Leonardo DiCaprio “introduced” Martin Scorsese to two anime masterpieces

Martin Scorsese may be one of the greatest directors of all time, but Leonardo DiCaprio was the first to introduce him to two anime masterpieces.

When it comes to directors on Martin Scorsese‘s level, it’s easy to think that they know absolutely everything there is to know about movies – although this is often not the case.

Having most recently made films including The Wolf of Wall Street and Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese’s fame has taken him out of the director’s chair and in front of the camera, namely in viral interviews and TikTok skits.

However, longtime collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio has unearthed a dent in Martin Scorsese’s armor by introducing him to two beloved anime masterpieces.

Leonardo DiCaprio “introduced” Martin Scorsese to Studio Ghibli

According to an article from cinematic social media platform Letterboxd, Leonardo DiCaprio introduced Martin Scorsese to the wonderful world of Studio Ghibli.

The article goes on to explain that Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away were Scorsese’s introduction to Hayao Miyazaki’s films, with the Japanese anime titan being considered the “blindspot” in his knowledge.

“I was asked what films I introduced to you, but considering you’ve seen every film ever made up until 1980, it’s pretty hard to say,” Leonardo DiCaprio is heard saying in the video interview. “Other than maybe Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke.”

“It was Spirited Away that you told me to watch,” Scorsese added in response.

For both Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese fans, the anime revelation has sparked plenty of discussion across social media.

“I see why. Spirited Away is one of the best animated movies of all times if not the best,” one fan posted on X/Twitter in response to the news. “The fact that Leonardo DiCaprio watches anime is honestly pretty cool,” added another.

“A charming, somewhat funny little factoid is that DiCaprio’s whole interest in Climate Change and Environmentalism was sparked by seeing Princess Mononoke on a lark in the late 90s lol,” a third fan mused.

Other fans think the fledgling relationship between Scorsese and anime is something that needs to be explored further.

“Francesca Scorsese, I come to you humbly asking for you to commit your father’s feelings on Spirited Away to video. Please,” one fan stated.

“Ok now Martin should direct an animated movie,” added another.

Princess Mononoke was first released in 1997, with Spirited Away following in 2001. The latter Studio Ghibli release won the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture and remains the only hand-drawn movie to do so.