It’s a good day to be a Studio Ghibli fan with a Netflix account – in a historic deal, the streaming service has secured the rights to 21 films from the Japanese animation house’s back catalogue. The announcement came this morning from Netflix Australia & New Zealand’s Twitter account, complete with a list of films and dates they will roll out – and a reassurance that the deal applies to every Netflix territory excluding North America and Japan, where the rights situation is a little more complicated.
So what’s included? Well, from 1 February you’ll be able to enjoy the company’s first film Castle in the Sky, classics My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service, as well as Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves and Tales from Earthsea.
On 1 March, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Arrietty and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya arrive.
Then on 1 April, Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises, and When Marnie Was There will round out the mammoth selection. One notable omission from the selection is Grave of the Fireflies, but it’s hard to argue that this isn’t still a pretty impressive line-up.
Last year it was announced that Ghibli films would be available for digital rental in the United States via HBO’s GKIDS service, and digital purchase via a host of streaming platforms, but this is the first time their films have been available online for most of the world. Given the fact that many Ghibli DVDs and Blu-rays are still quite pricey to buy, there are going to be a lot of happy Netflix customers.
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