Study finds Studio Ghibli films, ‘Zelda’ games can boost happiness and calm

A new study published in JMIR Serious Games in August has found that watching Studio Ghibli films or playing “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” can measurably improve happiness in young adults. Conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, Kyushu Sangyo University, and Georgia State University, the study tested more than 500 postgraduate students through film, gameplay and combined activities.

Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” is known for its calming visuals and emotional storytelling. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” Nintendo’s open-world adventure game, emphasizes freedom and exploration over competition. The research found that playing “Breath of the Wild” alone raised average happiness scores from 3.17 to 4.56 on a seven-point scale, while adding Studio Ghibli clips increased that figure to 5.45. Statistical analysis showed that these gains were partly explained by participants’ stronger sense of calm, mastery and meaning.

Lead author Andreas B. Eisingerich said that combining exploration and emotional storytelling “can actively nurture essential human capacities — exploration, tranquility, purpose-finding, and happiness.” The authors noted that the results reflect short-term effects observed in a lab environment and called for further research to test long-term outcomes across age and cultural groups. Still, the findings suggest that such accessible media may offer simple, low-cost ways to enhance emotional well-being.