15 Things Only Studio Ghibli Fans Will Understand

13. All Old Women Look The Same

Yes, Yubaba and Zeniba are twins, right down to the clothes that they wear for some reason, but there seem to be some strange similarities between the other older ladies in the Ghibli universe. Whether this was intentional or not is unknown, but characters such as Sophie from Howl€™s Moving Castle (in her older form of course) bare a striking resemblance to Barsa from Kiki€™s delivery service. The same could be said for Yubaba, Sophie and Dola from Castle in the Sky, who all feature a similarly large nose and wide, expressive eyes. It could also be argued that Obaba from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is also similar to Yubaba in name and appearance as well. It seems as though the Studio has an archetype for older women that fits the bill for what they are trying to achieve with the character, these older ladies are always just as feisty and strong willed as their younger counterparts, but just that bit more cantankerous.
Contributor
Contributor

TV and Film fanatic with too much time on her hands and a penchant for fast food and handsome men, not necessarily in that order. Self proclaimed 'funny one' among family and friends.