
Ghibliotheque - A Podcast About Animation and Studio Ghibli
Welcome to the Ghibliotheque, the podcast that leafs through libraries of films from the world’s greatest animation studios.In 2018, Michael Leader, an avowed Studio Ghibli fanatic, sat down with Jake Cunningham, who had never seen any of the Studio’s work before. Together they looked at the history behind Ghibli's films (including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke), and got a critical perspective from Jake as a first-time viewer. They covered all of Studio Ghibli's films, visited Japan on the ultimate Ghibli pilgrimage, and have since interviewed artists, animators and filmmakers who have either worked on or have been deeply inspired by Ghibli's films. With their co-host Steph Watts, they have also branched out to cover filmographies of other studios and filmmakers whose work has revolutionised animation, from Satoshi Kon and Mamoru Hosoda to Cartoon Saloon and Henry Selick.Where will we go next? For more information, follow us on Twitter at @ghibliotheque, or on Instagram at ghibliotheque.pod. Or email us at ghibliotheque@gmail.com.Follow Michael and Jake on Twitter:@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Feb 4, 2022 • 50min
Belle | Hosodathon #6
This week on our Hosodathon miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph put on their headsets and dive into the magical world of U to discuss Mamoru Hosoda's latest film, Belle, a modern reworking of Disney's Beauty and the Beast told via the director's unique point of view and storytelling methods.Belle is out now in UK cinemas. Let us know what you thought of the film, or any of Hosoda's works, via email: ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 28, 2022 • 53min
Mirai | Hosodathon #5
Our Hosodathon miniseries continues this week with a time-bending tale of a boy whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of a newborn sister. Mirai found director Mamoru Hosoda once again drawing inspiration from his family life, and remains a landmark entry in his filmography for, among other things, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival and becoming the first Japanese animation not made by Studio Ghibli to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 21, 2022 • 40min
The Boy and the Beast | Hosodathon #4
This week in our Hosodathon miniseries, Mamoru Hosoda's biggest hit to date: The Boy and the Beast. Inspired by Hosoda becoming a dad, this is an ambitious story of a boy estranged from his family in real-life Tokyo, who finds an unlikely father-figure in the fantasy world filled with beasts and gods.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter: @ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 14, 2022 • 42min
Wolf Children | Hosodathon #3
In this third episode of our Hosodathon miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children, the first feature produced by his independent production company Studio Chizu.Once again mixing personal themes and high-concept storytelling, Hosoda turns his awestruck feelings upon seeing his friends become parents into a sweeping fable about a single mother tasked with bringing up a pair of half-human, half-wolf kids.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 7, 2022 • 46min
Summer Wars | Hosodathon #2
In this second episode of our Hosodathon miniseries, Michael, Jake and Steph team up to tackle Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars, an epic tale of an everyday, dysfunctional family banding together to face a world-threatening threat in a virtual world - bringing together two of the director's recurring themes: family dynamics and the impact that the internet has on our lives.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 31, 2021 • 37min
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time | Hosodathon #1
Michael, Jake and Steph return with an all-new Ghibliotheque spin-off miniseries, leaping into the filmography of one of today's leading anime filmmakers, Mamoru Hosoda, whose latest film Belle is a hotly anticipated new release in early 2022.We start our Hosodathon journey with 2006's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, the fan-favourite anime gem that first introduced many viewers to Hosoda and his work. Coming off the back of years working on long-running anime series at Toei Animation, including Digimon and One Piece, as well as an ill-fated stint at Studio Ghibli as the initial director of Howl's Moving Castle (before Hayao Miyazaki came back out of retirement and took the reins), Mamoru Hosoda sets in motion much of his unique style and many of his recurring themes in this collision of slice-of-life high school comedy and high-concept sci-fi storytelling.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.comor follow us on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Edited by James Payne. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 17, 2021 • 57min
The Ghibliotheque Nativity
It's the annual Ghibliotheque Christmas episode! At the virtual Christmas party, Michael, Jake, Steph and Harold look back at 2021, declare their favourite books, films, games and music of the year, read out some superb casting choices for a Ghibli Nativity play, and of course it wouldn't be a Ghibliotheque Christmas episode without Harold singing some Ghibli remixes of some festive favourites.Follow Ghibliotheque on Twitter:@ghibliotheque@MichaelJLeader – Michael@jakehcunningham – Jake@_stephwatts - StephAnd get in touch via email at ghibli@littledotstudios.comProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Steph Watts & Harold McShiel. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 10, 2021 • 12min
Introducing | Anime to Z
Since we're now on hiatus we thought we'd give a nod to a new podcast from some friends and colleagues of the pod, that also digs into the wonderful world of Anime! Anime To Z features comedian Bec Hill and rapper Che Lingo digging through the intricate worlds of some massive anime franchises, starting with the Evangelion rebuild film series. Have a listen, and if you like it, please subscribe over here - https://podfollow.com/anime-to-z.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter at @ghibliotheque or Instagram at ghibliotheque.pod.@MichaelJLeader - Michael@jakehcunningham - Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 3, 2021 • 11min
The Ghibliotheque Book | Out Now
As the Ghibliotheque book is now available in shops and from online retailers in the UK, Michael and Jake have a short chat to mark the occasion. Listeners - thank you for all your support of the podcast to date, and if you do pick up the book, we hope you enjoy it!If you haven't picked up a copy yet, you can do so from your local bookshop in the UK, or you can order online from various online stores, such as Amazon or Bookshop.org.Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter at @ghibliotheque or Instagram at ghibliotheque.pod.@MichaelJLeader - Michael@jakehcunningham - Jake@_stephwatts - StephProduced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 20, 2021 • 39min
Siobhan Reddy | The Chat Returns #13
In this final episode of The Chat Returns, we're very excited to welcome Siobhan Reddy into the walls of the Ghibliotheque, to talk about how the works of Ghibli have inspired and crossed over with her hugely successful, ambitious and creative works. Studio Director at Media Molecule, the video game developers behind LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway and last year's acclaimed Dreams, we spoke to Siobhan about the nature of storytelling in her works, her approach to a creative a workplace and a lot more. Our book, Ghibliotheque - The Unofficial Guide to Studio Ghibli, will be on sale from all good bookshops in the UK from 2nd September, and is available for preorder now. Pre-order today: Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3usAw0h Or for free international shipping: https://bit.ly/3oRQr7c Get in touch with Ghibliotheque at ghibli@littledotstudios.com or follow us on Twitter: @ghibliotheque @MichaelJLeader - Michael @jakehcunningham - Jake @_stephwatts - Steph Produced by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham, Harold McShiel and Steph Watts. Music by Anthony Ing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.