The work of Hayao Miyazaki returns to Spanish screens this Friday, May 15, courtesy of Vértigo Films. The re-release coincides with the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Studio Ghibli. The film, with its timeless narrative and visual display, remains a benchmark of animated cinema that connects with multiple generations.
The animation behind the floating island of Laputa 🎬
The 1986 production marked a technical milestone by combining traditional animation with detailed pencil and watercolor backgrounds. Miyazaki personally supervised the storyboards to choreograph the flight and action sequences. The design of the floating city required references from Welsh and European architecture, while the use of Joe Hisaishi's music reinforced the epic atmosphere. The film was one of the first Ghibli titles to use digital compositing processes for certain light effects.
40 years and the flying stone still comes without an instruction manual 😅
Watching Pazu and Sheeta run through the air with a blue stone that levitates ruins reminds us that, in the real world, we can't even keep a drone stable on a windy day. Meanwhile, the Dola pirates show that, with good aerial logistics, even a heist can be a family plan. That said, no one explains how they loaded so much coal onto the airship without it sinking upon takeoff.