The Simpsons Scrapped Plans for a Spirited Away Episode

When it comes to The Simpsons, it seems nothing is off limits. For decades now, the animated sitcom has thrived with fans, and it has touched upon every part of pop culture. From news to sports and even politics, The Simpsons is all about variety, but it seems the show drew a line at plans for a Studio Ghibli episode.

Recently, The Simpsons showrunner Matt Salmen opened up about the scrapped pitch. The exec told Cartoon Base that The Simpsons planned to include a parody of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away in one of its Halloween episodes. But in the end, the pitch was axed.

Still, The Simpsons did go on to homage Studio Ghibli down the line. “However, we were able to take another approach at our love letter to Miyazaki a few years with, “Married to the Blob”,” Selman shared. The episode in question went live in season 25, and it gave Homer a taste of what filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is best at.

Of course, The Simpsons backed off from the Studio Ghibli homage, but anime is no stranger to the series. Over the years, the animated series has paid tribute to tons of anime titles, and they reach far beyond Studio Ghibli. From Astro Boy to Naruto and One Piece, The Simpsons has done a number of homages and even posted an anime-centric opening long ago. Most recently, The Simpsons channeled Death Note with one of its Treehouse of Horrors specials. So maybe, the show will give us more Studio Ghibli nods down the line.

What do you think about this confession? Should The Simpsons have gone forward with the plan? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!