Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, AND flowers? All in a single film??!

This week we take the leap of life with Isao Takahata and his final masterpiece. It’s an extraordinary work that epitomizes the Studio Ghibli philosophy… and completely shatters all expectations with its singular visual style. So yes, I guess you can say we liked it!

Next week we explore the 2016 Ghibli co-production, THE RED TURTLE. Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features
- Isao Takahata and his Princess Kaguya
- Announcement of the Completion of the Film
Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
Japanese Policy Forum Toshio Suzuki Interview
IndieWire Isao Takahata Interview
Isao Takahata Reveals His Next Film

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wind Rises (2013) Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

[Bane voice]: The wind rises!!

This week we fly with Jiro Hirokoshi and the mysterious Italian man of his dreams! It's Hayao Miyazaki's most personal film to date, featuring some of the most ravishing animation ever committed to film. And believe it or not, it's also the subject of controversy! We'll get into it.

Next week it's the great Isao Takahata's final film, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA (2013). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features
- Ten Years With Hayao Miyazaki
Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
The Art of The Wind Rises
Japanese Policy Forum Toshio Suzuki Interview
Princess Kaguya delayed to the Fall
Another Double Feature
Suzuki Turns Down Ponyo Sequel

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

It’s Goro Day! This week we are going deep on the embattled, tragic, and nonetheless fascinating collaboration between Hayao Miyazaki and his fledging director son. Whatever you think of Goro’s movies, you’ve got to admit… the story of Studio Ghibli is incomplete without him!

But it’s not just the rift between father and son this week. POPPY HILL is an impressive movie in its own right, and we have much to discuss. And it just so happens that fathers and sons also factor heavily into the film. Coincidence?

Next week it’s the penultimate (?) film of Hayao Miyazaki, THE WIND RISES (2013)! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features
- 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki
- Post-Fukushima Earthquake Staff Speech and Press Conference
- Behind the Microphone
- Interview with Goro Miyazaki
Film4 Goro Miyazaki Interview
LA Times Goro Miyazaki Interview
The New York Times Making Of
Reuters Goro Miyazaki Interview

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Finally, a movie about a Pod who casts!

This week we are putting the “mini” in miniseries for the Hiromasa Yonebayashi cottagecore classic that is equal parts HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS and TOY STORY.

And yes, the dad’s name is Pod and he does at one point cast out a fishing line!

Next week it’s Goro Miyazaki’s FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (2011). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features
- Interview with Hayao Miyazaki
- Interview with Hiromasa Yonebayashi
The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty
IGN Hiromasa Yonebayashi Interview

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ponyo (2008) Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

When it comes to Hayao Miyazaki, the ocean is full of mystery and calamity. But one thing is for certain: Ponyo loves ham!

This week is Miyazaki’s late-career “movie for five-year-olds” that somehow combines the terror of complete environmental catastrophe with… the joy of floating around in a candle-powered speedboat. And cool jellyfish!

Topics discussed: delicious-looking tea, delicious-looking ramen, whether or not the mad scientist/wizard Fujimoto represents Miyazaki, the perils of painting backgrounds for Ghibli, prehistoric fish, and Frankie Jonas.

Next week we take a brief detour from the late works of Miyazaki and Takahata to cover Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY (2010). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features
- The Five Geniuses of Ponyo
- Interview with Toshio Suzuki
- Behind the Microphone
- Creating Ponyo
- Ponyo & Fujimoto
- The Nursery
- Scoring Miyazaki
The Art of Ponyo
The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton
Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier
Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Howl may be the worst type of early 2000s emo hunk. But listeners…We! Can! Fix! Him!!!

This week is a real doozy. Dom and Adam are not particularly effusive about Miyazaki’s moody, dark magic sequel to SPIRITED AWAY. It’s bewildering, it’s bizarre, and some moments seem completely incomprehensible. But as an animated film, it’s a spectacle to behold, and we have a lot to celebrate, too. For instance…Calcifer!

Next week, it’s Miyazaki’s child-friendly disaster film, PONYO (2008). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References:

Special Features:
- Behind the Microphone
- The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack
- Interview with Diana Wynne Jones
- Explanation of CG: How to Move Howl's Castle
The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle
Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki
The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton
Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier
Hayao Miyazaki Takes Over Howl
Variety Akihiko Yamashita Interview

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirited Away (2001) with Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether) Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Listeners, it’s time to remember your name.

We’re getting Spirited Away this week to a Studio Ghibli production that is often called the most influential animated film of all time. Joining us to help purify the stink spirits and return the river gods to their kingdom is our old friend Stephen Hilger.

Topics discussed this week: the enduring mystery of No-Face, why the Radish Spirit rules, whether or not SPIRITED AWAY is the TENET of Miyazaki’s filmography, Ghibli’s art style in the digital era, and of course, MARIO ODYSSEY.

Next week, it’s the most Hot Topic of Miyazaki’s oeuvre, the very moody HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

The Art of Miyazaki's Spirited Away
Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert
Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki
The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton
Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier
Spirited Away Making of Documentary
Time Magazine Production History

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) with Nik Long Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

Did Studio Ghibli really make a family sitcom? Kind of! It’s Isao Takahata’s second-to-last film, and we simply couldn’t resist adding it to our series.

Joining us to revel in the brilliance (and surprisingly vindictive behavior) of the man they call Paku-San (aka Mr. Munch) is our dear friend and digital producer, Nik Long!

Topics covered this week: whether or not YAMADAS is more like EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND or MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, the long-standing rivalry of Miyazaki and Takahata and its similarities to the film CHALLENGERS, our nostalgia for discovering movies on television, Takahata’s love of bananas, and so much more!

Next week, at long last, we get SPIRITED AWAY (2001). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features
- The Secrets of My Neighbors the Yamadas
Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Princess Mononoke (1997) Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Before you listen to this episode, please join us in reciting the Ghibli prayer: Oh nameless god of rage and hate, we bow before you!

This week we contend with what is unquestionably one of the greatest films ever made, animation or otherwise. It’s a period epic that encapsulates everything we know and love about Studio Ghibli while also somehow raising the bar even higher. And hey, there’s even a kaiju!

Next week, it’s a last-minute addition to the series: Isao Takahata’s penultimate film, MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS (1999). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's Most Popular Film of All Time
Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy
Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison
Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert
The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton
Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier
The Guardian Hayao Miyazaki Interview
Neil Gaiman on Scripting Princess Mononoke
Cinefantastique Vol 31 No 4 Production History

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Whisper of the Heart (1995) with Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether) Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Country roads, take us home! Of the many, many movies that use the famous John Denver song, who would've expected the DEFINITIVE one to be about about a couple kids in Western Tokyo who fall in love with a really cool cat statue?

This week our old friend Stephen Hilger of the very great Into the Aether podcast is filling in as guest host! Topics explored by Dom and Steve: Zelda games (of course), Les Mis (obviously), doing improv comedy for no one (what?), learning to love yourself as an artist, and for some reason, pro wrestling! What an episode!
Next week we worship at the altar of PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References: