"Spirited Away" and other Studio Ghibli films coming to Netflix outside of US
photo: Studio Ghibli

If you've seen excited Studio Ghibli fans tweeting away that all 21 films are coming to Netflix on February 1, prepare to be disappointed. 

While all 21 films are coming to Netflix, they're debuting outside of the US, Japan, and Canada. So most people with subscriptions in Australian and European countries, you're in luck! Sadly, because HBO has already nabbed the rights to the Studio Ghibli films, they won't be coming to Netflix in the US anytime soon. Dang streaming wars! 

Don't worry though, there's plenty of other new content coming to Netflix in February that is totally worth watching, even if it's not Kiki's Delivery Service. 

On February 1, Netflix users outside the US can expect 21 Studio Ghibli films to debut. 

Congratulations to all Netflix subscribers outside the US, Canada, and Japan, because all of the Studio Ghibli films are about to be at your disposal. The incredibly moving and artistically captivating animated features have a huge fanbase around the world. Now even more people will get to enjoy them. 

But the news from Netflix was such a tease! 

Fans were immediately thrilled and then disappointed after learning that the movies wouldn't be in their Netflix arsenal.

One fan tweeted a meme that summed it up perfectly. "Netflix: We're adding several Studio Ghibli films to our service ... Everyone: YAY! ... Netflix: You can't view them in the U.S., Canada, or Japan ..." 

Fans are definitely disappointed and the memes are flying. 

Of course, someone found a Baby Yoda meme that accurately depicted our emotions after discovering that Studio Ghibli films won't be available for users in the US, Canada, or Japan. If you want to catch the films, you may have to get an HBO Max subscription. 

HBO has the rights to the Studio Ghibli films, so I guess I'll be doling out my money for an HBO Max subscription. 

As if it wasn't enough to have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and even more streaming services, now we're gonna need HBO Max. 

Studio Ghibli only recently started releasing its films in a digital format. Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki said in a press release, "In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences. We've listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience."

So I guess the only way we can enjoy these movies now is through old DVDs, occasional movie screenings, or an HBO Max subscription. 

Studio Ghibli films sometimes come back through random movie theater screenings. Or you can dig through your old collection of DVDs to watch these classic films. Don't bet on Netflix bringing these films to you, unless you're in places like the UK, Ireland, or New Zealand.