Spirited Away is one of Studio Ghibli's most famous films. That's why it comes as no surprise that theories about the movie would spring up. An interesting theory is a possibility of Yubaba's bathhouse actually being a brother. The signage in front of the bathhouse reads "Yu" which means hot water. Seems rather tame? Well, women in prostitution used to conduct their deeds in a bathhouse. Get this, the women in charge of the bathhouse were also called Yubaba. Coincidence? You might find other parts in this movie that fits that narrative.

On the surface, Totoro in My Neighbor Totoro seems like a huge but friendly creature. Although some fans speculate that Totoro is actually a Shinigami or a God of Death. This is because the film's story is akin to a Japanese murder case called The Sayama Incident. Back in 1963, a young girl got kidnapped and the girl's younger sister committed suicide after the former's body was retrieved. Although My Neighbor Totoro ends on a much happier note, people still believed in this theory. There was even a point that Studio Ghibli had to deny the theory saying it wasn't true at all.

In the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke, there is a place known as Irontown. Irontown is considered a safe place for residents after they get sick. Since the villagers are covered in bandages, it is believed that they have Leprosy. Out of all the theories on this list, this one was actually confirmed by Hayao Miyazaki himself. Miyazaki visited a hospital and interacted with Leprosy patients. From there, he drew inspiration for what the Irontown villagers were experiencing.