Spirited Away Is a Classic, But It Isn't the Movie That Helped Make Studio Ghibli a Household Name

When Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003, it marked a breakthrough moment for Japanese animation. Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki were suddenly household names around the world. The film’s dreamlike imagery and emotional storytelling captivated global audiences, but few realized how long that creative journey had been unfolding. Years before the Oscar, Miyazaki had quietly developed a story that would never reach theaters in its original form. That story, the first version of Princess Mononoke, would leave behind traces that shaped some of Ghibli’s most beloved films.