September of last year anime royalty, Hayao Miyazaki, announced his retirement. But even at that it was a great shock for me to read this weekend that Studio Ghibli will be closing down. [more info] Now, since that initial report the Studio has said they are only pausing production not stopping it completely. [more info] But, still, it's not the kind of thing you want to read.
Edited to add...The comic was written based on the original translation. The updates/clarifications were posted after the artwork was finished. And, since Studio Ghibli has not actually been zapped in the comic, it is only heading toward the zapper, there is no point -in my opinion- in removing or changing it.
[ Added 8/15/14 ]
Studio Ghibli movies have defined my perception of japanese animation. They are the yardstick by which I measure all other anime. Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro... on and on. It's one stellar hit after another. I have to say though, it's the Miyazaki films I cherish. I don't know that Studio Ghibli is really the same to me with him gone.
At any rate, I hope Studio Ghibli stays around, but if not, the distribution deal they signed with Disney means I'll probably still be able to get my hands on these classic movies when I need to.
Attribution: the quote in the comic is from "The Cat Returned".
It's not a Miyazaki film, but it was a Studio Ghibli production. I just really liked the sentiment and felt it was appropriate to the situation.
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