Studio Ghibli is one of the most popular and successful animation studios of all time . The studio apartment is known for its fairytale fashion , with films such asMyNeighbor TotoroandPonyobecoming new favorites for parents looking to distract their shaver for an hour or so . That being say , the immense popularity of the Ghibli movies , copulate with their fairytale - like timbre , allow for for fans to speculate over a possible darkness that lie beneath the control surface of the movie . Some of these moving-picture show may already have a unmortgaged dark subtext , while others will be far more minor - orientated , make these theories even more disturbing .

This article will list 10 dark possibility about Studio Ghibli moving picture , though some of them have been debunked by Miyazaki , they ’re still fun to think about .

Afterlife At The End Of Ponyo

Ponyois another Ghibli movie that seems to be another lighthearted , fairytale movie that children around the world could precipitate in the love with . The moving picture tells the floor of Ponyo ( or Brunhilde ) who ends up being washed ashore and grows confining to a boy named Sōsuke in the physical process .

That being say , much of the film is built around an at hand doomsday and after this doom hit the town it seems as if no one is smart . However , fans speculate that the end of the moving picture actually shows the characters entering the afterlife , with honest-to-goodness hoi polloi now able to walk as if they were young again and both Ponyo and Sōsuke going through a burrow , symbolise their journey into the afterlife . That being tell , there are notable topic with this fan theory as it does n’t totally operate with the plot of the motion picture .

No Face Is A Human

One of the most memorable and mysterious fictitious character spirit Awayis No look . The character count different to the other indweller of the spirit reality and appears to play differently too , with the creepy-crawly character even taking a unknown and notable like to Chihiro .

This has led   some to theorize thatNo Face is , like Chihiro , a humanthat became trapped in the disembodied spirit man but was unable to bequeath . While the possibility has some egress , such as the fact that No Face can do thaumaturgy and Chihiro ca n’t , it is still an interesting hypothesis aboutSpirited off .

Whisper Of The Heart Inspired Suicides

Whisper of the Heartmay not be one of the most famous Ghibli films , but it still a grand picture show in its own rightfield and even spawned a variety of sequel withthe Cat Returns . However , there is an urban legend that this wizardly photographic film allegedlyinspired several suicidesafter it was rerun on TV .

Allegedly , those who remember see the film as a shaver and then see it as an adult began to think that they had wasted their lives . While no suicide were confirmed to be triggered by   this re - airing , there were several assembly that discussed depression and suicidal thoughts after watching the rerun .

San Wears Her Sister’s Skin

For many , Princess Mononokeis the best Ghibli movie . The film is anaction - compact epicthat tells a cautionary tale of mankind coming into conflict with nature , a lesson that is even more necessary when we take into write up the mood emergency the world   finds itself in .

One notable theory about the moving-picture show is thatSan wears the skin of her sibling . The theory go that San ’s parents were hunt Moro ’s children , killing one before being killed themselves . Moro then took pity on the young San , raise her and give San the coat of her dead kid .

Totoro Is Inspired By The Sayama Incident

My Neighbour Totorois , perhaps , the most iconic Studio Ghibli movie . The Totoro fiber has become synonymous with Ghibli , as the character can be seen throughout the Ghibli museum in Japan and easily has the most merchandise from the Ghibli flick catalog .

That being say , the film is also the subject of a dark devotee theory . lover speculate thatMy Neighbour Totorowas prompt by themurder and assaultof a schoolgirl in the sixty that eventually direct to the young woman ’s sister pull suicide . The film is gear up in Sayama , the place of the crime , and also occurred in the calendar month of May , with one of the girls in the film even being squall Mei . That being said , Miyazaki has debunked this hypothesis , but it is still an interesting theory .

Seita Is In Purgatory

Grave of the Firefliesis one of Studio Ghibli ’s good moving-picture show and its most heartbreaking . The film tells the story of a chum care for his sister nearKobeduring World War 2 , following the siblings as they judge to survive the final months of the war . The film is grievous and really enamor the horrors of war , showing both the aroused and forcible damage get by conflict .

If the subject matter of the picture is n’t dispirit enough , a buff possibility suggests thatSeita is actually in purgatoryduring the run time of the flick , being pull to recount the last calendar month of his life sentence over and over again .

Yubaba’s Brothel

This is one of the most famousStudio Ghiblitheories and it for certain has weight , with Miyazaki himself affirm that the bathhouse inSpirited Awaywas indeed exhort by the sex industry , tell that"Hasn’t Japanese society become like the sex industry ? ”

The brothel in the movie is to a great extent inspire by prostitution in the Edo geological period ofJapan’shistory , with bathhouses acting as brothels during the time . Thelinks to the sex industrycan be visit by the fact that Chihiro has to give her name to Yubaba in central for a novel one ( an act that was vulgar ) and that No Face hold on offer tokens to Chihiro .

Totoro Is The God Of Death

This ledger entry is tied to the   earlier entry of the Sayama incident . Essentially , according to the hypothesis , the film is like a perverted translation ofAlice in Wonderland , however , instead of entering some magical universe , Mei and Satsuki are both stagnant andTotoro is shepherdingthem through the infernal region .

Fans of this theory point to the fact that the Catbus passes a stop constitute ' Grave Road ' as an example of the theme of death in the film .

Ghibli Curse

This one is less of a dark fan theory and more of aconcerning urban legend for stock tradersin Japan . There is an urban legend that , whenever a Ghibli movie is aired on TV in Japan , it lead in some kind of negative financial encroachment on financial traders .

This has lead some stockbroker and financial monger in Japan to frequent the idiot box schedules in ordering to ensure a Ghibli movie is not air out before they make a financial determination . A former stockbroker even explored the data behind this urban legend and found that , the solar day after a Ghibli movie aired in Japan , the currency dropped28 out of 35 clock time .

NEXT : The 10 Most Memorable Studio Ghibli Characters Of All sentence

imagery from The Boy and the Heron

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

Maomao and Jinshi from The Apothecary Diaries in front of a glittery space background

My-Neighbor-Totoro-Studio-Ghibli-featured Cropped

Sōsuke meets Ponyo

No Face stands on a red bridge during the day in Spirited Away.

Seiji looks at Shizuku from a window in Whisper of the Heart.

Warrior-princess San in Princess Mononoke, 1999

Totoro in the trees with Mei and Satsuki in My Neighbor Totoro

Seita and Setsuko standing in a field in Grave of the Fireflies.

Yubaba puts her hand on a skull in Spirited Away.

Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki Totoro Mei Satsuki Rain Umbrella

Studio Ghibli Reopens For Hayao Miyazaki Movie