No Walt Disney in Japan

In this thesis, I will deconstruct and compare the oeuvre of both Studio Ghibli and Walt Disney Animation Studios by analyzing the cultural, religious and structural influences informing art style, storytelling conventions and themes portrayed in their movies. Based on my research, I found that we can draw no reasonable comparison between Miyazaki’s and Disney’s work, other than the fact that both constitute exceptionally successful 2D animated movies. It also became apparent that Japanese culture exerts greater influence on Ghibli’s work than Western culture does on Disney’s animated features. I also touch on how Miyazaki's oeuvre possesses a distinct artistic identity by refraining from using tropes seen in a majority of contemporary Japanese anime.