Okay America, I’m ready to throw hands because we have strayed SO FAR from the light. I’m obviously referring to Get Windstream’s report on the most searched Studio Ghibli film by state. It’s hard not to love films from Studio Ghibli, they feature beautiful animation (being particularly well-known for amazing looking food) and touching coming of age stories. All Ghibli is good Ghibli, and with that statement out of the way, WTF America? How is it that Spirited Awayis only number one in Hawaii?
Studio Ghibli has created numerous wonderful films: My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and more. However, Spirited Awayis by far my favorite, with its beautiful art, relatable young female protagonist, and supernatural hijinks galore. Why is Hawaii the only state that gets it?
As per usual with these kinds of survey/studies, the methodology is by no means all encompassing. They used IMDb and SEMRush to compile every film from Studio Ghibli and the search volume for each movie. They then narrowed the list to the top 15 Studio Ghibli films with the highest overall volume and used Google Trends to determine which films were googled most in each state. So perhaps you’re all out there WATCHING Spirited Awayinstead of reading about it. I’m going to assume that to preserve our friendship. In case you’re curious, the top film was Grave of the Fireflies. I assume because Americans would rather read about that film as opposed to having their hearts torn apart by watching it.
What Studio Ghibli film was number one in your state? You can read the list here.
I would like to point out that My Neighbor Totorodidn’t even make the list, which is amazing considering the sheer volume of Totoro merchandise that is available, and frequently selling out. There is this adorable, squishy plush:
Or this cute puzzle:
(These two items are affiliate links to my Entertainment Earth website. By shopping through my store you save 10% on all in stock purchases and support The Magical Buffet!)
I hope this article has inspired you to watch some Studio Ghibli films, or if you’re already a fan, perhaps rewatch a favorite.
You can read the full report from Get Windstream here.
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