The days are getting shorter, the cold is setting in, and the prospect of a Sunday under a blanket (re)watching Hayao Miyazaki’s classics has never seemed so tempting. Good news: this desire to cocooning now has the backing of science, as reported in an article in Fast Company. This winter, immerse yourself in the filmography of the Japanese master, it’s good for you.
Published in August in the journal JMIR Serious Games, which explores the links between video games, education and health, the new study looked at how the brain reacts to films from the animation studio founded by the famous director of Spirited Away (2001), Hayao Miyazaki, and his colleague Isao Takahata. The researchers also observed the effects produced by a session of the game Breath of the Wildthe nineteenth opus of the saga The Legend of Zelda.
Their method? A survey carried out on a sample of 500 students divided into four groups – gamers, those who binge-watch the gems of Studio Ghibli, multitaskers (which combine the two) and a control group who did… nothing. The researchers then measured feelings of calm, usefulness and happiness using a questionnaire.
Verdict: those who played Breath of the Wild say “very happy“. Peacefully roaming the kingdom of Hyrule, stopping by a pond or preparing a meal under the stars would create “a relaxing form of escape” for the players. A way of “refresh yourself mentally”far from daily stress.
A shot of happiness
The spectators of My Neighbor Totoro (1988) are not left out. Studio Ghibli films are said to have the ability to trigger a shot of happiness. In question, their capacity, perhaps unique, to arouse nostalgia by sublimating simple everyday gestures like “play in the countryside or share a meal with the family»specifies the study. “By transforming ordinary moments into something magical, Miyazaki’s works awaken a universal desire for childlike innocence and wonder.”
This isn’t the first time research has highlighted the mental health benefits of entertainment. A study published in Nature Human Behavior in 2024 already showed that owning a console – provided you play it reasonably – promotes mental well-being. Open world games offer a particularly effective cognitive escape for relaxation.
If you don’t have any plans for this weekend yet, a marathon of Hayao Miyazaki’s timeless hits can be a great plan. With, in addition, a beneficial effect for your mental health!
