Summary
FromCastle in the SkytoThe Boy and the Heron,Studio Ghiblihas produced mesmerizing and timeless anime for over three decades. At this point, it’s not an exaggeration to say that every anime fan around the world knows about this legendary studio and has at least watched one of its feature films. After all, there are so many great movies within their catalog that everybody will surely find something that they’ll love there.
However, there is one particular project that is rarely mentioned when people talk about Studio Ghibli. This is actually quite surprising considering this particular project is the only full-length TV series produced by this iconic studio. The name of this masterpiece that you have probably never heard of before isRonja, The Robber’s Daughter.Here’s all you need to know about it.
Episodes
26
Deep within a lush mountain range, there’s a dirt road that passes through a dense forest. Everybody who wants to go to the other side of the mountain has to go along that road. Since it took quite some time to cross that road, people often traveled with a wagon or a carriage full of their valuable belongings. As such, this unnamed road is the perfect hunting ground for two particular groups of bandits and robbers. The Mattis and The Borkas.
One day, the chief of the Mattis Robbers is blessed with a daughter. He named her Ronja. The group joyfully welcomes the new member of their family and happily plays and watches over little Ronja every day. As she grows older,Ronja becomes a playful and energetic girlwho is filled with a deep sense of curiosity. She loves exploring the forest around their hideout and making friends with the wild animals that live there. But there is a problem. Ronja doesn’t know that her beloved family is actually a well-known robber.
And then things begin to get even more complicated when the Mattis find out that the Borkas have secretly moved into the abandoned castle beside them, practically making these two rival clans neighbors. Not knowing the truth about both families,Ronja becomes friendswith the son of the Chief of the Borkas Bandit. So begin their wholesome, inspiring, and gripping coming-of-age story.
A Wholesome, Inspiring, and Gripping Coming-of-Age Story
Although the story is told in 26 episodes, something that Studio Ghibli has never done before,Ronja, The Robber’s Daughtercontains every story element that makes a Ghibli’s feature movie so great.
It is a coming-of-age tale featuring a curious and industrious protagonist who never backs down in the face of adversity, just likeSpirited Away, Princess Mononoke,andNausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.The story takes place in a fantastical worldfull of strange and wondrous animals like the talking harpies or the moody Rumphobs. There are also numerous valuable life lessons to be taken from this wholesome and inspiring story.
And just like any other iconic Ghibli film, there are thrilling conflicts and gripping moments that connect all of those story elements and push the narrative forward, which in turn creates an enjoyable and memorable viewing experience. This series may not have intense physical conflicts like the ones inPrincess MononokeorNausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,but there are certainly plenty of moral conflicts happening in the mind and the heart of Ronja and the rest of the cast that will end up challenging our notion of what it means to be good and bad.
From the Mind of Astrid Lindgren and the Lens of Goro Miyazaki
Ronja, The Robber’s Daughterisan adaptation of a novel of the same name,written by a Swedish author named Astrid Lindgren. The original novel was first published back in 1981 and has actually been adapted into films, musicals, stage plays, and a TV series before it was eventually adapted into an anime series by Studio Ghibli. Astrid Lindgren herself was an author who was well-known for her beloved children’s stories, such as thePippi Longstockingseries,The Six Bullerby Children,andThe Brothers Lionheart,just to name a few.
As for the one who is responsible for the anime version ofRonja, The Robber’s Daughter,well, it is none other than Goro Miyazaki, the son of the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. Goro Miyazaki has directed quite a few feature films for Studio Ghibli before he took on this series, such asTales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill,and most recently,theEarwig and the Witch.
Ronja, The Robber’s Daughtermay not be as iconic as some of the masterpieces within Studio Ghibli’s vast catalog, but it has certainly proven to be as entertaining and as memorable as those beloved movies. It manages to bring something new to the table, especially in terms of storytelling format and animation style, while still true to the roots of what makes Ghibli’s stories so dear to our hearts in the first place. And that is more than enough reason for us to sincerely recommend this series to you.
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