STUDIO GHIBLI

With Studio Ghibli now attracting a huge number of new fans every year, historical accounts, like this one from Kamera Books, are an essential purchase for those looking to catch up.

Not only do Odell and Le Blanc provide synopses for every Ghibli film to date but they also get under the skin of each movie, explaining their influences and cultural relevance with expert insight. Drawing upon an exhaustive knowledge of Miyazaki and Takahata's personal lives, the authors go much deeper than any source you'll find online.

The text does stumble occasionally when it repeats certain observations, but this is still one of the most authoritative texts available. Whether you're a newcomer or a longtime fan, Studio Ghibli is well worth a read.

Both in Japan and worldwide, the anime studio Ghibli is often seen as synonymous with Hayao Miyazaki, the creator of classics from My Neighbour Totoro to Spirited Away. It's a bit like Nick Park and Aardman Animations. In both cases, the star director's fame makes people forget there are other gifted artists at the studio. This boo, however, examines Ghibli's works in the round.

All Miyazaki's films are featured, of course, but there's special emphasis on the work of his more avant-garde colleague, Isao Takahata, best known for his anime war drama, Grave Of The Fireflies. The writers extend their analysis to the pair's lesser-known works of the '60s and '70s, and also to Miyazaki's new fantasy, Ponyo, which hasn't opened in English yet.

The book falls slightly between two stools. It assumes too much knowledge of anime and Ghibli for beginners, but the analysis is a bit lightweight and hagiographic for seasoned fans. There are fine insights, a few strained points, some uneven writing and the odd factual clanger. Accept all that, and it's a competent portrait of a great studio.