One of the most well-known and well-loved animation companies in the world is Japan’s Studio Ghibli. Founded in 1985byHayao Miyazaki,Isao Takahata, andToshio Suzukifrom the ruins of Topcraft Entertainment, their films have become some of the most well-known and financially successful animated movies from Japan, especially after Disney acquired the rights to make English dubs. Two of their movies,Spirited AwayandThe Boy and the Heron, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Ghibli films are beloved for more than their impeccable animation: they also possess beautiful scores, memorable characters who go through impactful struggles, and powerful themes about self-discovery and environmentalism that are not afraid to get dark in places. As such, audiences are always happy to return to their favorite Ghibli film.
10’The Cat Returns' (2002)
Directed by Hiroyuki Morita
While walking home from school, Haru Yoshioka (Chizuru Ikewaki/Anne Hathaway) saves a cat from being hit by a truck, who turns out to be the prince of the kingdom of cats. In gratitude for her actions, the Cat King (Tetsurō Tanba/Tim Curry) showers her with cat-themed gifts before taking her to the kingdom, so she can marry Lune. To avoid this, Haru seeks out the Cat Bureau and meets its three members: the cynical fat cat Muta (Tetsu Watanabe/Peter Boyle), the animated raven Tot (Yōsuke Saitō/Elliott Gould), and a living cat statue named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (Yoshihiko Hakamada/Cary Elwes).
The Cat Returnsis an unofficial sequel to 1995’sWhisper of the Heart,and while it doesn’t reach the same emotional heights as that film, it’s awonderfuly underrated filmthat’s worth many a re-watch. It plays out like a fairy tale, with lots of whimsy and humor between exciting action scenes, all of which give the characters chances to shine. The Baron and the Cat King are the two standouts, especially in the English dub, where Elwes' suave voice and Curry’s impeccable talent for playing lovable villains make both characters a delight to see in action.
The Cat Returnscan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch on Netflix
9’Ponyo' (2008)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
While out with her father, the wizard Fujimoto (George Tokoro/Liam Neeson), Brunhilde (Yuuri Nara/Noah Cyrus) gets stuck in a glass jar and taken home by a young human boy named Sōsuke (Hiroki Doi/Frankie Jonas), who names her Ponyo. Fujimoto eventually gets her back, but by that time, Ponyo had eaten human food and tasted human blood, allowing her to begin changing into a human. With help from her sisters, Ponyo returns to Sōsuke, but in the process unleashes a wave of magic into the ocean that threatens to throw the world out of balance.
Ponyois another one of Ghibli’s lower-stakes films, and while not the best from Miyazaki’s catalog, it’sa beautiful fairytalethat is accessible to all ages. Like many of Miyazaki’s works, it emphasizes the importance of respecting the environment, which has become even more relevant in today’s world since the film was first released. Ponyo and Sōsuke’s stories also emphasize the importance of friendship and connections, especially in trying to build a better world.
Ponyocan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
8’Kiki’s Delivery Service' (1989)
With her flying broom and her cat familiar, Jiji (Rei Sakuma/Phil Hartman), a young witch named Kiki (Minami Takayama/Kirsten Dunst) leaves home for the town of Koriko. She is taken in by a married couple who operate a bakery, and Kiki decides to use her broom to operate a delivery service. This brings her into contact with a young aviation enthusiast called Tombo (Kappei Yamaguchi/Matthew Lawrence), and the two develop a friendship.
The first of Studio Ghibli’s movies to be dubbed by Disney,Kiki’s Delivery Serviceremains a beloved classic thanks to its themes about growing up. Kiki’s journey mirrors the natural steps of progressing from child to adult, from departing from home to finding work and even having moments of self-doubt that force Kiki to find a new purpose and drive. Coupled with how the filmdoesn’t overplay her magical abilities, it gives the story a very down-to-Earth and timeless feel, allowing audiences to be sucked into the world and characters as they find parallels between their own hardships and Kiki’s.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Kiki’s Delivery Servicecan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
7’Porco Rosso' (1992)
In post-World War I Fascist Italy, bounty hunter Marco Pagot (Shūichirō Moriyama/Michael Keaton) is cursed with a pig’s head and goes by the name Porco Rosso. He makes a living combating pirates, but after they recruit the help of American ace pilot, Donald Curtis (Akio Ōtsuka/Cary Elwes), Porco is shot down and needs his plane repaired. This brings him into contact with Fio (Akemi Okamura/Kimberly Williams-Paisley), the granddaughter of his old mechanic, who teams up with Porco to deal with Curtis in a duel.
Porco Rossois another Ghibli film where a light supernatural element is applied to a grounded world but explores more complex themes befitting its period. A lot of time is dedicated to Porco’s character and howhe suffers from survivor’s guilt,which makes his curse feel more like a reflection of how Porco views himself. Beyond that, the film boasts some of the most impressive flying scenes in Studio Ghibli’s repertoire and captures the look and feel of wartime adventure films.
Porco Rossocan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
6’Howl’s Moving Castle' (2004)
While going to meet her sister, Sophie (Chieko Baisho/Emily MortimerandJean Simmons) has a run-in with a mysterious wizard named Howl (Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale). This gets her the ire of the Witch of the Wastes (Akihiro Miwa/Lauren Bacall), whoseeks Howl’s heart, so she curses Sophie with the body of an old woman. To cure herself, Sophie finds Howl’s mobile home and signs on as a maid, where she meets Howls' apprentice, Markl (Ryūnosuke Kamiki/Josh Hutcherson), and Calcifer (Tatsuya Gashūin/Billy Crystal), the fire demon who keeps the castle moving.
While makingHowl’s Moving Castle,Miyazaki was influenced by America’s invasion of Iraq, resulting in the movie’s many poignant themes. A war brews in the background of Sophie’s story, and as Howl tries to fight both sides to end the war, he risks becoming a monster, forcing Sophie to seek another path to resolve the conflict. Sophie’s curse is also one of the film’s most impressive qualities: she shifts between old and young based on her self-image, allowing the curse to represent her growth.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Howl’s Moving Castlecan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
5’My Neighbor Totoro' (1998)
While their mother recovers from an illness, sisters Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka/Dakota Fanning), Mei (Chika Sakamoto/Elle Fanning), and their father, Tatsuo (Shigesato Itoi/Tim Daly), move into a house that’s closer to the hospital. While there, the girls notice that the house, and the surrounding woods, are inhabited by numerous friendly spirits. One of them is a huge, cat-like one called Totoro (Hitoshi Takagi/Frank Welker), who forms a particular friendship with Mei.
My Neighbor Totorobecame one of Studio Ghibli’s earliest films to receive global recognition, and Totoro himself is the company’s mascot. The film remains beloved because of how simplistic the story is: there’s no villain or world-ending threat, with most of the film focused on the relationship between the sisters and the spirits. This gives the film a beautiful feeling ofchild-like innocenceand beauty, capturing what it’s like to explore new places and get lost in nature.
My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totorocan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
4’Castle in the Sky' (1986)
When her ship is attacked by sky pirates, a young girl named Sheeta (Keiko Yokozawa/Anna Paquin) falls from the sky, but is saved by the magic in her crystal amulet. She meets a young boy named Pazu (Mayumi Tanaka/James Van Der Beek), who has been trying to prove the existence of the mythical flying city of Laputa after his father photographed it. When the sky pirates and a mysterious man named Muska (Minori Terada/Mark Hamill) come looking for Sheeta, Pazu helps her escape, and the two are caught up with uncovering the mystery of Laputa and why so many factions are after it.
Castle in the Skyis a gorgeous movie, and as thefirst film Ghibli released, it is full of familiar tropes and character archetypes that would become staples in future movies. The visuals of the film are beyond iconic, especially the scenes of nature and technology living in harmony, and have influenced the steampunk genre for years to come. As for the characters, they’re all lovable, charming, and a treat to watch, especially the family of dedicated yet ineffective sky pirates.
Castle in the Sky
Castle in the Skycan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
3’The Boy and the Heron' (2023)
During the closing years of World War II, a boy named Mahito (Soma Santoki/Luca Padovan) loses his mother in a hospital fire, and then moves into the home of his aunt, Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura/Gemma Chan), after his father marries her. He remains emotionally distant from everyone, but finds himself drawn to a magical Grey Heron (Masaki Suda/Robert Pattinson), who claims that Mahito’s presence at a crumbling tower has been required. When a pregnant Natsuko vanishes, Mahito follows the heron into an oceanic world created by a mysterious wizard (Shōhei Hino/Mark Hamill).
The Boy and the Heronis the most recent film by Miyazaki, but the amount of details and deep themes present mean that audiences will need to see it several times to get them all. Some of these themes include processing grief, the importance of family, and the power of creation. It also stresses the importance of life, no matter how brief it is, because of the wonderful connections and creations that can be made, to say nothing of how they can influence others.
The Boy and the Heron
The Boy and the Heroncan be streamed on Apple TV in the U.S.
Watch on AppleTV
2’Princess Mononoke' (1997)
In Muromachi-era Japan, Prince Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda/Billy Crudup) of the Emishi is cursed by a demon when it rampages through his village. The curse grants him enhanced strength, but will slowly kill him, so Ashitaka travels westward to find a possible cure and to see the world with eyes unclouded by hate. This takes him to the community of Iron Town, where the settlers are batting with aggressive warlords and the animal gods of the forest.
Princess Mononokeis the best of Ghibli’s many environmentally conscious films thanks to its strong storytelling, gorgeous animation,and memorable characters.Unlike most other environmental films,Mononokedoesn’t outright say that one side is better than the other, instead showing the positive and negative traits of the natural world and progress. It also stresses the importance of the dangers of hate and pride, and how giving into these strong emotions often causes more harm than good.
Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononokecan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
1’Spirited Away' (2002)
While moving to their new home, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi/Daveigh Chase) and her parents find an abandoned amusement park that leads into the spirit world. Chihiro finds herself trapped when the way out floods, and her parents transform into pigs after eating spirit food. She ends up befriending a young boy named Haku (Miyu Irino/Jason Marsden), who tells her that her only chance to survive is to work for Yubaba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette), the witch who operates the local bathhouse, until she can find a way to escape.
Spirited Awayis the pinnacle of Miyazaki’s storytelling genius and Studio Ghibli’s gorgeous animation. Every scene is crammed with vivid designs, ranging from the grotesque and exaggerated to the simple and pleasant. Yet its best moments come from its quiet and softer moments, where the characters have a chance to reflect on their situation and the audience can get immersed in the beautiful landscapes and poignant themes of identity, greed, andthe difficulty of growing up.
