When I heard that Ghibli films were coming to Netflix this February, let me tell you, I was beyond excited. Studio Ghibli movies rule my heart (Spirited Away never fails to make me cry no matter how many times I watch it), plus I already have a Netflix subscription.
And then it turns out that the 21 films will not be coming to the US, Canada or Japan, according to CNN. I’m sure much of the Internet can agree when I say that these news really hurt.
But do not despair, fellow Ghibli fans! There is still hope.
You can stream the movies starting this May when Warner Media’s streaming service, called HBO Max, will launch. The streaming rights for all Ghibli films were actually obtained by HBO Max last October, according to the New York Times.
HBO Max will cost $15 a month, which is pricier than other services like Netflix, Hulu and the newer Disney+. But you could convince yourself that this expense is justified by considering all the unique content it will bring (it will have all episodes of Friends which are no longer on Netflix, TV comedy classics like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Big Bang Theory, plus HBO originals like Veep). If you’re an AT&T customer who already has an HBO subscription or has some newer unlimited plans, HBO Max will be free for you.
If you don’t want to bother with all these streaming subscriptions, there is also the option to just buy the film you want somewhere online. Platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube and Google Play Store offer Japanese and English versions of nearly the whole Studio Ghibli collection, according to The Verge. So don’t worry y’all, Netflix can’t give us our Ghibli fix but there are still some other ways to enjoy these movies online!