The thought-provoking aesthetically pleasing animated films of Hayao Miyazaki attract audiences well beyond the director s native Japan. Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away were critically acclaimed upon U.S. release and the earlier My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki s Delivery Service have found popularity with Americans on DVD. This critical study of Miyazaki s work begins with an analysis of the visual conventions of manga Japanese comic books and anime; an overview of Japanese animated films; and a consideration of the techniques deployed by both traditional cel and computer animation. This section also details Miyazaki s early forays into comic books and animation and his output prior to his founding of Studio Ghibli. Part Two concentrates on the Studio Ghibli era outlining the company s development and analyzing the director s productions between 1984 and 2004 including Castle in the Sky My Neighbor Totoro and his newest film Howl s Moving Castle. The second section also discusses other productions involving Studio Ghibli including Grave of the Fireflies and The Cat Returns. Appendices supply additional information about Studio Ghibli s merchandise production Miyazaki s global fan base and the output of other Ghibli directors.