Published: April 1, 2024 | Last Updated: June 25, 2025
What is Studio Ghibli’s style called? Definition & Meaning
The Studio Ghibli aesthetic is often called cottagecore, a style that celebrates quiet countryside life, soft colors, and simple joys. This look shows up in many Ghibli movies, rolling hills, forests, old cottages, and small towns. The homes are cozy, the food is warm, and nature is everywhere. It’s a mix of calm, comfort, and a little bit of magic.
What Is Cottagecore?
Cottagecore is an aesthetic that romanticizes rural life. It’s all about handmade things, living slowly, and feeling connected to nature. Think tea in a field of flowers, clothes on a line, or sitting in a cottage while it rains outside.
The word “cottagecore” started on Tumblr around 2018, but the style itself has been around much longer. Movies, books, and even music have helped shape it. Here’s how Vox.com described the vibe:
“[…] doilies, snails, and DIY fairy spoons crafted from seashells. It is illustrations from Frog & Toad, stills from Miyazaki movies, two girls kissing in a forest in springtime. It is a laughably arduous tutorial on how to make homemade rosewater whispered to you in a British accent. It is eyelet blouses and soft cardigans and hair ribbons and too much blush. It is Beatrix Potter, The Secret Garden, Miss Honey from Matilda, the Shire. Taylor Swift’s indie rock quarantine album Folklore? Cottagecore.”
– Rebecca Jennings, Vox.com
Why Studio Ghibli Feels Like Cottagecore
Studio Ghibli’s films often show a deep love for nature, quiet places, and slow living. You can see this in movies like My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and When Marnie Was There. The animation makes normal things (like hanging laundry or cooking soup) feel magical.
Many of Ghibli’s backgrounds are inspired by rural Japan. But instead of being boring or old-fashioned, the countryside looks peaceful, beautiful, and full of wonder. Sometimes there are magical creatures or flying machines, but the small, everyday moments still matter most.
Studio Ghibli and Cottagecore Themes
- Nature: Forests, rivers, flowers, and wind are everywhere in Ghibli’s work.
- Cozy Homes: Cottages with wooden beams, warm stoves, and lived-in charm.
- Quiet Living: Ghibli characters often garden, clean, walk through fields, or just take naps.
- Found Family: Many stories are about friendship, kindness, and new beginnings.
About Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio known for creating some of the most beautiful and meaningful animated films in the world. It was founded by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki in 1985 after their success with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984).
Before Ghibli, Miyazaki and Takahata worked at a studio called Topcraft, which made animated films like The Last Unicorn (1982) and The Hobbit (1977). After Topcraft closed, Studio Ghibli took its place and became one of the most iconic studios in the world.
Summing Up
The Studio Ghibli aesthetic is soft, calm, and full of wonder. While not every Ghibli film fits cottagecore exactly, many of them share its love for nature, slowness, and simple joy. Whether you’re watching a girl fly on a broom or two sisters discover a forest spirit, Ghibli’s worlds always feel like home.
Read Next: 10 Best Studio Ghibli movies, ranked.
Ghibli style please