The Corner Penthouse

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio whose mascot is a character named Totoro, a giant catlike spirit from the 1988 anime film My Neighbor Totoro. The studio was founded on June 15, 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, after the successful performance of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984). All of their theatrical films, and several of their other productions, have been released on DVD and Blu-ray here in North America. Read on to find out more about them...

Looking strictly at the DVD and Blu-ray eras (1996 to present), the films were first released on home video in North America by the Walt Disney Company, and then later (and currently) by GKIDS though Shout Factory and Universal Home Entertainment. The new GKIDS releases (typically in Blu-ray/DVD combo packs) port over most of the special features from the Disney DVDs and Blu-rays, as well as adding more content. GKIDS have released every film to date, while Disney only released those that could be easily marketed to families. That makes the GKIDS releases the preferred versions.

Below is a list of the special features found on the Blu-ray and/or DVD releases from both companies for all canonical Studio Ghibli films in chronological order. I will not address any differences in the audio and subtitles, or the translations thereof. All releases that have an English dub use the ones that Disney created, which is now Studio Ghibli's definitive English dubs, superseding any Streamline or Fox dubs that were created before Disney came into the picture (pre-1996). I have read that all of Disney's Blu-rays are region free, but the GKIDS Blu-rays are region A locked. This comparison will not go into the differences between the Japanese Trailers & TV Spots included in each studio's offerings. I can tell from the runtimes that there are differences, but as long as there are some trailers and TV spots present on the GKIDS releases, I'm willing to call it "even".

This comparison is based on the work of "gwfb5", with additional research done by myself using the discs I own and the information at DVD Compare. Almost all of the GKIDS releases from Shout Factory include a booklet inside (if stated on the back of the case). The Wind Rises (2013) was the last film released by Disney. I am including all after it for the sake of being complete as of this writing, but there will be no further updates to this article should Studio Ghibli release any more films. They will, undoubtedly, be released only by GKIDS, and thus, there would be no need for a comparison of them.


01. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: This film was originally released by the now-defunct studio Topcraft. The studio went bankrupt and dissolved on June 15, 1985, with half of the studio, essentially, becoming Studio Ghibli. The film is now considered a Studio Ghibli film, and GKIDS brands it as such. Think of it as Studio Ghibli before there was a Studio Ghibli.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Behind the Studio: Creating Nausicaa
• Behind the Microphone
• Trailers and TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli (27:44) (Play Video)
• UNIMPORTANT: Enter the Lands of Ghibli (interactive map with clips from other Ghibli films)
• UNIMPORTANT: Nausicaa Trivia Challenge

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Audio Commentary by Hideaki Anno and Kazuyoshi Katayama
• Audio Interview with Toshio Suzuki and Hideaki Anno


02. Castle in the Sky (1986)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Creating Castle in the Sky
• Character Sketches
• The World of Laputa
• The Producer's Perspective: Meeting Miyazaki
• Behind the Microphone
• Scoring Miyazaki
• Original Trailers

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Introduction by John Lasseter (0:51) (Play Video, also on YouTube)

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Textless Opening and End Credits
• Promotional Video



03. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
• BUY IT: Sentai Filmworks, Sentai Filmworks Steelbook.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney or GKIDS. All special features listed below are for the Sentai Filmworks release, which has both 1998 and 2012 English dubs.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Deleted Scenes
• Japanese Trailer


04. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Behind the Microphone
• Creating My Neighbor Totoro
• The Locations of My Neighbor Totoro
• Creating the Characters
• The "Totoro" Experience
• Producer's Perspective: Creating Ghibli
• Scoring Miyazaki
• Original Trailers

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
NONE

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Textless Opening and End Credits


05. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Creating Kiki's Delivery Service
• Kiki & Jiji
• Flying with Kiki & Beyond
• Producer's Perspective: Collaborating with Miyazaki
• The Locations of Kiki
• Scoring Miyazaki
• Behind the Microphone
• Ursula's Painting
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Introduction by John Lasseter (0:51) (Play Video)

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
NONE


06. Only Yesterday (1991)
• BUY IT: GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney, so all special features listed below are for GKIDS.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Making Of
• Behind the Scenes with the Voice Cast
• Interview with the English Dub Team
• Trailers and TV Spots



07. Porco Rosso (1992)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: These are no exclusive special features. The same content can be found on both releases.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Interview with Producer Toshio Suzuki
• Behind the Microphone
• Original Trailers



08. Ocean Waves (1993)
• BUY IT: GKIDS.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney, so all special features listed below are for GKIDS. This film does not have an English dub; it is in Japanese with English subtitles only.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• The Ghiblies Episode 2 (24-minute short film)
• Layouts / Feature-Length Storyboards
• Looking Back: Staff Reunion
• US Trailer


09. Pom Poko (1994)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS.
• NOTES: These are no exclusive special features. The same content can be found on both releases.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Original Trailers



10. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• 4 Masterpieces of Naohisa Inoue
• Behind the Microphone
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
NONE

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Background Artwork from "The Baron's Story"


11. Princess Mononoke (1997)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: These are no exclusive special features. The same content can be found on both releases.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Princess Mononoke in the USA
• Featurette/Behind the Microphone
• Trailers & TV Spots


12. My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
• BUY IT: Disney DVD, GKIDS.
• NOTES: This film was only released on DVD by Disney.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Storyboards (presented in a slideshow rather than the entire film in storyboard form)
• Behind the Microphone
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
NONE

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• NTV Special: The Secrets of My Neighbors The Yamadas


13. Spirited Away (2001)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Behind the Microphone
• Nippon Television Special (ONLY ON DVD IN THE GKIDS COMBO PACK)
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Introduction by John Lasseter (1:11) (Play Video)
• The Art of Spirited Away (15:13) (Play Video)
• Meet Hayao Miyazaki (2:05) [interview with Miyazaki and Lasseter at the Toronto International Film Festival] (DVD EASTER EGG: highlight "Introduction by John Lasseter", press UP) (Play Video)

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
NONE


14. The Cat Returns (2002)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: These are no exclusive special features. The same content can be found on both releases.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• The Making of The Cat Returns
• Behind the Microphone
• Trailers & TV Spots


15. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Behind the Microphone
• Miyazaki Visits Pixar
• Trailers and TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Interview with Pete Docter (7:22) (Play Video)

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Interview with Diana Wynne Jones
• Explanation of CG
• The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack


16. Tales From Earthsea (2006)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• The Birth Story of a Film Soundtrack
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Behind the Studio: Origins of Earthsea (4:06) (Play Video)

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• The Birth Story of Therru's Song
• NTV Special



17. Ponyo (2008)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Creating Ponyo
• Behind the Microphone
• Ponyo and Fujimoto
• Producer's Perspective: Telling the Story
• The Locations of Ponyo
• The Nursery
• Scoring Miyazaki
• Original Trailers

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Meet Ponyo (3:20) (interview with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall) (Play Video)
• Behind the Studio: A Conversation with Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter (3:32) (Play Video)
• UNIMPORTANT: Enter the Lands of Ghibli (interactive map with clips from other Ghibli films)
• UNIMPORTANT: Ponyo Personality Test

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• The 5 Geniuses Who created Ponyo
• Opening Event at Hibiya Scala-Za Theatre
• Press Conference: Theme Song Announcement
• Hayao Miyazaki's Press Conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
• Interview with Hayao Miyazaki
• Interview with Toshio Suzuki



18. The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Cecile Corbel's "Arrietty's Song" Music Video
• Bridgit Mendler's "Summertime" Music Video
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• The Making of "Summertime" (2:03) [making of music video] (Play Video, also on YouTube)

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Interview with Hayao Miyazaki
• Interview with Hiromasa Yonebayashi


19. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
• BUY IT: GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney, so all special features listed below are for GKIDS.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Director Goro Miyazaki on Yokohama
• Yokohama - Stories of the Past and Present
• "Summer of Farewells" Music Video
• English Voice Cast Featurette
• Press Conference - Theme Song Announcement
• Hayao Miyazaki's Speech After the Staff Screening
• Trailers and Teasers


20. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
• BUY IT: GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney, so all special features listed below are for GKIDS.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Announcement of the Completion of the Film
• Trailers and TV Spots
• Isao Takahata and His Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Edited 90-Minute Version) (ON A BONUS DISC: DVD IN REGULAR RELEASE, BLU-RAY IN STEELBOOK)


21. The Wind Rises (2013)
• BUY IT: Disney, GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.

[COMMON SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Behind the Microphone
• Film Completion Press Conference
• Trailers & TV Spots

[DISNEY-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
NONE

[GKIDS-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES]
• 10-Years with Hayao Miyazaki Documentary Episode


22. When Marnie Was There (2014)
• BUY IT: GKIDS.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney, so all special features listed below are for GKIDS.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• The Making of When Marnie Was There
• Yohei Taneda Creates the Art of When Marnie Was There
• Behind the Scenes with the Voice Cast
• Trailers and TV Spots


23. Earwig and the Witch (2020)
• BUY IT: GKIDS, GKIDS Steelbook.
• NOTES: This film was not released by Disney, so all special features listed below are for GKIDS.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Creating Earwig and the Witch (29:46)
• Interviews with Japanese Voice Cast (15:32)
• Trailers & Teasers


Everything listed above are the official Studio Ghibli theatrical film series. This section includes a Studio Ghibli television program, a co-produced film, and a few early works by animator Hayao Miyazaki.


Ronja, The Robber's Daughter (2014)
• BUY IT: GKIDS.
• NOTES: This 26-episode television series was co-produced with the Astrid Lindgren Company. The animation is not Studio Ghibli's traditional hand-drawn style, but actually cel-shaded computer animation that looks like a Telltale video game.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Interview with Goro Miyazaki (11:19)
• "Press Conference" featurette (6:14)
• "Making Of" featurettes (38:15)


The Red Turtle (2016)
• BUY IT: Sony Pictures Classics.
• NOTES: This film, which has no dialogue, was co-produced with French studio Wild Bunch. It was released by Sony Pictures Classics, not Disney or GKIDS.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Commentary with Director Michael Dudok de Wit (in English)
• The Birth of The Red Turtle
• The Secrets of The Red Turtle
• The Red Turtle at AFI Fest Q&A
• Trailer & Previews


Future Boy Conan (1978)
• BUY IT: GKIDS.
• NOTES: This 26-episode series was directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The last three episodes were edited together into a feature film, thus making it the first "film" directed by Miyazaki.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Promotional Trailer


Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
• BUY IT: Discotek Media 4K UHD, Discotek Media Blu-ray.
• NOTES: This film, which is the second film in the Lupin the Third theatrical film series, is technically, the first theatrical film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was released by Discotek, not Disney or GKIDS, and contains two English dubs: 1992 Streamline and 2000 Manga Entertainment. The special features listed below is only a general list. The first film in the Lupin series, Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo (1978), is also available on Blu-ray, though it has nothing to do with Miyazaki, as far as I'm aware. For the benefit of those who only have the 4K UHD version, I have uploaded the two script PDFs, the original version of the "Miyazaki's Castle" article from the Blu-ray (JPG format), and the two Blu-ray exclusive images to my Internet Archive account. You can preview the images on my Facebook page.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Family-Friendly Manga Entertainment Dub
• Isolated Score Track (4K ONLY)
• Audio Commentary by Reed Nelson
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Introduction by David Hayter
• Alternate Openings and Closings
• Trailers
• Interviews
• Promotional Art
• Model Sheets
• Imageboards
• History of the Film ("Miyazaki's Castle") (Text)
• Translation Notes (Text)
• English & Japanese Script PDFs [BD-ROM Content] (BLU-RAY ONLY)


The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki (2015)
• BUY IT: Disney Blu-ray Box Set.
• NOTES: This box set was released by Disney as an Amazon exclusive in 2015, and it includes all 11 feature films directed by Hayao Miyazaki: Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013). None of the individual films in this set have any bonus features, but it does have a single bonus disc that includes the items listed below. Along with the digital media, you also get an art book filled with quotes and images about Miyazaki's career titled "The Great Dichotomy: Looking at the Works of Hayao Miyazaki" by Tomohiro Machiyama.

[SPECIAL FEATURES]
• Yuki's Sun - a 1972 television pilot based on a manga by Tetsuya Chiba that was directed, storyboarded and animated by Hayao Miyazaki.
• Little Samurai Episodes 26, 27, and 41 of the 1972 anime series with storyboards by the filmmaker.
• Miyazaki's Retirement Press Conference (uncut)


That's all there is. Hopefully this list has been helpful to you. The Studio Ghibli logo used at the top of this page was scaled from down this 6000x4800 version (3.1MB).

In an effort to have all of the special features for my Studio Ghibli GKIDS Blu-ray collection, I have tracked down copies of all of the missing content. Using lossless DVD rips, one Blu-ray rip, and two downloaded videos, I have authored a DVD ISO (3.6GB) that contains 69-minutes of special features found on the Disney releases that were not ported over to the GKIDS releases. This allowed me to burn my own "Studio Ghibli Disney-Exclusive Special Features" supplemental DVD-R to go along with my collection of GKIDS Blu-ray/DVD combo packs. The ISO also includes two 1920x1080 Ponyo videos as DVD-ROM content. I also uploaded all of my original standard-definition videos for the 11 extras to my Internet Archive account in MKV format, in case you'd like to download an individual item.