Despite its seven-minute runtime, On Your Mark is a landmark in Ghibli history:
: 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 .
: The short explores classic Miyazaki motifs—flight, environmental decay, and the corruption of authority—without using a single line of spoken dialogue. On Your Mark (Dub)
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"
: Chage and Aska re-recorded the song with English lyrics that some viewers feel align more closely with the specific visual imagery of the "angel" and her escape. Official Ghibli home media releases, such as the Ghibli ga Ippai Special Short Short , often include both the Japanese and English audio tracks. Significance and Style Despite its seven-minute runtime, On Your Mark is
The short was originally choreographed to the Japanese song "On Your Mark," but the duo later released an English version titled .