Are the best animated films made in Japan? With the first Studio Ghibli films moving to Netflix tomorrow, we examine why anime has become so popular and if it can ever surpass Disney.

A strange image. But these are the faces of the two greatest animation studios on the planet: Disney and Studio Ghibli.

Mickey is Disney's loveable creation that helped kickstart a billion-dollarn conglomerateA company with many different parts to it..

Totoro has jumped straight out of Japanese folkloreStories and beliefs passed down the generations by word of mouth. and conquered the hearts of the world.

Totoro's eponymousThings that are named after a person or place, etc.  film My Neighbour Totoro is ranked best animation-ever by Time Out magazine.

Just what is it that makes Studio Ghibli films so beloved?

One clue lies in this story. The man behind Totoro, Hayao Miyazaki, refused to let the American producer Harvey WeinsteinA US film producer who is currently in prison after being found guilty of rape. Accusations against him sparked the global #MeToo movement in 2017, in which woman spoke out against sexual abuse and harassment.  edit Princess Mononoke for a western audience. In fact, Studio Ghibli sent him an authentic Japanese sword bearing the message: "No cuts."

With 90% of the films hand-drawn rather than created by computer graphics, a Ghibli film is considered a work of art.

Miyazaki also revels in a human complexity rarely found in a Disney film. For instance, the contradictory Lady Eboshi - kind, elegantn andn a villain - seems more real than the evil Scar from The Lion King.

Studio Ghibli was part of a new wave, confronting serious topics, such as war and technology in Howl's Moving Castle, or human destruction of nature in Pom Poko and Princess Mononoke, in fresh and exciting ways.

The groundbreaking film AkiraA revolutionary anime film released in 1988 that gained a large cult following. presents a post-apocalyptic world after the destruction of Tokyo, mirroring the nuclear blast over HiroshimaA Japanese city destroyed by an atomic bomb in World War II..

Spirited away

But 50 years earlier, Disney was also the trailblazerThe first to do something. of its time.

It was the first studio to use synchronised soundAnimation was silent until Disney released Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with dialogue. in animation and released a number of films unlike the world had ever seen.

And it continues to produce hugely successful stories, such as Frozen. Every girl wants to be the strong, independent Elsa with magic powers.

America's Disney still dominates the animation industry. But does Japan make the best films?

Of course not, say many. Frozen. The Incredibles. Toy Story. Finding Dory. Just saying the names reminds you that Disney has made many of the most successful cartoons of all time. Even the best of Studio Ghibli can't create the jaw-dropping wonder of Snow White, Peter Pan, the Jungle Book or Pinocchio. In some of these films, every frame is a beautiful painting. And they're still genuinely funny.

You can't compare the two types of animation, say others. Maybe Disney has sentimental value, but Studio Ghibli produces movies that are a hundred times better. With morally ambiguous stories, plots that range from whimsical to epic, and multi-faceted characters - these incredible works of art appeal both to children and adults. They win hands down.

A heartwarming argument for why we need Totoro.
The Take
- YouTube. (10:03)

A fascinating examination of Studio Ghibli's effect on Japanese culture.
Esri. (2,800 words)