By Isabella Purdy & Madeline Ramirez
For Netflix users in the United States awaiting the day Ghibli films show up on their screen, don’t hold your breaths.
Studio Ghibli’s breathtaking films have been a crucial part of many generations’ childhoods. Ghibli fans rejoiced when it was announced the beloved collection would be welcomed on Netflix last January, as these animated masterpieces are rarely available on streaming services and cable television. It was revealed soon after that audiences in the US would not be included, however.
In January, Netflix announced that it would acquire the whole Ghibli library for all audiences except those in the United States, Canada, and Japan. This is due to copyright issues with Disney, who dubs the films in English for viewers. With the creation of Disney’s new streaming service
Disney+, Disney split from Netflix in 2019 and took their productions with them. The Studio Ghibli collection is currently unavailable on Disney+.
HBO Max will be getting the Ghibli library for their platform instead. The company purchased the rights to stream Ghibli films in 2019 and will launch this May with a 15$ monthly subscription cost.
The topic of convoluted streaming rights and libraries raises questions regarding the future of online streaming. With so many properties being bid on by companies looking to join in on the streaming war, it’s become a matter of which service is even worth your time. Someone who is interested in animation and wants access to the 21 Ghibli movies might to have to sink money into HBO Max and Disney+ to get selections that match their interests. The streaming industry has warped into a game of mix and match for consumers, begging the inquiry of whether or not streaming is worth it anymore (spoiler alert: it isn’t).
If someone in the United States, Canada or Japan wanted to view Ghibli movies in addition to Netflix selections, Netflix’s $9-$16 monthly subscription and HBO Max’s $15 subscription would result in a $24-$31 monthly cost, or approximately $288-$372 yearly. Add this to any current subscriptions with services like Disney+ or Hulu and one might conclude that investing money into digital copies of select Ghibli films could be a better offer if the rest of HBO Max’s library doesn’t appeal. VPNs are also a tech savvy alternative to an HBO Max subscription and allow users to view Netflix content from other countries’ libraries from the comfort of their home.
As of now, Netflix users within the U.S, Canada, and Japan will have to look elsewhere to get their fill of Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo.
