Ghibliotheque: A Podcast about Studio Ghibli

The podcast takes an in-depth look at Studio Ghibli - the world famous Japanese animation studio - discussing a range of Ghibli focussed topics from the works of the studio itself, to the global impact it has had on film culture. As of 2022, Ghibliotheque has reached a total of 1.2 million listens, a fantastic achievement for any independent podcast, especially one so niche.

But where did it all start? Michael and Jake worked together at Little Dot Studios, on different accounts within the same broader team. Sharing a desk, they worked on adjacent projects and both had backgrounds in podcasting. After striking up conversation across the desk they saw an opportunity to turn this passion into a project they could work on together. 

At the time, Michael was a Studio Ghibli expert, whereas Jake was unfamiliar with their works. This dynamic worked well as they saw the opportunity for one to teach the other and take listeners on a journey through the medium of the podcast. During the summer of 2019, Film4 - the UK’s biggest film channel - showed the full 20+ film catalogue of Studio Ghibli, from Spirited Away to Princess Mononoke, and Michael and Jake accompanied their podcast with this marathon, focusing on the top films to build a podcast mini-series lasting 6 weeks. 

After a successful summer, Michael and Jake wanted to complete the Everest sized task of covering all 24 Studio Ghibli films, and often joked that a great way to finish this journey together would be to go to Japan, where Studio Ghibli was founded. At the time this felt like a dream over a reality, but due to such widespread success (in a relatively short amount of time) this dream was fulfilled, using the ad revenue from their work, they flew to Japan to round off their series. On this trip of a lifetime, they visited the studio where it all began, and were lucky enough to interview producers, animators and other key people who took the iconic films from idea to reality. 

At the start of this project, Japan felt like the natural conclusion of the Ghibliotheque podcast, but it was only the half-way point of the journey. Since then, Michael and Jake have expanded their outreach and adapted the podcast, going beyond the films, to explore the large community that Studio Ghibli’s work has created with its global outreach. The focus of the podcast continued  to expand in the form of interviews, covering multiple topics, groups and individuals that have been influenced by Studio Ghibli, such as Irish Filmmakers Cartoon Saloon. Taking the podcast to new heights, they have performed live shows and hosted screenings at   Green Man, Latitude and the London Podcast festival and have interviewed numerous film and TV celebrities who share their passion - including an episode with Peter Lord, the co-founder of animation studio Aardman, Mike Rianda and Enrico Casarosa, directors of BAFTA nominees The Mitchells vs the Machines and Luca respectively, and BRIT award winning singer-songwriter, Arlo Parks. In addition to this they have hosted and programmed events at the British Museum (supporting their blockbuster exhibition on Manga), and at cinemas across the UK. 

Ghibliotheque has developed far beyond its initial roots. What started as an audio guide to Studio Ghibli has now taken a huge dive into the influence of the films on modern day creative arts. A development made even more impressive by the challenges it has overcome during an unprecedented time amidst the COVID19 pandemic, where Michael and Jake had to quickly adapt (like many others) to record the podcasts from home. Despite this, Ghibliotheque reached number one on the Apple TV & Film Podcast charts in the UK and narrowly missed out on the top spot in Japan at number two. 

One of the crowning achievements of their success was the launch of Ghibliotheque: The Unofficial Guide to the Movies of Studio Ghibli, which was first launched in September  2021. The book is a written guide to Studio Ghibli, and has been number one on the Amazon best sellers list, selling out twice in the UK, with a third shipment on the way! The book has been published in multiple languages, including French and Spanish, with Italian and Korean editions to follow. 

It’s safe to say that the success of Ghibliotheque has far exceeded the expectations of Michael and Jake, and as it continues to grow, we are excited to see what is on the horizon. It is no longer just a podcast, but a full exploration into the community that surrounds Studio Ghibli and we are very proud to be involved in such a groundbreaking achievement. 

If you want to tune in to the Ghibliotheque podcast, whether you are a long time fan of Studio Ghibli looking to build on your knowledge, or taking your first steps into a whole new world, be sure follow the link here.