The ending of Spirited Away is densely packed — even for a Miyazaki film ending. (Looking at you, Howl.) Japanese animated films often have short, swift endings where a lot of storylines can be wrapped up in a dizzyingly short timeframe. This tendency is especially true for creators as well-versed in traditional Japanese storytelling structure […]
Castle in the Sky: Pazu’s Quest & The Mystery of the Island
Here at Moon Rabbit we’re obviously very interested in mysterious flying islands. No wonder this is part 3 of our three-part mini-series exploring the world of Tenku no Shiro Rapyuta, or as it’s known outside of Japan, Castle in the Sky. In our previous episodes, we covered the story origins of this film and then […]
Castle in the Sky: Sheeta’s Disney Princess Subversion
Welcome to Moon Rabbit, a podcast about the mythologies that inform the stories we love to watch. This is episode 2 of our three-episode mini-arc exploring the world of Tenku no Shiro Rapyuta, or Castle in the Sky, the classic Miyazaki masterpiece. In the previous episode, we covered why this film is not the simplistic, […]
Castle in the Sky: Story Origins
Welcome back to the Moon Rabbit podcast, where we explore the hidden layers of film storytelling. And today we’re entering the world of Tenku no Shiro Rapyuta, or Castle in the Sky, or — in countries where the complete title is allowed to be said — Laputa: Castle in the Sky; one of the early […]
The Landscapes of Studio Ghibli – Moon Rabbit Podcast #003
Studio Ghibli’s films exist across a wide spectrum of stories and genres, and much has been said about the characters and the storytelling – something I myself have been heavily involved with for the past ten years. But there’s one thing that connects Studio Ghibli films that I’ve felt for a long time is a […]
Best of 2019
As the radish spirit of time presses the up button on the cosmic elevator, and the yawning Totoro of eternity rolls over into a new decade, I realise it’s time to say goodbye to 2019. 2019 was the busiest year for the Moon Rabbit project yet. I’ve published an entire series of Studio Ghibli video talks, and […]
