Studio Ghibli's Collection, Including the Movies of Hayao Miyazaki, Is Available Digitally for the First Time

In a decade when many movie fans traded in their DVD players for Netflix accounts, the films of Studio Ghibli remained some of the last holdouts from the era of physical media. Movies from the acclaimed Japanese animation studio—which include most of director Hayao Miyazaki's filmography—aren't available to stream anywhere online. Even viewers willing to pay extra for a digital download were out of luck, meaning the only way to watch movies like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro was to buy them on Blu-ray or DVD, or wait for a rare theater screening.

As the 2010s come to a close, the wishes of many Studio Ghibli fans have finally been answered: Most titles in the studio's library are now available to download from all major digital platforms as of December 17, The Verge reports.

People in the U.S. and Canada can download digital versions of the films for $15-$20 apiece from such platforms as Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play Store, Sony PlayStation Movies, Microsoft, and FandangoNow. Buyers have their choice between the English dubs and the original Japanese language versions.

The collection features most of the animated classics produced by Studio Ghibli, including:

- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Castle in the Sky (1986)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- Ocean Waves (1993)
- Pom Poko (1994)
- Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Cat Returns (2002)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Tales From Earthsea (2006)
- Ponyo (2008)
- The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
- From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
- The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
- When Marnie Was There (2014)

The Wind Rises (2013), Hayao Miyazaki's most recent feature film, will be made available digitally in 2020.

Purchasing digital copies is the only way to view these movies at home without a DVD, VCR, or Blu-ray player for now, but soon watching them will be even more convenient. In May 2020, all the titles above will be available to stream on HBO Max, which will cost $15 a month when it launches.

[h/t The Verge]

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