Ghibliotheque - A Podcast About Animation and Studio Ghibli
Film, TV & Pop Culture
About
Welcome to the Ghibliotheque , the podcast that leafs through libraries of films from the world’s greatest animation studios. In 2018, Michael Leader, an avowed Studio Ghibli fanatic, sat down with Jake Cunningham, who had never seen any of the Studio’s work before. Together they looked at the history behind Ghibli's films (including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Princess Mononoke), and got a critical perspective from Jake as a first-time viewer. They covered all of Studio Ghibli's films, visited Japan on the ultimate Ghibli pilgrimage, and have since interviewed artists, animators and filmmakers who have either worked on or have been deeply inspired by Ghibli's films. With their co-host Steph Watts, they have also branched out to cover filmographies of other studios and filmmakers whose work has revolutionised animation, from Satoshi Kon and Mamoru Hosoda to Cartoon Saloon and Henry Selick. Where will we go next? For more information, fo
Episodes
- All You Need Is Kill with Kenichiro Akimoto | Interview Special
This week, Michael is joined by director Kenichiro Akimoto to talk about All You Need Is Kill, a new animated adaptation of the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka previously brought to the screen as Edge of Tomorrow. Did you know, we have a…
- Zootropolis 2 with Jared Bush & Yvett Merino | Interview Special
We're collecting Best Feature Animation Oscar nominees like trading cards! In this bonus interview episode, Jake sits down with director Jared Bush and producer Yvett Merino to talk about their blockbusting Disney Animation sequel Zootropo…
- Little Amélie with Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han | Interview Special
With the Oscars and Baftas around the corner, we've lined up a couple of interview episodes with filmmakers behind some of the contenders. Today, Michael and Jake speak with Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, directors of the French animate…
- Another World with Polly Yeung and Tommy Ng | Q&A Interview Special
Back in January, Michael was invited to host the UK premiere of Another World, a spectacular, high-concept, high-emotions animation from Hong Kong. Here is the recording of the Q&A from that screening, with producer-writer Polly Yeung and…
- Ethel & Ernest | Briggsonometry #6
It's the final episode of our Briggsonometry mini series all about the adapted works of Raymond Briggs! And today we're ending on Raymond Briggs's most personal project of his whole career: his graphic ode to his parents, Ethel and Ernest.…
- Ivor the Invisible | Briggsonometry #5
It's another imaginary creature who meets a child and they have an adventure, of course it's a new addition to the Briggsonometry! Ivor the Invisible, a curiosity as it was never a Raymond Briggs book, is here. Once seen (or not), never fo…
- Ugo Bienvenu on Arco | Interview Special
In this special episode, Michael has a wide-ranging chat with director Ugo Bienvenu about one of our favourite films of last year, his extraordinary sci-fi animation Arco - and so much more. Colourful, soulful and shot through with a disar…
- The Bear | Briggsonometry #4
We are bearly just still within the festive season and another (attempted) winter warmer has been added to the Briggsonometry curiculum: The Bear. It's got a magical creature meeting a child, a domestic farce and an overnight adventure wit…
- Ghibliotheque Christmas Special 2025
Ho ho ho, Merry Podmas! In this seasonal special, Michael, Jake and Steph hop on the mic to round up their years in cinemagoing, podcasting, wrestling, roller derby and beyond; Michael puts Jake and Steph's movie knowledge to the test with…
- Axel Scheffler | Interview Special
With the animated short The Scarecrow's Wedding premiering on the BBC on Christmas Day, Michael speaks with illustrator Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo, Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale) about creating picture books for children, seeing his…
- Father Christmas | Briggsonometry #3
It's time for another bloomin' episode of the Briggsonometry mini series. This week, Michael, Jake and Steph have picked up their red fur snowsuits from the dry cleaners and hopped aboard the Ghibliotheque sleigh to go for the Big One, Fat…
- When The Wind Blows | Briggsonometry #2
Our journey through the adaptations of the works of Raymond Briggs continues with the definitely-not-festive feature film, When the Wind Blows - a heartbreaking satire following an elderly couple weathering the impact and fallout of a nucl…
- Joe O'Connell on Ultimate Anime | Interview
In this special bonus episode, Michael speaks with Joe O'Connell, creator of the Youtube channel Beyond Ghibli and author of Ultimate Anime , a doorstop guide to Japanese animation encompassing 100 films and series. Hosted on Acast. See ac…
- The Snowman | Briggsonometry #1
We're walking through the airwaves! Ghibliotheque has returned with a festively fused new season exploring the adapted works of Raymond Briggs, beginning here with perenial TV favourite: The Snowman. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit...…
- The Animation Atlas | Out Now!
It's a shameless plug! Our new book, The Animation Atlas, is out today! So, to celebrate, here's a little chat with Michael and Jake talking about what the book is all about and why (hopefully) you should be excited about it. A cartography…
- Nicolas Rapold on The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki | Interview Special
Michael speaks with film critic Nicolas Rapold about his new book, The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki , which examines the films of our favourite grumpy Japanese master through a spectrum of influences and inspiration. Find out more about The Wo…
- Claude Barras on Savages | Interview Special
This episode, Michael and Jake speak with stop-motion director Claude Barras about his new film, Savages, his previous film, the Ghibliotheque favourite My Life as a Courgette, his life in animation and his almost Takahata-like approach to…
- Gints Zilbalodis on Flow | Interview Special
On the pod this week, Michael speaks with Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis about his Oscar-winning feature, FLOW. This conversation was recorded during the London Film Festival in October 2024, partway through Zilbalodis's remarkable jou…
- Oscars 2025 - Best Animated Feature (Part 2)
It's the second part of our awards season chat about the Oscar-nominated animated films! Michael, Jake and Steph talk about Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Flow and Memoir of a Snail. Scroll back through our archive for interviews w…
- Oscars 2025 - Best Animated Feature (Part 1)
It's awards season! And we're jumping into the fray. In this first episode of a two-part awards miniseries, Michael and Jake talk about the two CG-animated offerings from Hollywood studios in contention for Best Animated Feature this year:…
- Adam Elliot on Memoir of a Snail | Interview Special
In this episode, Michael speaks with Australian stop-motion filmmaker Adam Elliot (Mary & Max, Harvie Krumpet) about his new, Oscar-nominated film Memoir of a Snail. In this wide-ranging conversation, Adam speaks about the enduring influen…
- Naoko Yamada on The Colours Within | Interview Special
Director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird) joins us to talk about her new film, the delightful coming-of-age music drama The Colours Within. If you would like to hear Ms Yamada's Japanese responses in full, the unedited…
- Aardmail | Park Life #11
It's not a Ghibliotheque miniseries until we've opened the mailbag! This week, Michael, Jake and Steph are opening some Park Life mail from listeners, to hear their thoughts on all things Vengeance Most Fowl, which Wallace and Gromit adven…
- Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham on Vengeance Most Fowl | Park Life #10
Our journey through the films of Nick Park comes to a close with a conversation with the man himself! To mark the release of the new Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl, Michael speaks with Nick Park and co-director Merlin Cr…
- Vengeance Most Fowl | Park Life #9
It's us... again! Michael, Jake and Steph gather round the Christmas tree to discuss Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham's latest Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and…
- Early Man | Park Life #8
Ole, ole, ole, ole... it's time for Early Man! Jake's doing his best Peter Crouch robot dance in the recording studio, but will Steph and Michael feel just as celebratory? Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus…
- Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron | Ghibliotheque #30
Back in 2020 we looked at a couple of documentaries about Studio Ghibli, including Kaku Arakawa's Never-Ending Man . Now, after the release of Arakawa's latest documentary Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron, made during the production and releas…
- A Matter of Loaf and Death | Park Life #7
Hold onto your buns, this week Michael, Jake and Steph are back in shorts territory with Nick Park's fifth Wallace & Gromit adventure, A Matter of Loaf and Death. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversa…
- Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | Park Life #6
Beware! Michael, Jake and Steph are about to explore the lore of the terrifying Were-Rabbit. Continue if you dare... Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series. Follow us on…
- Chicken Run | Park Life #5
"It's a podcast machine, you idiot. Podcasters go in, podcasts come out." This week, Michael, Jake and Steph discuss Aardman's feature debut, co-directed by Nick Park alongside studio co-founder Peter Lord, the farmyard break-out comedy-ad…
- A Close Shave | Park Life #4
Tragic romance! Sheep rustling! Dirty windows! Michael, Jake and Steph don their favourite woolly jumpers and settle in for a chat all about Nick Park’s third Wallace and Gromit adventure, A Close Shave . Subscribe to our Patreon &nb…
- The Wrong Trousers | Park Life #3
Is that a chicken, or a penguin? Steph, Michael and Jake are here to investigate, as they look into Nick Park's second Wallace and Gromit tale The Wrong Trousers . Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus convers…
- A Grand Day Out | Park Life #2
This week, Nick Park's career takes off with the very first Wallace and Gromit adventure, A Grand Day Out. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series. Follow us on Twi…
- Creature Comforts | Park Life #1
This week, Michael, Jake and Steph are back with a new miniseries charting the career of animation legend Nick Park and his work at the peerless plasticine-powered studio, Aardman Animations. To start, we look at his Oscar-winning first fi…
- Refresher: Makoto Shinkai on Suzume | Interview
To close out the Shinkaideology we've taken the chance to reshare the interview we had with Makoto Shinkai almost two years ago. Some may have already have heard this, but we've had lots of new listeners join the show, so wanted to take th…
- Suzume | Shinkai-deology #8
This week, Michael and Jake bring the Shinkai-deology up to date with Makoto Shinkai's latest release, and the third film in his loose trilogy of high-concept, disaster-themed features: Suzume. However, this time, Shinkai makes the connect…
- Weathering With You | Shinkai-deology #7
How do you follow one of the biggest anime hits of all time? This week, Makoto Shinkai continues his run of high concept, big-feels blockbusters with the climate-crisis romance, Weathering With You. Subscribe to our Patreon for…
- Chris Sanders on The Wild Robot | Interview
This week, Michael speaks with director Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) about his new film, The Wild Robot, as well as the films that inspired him to get into animation, his formative years at CalArts, and how he wa…
- Your Name | Shinkai-deology #6
It's the big one! After several films as a rising star, Makoto Shinkai finally takes up the mantle of 'the Next Miyazaki' (at the box office at least) with the blockbuster body-swap drama, YOUR NAME. Subscribe to our Patreon fo…
- The Garden of Words + Someone's Gaze | Shinkai-deology #5
The Shinkai-deology continues with Makoto Shinkai returning to shortform storytelling with the gorgeously-photographed, Tokyo-set drama, The Garden of Words. Michael and Jake also touch on Shinkai's commercial work, including the futuristi…
- Children Who Chase Lost Voices | Shinkai-deology #4
Our miniseries on the work of Makoto Shinkai takes an unexpected turn this week, as the director dives head-first into Miyazaki-influenced fantasy-adventure territory with 2011's Children Who Chase Lost Voices. Subscribe to our Patre…
- 5 Centimeters Per Second | Shinkai-deology #3
This week, our journey through the career of Makoto Shinkai comes to 5 Centimeters Per Second. Now a firm fan-favourite, this 60-odd minute anthology of three interconnected coming-of-age shorts was, for many, their first introduction to S…
- The Place Promised in Our Early Days | Shinkai-deology #2
This week, our journey through the films of Makoto Shinkai reaches his first feature-length film, and his first full-scale production, 2004's alt-history sci-fi drama The Place Promised in Our Early Days. Subscribe to our Patreon &nb…
- She and Her Cat + Voices of a Distant Star | Shinkai-deology #1
It's the start of a new miniseries! Michael and Jake are back to chart the rise of one of Japanese animation's blockbuster filmmakers, Makoto Shinkai, from his homemade beginnings with his very early works, She and Her Cat and Voices of a…
- Dash Shaw on Blurry, Cryptozoo and My Entire High School... | Interview Special
Comic book artist, animator and film director Dash Shaw joins Michael to speak about his new graphic novel, Blurry, and his two animated features, My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea (2016) and Cryptozoo (2021), as well as his salad…
- Frank Cottrell-Boyce on Kensuke's Kingdom | Interview Special
Screenwriter, author and Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce joins Michael to speak about adapting Michael Morpurgo's novel Kensuke's Kingdom, as well as the art of adaptation, when adaptations go wrong, and his career as a writer of…
- Henry Selick Interview Special | Selick-tionary
With Coraline celebrating its 15th anniversary and returning to cinemas, Henry Selick joins us to talk about his life and career, from his days at Cal Arts to his work at the forefront of stop-motion feature animation. He talks about the p…
- A.F. Harrold on The Imaginary | Interview Special
Author and poet A.F. Harrold joins Michael to speak about the experience of having his novel, The Imaginary, adapted into a feature film by Studio Ponoc, as well as his memories of writing the book, his love of libraries, and his approach…
- Yoshiaki Nishimura on The Imaginary and Studio Ponoc | Interview Special
Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura (Mary and the Witch's Flower, Modest Heroes) speaks with Michael about Ponoc's new film, The Imaginary, as well as his love of children's fiction and live-action cinema, and his time at Studio Ghibli…
- Spirited Away on Stage | Ghibliotheque
This special episode of the podcast dives into the stage adaptation of Spirited Away, which is currently running at the Coliseum theatre in London's West End. With Jake on parental leave, Michael enlists the help of co-host Steph Watts and…