The Art’s Astonishing, the Box Office a Disaster: Studio Ghibli’s $50 Million Anime Flop

Before Hayao Miyazaki's Boy and Heron tore up the box office, the title of the most expensive Japanese film in history belonged to another Studio Ghibli creation, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. This quiet, almost watercolor-like wonder cost the studio an incredible 5 billion yen — almost 50 million dollars at the time of its release and about 60 million at today's exchange rate.

The paradox is that, despite all its beauty and the directorial genius of Isao Takahata, the film only grossed a little less than 25 million dollars.

At the same time, Kaguya is an example of how far the legendary studio is willing to go for the sake of art. The film took 8 years to make: Takahata insisted that the animation resemble traditional Japanese ink and watercolor drawings — simple lines, soft brushstrokes, the effect of rice paper. Each frame is like an old engraving that has come to life on the screen.

It was not a commercial miracle, but Kaguya is often called one of the most sincere Ghibli films. This is a leisurely retelling of a Japanese folk tale about a girl who flew from the moon and changed the lives of everyone around her — including her parents. Takahata did not create a cartoon, but a farewell to earthly life and his own creativity — this was his last film.

And now the crown of the most expensive Japanese film has been taken by The Boy and the Heron — another expensive attempt by Ghibli to give the audience real magic. And judging by the box office receipts of 300+ million dollars, the studio succeeded.