Transgenerationality – the ageing up (and ageing out) of Japan’s animation industry

A poster for the symposium on transnational anime held at Lancaster University on 4 July 2025. White text on a blue background, illustrated by the covers of 'Anime: A History" by Jonathan Clements and "Studio Ghibli: an Industrial History" by Ranya Denison. Includes a barcode for more information.

At the beginning of July I was privileged to speak at a symposium on Transnational Perspectives in Anime. It was held on the Lancaster University campus, co-hosted by Dr. Zoe Crombie and Japan Foundation London; I took part from my …

Anime going global: the start of the process

The US version of Tetsuwan Atom replaces the Japanese title lettering with "Astro Boy" in a futuristic font

62 years ago, in 1963, 35-year-old Osamu Tezuka flew to the USA to present his hit TV series Tetsuwan Atom to the NBC network. According to Tezuka Production’s history, a preview was screened in New York on 10 March, …

Studio Ghibli Question Time: What’s the significance of Howl’s exchange of hearts with Calcifer?

The boy Howl swallowing Calcifer's heart in the anime Howl's Moving Castle. This happens late at night in a field outside Howl's study, but his face is illuminated by the fire demon's light.

That’s an excellent question, not just because it impacts a key relationship in the film of Howl’s Moving Castle but because it also gives us an example of the contrast between relationships with an equal power balance and relationships where …

Remarkable new book on Studio Ghibli deserves a wide readership

Cover image for Studio Ghibli Anime as Adaptations. The upper half of the cover is black, with the title and subtitle in white lettering. The lover half shows a photo of the entrance to a 2024 Studio Ghibli exhibition in Shanghai, with two women walking through a portal built of giant replicas of books about Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli Animation as Adaptations: Investigating how the Japanese Powerhouse Reimagines Stories is – to adapt an image from another medium and culture – a book like a box of chocolates. To do it justice the metaphor requires extension: it’s …

Studio Ghibli Question Time: what’s in a haircut?

Sheeta from Castle in the Sky, trapped at gunpoint and with her braids literally shot off by her long lost cousin. A half length portrait against a background of thick, greenish-black tree roots. Sheeta weara a high-necked lilac coloured blouse with elbow-length puffed sleeves, a red belt and a red hairband in her dark brown hair.

The Ghibli fans who come to my Seed Talks ask some really interesting questions. So I’ve started recalling as many of them as I can at the end of each session, and I plan to revisit my answers here in …

The Manga Bible: US cover reveal

The cover of The Manga Bible by Helen McCarthy. The background is a 70s-tastic shade of deep mauve with a page of dynamic art by Baron Yoshimoto printed over it in black. The title is printed in. large bright yellow capitals, cementing the 70s vibe, with the author's name below in smaller white capitals. The back cover has black text with more info about the book under a bright yellow headline.

Prestel said yes, go ahead and share, so here’s the North American edition cover for The Manga Bible,  available for pre-order now in the USA and Canada.   It’ll be out in March 2026. The North American ISBN is 978-3-7913-9395-7.

Notice …

Isao Takahata: FINALLY a book in English

Cover of the book The Many Worlds of Isao Takahata. A warm brown background has a banner image about half an inch below the top of the cover. The image from The Tale of the Princess Kaguya shows Kaguya, a young Japanese woman in an Edo-era pink kimono, laughing as she catches falling cherry blossom petals. The title and author information is below in the same soft pink as her kimono.

The great Isao Takahata, without whom the Hayao Miyazaki we know would not exist, was and remains an influential figure in Japanese animation. Finally, a book in English explores his work and gives a clear picture of how and why …

Studio Ghibli Question Time: why does Sophie dress like Yubaba?

A head and shoulders portrait of Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle in her 90-year-old cursed form. She wears a very old-fashioned blue dress with a high collar and a straw hat with a narrow brim and plum coloured hatband adorned with small pink bobbles.

I get some absolutely fantastic questions from audiences for my Seed Talks on Studio Ghibli. They often raise points I hadn’t thought about before, or give me completely new angles on topics I’ve been over many times. Having let so …