Studio Ghibli: Should the Movies Be Watched in Japanese or English? (2024)

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio that has been around for more than 30 years. With the genius of Hayao Miyazaki behind it, the studio has produced a number of award-winning animations including Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Gaining as much attention as Disney, Studio Ghibli is known for its distinct animations that bring magic, nature, and love together to show children and adults the joys in life that they may be missing.

Over the years, Studio Ghibli has gained more and more fans all over the world. As a result, the English dubs have received more attention, with Howl's Moving Castle being praised as one of the best English anime dubs ever made. That being said, is watching a dub really the best way to experience the films? While hearing a film in a language we understand is usually the preferred method to watch movies, subtitles are often more accurate. So, should the movies be watched in Japanese or in English?

Updated Dec. 28th: Studio Ghibli fans will be pleased to hear this article has been updated with more information on the differences between the Ghibli originals and their dubbed versions.

The Origins of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli was founded in Tokyo in 1985 and received immediate recognition for their first feature-length film My Neighbour Totoro, whose title character would become the studio's mascot. In 1996, Studio Ghibli partnered with Walt Disney Studios, agreeing that Disney would be the sole distributor of their collection of animated movies. Studio Ghibli's iconic movie catalog has garnered such popularity that a theme park called Ghibli Park opened in 2022, with the entire venue having attractions from the films including Mei and Satsuki's house from My Neighbor Totoro.

Films Made in Japanese and English

Thanks to the help of Western companies like Disney, Studio Ghibli's films gained international attention as the films' rights were purchased and distributed throughout North America and Europe. The films were originally voice-acted in Japanese but were eventually dubbed over in English to appeal to English-speaking audiences. This helped remove the language barrier of the films and brought a whole new demographic into the Studio Ghibli fan base. This is the standard for most international-language films and TV shows, but, in recent years, many have been torn between whether to watch the films in their original Japanese or in English.

Related: 10 Best Magical Creatures in Studio Ghibli Movies, Ranked

Subs Over Dubs

As most anime fans will know, there is a stark division among them, with those preferring subtitles of the original Japanese dialogue to the English dubbed version. Considering that Studio Ghibli films are a strong representation of Japan and Japanese culture, the best way to fully experience the films the way they were meant to be is to watch the films in Japanese instead of in English. Not to mention that the English dubs often have significant differences to the Japanese original audio. Like in Spirited Away, when Chichiro has to pick her parents out of a crowd of pigs: in the English version, she has to pick them out or has to stay in the spirit realm forever. In the original Japanese version, Yubaba says Chihiro must pick out her parents, or she has to stay and will be forced to eat her parents.

Lost in Translation

Another benefit to watching the films in their native language is that the story is a more direct translation in the subtitles as opposed to a dub. Reading subtitles shows what was intended in the film whereas in an English dub, the dialogue has been changed to better fit with the visual of the animation. Because of this, a lot of content can get lost in translation. The best way to have a full, well-rounded experience of the magical Studio Ghibli films is to watch the films in Japanese. Watching the films in the original language helps the audience experience the essence of the film the way the creators intended.

Related: Studio Ghibli: The Best Place to Start If You're New to the Franchise

Some of the Best Ghibli Dubs

Even though it is decidedly a better experience to watch Ghibli movies in their original language, a lot of the dubbed versions also deserve some credit. Films like Howl's Moving Castle, which is based on Dianna Wynne Jones' British book of the same name are also great in English. With a star-studded cast that includes Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, and Billy Crystal, a lot of people prefer the dubbed version of Howl's Moving Castle over the original Japanese.

Ghibli's most recent project The Boy and the Heron, which features not only Christian Bale but also Robert Pattinson, Dave Bautista, William Defoe, and Gemma Chan, is also one of the films that you should watch both the English and Japanese versions of to enjoy the different flavors they offer. Ultimately, having both options available means that there are multiple ways to enjoy these magical movies, and you can get different things from the different variations. Stream most Ghibli movies on Max.