My Top Ten Studio Ghibli Films, and Why You Should Watch Them
Studio Ghibli is the best source for amazing and unique Japanese Animation. I’ve been an avid fan of them for years. Here’s my top ten picks and why they’re worth the watch
I’ve had a love for Studio Ghibli since I was a child, and as I grew up my love for the franchise only grew. I’ve seen almost every film at this point, and not a single one has disappointed me. So, without further ado, here’s my top ten that you should hunt down and watch for yourself.
1. Castle in the Sky
Castle in the sky is my absolute favorite Studio Ghibli film. Laputa, a floating island in the sky, once harbored a society of advanced technology unknown to man. Now abandoned, the powerful city lies in waiting for the next heir to reclaim the throne. Sheeta, the princess to Laputa, must evade captors as she is the owner of the last aetherium crystal, which will light the way to this abandoned island in the sky. This is a movie with a lot of heart and a great adventure.
2. Spirited Away
Spirited Away is everyone’s go-to Studio Ghibli film, it’s their most popular, and for good reason. Chihiro, a young human girl, finds herself adrift in the land of the spirits, working at a bathhouse while she tries to free her parents from the spell that has been put upon them by the bathhouse’s owner. This whacky movie of spirits, humor, and odd characters is enough to pull in every person that comes across it.
3. My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro is the Ghibli classic. Totoro is the mascot of the company, after all. This is the movie I recommend to anyone that is new to the world of Studio Ghibli, it’s a heartfelt tale about Satsuki and Mei, two young girls whose mother is very ill and in the hospital. They’ve just moved to a new place closer to the mother, and this new home is complete with friendly soot sprites, and a forest that houses Totoro, the tree god, who helps them navigate their feelings of these new life changes.
4. Howl’s Moving Castle
Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the longest Ghibli films, but for good reason. It’s based upon the novel by Diane Wynn Jones, and having read the novel as well I think that Miyazaki did a pretty good job in the representation. The film is about Sophie, a girl cursed by a witch to be an old women, who must endure a whimsical and odd adventure with wizard Howl Pendragon and his interesting little crew. It’s a confusing film, but full of magic, humor, and a good romance.
5. Ponyo
Ponyo is probably as cute as Studio Ghibli can get. It’s about Ponyo, a little red fish whose parents are a sea goddess, and an odd sea wizard of sorts. After ending up with a little boy named Sosuke, Ponyo gets to learn about all the amazing things of being on land, and must try to avoid her protective father if she wishes to stay living with Sosuke and his mother. It’s adorable and funny, a good one for the entire family, as well.
6. Nausicaa Valley of the Wind
Nausicaa was studio Ghibli’s first film, and Castle in the Sky is the company’s first feature film. Released in 1984, Nausicaa tells the story of a dystopian world that is full of a toxic jungle as the world falls into a barren wasteland, covered in sand. In this jungle live ohms, giant bugs that will terrorize the people of the valley without proper knowledge. Nausicaa, the valley’s precious princess, is a tamer of the ohms at heart and must embark on a journey to stand up against a rival town as they attempt to burn the jungle to the ground. A great film with an entertaining concept that may be old, but not outdated.
7. When Marnie was There
This has to be the most underrated Ghibli film there is, but one of the best. Anna, a girl with asthma, must move with some relatives in order to stay healthy and get away from a depressive life, but as she’s there she encounters Marnie, who, she soon discovers, isn’t exactly human. She’s a ghost. But something about her seems familiar, and it’ll take some help from newfound friends to figure out just who she was. It’s a really good story with a mysterious plot and twist, I wish more people knew about it.
8. Kiki’s Delivery Service
This was my first Ghibli film, so I may be a bit biased, but it’s a great story. A young witch must fly away from home and make a living for herself, as the witch traditions go. Kiki and her cat Jiji travel to a town close to the ocean and discover that not everyone is as welcoming to witches as she thought. She meets a pregnant woman named Osono who lets Kiki stay with her in return for her help at the bakery, and Kiki soon discovers that her only talent is flying, so she starts her own company delivering things for the people of the town. It’s a really cute film with a lot of heart, you don’t want to miss it.
9. The Cat Returns
Whether you like cats or not, this hilarious film is worth the watch. Haru, a schoolgirl, rescues a cat from getting hit by a car, and it turns out that this is actually Prince Lune, the prince of the cat kingdom! This kingdom of walking and talking cats are so overjoyed about the rescue that they begin sending Haru myriad gifts, like cattails and mice. But the best gift of all? Marrying the prince! They kidnap Haru and take her to the cat kingdom, where she must get help from the Cat Bureau if she wishes to escape before becoming a cat…forever.
10. Princess Mononoke
This is the only Ghibli film that’s rated PG-13, and it’s only because of the grotesque but awesome gore in the fighting scenes. You can see arms get shot off and heads rolling to the floor. Too much for kids, but pretty awesome for everyone else. The animation for this film is incredible. The story is of prince Ashitaka, who is on a quest to cure his blighted arm that he received from angering a spirit. On this journey he meets San, a girl raised by the wolves who is trying to save her forest from the leaders of the horrible towns around them who are trying to destroy it and capture the forest god, a mystical elk-like creature. The plot is odd but fascinating, it’s a film that won’t disappoint.
