Studio Ghibli is by far one of the most respected anime studios in the world, and they are especially known for their classics like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and much more. For years after their initial founding, many fans and critics believed it was almost impossible for them to release a film that was lacking. However, this changed in 2006 with the release of Tales From Earthsea.

Artwork from Wandering Village, Yokai Inn, and Hoa feature image

10 Games Inspired By Studio Ghibli Films

It's hard to miss the inspiration from Studio Ghibli films present in these games.

Posts

By Sophie McEvoy

After the massively-popular release of Howl's Moving Castle in 2004, many viewers wondered how Studio Ghibli could have had such a steep drop in quality. The film seemed to be lacking qualities that Studio Ghibli had become known for over many years. So, what exactly caused viewers and critics to dislike Tales From Earthsea, and how did it affect Studio Ghibli?

What Did Critics and Fans Dislike About Tales From Earthsea?

Studio Ghibli is known for nailing a few different things every time in their films: gorgeous, inspired animation, complex characters, and emotional plot lines that keep viewers engaged. It seems to many fans and critics that, after viewing Tales From Earthsea, it was lacking a lot of these points. These are the most glaring reasons as to why Tales From Earthsea failed to meet the expectations of Studio Ghibli fans.

Lacking Plot Line and Characters

Image of Sparrowhawk and Tenar talking in Tales From Earthsea.

Tales From Earthsea follows the journey of Prince Arren after he kills his own father and begins to travel with the archmage, Sparrowhawk. Throughout the majority of the first hour of the film, there is hardly any action, and much of the characters' motivations go completely unexplained. There is no exact explanation as to why Arren killed his father, Sparrowhawk doesn't have any clear motivations, and much is unknown about Therru's history.

Click or tap on the games that match the category

The plot is also difficult to follow, with Arren revealing under Cob's influence his true name, Lebannen. But this information seems to come out of nowhere, with no previous hint implying that he has been using a different name this whole time. Cob's backstory is hardly explored as well, with many wondering how exactly he gained the power to manipulate life and death. The only vague explanation viewers get for Cob is that he wants immortality, but the rest, including his relationship with Sparrowhawk, is left unanswered.

Even the development of the friendships between the characters is a bit rushed. When Therru meets Arren, she immediately dislikes him and avoids being around him. However, they quickly become close, enough to the point of Arren revealing to her that he killed his father. Many viewers wished to see these relationships explored more deeply to give them a natural development, like in previous Studio Ghibli entries.

best anime 90s sailor moon, dbz, slam dunk

Best Anime From The 90s

The 1990s were a great time for anime, and several series from the era remain popular today. Here are the best anime from that decade.

Posts 6

Couldn't Capture The Original Spirit of the Books

Image of Arren and Sparrowhawk travelling around in Tales From Earthsea.

The main reason as to why Tales From Earthsea feels so rushed is because it combines plot lines from three different novels, including:

A Wizard of Earthsea
The Farthest Shore
Tehanu

These books were written by Ursula K. Le Guin, and she has even commented that Tales From Earthsea fails to capture the books' intentions. The film is focused more on action sequences, while the book has a more introspective tone.

If the film had not tried to squeeze three different books into one, this problem likely would not have been so visible. Much of the story was too rushed, making for an incredibly confusing plot that was hard for most to follow.

This Studio Ghibli Masterpiece, Critically Acclaimed Space Operas, And More Top the List of Best 90s Anime According to MyAnimeList

From Studio Ghibli masterpieces to space operas, these 90s anime series have stood the test of time and remain beloved by fans.

Posts

By Laura Gassert

How Did Studio Ghibli Regain Its Reputation?

Returned With More Instant Classics

Image of Arren and Therru talking in Tales From Earthsea

After the poor reception received for Tales From Earthsea, Studio Ghibli began to lose trust from its fans. After all, before this film, Studio Ghibli had only released classics, such as:

Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle

Anyone who is a fan of Studio Ghibli knows these films well, and to have them followed up by Tales From Earthsea was a letdown for many. However, there was a glaring issue that Studio Ghibli immediately addressed with their next film.

As most of Studio Ghibli's previous films were directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the switch to his inexperienced son, Goro Miyazaki, was a clear reason as to why Tales From Earthsea couldn't live up to previous films. Studio Ghibli recognized that Goro Miyazaki wasn't quite ready yet to release another creative work, so they swapped back to Hayao Miyazaki with the hit film Ponyo, in 2008.

Not all hope was lost for Goro Miyazaki, however. After Tales From Earthsea struggled to gain much recognition and praise from fans and critics, Goro Miyazaki received a bit more training and guidance to improve for his next piece. His next film, From Up on Poppy Hill, released in 2011, was much more popular, and fans could see a significant improvement in his directing. Although Tales From Earthsea certainly caused Studio Ghibli to take a large blow to their reputation, the anime studio quickly regained its footing with future films that have also become fan favorites.