The Essential Studio Ghibli Movies Every Anime Fan Should See
No film studio has a level of association with the anime genre more than Studio Ghibli. Since the company's formation nearly 40 years ago, the studio has released some of the highest-quality anime films ever made, winning critical attention for its beautifully designed artwork and unique premises that explore real-world issues and concerns, such as environmentalism, feminism, technology, family, and pacifism.
Over the last four decades, Studio Ghibli has managed to deliver some of the highest-praised, most entertaining animated films in recent memory, winning top prizes from numerous countries across the world and establishing a far-reaching community of die-hard fans.
With autumn well underway—a time to admire nature and the bright colors of the harvest one final time before winter—we thought we'd take a look back at some of Studio Ghibli movies that every lover of anime should see at least once in their lifetime.
Princess Mononoke
Studio Ghibli's films—especially those of its cofounder and most popular director, Hayao Miyazaki—have long delivered a fierce message advocating for environmentalism, with no single movie better illustrating this theme than Miyazaki's 1997 film, Princess Mononoke.
Set in a fictionalized version of Japan's Muromachi period (roughly 1336 to 1573), Princess Mononoke follows a young prince cursed by a vengeful forest creature, which will eventually kill him if left untreated for too long. Looking for a way to lift the curse, the prince travels west, becoming embroiled in a conflict between several forest gods and a nearby mining colony hoping to strip the land.
Like many Miyazaki films on this list, critics rank Princess Mononoke as one of the director's masterpieces. Miyazaki uses the film to explore the environmental concerns he fervently advocates for, incorporating elements of spiritualism, naturalism, and fantasy into his one-of-a-kind historical epic.
Pom Poko
Similar to the aforementioned Princess Mononoke, the early Studio Ghibli film, Pom Poko, tackles the subject of environmentalism and the importance of respecting nature. While Princess Mononoke might be a little too violent for younger viewers, Pom Poko manages to explore these themes in a much more non-threatening manner appropriate for all audience members.
Framed from a more nature-centric point of view, Pom Poko follows a group of magical, shapeshifting Japanese raccoon dogs (or tanuki) living underground whose existence is threatened by encroaching humans' land development.
Studio Ghibli films have long depicted a pro-environmental message, but this movie also made for an interesting approach and change of pace, centering more on the raccoon dogs at the heart of Pom Poko rather than from the humans’ perspective, as had been the case with Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Like the movie’s later contemporary, Ponyo, Pom Poko also presents a more playful, upbeat storyline everyone of all ages can enjoy, making this movie an ideal starting point for those new to Studio Ghibli movies or younger audience members.
Castle in The Sky
Another of Hayao Miyazaki's earlier films, Castle in the Sky exists as the perfect illustration of everything all things Studio Ghibli. In the late 19th century, a young boy stumbles upon a girl who possesses a mysterious crystal that allows her to fly. Believing the crystal may point the way toward a mythical floating city in the clouds, the two set out to find it before anyone else can, including a band of air pirates and a sinister military agent who wants to claim the city for himself.
In a few ways, Castle in the Sky feels like an adventure story reminiscent of Indiana Jones and The Goonies, relying on youthful protagonists racing against the forces of evil to find a fabled legend that only they can appreciate (the antagonists only wanting to strip the place of its natural wonder for profit or some perverse, evil intent). However, in true Studio Ghibli form, Castle in the Sky also sets itself apart from other preexisting movies, such as in its emphasis on air travel (including battles and chase scenes through the clouds), crafting a wholly original movie in the process.
Howl's Moving Castle
Director Hayao Miyazaki's personal favorite entry in his filmography, Howl's Moving Castle may be one of the most sentimental and empowering movies the studio has ever released. Loosely based on the 1986 British sci-fi novel of the same name, Howl's Moving Castle tells the story of a magical kingdom involved in a brutal, destructive war with an opposing country. The main action of the film follows a kindly young girl turned into an old woman by a mean-spirited witch. Looking for a way to reverse the spell, the girl ventures out to locate an eccentric young wizard traveling in a huge, mobile castle that stalks and walks through the country.
Made in response to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the film explores numerous anti-war themes, with Miyazaki designing it to be as pacifistic as possible, the director saying, “I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living.” Released to positive receives, critics were quick to single out its anti-war subject matter and its tasteful depiction of age.”
Porco Rosso
Aviation and flight have always interested Studio Ghibli's master director, Hayao Miyazaki, as seen with the aviary themes present in some of his earliest studio films like Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service. As a result of this avid interest, Miyazaki couldn't have been the better choice to helm Studio Ghibli's 1992 film, Porco Rosso.
Adapted from a 1989 manga series, Hikōtei Jidai, that Miyazaki himself wrote, Porco Rosso follows the titular Porco Rosso—a skilled World War I veteran turned freelance pilot who (because of a strange curse) has been turned into an anthropomorphic pig—as he battles air pirates, romantic rivals, and the fascist Italian government in the 1920s Adriatic Sea.
Despite that heavy-sounding plot, Porco Rosso makes for a light-hearted action film, lacking any overwhelming depiction of the rise of a fascist state or brutal depiction of war that you might find in Howl’s Moving Castle or Grave of the Fireflies. It's a fun, simple movie that follows the numerous adventures that Porco finds himself in, perfect for all ages and with painstaking attention to artistic detail.
My Neighbor Totoro
The film that features the most recognizable character in any Studio Ghibli film, the eponymous Totoro of My Neighbor Totoro can alongside Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse within the annals of Japanese pop culture.
My Neighbor Totoro follows a professor and his two young daughters who move into an old house in the Japanese countryside in order to be closer to the girls’ sick mother. As they settle in their new home, the girls begin interacting with the surrounding spirits of the forest, including a silent, gentle, teddy bear-like giant named Totoro.
Like many of Studio Ghibli's films, the central message behind the film advocates for appreciation of one's surroundings. In addition, the film also weaves in elements of Japanese Shintoism and animism, or the belief that places, objects, and creatures possess their own spiritual essence.
One of the earlier Studio Ghibli films, it also remains the studio's—as well as its director, Miyazaki's—most popular film, with film magazines and websites listing Totoro on several lists of “best films,” and Totoro himself appearing on numerous publications' list for Best Animated Character of All Time.
Ponyo
Studio Ghibli movies might be geared towards audience members of every age and demographic, but 2008's Ponyo seems perhaps the most child-friendly film the studio has ever produced.
In a very loose retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, a young female goldfish (Ponyo) resolves to leave the ocean behind and become human. Swimming ashore, she is rescued by a young boy who helps her adapt to living on land, as well as aiding her in discovering what it means to be human.
Though Ponyo aims at a younger audience demographic, the film features dozens of recurring Studio Ghibli themes, including pro-environmental messages and the idea of finding one's place in the world.
Kiki's Delivery Service
With the exception of Totoro, there's never been a more iconic Studio Ghibli protagonist than Kiki of Kiki's Delivery Service. Her general cheerfulness and good nature make her easily one of the most likable main characters in all of anime and one audiences can't help but root for during the entire film.
Kiki is a young witch who relocates to a coastal city and begins using her powers to run a small delivery service. Not much happens in the way of story, but like many of Studio Ghibli and the movie's director Hayao Miyazaki's best films, it relies on an important central message related to the idea of independence and self-reliance.
One of the earlier Studio Ghibli films, the movie possesses the same likable characters and visual design that made Ghibli a household name in the first place. A coming-of-age story in every sense, Kiki's Delivery Service features the main character growing up into maturity, relying less on the adults around her and more on herself.
Grave of The Fireflies
Studio Ghibli's most upsetting movie, we can guarantee that viewers will leave Isao Takahata's depressing anti-war film, Grave of the Fireflies, a blubbering, incoherent mess the first time they watch it.
Set at the tail end of World War II, two young children struggle to survive amid the devastation of bomb-ravaged Japan through the country’s subsequent attempts to rebuild itself following the end of the war.
A tragic film by every definition of the word, critics cite Grave of the Fireflies as one of Studio Ghibli's finest pictures, if only for its unforgiving portrayal of wartime struggles faced by civilians and the chaotic, destructive alienation that sees the innocent suffer the most.
Unlike many of Studio Ghibli's other films, Grave of the Fireflies makes for a much more somber film handling very serious, often grim subject matter, leading it to its eventual appraisal as one of the greatest war movies of all time. It's a movie impossible not to tear up while watching, but it's one everyone should make an effort to see, not just as an anime fan but as a human being as well.
Spirited Away
Twenty years since its 2001 release, Spirited Away remains Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki's most popular film, full of heartfelt messages about hope, maturation, and self-reliance.
Spirited Away follows a young girl and her parents driving to their new home, before they end up taking a shortcut and entering a strange world inhabited by spirits, witches, and ancient gods. When her parents are cursed and turned into pigs, the girl must work at a supernatural bathhouse in order to free her parents and safely return to the human world.
A film that explores far-ranging topics like environmentalism, spiritualism, fantasy, and consumerism, Spirited Away feels like a modern retelling of Alice of Wonderland crossed with the fantastic work of Neil Gaiman. It brims with Miyazaki's unique vision and artistic style and a sense that anything could happen at any given time.
Nausicaä of The Valley of The Wind
The first Studio Ghibli movie ever released, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has the distinction of being just as amazing now as it had been upon its release in 1984. It may not have been the first finished film of Hayao Miyazaki, but its above-par quality helped cement the name Studio Ghibli within the then-rapidly changing world of the anime industry.
A thousand years after a cataclysmic event ushered in massive environmental changes across the globe, a young princess strives to protect an inhabitable forest from a warring nation intent on destroying it.
Based on Miyazaki’s manga series of the same name, the loving commitment and intimate knowledge Miyazaki possessed in regard to his source material helped Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind succeed on a variety of levels. As with most of Miyazaki’s work, it bears all the hallmarks of a classic Studio Ghibli movie, including an emphasis on the environment, pacifism, and a general condemnation of greed and bureaucracy.
The Wind Rises
In addition to his thematic exploration of war and environmental conservation, another far more lighthearted recurring theme for Miyazaki is his affinity for aeronautics and vintage airplanes. Along with his heavy emphasis on air travel in Castle in the Sky and Porco Rosso, the subject crops up again on a more grounded basis in Miyazaki’s 2013 film, The Wind Rises.
From a very early age, the precocious young man, Jiro Horikoshi, dreams of becoming his pilot; his failure to do so resulted in a prominent career in aeronautical design, with Jino going on to design many of Japan’s fighters during World War II.
If The Wind Rises had been Miyazaki’s last feature film, there’s no doubt the film’s release might’ve brought the master’s career to a close in the most ideal way imaginable. A tender indictment of war and global conflict in general, the movie’s more realistic nature makes it a unique entry in Miyazaki’s canon, as well as one of the most approachable films for anyone new to Studio Ghibli’s body of work.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
The final film of legendary anime director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, The Tale of Princess Kaguya proved a far more lighthearted film than Takahata’s earlier work on Grave of the Fireflies. A fitting farewell to an influential mind within the studio, it’s a movie that happened to be just as imaginative and bursting with creativity as any other Ghibli film that came before it.
Upon discovering a miniature princess encased in a bamboo stalk, a bamboo cutter brings the princess back to his home. He and his wife raise her as one of their own in spite of her obvious magical qualities.
Presenting a peaceful panoramic view of the rural countryside, The Tale of Princess Kaguya has a simple nature loaded with relatable themes. Between its relaxing watercolor backgrounds and humanistic story, the film – like all the best Studio Ghibli movies – transcends the limits of anime, creating a film that can only be experienced rather than simply seen.
