Despite its seven-minute runtime, On Your Mark is a landmark in Ghibli history:
Directed by , On Your Mark was created as a diversion while he faced writer's block during the production of Princess Mononoke . The short is set in a post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk future where humanity has moved underground due to a radiation-polluted surface. It follows two policemen who discover a winged girl during a raid on a cult headquarters and subsequently risk everything to rescue her from a government laboratory. "On Your Mark" vs. "Castles in the Air" On Your Mark (Dub)
: The short explores classic Miyazaki motifs—flight, environmental decay, and the corruption of authority—without using a single line of spoken dialogue. Despite its seven-minute runtime, On Your Mark is
: The two protagonists are modeled after Chage and Aska themselves, while the winged girl is often compared to the titular character of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind . "On Your Mark" vs
: It was the first Miyazaki project to utilize computer-generated imagery (CGI) to supplement traditional hand-drawn cells, techniques that were later refined for Princess Mononoke .
: The Japanese track provides a driving, rhythmic backdrop to a non-linear narrative that repeats scenes with different outcomes, emphasizing the themes of hope and perseverance.
The "Dub" of On Your Mark transforms the short into a cross-cultural experience, proving that its core message of liberation remains potent regardless of the language in which its central theme song is sung. ジブリ実験劇場 On Your Mark - Chage & Aska (1995)