime that adore Ghibli films. What do you guys think of this announcement?

Man, lots of fond memories.

I will now definitely have to see When Marnie Was There, should it get an American release, because of this.

I must not cry, I must not cry

"The studio will now move on to managing their trademarks and copyrights…"

Does that mean that residents of only two or three countries can see works made by this studio legally?

Hearing the news that the company is closing hit me hard. Since Studio Ghibli's 1989 film Kiki's Delivery Service was the first time I was exposed to anime and this was before I seen Sailor Moon or Pokemon on TV!

This image got to me.

No no no no no this can't be happening :'(

I'm pretty sure this is all just rumor and speculation right now, nothing actually confirmed yet.

I wouldn't really trust a website called "hypable" for this kind of "official" news anyway.

I've never really seen a Ghibli film legitimately other than seeing one long ago when I was too young to even understand anything so it's almost like I never saw one. I'm not really sad because of this, but this thread is making me want to go and see a few, and if this turns out to be true that might just make me sad.

From what I've heard, they're not "closing," but reverting to their pre-1992 corporate structure where they focus on freelance work (commercials, music videos, etc). This is because their two main directors/creators have retired. No creators = no movies = no money.

I think they made a mistake in relying on just one or two people for their entire creative run. It's like if Disney only used Walt Disney's ideas--they would have gone under by the 70s. They needed to branch out and grab additional talent, but instead kept it tight knit and when the golden goose stopped laying eggs, they were left high and dry.

I think you're right. It's no secret that Miyazaki's movies have just completely outshone the rest of the studio's output, and I guess it was hard to find someone who could stand out of his shadow. At least now they have given themselves an opportunity to restructure and get their act back together. When the time comes, I don't imagine they'll be starved for talent. Their prestige is so high that there are probably thousands of animators willing to work for them.

This, this is the only thing that makes us cry more than the films they make