Why Studio Ghibli’s Official Soundtrack is So Hauntingly Beautiful
Being familiar with Studio Ghibli movies is like soaring heaven: these tender, often tragic but inconceivably beautiful animated films are modern Grimm’s fairytales.
A little bit steampunk, harmoniously cottagecore, and witchy, there’s something for everyone. Ghibli knows how to romanticize humanity’s simplest emotions, and to depict love in a way that transcends us.
But stripped from its official soundtrack, these films would only be half of the fun. Ghibli has worked arduously at the side of the world-renowned composer and musician Joe Hisaishi, who’s primarily responsible for the best scores ever heard. The magical collaboration of the iconic director Hayao Miyazaki with Hisaishi’s talent surpasses every feat humanity has ever done in the field of sound and animation, which is, without a doubt, thanks to their devotion to their art.
With the ability to transform every scene into one that moves one to tears, Ghibli music should be awarded a unique genre. Just listen to “One Summer Day” featured in the film Spirited Away [2001], or “Merry Go Round of Life” from Howl’s Moving Castle [2004], and you’ll understand what we’re talking about. They make us nostalgic for a past that never really happened, taking us back to a different life where solace is tinted with the indelible prose of our memories.
The theory behind why Ghibli's music is so beautiful is that it focuses so deeply on emotion rather than storytelling, making it an immersive but interpretive experience when combined with dreamy or even heartwrenching scenes.
It’s hopeful, and even if the pieces are overflowing with sadness, they’re irrevocably calming, like the sight of a pond inhabited by a myriad of tadpoles and fireflies with no sight of man. After all, that is the essence of Studio Ghibli, and if there’s a way for us to step into that world for a moment, there’s no reason not to indulge.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
