Japanese Trailer for Studio Ghibli's EARWIG AND THE WITCH
This month, Japanese audiences will be able to watch the first CG film from Studio Ghibli, Earwig and the Witch. The film is an adaptation of Dianna Wynne Jones’s book, and North American audiences will be able to join in the fun next year. Well, if you want to get a sneak peek, a trailer for the film is now available over at NHK.
Most orphanages are horrible, but Earwig has a surprising amount of power over everyone at St Morwald’s Home for Children, and loves it there. The last thing she wants is to be adopted by the very strange Bella Yaga, demon-attended Mandrake, and talking black cat Thomas. Earwig wants to learn magic, but will need all her ingenuity and help from a familiar to survive. Expressive big eyes, twisty mouths, on stick figures flesh out the characters, action, and ravens and spiders adorn the margins.
The animation oddly enough looks a little older, but it definitely looks like what would happen if you took a Studio Ghibli film and made it CG. It also felt like it took some inspiration from Coraline. Maybe it’s just the demon/father figure character looking like the Other Father, but man, I do see an influence.
Sadly, the trailer is 100% in Japanese which means I have no idea what the heck is going on in it. I’m definitely excited to watch Earwig and the Witch. The film is directed by Goro Miyazaki.