The Complete Catalog

Tristan Ettleman
  • 5.0 (3)
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The Complete Catalog is a podcast for media deep dives. For its first season, host Tristan Ettleman and his guests explore the films of Studio Ghibli across 30 episodes.

  1. 6D AGO

    Tales from Earthsea w/ Dave Lewis (Studio Ghibli, Episode 21)

    Goro Miyazaki’s debut feature, 2006’s Tales from Earthsea, was bound to be compared to his father’s work. Unfortunately, within the scope of the complete Studio Ghibli catalog, this is done so unfavorably. But as Tristan and David Lewis, host of the Cinemallenials podcast, discuss, there are plenty of things to like about the fantasy film.

    1h 13m

  2. JAN 30

    Howl's Moving Castle w/ Brendon Bouphachay (Studio Ghibli, Episode 20)

    Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle is yet another example of the director’s, and Studio Ghibli’s, massive hits with ongoing cultural impact. So Tristan and Brendon Bouphachay (@theboopbear on TikTok) fittingly explore the movie from many angles, reflecting on its incredible nuance and sheer entertainment value.

    2h 14m

  3. JAN 23

    The Cat Returns w/ Mihaela Mihailova (Studio Ghibli, Episode 19)

    The Cat Returns is Studio Ghibli’s only feature sequel, although as Tristan and Mihaela Mihailova, Assistant Professor at San Francisco State University, discuss, its connection to 1995’s Whisper of the Heart isn’t its defining feature. But Hiroyuki Morita’s 2002 follow-up can’t help living in the shadow of the monumental Ghibli films that surround it and the two acknowledge this while evaluating its more lackluster moments.

    1h 30m

  4. JAN 16

    Spirited Away w/ Shiro Yoshioka (Studio Ghibli, Episode 18)

    Well, here we are: Tristan’s favorite Studio Ghibli film. Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 masterpiece Spirited Away broke the studio into unprecedented international fame and repute, and Tristan and Shiro Yoshioka, Lecturer at Newcastle University, go long on its richness and impact.

    1h 49m

  5. JAN 9

    My Neighbors the Yamadas w/ Zoe Crombie (Studio Ghibli, Episode 17)

    Isao Takahata’s penultimate feature My Neighbors the Yamadas features “rude” family comedy akin to his early career work, such as Chie the Brat. Tristan and Zoe Crombie, researcher and lecturer at Lancaster University, discuss how Studio Ghibli’s 1999 film, while sometimes seen as “just” a series of vignettes, is an incredibly refined commentary on modern life and family dysfunction (and indeed, is quite funny).

    1h 10m

  6. JAN 2

    Princess Mononoke w/ Malcolm Cook (Studio Ghibli, Episode 16)

    Malcolm Cook, Associate Professor of Film at the University of Southampton, is co-editor, with Kirsten Moana Thompson, of Animation and Advertising, and that particular research interest informs the prologue segment of this episode about Studio Ghibli’s commercial work. But Malcolm and Tristan of course certainly dedicate a lot of conversation to Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 pop culture behemoth Princess Mononoke, Ghibli’s most violent film and, as is becoming a common refrain this season, one that doesn’t have any easy answers about how to face environmental destruction.

    1h 33m

  7. 12/26/2025

    Whisper of the Heart w/ Madeleine Clermont (Studio Ghibli, Episode 15)

    Esteem for Yoshifumi Kondo’s Whisper of the Heart has grown among Studio Ghibli fans in the 30 years since its release in 1995. Tristan and friend of the show Madeleine Clermont discuss why it deserves its dark horse “favorite” status due to, among many other things, its wonderfully understated yet emotional depiction of the creative process.

    1h 9m

  8. 12/19/2025

    Pom Poko w/ J.J. DiUbaldi (Studio Ghibli, Episode 14)

    Isao Takahata’s 1994 eco-fable Pom Poko is simultaneously full of silly humor and morbid reflections on the fate of creatures affected by humanity’s destruction of the environment. As friend of the show J.J. DiUbaldi and Tristan discuss, however, the film doesn’t take the easy way out in its conclusion of these themes and its collective cast of tanuki represent utter joy and deep loss.

    1h 16m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Complete Catalog is a podcast for media deep dives. For its first season, host Tristan Ettleman and his guests explore the films of Studio Ghibli across 30 episodes.

Information

  • Creator
    Tristan Ettleman
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Tristan Ettleman
  • Show Website
    The Complete Catalog