Anime production is far from easy. Even the most basic animated sequence requires a massive team of people to spend hours drawing, coloring, and working. Because of this, making an animated film is a monumental undertaking, requiring several years of work, loads of money, and a gargantuan number of people. This is especially true for Studio Ghibli films, as the studio goes above and beyond with its projects, pushing the envelope by giving viewers unique stories, beautiful soundtracks, and sumptuous animation. However, as one Studio Ghibli film shows, this effort isn't always rewarded during awards season.

The Wind Rises arrived on screens in 2013. Directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, the film is loosely based on Miyazaki's 2009 manga of the same name. The film is a highly fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, an aeronautical engineer who helped design several of Japan's most well-known warplanes, including the A6M Zero, Mitsubishi J2M Raiden,...