Arco Is A Gorgeous Love Letter To Animation And A Must-See For Fans Of Studio Ghibli

Arco is a perfect movie for anyone who enjoys Studio Ghibli. The directorial debut of Ugo Bienvenu, the sci-fi film follows a boy from the distant future who finds himself stuck in a different era. It's a great film that does a lot, touching on subjects like climate change and family drama. It does it all with a gorgeously rendered touch.

It's reminiscent of other animated films, while still operating well on its own as a singular piece of art. Those unique elements are exactly why anyone who loves animation will latch onto them, along with a moving story and great characters. Still, those thematic connections make Arco a great pick for anyone who has ever liked Studio Ghibli.

Arco's Visuals Make It A Creative Descendant Of Studio Ghibli

Arco is a gorgeous film that takes clear inspiration not just from Hayao Miyazaki's aesthetic but also his thematic storytelling. The sci-fi animated film blends subtle social commentary through futuristic worldbuilding with a sweet coming-of-age story, focusing on a boy and a girl from different time periods who form a close bond while trying to return him home.

Visually, the film takes cues from the way Miyazaki's movies use a soft color palette and distinct characterization through expression and movement. There's a naturalistic touch that the filmmakers bring to the worldbuilding, even when it becomes more futuristic, to highlight how society has grown (and remained the same) a few decades from the present day.

This gives the film a sense of charm with its robots and flying cars, but also factors into the more somber realities like extreme storms or the dangers posed by wildfires. The character design, while more influenced by French animation styles than other formats, still retains the kind of personality that gives Miyazaki's films such a distinct personality.

Visually, Arco is taking clear influence from Miyazaki's movies without feeling like a direct copy. It still has its own western influences, which helps separate it from Studio Ghibli's style. However, it's clear from the steady, deliberate approach to the soft colors and character design just how much influence the films of Miyazaki had on the creatives of Arco.

Arco Has The Same Special Core That Makes For A Great Studio Ghibli Film

Even beyond the visual design of the film, the emotional undercurrent and larger themes of Arco share a lot in common with Miyazaki's movies. There's an appreciation of the natural world that gives it a tonal connection to movies like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke, especially in contrast to the artificial mechanical creations.

The distance that exists between the young protagonists and their parents is a theme in several Ghibli films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. There's a solid sense of character-driven comedy in the interactions, like something from Kiki's Delivery Service, even as the real world around them crumbles from realistic dangers like forest fires.

This approach (and the film's sadder moments) replicates the soft colors but somber touches of something like Grave of the Fireflies. Tonally, Arco feels attuned to the type of storytelling that has long defined Miyazaki's movies, with a sense of natural wonder and human emotions. That's not to say Arco feels entirely indebted to the works of the Japanese filmmaker.

There's a clear sense of western-influenced humor, along with plenty of visual markers that are in common with more European approaches to animation. However, Arco's DNA feels undeniably connected to Miyazaki's works. It's one of the things Arco does really well, subtly reflecting the impact of history on new creations.

Just as Arco's family mines the past for new things to grow in the future, Arco takes the style and approach of previous filmmakers and lets it influence their own unique worldbuilding and characters. It's the biggest reasons Ghibli fans need to see Arco on the big screen while they can, besides it just being a fantastic film.