Studio Ghibli’s Latest Film Revisits Its Award-Winning Fantasy After 22 Years

Studio Ghibli returned with a special surprise for fans this year with a new anime short film titled Night in the Valley of Witches for its Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture. Even several decades after its establishment, the studio has remained iconic thanks to its timeless classics that are loved for their striking visuals, rich storytelling, and deep emotional impact. Ghibli’s trademark is hand-drawn animation with incredible attention to detail, including lush scenery, fluid movement, and character depth. While the studio didn’t return with a feature-length film this year, directors Goro Miyazaki and Akihiko Yamashita released a 14-minute-long film to promote the Ghibli Park. The film was released as a new collaborative campaign with TOHO Cinemas.

Jesse of SixTONES is behind the voice of the main character, Shinjin. This is his first time voicing a character in a Studio Ghibli film. Additionally, singer-songwriter Aina the End is the voice behind Shinjin-kun’s senior, Kikue. Aina the End is one of the most renowned Japanese singers known for performing the opening and ending themes in several popular anime such as One Piece, The Apothecary Diaries, Dandadan, and more. A few weeks after the film’s release, Goro Miyazaki shares how it revisits the beloved Howl’s Moving Castle film.

Studio Ghibli’s Latest Short Film Breathes Life Into Howl’s Moving Castle

Oricon shared an interview with the short film’s directors to discuss the behind-the-scenes of Night in the Valley of Witches and the appeal of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. Goro Miyazaki shared, “I chose Witch’s Valley as the setting because it was the easiest to come up with. …Now that I think of it, I remember. Howl’s Moving Castle is a moving castle, but the castle in the park stays seated the whole time (laughs). I’m sure the trigger was thinking, It’s not good for their health if it doesn’t move.”

The short film features several iconic attractions from the older films, since the story takes place in the Ghibli Park where all these attractions are located. This also includes the castle from Howl’s Moving Castle, the fantasy film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film was released in 2004 and remains one of the most beloved fantasy anime of all time.

However, the castle in the film was always moving thanks to Howl’s magic. On the other hand, the one in the Ghibli Park stays still since it’s impossible to create a real-life moving castle of that size. Even so, Goro Miyazaki took the liberty to make the castle move in the promotional film, breathing life into Ghibli Park’s major attraction. 

Where Can You Watch The Latest Studio Ghibli Short Film?

The short film was displayed at the Orion Theater in the park’s Ghibli Grand Warehouse starting July 8. The story takes place in the Ghibli Park’s Valley of Witches, where a new employee at the park gets entangled in mysterious events while working on ordinary requests such as repairing buildings and fireplaces, which turn into a major disaster by some unseen force.

The film was meant to feature the real buildings from the park, including the Guchoki Bakery, Howl’s Castle, Hatter’s Hat Shop, The Witch’s House, and more. The film is not available on any streaming services, and you can only watch it in person at Cinema Orion inside Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.