hotaru 火垂る （ ほたる ）の haka 墓 （ はか ） or Grave of the Fireflies is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Akiyuki Nosaka. The story is about a brother and sister struggling to survive on their own during World War Two. The book was published in 1967, a time when Japan was experiencing great economic growth. Nosaka was inspired to write the book partly by the contrast he saw with the world he saw around him and the Japan of his childhood, and partly as an apology to his adoptive sister Keiko who had died of malnutrition during the war. Isao Takahata was the director of Studio Ghibli's Grave of the Fireflies. Unlike most animation directors, he had not been an animator before becoming a director. His works are among Ghibli's least known films outside of Japan, including Only Yesterday, Pom Poko, and My Neighbors the Yamadas. Within Japan, though, the movie of Grave of the Fireflies was associated with fan favourite Totoro, as they were originally released together as a double feature. This is the book that inspired me to write this article. It is pretty much my favourite book and definitely my most read one. I have four copies, one signed, one that fell apart because I read it so many times, one to replace that one, and one that I bought in Japan because I regretted not taking a copy with me. When I found out that the movie studio that had made Spirited Away – which had recently blown my then 13 year old mind – was making an adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle, I went into a new world of excitement. To say that I love this book is something of an understatement.

Miyazaki and I think alike, so when his offer came in I was overjoyed, because I had admired him for years. The characters are the same as I wrote them, but other things are different. Making something visual is so different from making something to read. It takes more time to make something that you see, so he had to cut things out. Howl is less of a drama queen in the film, and more of a hero. It didn't spoil the essence of Howl. I'm inclined to agree. My 13 year old self is pretty darned happy that both the book and the film exist. Tales from Earthsea Tales from Earthsea was the first feature film directed by Gorō Miyazaki, son of animator Hayao Miyazaki. It was loosly based on the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin. The English name of the adaptation shares the name of a short story collection by Le Guin, but the movie actually draws on plot elements from many different books in the series. In Japanese the film is called ゲド 戦記 （ せんき ）, literally Ged's War Chronicles.For any fan of Studio Ghibli you will eventually come across certain titles - both for the fame and for their beauty. My Neighbour Totoro is probably at the top or at least very close to it (of course it is subjective and very personal). Featuring 900 original illustrations, sketches, and imageboards from films such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises, the two-volume series offers a detailed look into the animation studio’s production processes, from planning to completion. Until now, many of the images have only been seen within the context of the museum itself, such as excerpts from its 2017 exhibition Delicious! Animating Memorable Meals and 2013’s The Lens at Work in The Ghibli Forest.

There are some really wonderful books behind the Ghibli films, and reading them can give insight into the underpinnings of some of your favourite movies. I will try to keep this article as spoiler free as possible. However, if you haven't seen any of the movies, then I suggest you rush out and do so. After that (or before if that's more your taste), rush out and read the books! Grave of the Fireflies There’s also artwork from exclusive exhibitions on films like Ponyo and Spirited Away, as well as an interview with film producer Toshio Suzuki, who’s considered to be Miyazaki’s right-hand man. AGNèS VARDA: DIRECTOR'S INSPIRATION DELMONICO BOOKS/ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES ISBN: 9781636810607The movie adaption is perhaps the one with the most drastic changes on this list. Some characters who were good become evil. Some who were evil become good. Some who were men become women. Howl's main motivation is completely different. However, the author Diana Wynne Jones had a positive reaction to the film, which was specially screened for her before release. Speaking to the Telegraph, she said, "It was wonderful. "I don't think I've ever met anyone before who thinks like I do. He saw my books from the inside out." Despite the changes, she believed that Miyazaki shared her vision. At the premier screening in the UK she said, While the movie had its troubles, winning the Bunshun Raspberry Award for worst movie of 2006 and driving a wedge between father and son during its production, the books are truly wonderful, often cited by other authors as their favourite books. If you would like to enter the world of Earthsea, I would recommend starting with The Wizard of Earthsea. It has been enchanting readers since 1968 with its tale of young wizard Sparrowhawk and how he must face down the evils his own ambition for power calls up. If you only read one of the books in this article, read this one. Then you can go on and read the rest of the Cycle. You can begin to see some of the elements that the movie drew on. Honestly, you could probably skip the movie and just get on with enjoying these wonderful books as well as the other works of Ursula K. Le Guin. Arrietty Kiki's Delivery Service won the 23rd Noma Award for Juvenile Literature, the 34th Shogakukan Award for Children's Literature, and holds a place on the IBBY Honour List for 1986. It is also certainly Eiko Kadono's best well known book outside of Japan, thanks to the film adaptation.