The powerful tech criticism of one of the best Studio Ghibli films

One of the oldest Ghibli films also hits the hardest right now

One of the reasons that the AI-generated Ghibli meme phenomenon—and especially the OpenAI-perpetrated Miyazaki disrespect—irked me so much is because we’re a Studio Ghibli family over here. Sorry Pixar, but no animation studio has a better hit rate for films the entire family can legitimately enjoy. My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo are favorites, but we also field a lot of requests for deeper cuts like The Secret World of Arrietty and The Cat Returns. We caught Howl’s Moving Castle on the big screen during a recent Ghibli fest, and it was great.

Ghibli films, it barely needs to be said, are lovely and strange and shot through with wonder; most are singularly imaginative and all are beautifully drawn. They are always, always, a welcome respite from the Despicable Me and Ice Age sequels. Importantly, they never condescend to children. In fact, Miyazaki often populates his films with young people who must navigate rather adult themes on purpose, emphasizing the honesty and goodness of children, as he’s put it in the past.

This is central to what is not only my favorite of the kid-friendly Ghibli movies—my apologies to Totoro—but also happens to be one of the most powerful works of technology criticism aimed at young people, period:

---

Most of Blood in the Machine—including reporting, interviews, and analysis—is free to read. Some book, TV, and film reviews about tech critical culture as well as recommendations stuff is for paying subscribers, who help keep the reporting free for everyone. I’m asking $6 a month, or the cost of a cheap beer, if you can. Thanks everyone, all the best.