As well as merely incorporating anime cut-scenes constructed by the studio the game also pays homage to Miyazaki’s filmmaking by encompassing hundreds of inter-textual references to the Ghibli universe.įigure B: A selection of stills taken from some of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch’s cut-scenes. It appears that the contributions of Studio Ghibli have assisted not only in attracting fans of the franchise to invest time and money in a product developed for a new media platform, but have also aided in creating a new generation of JRPG which embraces it’s cinematic influences and implements them in such a way that creates a truly successful hybrid trans-media aesthetic. It would make us very happy if our fans are able to sense the expression of Ghibli throughout the game’. We researched their animated films quite thoroughly … We were determined to feel the Ghibli world in our bones rather than simply experiencing it with our eyes. ‘Conveying the Ghibli experience properly. Akihiro Hino, President and CEO of Level-5 games, has even stated in interviews that, with the help of Ghibli’s producer Toshio Suzuki, his company were intent on However, Studio Ghibli influenced the game to a much greater extent than simply its animation style and creative process. This revamped version of the game was entitled Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and interestingly seemed to embrace its cinematic influences. In 2011 a rebooted version of the game was released exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in Japan which would later be released throughout North America, Australia and Europe in 2013. In 2008 Studio Ghibli began collaborating with Level-5 games to develop artwork for Ni No Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn, a Japanese Role-Playing game for the Nintendo DS which would later be released in 2010. Figure A: A montage of Studio Ghibli’s best recognised pieces of critically acclaimed cinema.

West acres cinema studio ghibli