The Magic of Ghibli in an Animated Life by Aspen

The Magic of Ghibli in an Animated Life by Aspen - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

The first time I truly watched a Studio Ghibli movie was when I first discovered the passion behind my art. The time was 7 p.m. on a Saturday. A cacophony of crickets humming outside my living room window was barely audible over the artificial sound of crows shrieking through a television screen. There I was, sitting on my couch, rewatching Kiki’s Delivery Service on a 1990s VHS player for what was probably the 14th time. I had just gotten to the part where Kiki, a young witch trying to start her own business away from home, meets Ursula, a reclusive artist living in the woods. Little did Kiki know, soon she would be questioning her skills as a witch and what it takes to make a living. Que the credits, and for me, a meaningful contemplation of life, purpose, and passion sprouted.

Kiki’s Delivery Service has been one of my long-time favorite movies on my yearly re-watch list, along with My Neighbor Totoro, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and Song of the Sea. That day, as the autumn symphonies seeped through the windows, I fully realized just how powerful animation can be.

As a Queer, Trans, Non-Binary, and disabled person, my identities and experiences are what inspire me to work towards a life in animation. Through everything, I’ve learned what it means to advocate for myself. During as early as middle school, I’ve been an active part of the Queer community, single-handedly changing my school’s transphobic bathroom policies, making a mural to raise awareness and teaching people about the LGBTQ+ community, and taking time to learn the history and discrimination my communities have experienced. The first time I heard of being transgender was when I was 11. I felt so frustrated for not learning who I truly was earlier.

Being able to feel just how much Kiki struggled through nothing but a screen made me wonder what it could be like to impact people on that same level. Sharing my experiences through storytelling, with mental health, chronic illness, being LGBTQ, and living as transgender, is how I can connect with others and bring representation to those who need it. The diversity that animation is capable of can help people feel seen and heard. I didn’t realize other people experienced burnout until that Saturday, rewatching the movie. We don’t always stop to consider what meaning our entertainment holds. Sure, there are all sorts of animated sitcoms or comedies out there to watch when you can’t handle something deep. However, the gems that help people reflect on life are harder to find.

Starting with a college degree in the arts and internships in the animation industry, I intend to add to and create meaningful stories. Artists and audiences alike deserve a space where they feel listened to. It’s something extraordinary for a film to have the power to change a life. Hayao Miyazaki as an individual artist created an entire studio, whose many films, including Kiki’s story, did that for me. Inner revelations, no matter how they’re sparked, are the first step towards transforming the world.