Books for Studio Ghibli Fans
I’ve been strategically working my way through Hayao Miyazaki’s oeuvre lately, which is a delightful endeavor. I’ve loved Studio Ghibli films since I saw my first: Spirited Away. The bathhouse, the pigs, the dust creatures! I studied Japanese in college, so I like to watch the films in the original Japanese. I love the Japanese culture and Miyazaki’s whimsical themes. The images above are from the gorgeous book Hayao Miyazaki by Jessica Niebel that my sister gave me. It shows how Miyazaki goes from idea to drawing to final filmic image.
There are many books that are directly related to these films that one can read: the original Howl’s Moving Castle or the graphic novel of Kiki’s Delivery Service. The books below all remind me of Studio Ghibli works in one way or another, with plenty of whimsy and fantasy, magical creatures and unlikely heroes, and Japanese culture.
My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows (2016)
A delightfully wackadoo book set in an alternative history of 16th century England where people shapeshift into animals, but only for half of the day. Lady Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days in 1535. This book retells that story imagining that she is married off to Gifford Dudley as the dying request of Edward Tudor. Weird enough, but Gifford spends his days as a horse and nights as a human. That creates a challenge for their love life and directive to produce heirs. Will appeal to Studio Ghibli fans for its historical setting and magical aspects.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (2016)
Luna was left as an offering for the witch of the forest by the townspeople who believe such sacrifices keep them safe. Though the witch Xan normally takes the children to another town to be raised by loving adoptive parents, she keeps Luna to raise on her own. Luna has been granted magical powers through moonlight. The powers are bound until her 13th birthday, a process that is slowly weakening Xan. Barnhill’s fantasy is often recommended for Miyazaki fans, as a fantasy similar to his works.
The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill (2017)
This graphic novel began as a web comic, and Studio Ghibli fans will love the style that O’Neill brings to her magical characters. Greta is an apprentice blacksmith who rescues a tea dragon. She befriends the denizens of a tea shop (and its tea dragons). The tea dragons are dying out, and Greta and friends strive to preserve this waning legacy.
The Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (2019)
Yumeko is half-human and half-kitsune (fox spirit) who has spent her life living with monks in a temple. When the monks are slain by a wrathful spirit, Yumeko flees with the temple’s most precious treasure. As she travels to find another trusted monk, she meets a shadow clan samurai with a demon-possessed sword and a ronin (disgraced samurai) who help her on her journey. I loved all the Japanese mythology and it included lots of Japanese words for me to practice on. Arigato!
Tidesong by Wendy Xu (2021)
With a plot that might make you think of Karate Kid as much as Miyazaki, Tidesong is a fun training montage of a graphic novel. Sophie is a witch with iffy skills. Her family sends her to train with her great aunt and cousin. The training consists of chores instead of spells, and Sophie grows frustrated and attempts magic on her own. It goes wrong, of course, in a way that connects her to the amnesiac water dragor Lir.
The Lost Ryu by Emi Watanabe Cohen (2022)
In Kohei’s world, the only ryu left are pocket size dragons, like his pet Yuhara. But he has a hazy memory of a giant ryu. When his grandfather falls ill, Kohei believes that the only thing that will help him is finding the giant ryu. His new neighbor, a half-Japanese, half-Jewish girl named Isolde joins him on the quest with her Yiddish-speaking dragon Cheshire.
Squire by Nadia Shamas and Sara Alfageeh (2022)
This alternate history follows a group of teens training to be knights. Aiza has to hide her background to fit in, since her people, the Ornu, are second-class citizens in this world. Beautiful drawings take us through Aiza’s journey to come into her own. The beautiful landscapes in this graphic novel will remind readers of Miyazaki’s depictions of nature.