**A Wholesome Journey: Exploring the Literary Inspirations behind Studio Ghibli**

As a self-proclaimed fan of Studio Ghibli, I've always been fascinated by the magic and wonder that these films bring to our lives. But have you ever wondered where some of your favorite Ghibli movies came from? In this article, we'll be exploring three literary inspirations behind some of the most beloved Studio Ghibli films.

**Anne of Green Gables: A Wholesome Cottagecore Classic**

My first stop is a classic that I just adore - Anne of Green Gables. This iconic novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery has been delighting readers for generations with its wholesome and heartwarming tale of a young orphan girl named Anne Shirley. She's an orphaned young girl who gets sent to live with the middle-aged brother and sister, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, on their farm in Prince Edward Island. The brothers had intended to adopt a boy to help with the farm work, but when they meet Anne, they're like "what the hell?" And yet, she wiggles her way into their hearts and becomes a beloved member of the family. With its wholesome little adventures and lovable characters, Anne of Green Gables is a perfect fit for fans of cottagecore and Studio Ghibli.

**Paprika: A Science Fiction Thriller**

My next stop is a wild card in terms of genre - Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui. This adult novel is not typically associated with Studio Ghibli, but its themes of psychological exploration and futuristic technology make it a great fit for fans of Hayao Miyazaki's more complex works. The story follows Paprika, a psychotherapist who uses a machine that allows her to access people's dreams and help them uncover hidden secrets. As she delves deeper into the world of dreams, she must also confront the darker aspects of human psychology and the consequences of playing with fire when it comes to the boundaries between reality and fantasy. With its twisty plot and thought-provoking themes, Paprika is a great choice for readers who enjoy science fiction and psychological thrillers.

**Finding Your Next Favorite Book**

As I sat down to create this list, I realized that finding books that capture the same spirit of Studio Ghibli as the films themselves can be a challenging task. The emotions and themes that we associate with Ghibli are so strong and deeply ingrained in our collective psyche that it's hard to find books that perfectly capture them. But after some careful consideration, I've come up with three literary inspirations that might just fit the bill.

**The Dark Academia of Howl's Moving Castle**

My first stop is a classic tale of love and self-discovery - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. This beloved novel has been a staple of fantasy literature for generations, and its themes of magical realism, complex characters, and self-discovery make it a great fit for fans of Studio Ghibli. The story follows Sophie, a young girl who is turned into an old woman by a witch's curse and finds herself on a journey to find the one person who can break the spell - the enigmatic and powerful wizard Howl.

**A Reading Rut? Share Your Current Reads!**

And finally, I want to hear from you - what are you currently reading? Are you stuck in a reading rut like me, or do you have some exciting new titles on your list? Let's get the conversation started! If you've got any recommendations for books that capture the spirit of Studio Ghibli, I'd love to hear them. And if you're feeling adventurous, let's explore some darker and more complex themes with Paprika.

**The List**

So there you have it - three literary inspirations behind some of our favorite Studio Ghibli films. Whether you're a fan of wholesome cottagecore or science fiction thrillers, there's something on this list for everyone. And don't forget to check the list below for all the books that each film was based on - we love connecting with readers and hearing about their favorite literary adaptations.

**Books Based on Studio Ghibli Films**

* Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

* Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui

* Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

**Share Your Thoughts!**

We'd love to hear from you - what do you think of this list? Have you read any of these books before, or are they on your reading list now? Let us know in the comments below!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enDark Academia Howl's Moving Castle,need I say more?Hi guys, it's Cari and today I hope that thisvideo brings you a lot of comfort becausewe're going to be talking about some booksthat I think you would like if you like Studio Ghibli films.And Studio Ghibli content -why do we like it so much!?It is so wholesome, it celebrates so manylittle things in life but it is still alwaysso rooted in magic, there's always some kindof adventure but it's still really like everyday life.It feels nostalgic.Everything about Studio Ghibli is fantasticand I have come up with a short list of books,because it was actually really hard, to talkabout that I think you'd like.A lot of these are going to veer a littlebit darker than Studio Ghibli tends to be.The content is so wholesome in Studio Ghiblifilms that it's almost difficult to put thatinto a book and have it be interesting I thinkso yeah these are going to veer a tiny bitdarker but I think they still hold the samecore.And I'll link it down below but there is actuallya list of books that a lot of the films arebased off of so even Kiki, Howl's Moving Castle,they're all based off of books, loosely basedoff of books.So I will leave those down below but theseare going to be totally not related to the films.Except for our first book.I told you guys this wasn't the last timeyou're going to see this book on my channel.Howl's Moving Castle, yes, it is a book.This was a book originally and as you guysmight know if you've seen some of my otherbook videos, I adore this book.Diana Wynne Jones writes such fantastic youngadult to middle grade fantasy.She has so many other books, there are somany other in this series, so please go checkthem out, don't just read this one.But it's a similar story where we have Sophieand we have Howl and Calcifer, all the charactersthat we love.What's great about this book is that it goesso much deeper into their stories and Sophie'scurse and even Howl and Calcifer's curse andeverything like that.If you liked the film, this is a little bitdifferent I think.It's not going to be exactly like the moviebut if you love the film I think that youshould also definitely give this a try becauseit's just enchanting and it's just StudioGhibli up the wazoo.So yes, that's my first one, Howl's MovingCastle, the rest are not actually relatedto Studio Ghibli but you can't not talk aboutthis book so here it is!Next on my list is one that I don't physicallyhave, I had to return it to the library, unfortunately.It is a Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.And actually Ellias (ew @ me pronouncing elliaswrong) I will link his channel down below,I had posted that I was reading it and hecommented something about how it remindedhim of Howl's Moving Castle and I was in theprocess of finishing the book.And when I finished it I was like OMG it is!If the film Howl's Moving Castle was cottagecore,Sorcery of Thorns is Howl's Moving CastleDark Academia.Which...what a dream!The Sorcery of Thorns follows Elisabeth whowas orphaned I think, unclear but she wasbasically brought to a library where she wasraised.And she's training to be kind of a caretakerfor the library because this isn't a normallibrary, this is the magical world, and thebooks have kind of a soul.A lot of the books are spells written by wizardsso the books kind of have a mind of theirown and if they're mistreated they can becomemonsters.It's very dark moody library with hauntedbooks that talk, I mean it's just *chef's kiss*Anyway, she ends up getting in a littlebit of trouble, she's accused of a crime andshe has to be taken to court kind of, by thewizards.And there is one wizard who is charged withtaking her to this place and there are littledemon friends, there's like a little Calcifer,it's just, it's a short read but I reallyenjoyed it.A couple people gave me feedback that theythought that the characters weren't givenenough time to grow because it is quite ashort book but I still really enjoyed it,I definitely cried.And the ending is just...Great!So yeah I would just say if you're interestedin kind of a darker fantasy but still holdingon to kind of the roots of Howl's Moving Castle,this is right up your alley and I definitelyrecommend it.Dark Academia Howl's Moving Castle, need Isay more?Next is another book that's kind of veer tobe darker and more sad so apologies, but itis the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.I think it holds a lot of the same feelings,at least to me, that Studio Ghibli gave meif not much sadder.And it follows Nobody, also called Bod, Bod?Bod - throughout the book and in the beginning,this is so dark why am I?Basically his entire family is murdered exceptfor him while he is a toddler.And the only reason he lives is because hewas exploring and he crawled out of his family'shouse and he was playing in the graveyard.And all of the ghosts and spirits living inthe graveyard decide to keep him, keep himsafe, raise him.So he's kind of a ghost boy a little bit becausehe can walk through walls and stuff in thegraveyard but it's just a story of the first14 years of his life being raised by ghostsand ghouls and trying to make friends andtrying to find out more about his real family.It pulls on so many heartstrings but anythingby Neil Gaiman is just such a wonderful littleadventure so if you haven't read it yet, andyou're prepared to cry a little bit, I woulddefinitely give The Graveyard Book a good try.So this is another book that I have mentionedon my channel already sorry and I only havethe second one in the series for whateverreason.I want to talk about A Wrinkle in Time.So A Wrinkle in Time actually really remindsme of Spirited Away for some reason.It follows Meg and mainly her little brotherCharles Wallace.They end up going on this crazy adventureto try to save their father who was...who is away.Who is away lol.There are witches and all these weird sciencefiction things.It just really feels like Spirited Away, howyou're trying to save your parents, you arethrown into this very weird world where yourkind of logic doesn't really exist, there'sa chance you might not be able to go home.There's a cute boy that helps you out alongthe way, this one isn't a dragon but still.As you can see, this is just the sequel butit's a quite quick read, I believe it's morelike middle grade than young adult.It's kind of a mix of fantasy, science fiction,and yeah I just I really love it.It's a classic for a reason.A Wrinkle in Time.So I'm going to be real, for the next oneI haven't actually read this in decades probably.But I remember the 1993 film version of thismovie, of this book, having such a strongimpact on me.Such a strong impact on how I see the worldaround me, how I still see and believe inmagic all the time.I'm very grateful for this book and the 1993film, not the remake.It is, The Secret Garden and it basicallyfollows(I meant Mary Lennox but I said Annie Lennox lol)who unfortunately had to comeback to England because she was living inIndia with her family and there was a terribleaccident and her family passed away so shewent to go live with her uncle I think inhis big English manor.She is cranky, she is sad, she's grievingand unhappy and a little bit spoiled as well.So she kind of is not digging this whole situationespecially because she is basically alonein the manor, she has a bunch of rules whereshe's not allowed to do anything, not allowedto go anywhere.She's just this kid stuck in the middle ofnowhere in an empty house.And so it's kind of a little bit gothic, it's- you start to think that there's going tobe ghosts and all this stuff.She's constantly hearing crying.She knows there's someone else in this housebut there are just all these secret passagewaysand locked doors.Eventually though she finds out that her cousinis also living there.But he's very sick and so they keep him inside,he can't leave his bed, he can't see the sunlightor anything.He's just one of those overprotected kidsin a Victorian novel, very weak, very frail.And she decides to break him out and of coursethis English manor has beautiful grounds andgardens and she ends up finding this lockedgarden.It's completely sealed over by ivy.And the story kind of revolves around that.Discovering this garden, discovering her cousin,discovering another friend, and kind of startingthis very magical adventure.So if you don't have time to read the book,even though I do recommend reading it, the1993 version of the film is really great andhas a lot of Studio Ghibli feels and it isvery near and dear to my heart so the SecretGarden.And almost done, but if we want to talk aboutwholesome content, I can't not talk aboutAnne of Green Gables.What's there to say?If you've seen the Netflix series it doesa great job honestly, it's absolutely wonderfulbut Anne of Green Gables follows Anne Shirley,she is an orphaned young girl who gets sentto live with this middle aged - they're nota couple they're brother and sister - butthey work on this farm together and they reallywanted a helping hand, a young, strong person- a boy - to help.So when Anne arrives, this little girl, they'relike 'what the hell?' and they kind of considerreturning her.But she eventually wiggles her way into theirheart and, hearts...two hearts, they havetwo hearts.It's just a collection of wholesome littleadventures that she gets on and I mean, ifyou're looking for wholesome cottagecore-ycontent, Anne of Green Gables.Or Anne with an E, or 빨간머리 앤 ifyou're in Korea, everybody says that I amher so, I love that, I appreciate that.Anne of Green Gables.And my last book is a wild card and the reasonit's a wild card is because it is adult, andit is - not dark but it's just got some veryadult themes I would say.I'm not sure if this is completely relatedto Studio Ghibli but I think there's a goodchance that you'll like it if you like someparts of Studio Ghibli.I'm just throwing it out there, Paprika byYasutaka Tsutsui.There is actually also an animated film aboutthis and it is weird and wild and I only watchedit once and I really need to watch it againafter reading the book.But I went into it not reading the book andit made no sense.I would recommend reading the book beforeseeing the film.So Paprika is about a woman who is a psychotherapistand so she works at this institute which iskind of in a futuristic world, is what we'redealing with.She works at this institute that uses a lotof cutting edge ways of doing therapy forpeople who are suffering from PTSD or depression.They use a lot of futuristic thingies.And there is a new machine that they're usingthat actually lets you access other people'sdreams or see them and record them ratherthan that person just telling you what theydreamed about, these machines let you actuallysee the dream on a screen.But what this particular woman does is shewill actually become a dream detective andit's a little bit secretive, what she's doing.She goes by the alias Paprika and she invadesher clients dreams and kind of pushes themto uncover some secret, some thing, especiallywith PTSD, some thing that is kind of thetrigger and she will help them solve thatproblem or like see that person's face, thatblurry person's face whatever to solve it.But of course, these machines get into thewrong hands and if somebody can invade yourdreams, as we've seen from Inception, it'snot always a great thing.So she also has to fight that and so it'svery science fiction-y, I don't know I feltlike it was kind of like a very twisty SpiritedAway in some way.You have to use a lot of imagination to getinto this book.I couldn't get into it the first two timesI read it but once I did it became one ofmy favorite books so I am passing this oneon to you.Again, it's not wholesome necessarily, it'snot cottagecore or whatever we're dealingwith with Studio Ghibli but take a chance,I think you might like it.So that is my list, again it was kind of hardto figure out like the emotions I feel forStudio Ghibli films are so strong that itwas difficult to find books that I felt capturedit all so these were my good old tries, Imight come and make episode 2 of this, renewit someday, but yeah I hope that you guysmight pick something up from this list andif you guys have any recommendations thatyou think kind of capture the same spiritof Studio Ghibli, definitely let me know andagain check the list below for all of thebooks that the films were actually based offof.And yeah, this was fun.If you do read any of these, let me know whatyou think, especially about Dark AcademiaHowl's Moving Castle.But yeah I will catch you guys next time,thank you as always for joining me and letme know what you're currently reading, I feela reading rut coming on strong, unfortunately,I've read so many good books recently butI don't think I can keep up the momentum solet me know what you are reading right nowand maybe, just help a girl out you know?So alright, catch you guys next time, thanksas always for watching.Bye!\n"