The statuses-from practically a personality-was fed into them, really, how should some news fit into all that? Just out from JMIR Serious Games and basically confirming a notion which gamers and anime-lovers have known for all these years-That watching a Studio Ghibli film is soothing to one’s mental health. I mean, they’ve gone scientific now.
This August 2025-study surveyed more than 200 participants and found that people who watch such iconic movies reported increased feelings of calm, happiness, and well-being. There was another way of putting it-those viewing the movies averaged 4.56 on the scales of happiness as compared to 3.17 for those who had not considered any viewers of these movies. The magnitude of this kind of difference speaks very much about it, though-It also supplies a feeling of exploration, mastery, and purpose. Anyone who has danced with limitless possibilities in Spirited Away or frankly felt all warm and comfy inside My Neighbor Totoro is going to understand.
Internet isolation? Nobody is shocked! siriFCB said, “Not shocked at all. A Ghibli movie is basically therapy wrapped in animation and music,” and that was a pretty fair statement. JamJam stated that they watch Ghibli whenever they feel “out of touch with reality”-it’s like a real illustration: a blanket for the soul.
But wait, there’s more-Some folk have already seized on the study as a green light to binge. DeltaAlpha2x confesses, “Okayy time to go binge watch.” Well, same for me. Richie (Savagerichie_) jumped in to endorse Ponyo and Howl’s Moving Castle as “PEAK FILMS!” Heart emojis included. So great seeing this kind of bonding happening in the comments.
Of course, not all buying into it. Clara Winslow called it a “garbage marketing plot,” and okay, I guess a little skepticism is healthy. And then we have Jhonny White69 suggesting, “Study made by who,” which is fair- you should always question sources. But the study is legit, published in a serious journal, so it is not just some random tweet.
What’s really interesting is how this study starts intersecting with gaming culture at the same time. Think on it for a little bit, and all ready, a great chunk of the gamer population has a taste for immersive stories and gorgeous worlds-all of which Ghibli meets. Sitting down to appreciate the sights of Princess Mononoke is as satisfying as slaying a big boss in an RPG, really. And honestly, after raging in ranked or going through soul-draining hours of grinding, sometimes, all you want to do is just chill out.
The study had limitations, though-self-reporting, small sample size. So this is not hors de combat, but it’s a great beginning. Some juicy debates could be derived surrounding the concept of how, in some way, media could very well be one of those things that positively affect mental health. At the very least, this might stir some thinking about how developers approach storytelling and ambiance in the same way that Ghibli does.
And the comments gave way to some interesting feedback. debayo_xx commented: “psychiatrist: ‘take one spirited away and call me in the morning’.” I tell you, if this sees daylight, count me in! Meanwhile, tmsvibe mused, “Therapy is too expensive, but Ghibli films will fix your mental health? Modern life is wild.” Too real.
For anyone looking for a place to watch, Cliffinkent asked if any are on Netflix-while it’s mostly on regional availability, a number of the Ghibli films now and then pop up on various services, so keep an eye open, or hey, get the Blu-ray-well worth it.
But anyway, the main good takeaway is that sometimes just a good night of good film is the medicine. For that hardcore gamer, struggling to get through the day, and for that other person, just looking for anything to create a positive moment, Studio Ghibli has got their back. Now it has science backing it up! So, when you feel miserable next time, perhaps forget the stress pill; throwing on Spirited Away could do more for you.
