Ghiblies

Production
Studio Ghibli
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
20 mins
Year
2002

Ghiblies Episode 2

By Adam Cook
28th Apr 04

Episode 2 follows on from the original Ghiblies which aired in Japan during a TV special about the famous Studio Ghibli. The short film revolves around a fictitious animation house and their employees. At only 20 minutes in length the Ghiblies Episode 2 is not likely to follow a complex narrative or develop characters; instead it is a collection of short stories and sketches about the particular employees that work at Ghibli (the fictional one, not the real one). Episode 2 appears as a welcome extra on the R2 DVD of Ghibli's The Cat Returns.

In episode 2 there are three main stories, one in which three employees go for an extra spicy curry on their lunch break; a train journey in which an unfortunate employee must travel all the way to the end of the line due to the fact he did not want to disturb a woman that had rested her sleeping head on his shoulder; and also a rather touching story about a mans first (unrequited) love. Whilst the stories are simple, they are interesting and entertaining. The curry lunch is quite amusing in places and it appears that even a character from My Neighbors the Yamadas makes an appearance. The train journey is an amusing observation of how we rarely want to disturb the people around us, even if it is an inconvenience to ourselves. Perhaps the best story revolves around one of the employees recalling his first love at childhood. The sketch has very little dialogue and merely expresses his emotions through the subtle animation. It is a rather touching sketch that lifts the rest of the short film out of being nothing more than an amusing diversion.

Visually Episode 2 is a real treat. Due to Miyazaki's amazing success many people picture Ghibli's output in terms of Miyazaki's own visual style. This 20 minute short shows what the studio as a whole has to offer. Each sketch uses a different visual style to great effect. The curry lunch is very reminiscent to My Neighbors the Yamadas with crude lines and water colouring. It also uses a number of 3D sequences that really make the images come to life. The train journey is in stark contrast to the soft water colours of the first sketch, and is dominated by dark colours and strong lines. It looks rather similar to the western Dilbert TV show and again works surprisingly well. The final sketch returns to a softer pallet to recall the tale of first love. The sketch gives the illusion that it is created using pastels and fits in with the school environment. In fact there is a section where a crudely drawn children's drawing comes to life to tell part of the story. 3D effects are used sparingly throughout the short movie, but they do help to create a sense of depth and accentuate the more exciting set pieces.

The music fits the visuals with an eclectic musical mix, and there is even a cover of Bob Marley's 'No Woman No Cry' added for good measure.

I won't score Ghiblies Episode 2 as it is only an extra on a DVD, but it is one of the best extras I have ever seen and is perhaps even more enjoyable than the feature film it accompanies. If the stories don't grab you, the stunning and imaginative use of animation will.

-- Adam Cook 28th Apr 04

Ghiblies Images