My Top 12 Favourite Studio Ghibli Movies

It’s October, and you know what that means?

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…That’s right, it’s Autumn! Some of you were expecting me to state the obvious, but I’ve never felt comfortable embracing Halloween as an adult. For one, I’m Jewish, so I’d be celebrating a pagan holiday. And two, Halloween, while fun, is all about scaring people for candy, which runs antithetical to my religious roots. So while I’ve thrown out a satirical piece or two on the holiday during my Infinite Rainy Day days, or even this post that I did last year, in the end it doesn’t click with me. Sorry.

That’s not stopping me from doing something to celebrate, albeit in an odd way: I’m making a Top 12 list! On Studio Ghibli films! That’s right, I’m ranking my favourites from the Japanese powerhouse in honour of both their legacy and Hayao Miyazaki’s decision to come out of retirement again! If I haven’t already written tough lists, then this’ll definitely be tough now! It also won’t be easy because, with two exceptions, I’ve enjoyed every Studio Ghibli film on some level. So this’ll be like prioritizing something too close to my heart. Yay!

I’ll skip the introduction to Studio Ghibli, because I assume you already know them in passing, and instead-to quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail-get on with it. I’ll also keep my list as spoiler-free as possible, but be prepared for any that creep through.

12. Only Yesterday

Beginning this list is a movie representing the best and worst of Isao Takahata as director. Takahata never got the love and respect of his more-famous colleague while alive, which is a shame because he really was talented! I think part of that was his infrequent role as director, as well as being incredibly-demanding, but the 5 movies he made under Studio Ghibli were unique and interesting…even if not all good. Though I’m getting ahead of myself.

Only Yesterday stands out from other slice-of-life/coming of age hybrids in the way it approaches the concept. The story follows a 27 year-old woman named Taeko, who takes 10 days off from her city job to pick safflowers in the country. Once there, she reminisces about her childhood in the mid-60’s, as well as the challenges her 10 year-old self experienced as the youngest of three girls. Between learning about menstruation and being slapped by her father for wandering outside in socks, Taeko starts wondering what her past is telling her. What is it about her childhood that made her how she is? And why is she scared of her feelings for country bumpkin Toshio?

This one’s had to grow on me. If you’ll recall from Infinite Rainy Day, I wrote a review stating this this film was “the most 7/10 movie in the history of 7/10 movies to ever 7/10”. I still stand by that, but I feel like its strengths are increasingly outweighing its flaws. It’s still incredibly-slow and drawn out at points, and I feel like the ending’s a tad forced, but the contrast between the grounded, present-day scenes and the dreamier sections of the 1960’s definitely makes this worth watching for sheer production value alone. Nothing Takahata includes is accidental, and the dual animation styles are no exception!

What makes Only Yesterday so captivating, however, is that it turns the mundane into the magical. Cutting a pineapple to serve is a hassle and nothing special, but this movie makes it feel like you’re experiencing it for the first time. Even in how it tackles school life, though seeped in Japanese culture, resonates with me from my childhood. I remember school assemblies and sports games, as well as struggling with math and acting in badly-made plays. I yearn for my own nostalgia, which is why the pullbacks to adulthood cause me to sympathize with Taeko’s reluctance to grow up. This is a movie that hits harder as you age, making it worthwhile despite being slow.

11. The Secret World of Arrietty

I’ll admit that of all the entries here, this one’s not as fresh an experience as some of the others. I, basically, last watched it for a podcast episode that never ended up being finished. While that makes me sad, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the film. It helps that this was the first from Studio Ghibli’s catalogue that I saw in theatres, thanks largely to a solid marketing campaign by Disney. And even if I were to re-watch it, I’m sure I’d enjoy it equally.

The Secret World of Arrietty centres around Arrietty, a tiny human who lives in the floor of a cottage with her mother and father. The family spends most of their time exploring and “borrowing” useless items “that people won’t miss”, as per custom of borrowers. But when a mission with her father leads her to accidentally get spotted by a boy named Sho, who’s come to rest before his heart surgery, the family realizes they’re in danger and decide to move. Complicating matters is the house’s owner, Haru, realizing that something’s wrong, and when she decides to investigate, it’s up to Arrietty and Sho to make everything right.

This movie’s biggest strength is factoring in scale with size: a stalk of grass? That’s a tree for Arrietty. An open draft? That can blow Arrietty away. Even the inevitable borrowing mission, which is pretty mundane when you think about it, plays like a stealth mission, simply because of how much bigger everything really is for Arrietty. I like how creative the movie has to be for its premise to work, perspective frequently being its greatest asset.

Above all, it’s the dynamic between Arrietty and Sho that really sells the experience. The Secret World of Arrietty is a quiet film with not a lot happening, but that’s more than compensated for by the two of them. It’s sweet, believable, occasionally emotional, really hooks you in, keeps you invested and doesn’t relent until the end. It also has its share of intense moments, which I won’t ruin despite them being obvious. Overall, definitely one worth watching several times.

10. Grave of the Fireflies

The controversial ranking. Before you crucify me for not putting this higher, I want to state that putting this film at #10 wasn’t anything personal; in fact, ignoring that Takahata came out later to state that the movie was an indictment of Gen X-ers, Grave of the Fireflies is, in many ways, a great film. Some of it, dare I say, is brilliant! However, as I’ve stated before, I take issue with certain facets of its storytelling. My issues are few, but they’re big enough to knock the experience a bit.

The story follows two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, as their lives fall apart in late-WWII Japan. Beginning with Seita dying from starvation in the opening (which isn’t really a spoiler), the film goes back in time and shows the events leading to the demise of our protagonists. We see them become orphaned, temporarily live with their aunt, run off to go live alone and, eventually, perish. The entire time, we’re left wondering: is Seita really that great an older brother? Or is his stubbornness a symptom of Japanese society’s greater apathy for its citizens?

The greatest praise I can give the movie is that, at the end of the day, it leaves those questions to the viewer to decide. We’re never told that what Seita’s doing to Setsuko is wrong, especially when other people are doing the same to him, and we understand why he behaves that way. At the same time, he’s not absolved from the consequences of his actions, as evidenced by the well-being of his sister. Considering the original book this was based on was its author expressing survivor’s guilt, it’s easy to see how that translates to the movie. And, rest-assured, those tears are worth it!

I still have my issues with the movie, though: it’s too long and slow-paced for my liking. The opening scene also alleviates a lot of the tension of the climax, and I think it’d have been more-effective to keep it a mystery until the end. And, in true Takahata fashion, there’s lot of unneeded padding. The film could’ve been trimmed down to roughly an hour and still worked, but that’s me. Nevertheless, Grave of the Fireflies is excellent. Bring the tissues, though, as you’ll need them.

9. When Marnie Was There

It was tough picking which of the Hiromasa Yonebayashi films under Studio Ghibli to place higher. Both are small, quiet movies based around mundane conflicts. And both movies are incredibly beautiful to look at, really taking advantage of what animation’s capable of when tackling slice-of-life. I think what won me over to When Marnie Was There, however, is that this is the lesser-talked about and more-often maligned of Maro’s works, when it shouldn’t be. Because it’s great, especially coming from someone who has mental health issues.

When Marnie Was There focuses on Anna Sasaki, a pre-teen with asthma and depression who spends time at a country cottage in order to recuperate. While there, Anna keeps getting visited by a lonely girl in the nearby marsh house across the lake. Her name is Marnie, and the two form a bond. But why can no one else see Marnie? And who is Marnie?

This movie excels at atmosphere. I initially thought this was the anime version of an E.A. Poe story when the trailer first debuted, and it’s easy to see why: it has all the markings of a classic ghost story, right down to the tragic backstory. It doesn’t end up going that route, but it’s still really sad when you realize what’s going on. And boy, is there a lot going on! I’d go into more detail, but it’s best if you experience this one blind.

People are overly-critical of this one. I know that my initial review was pretty critical itself, but time has softened me on the film. I still see some of the complaints, like the anticlimactic twist, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t judge it for yourselves. Especially since the movie was Studio Ghibli’s last film for a while, and there are surprisingly overt parallels between it and the studio’s legacy. I’d say more, but-again-it’s best if you go in blind. And I definitely recommend seeing it, if only to say that you didn’t think it was good.

8. My Neighbor Totoro

The movie that retroactively made Studio Ghibli a household name, this is the one Miyazaki movie where my outlook has changed significantly in the years since my first viewing. Why? Because while I initially enjoyed it, I also thought it was a little overrated. Only once my dad had his heart attack did I fully-appreciate it. It’s still not the studio’s best, or even my favourite from director Hayao Miyazaki, but is it worth watching? Yes.

The film, essentially, contains episodic vignettes. It details Mei and Satsuki Kusakabe’s adventures in the country, where they moved to be closer to their ailing mother. The film has them meeting soot gremlins, encountering nature and befriending a giant forest spirit named Totoro. It really only gets to a narrative in the last 25-minutes, but by then you’re so invested in what’s going on that you forgive it. Also, the narrative part, without giving anything away, is heartbreaking.

It’s really hard to explain why you should watch this without giving anything away, but it’s easy to explain its appeal given that Totoro made a cameo in Toy Story 3. My Neighbor Totoro, essentially, is the Japanese answer to the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, even containing plenty of thematic similarities: childhood, the innocence of youth and the fragility of life. It also doesn’t cheapen out on its themes, getting pretty heavy on occasion. It’s something kids can appreciate, but adults can appreciate more. As someone who’s experienced what I have in my life, I can attest to that.

It’s possible that My Neighbor Totoro won’t be for everyone. Some of you might even find it boring, especially since not much happens until the end. But that’s okay! Not all movies need to be grandiose adventure stories, sometimes the simple vignettes will do! And in the case of this movie, it opts for the latter. So give it a chance, pop it in and decide if it’s for you.

7. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Every Studio Ghibli fan has an Isao Takahata movie that they inevitably call “his best”. For many, that’s Grave of the Fireflies. While I definitely enjoy that film, my pick has to be his last feature before his death, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. I wasn’t initially expecting to be blown away, even though the trailers were promising, but I was. And part of that wasn’t only that it was a total departure for the late-director, but also because of its premise.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’s about an elderly bamboo cutter and his wife, whom are blessed with a mysterious child from the heavens. Growing at an alarming rate, the child, later named Kaguya, brings the couple gifts by proxy, leading the absent-minded bamboo cutter to believe that his daughter’s royalty. Eventually they move to the city to marry Kaguya off and earn riches, much to Kaguya’s disapproval. But the more she tries to worm her way out of her situation, the worse it gets, until she falls into despair. What results is misery, regrets and, true to form, a heartbreaking finale.

In my initial review for the movie, I mentioned that The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was a scathing indictment on the Japanese education system. I still hold this to be true, as it never stops beating down on how Japan raises its youth to be miserable and obedient slaves to the system. While Grave of the Fireflies’s also a scathing indictment on society, what separates the films is that that one openly blames the youth. This film, in contrast, places the brunt of its attack on the system, demanding that it change first if anything’s to be fixed. It’s something I understood right from the get-go, and it’s something I recognize even more now. It’s a brilliant, if not upsetting, watch.

I also have to commend the movie for its water-brush aesthetic, really driving home its fantastical, dreamlike nature. Not that The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’s necessarily a hard fantasy, though it does have some of the familiarities of the genre, but the movie really lends itself well to the change in visual format. Because it’s really an allegory for society at large, and even people in the West can appreciate that on some level. I can’t say some of the pacing doesn’t feel off, especially as the longest movie from the studio runtime-wise, but it’s minimal enough to not really bother me. And I’m usually critical of Takahata’s work for that.

6. Kiki’s Delivery Service

Now we get to the more personal entries. Kiki’s Delivery Service took me completely by surprise when I first watched it. I was in a bad place mentally, and I was in desperate need of a pick-me-up. I ended up buying it alongside another entry that we’ll cover later at my then-local HMV and watched it immediately. To say it delivered is an understatement. To say it over-delivered sounds more realistic.

The movie follows Kiki, a 13 year-old witch who leaves home to go train abroad. She ends up in a small city named Kuriko, where she befriends the owner of a bakery. Having nowhere to go, she agrees to stay at the bakery and start a delivery service to make ends meet. As expected, hijinks ensue, friendships are made, and maybe hearts are melted? The latter’s anyone’s guess!

Kiki’s Delivery Service gets better with each successive viewing, as I end up appreciating it more. I gravitated to it initially because of how it speaks to the creative experience, especially since I’m a writer who frequently struggles with dry spells. But now that I have a part-time job as a courier, I appreciate Kiki’s struggles even more. They say walking a mile in someone else’s shoes is a good way to empathize with them, and I guess I do that literally for Kiki. Who knew?

The movie’s biggest-strength is its more laidback narrative. It has a story, but the story feels like a more-cohesive My Neighbor Totoro in execution. It’s also really atmospheric and relaxing, save for the hectic climax. I’m especially amazed at how well it flows and works as a movie, especially since it almost never came to be. I still recommend watching it. You really can’t go wrong!

5. Whisper of the Heart

This one’s the most personally-affecting of all the entries. Not because it’s the best, because it’s not. Not because it’s the easiest to watch, because it’s not. Not even because it’s the most-timeless, because-again-it’s not. What makes Whisper of the Heart so personal is that it captures the creative experience like no other Studio Ghibli film, not even Kiki’s Delivery Service, does. And it makes it look easy.

The movie centres around Shizuku Tsukishima, a teenaged bookworm who discovers that a mysterious boy has been checking out books from the library before her. Initially, she thinks that the boy’s a bit of a jerk, but the two break down their insecurities and become friends. They even start to fall for each other, much to their surprise. Unfortunately, the boy, named Seiji, is in the process of deciding to pursue his passions in Italy. Even so, inspired by his determination, Shizuku begins writing a novel she’s been interested in for some time, hoping that it’d be finished once he returns.

The real meat-and-potatoes of this movie isn’t its story, but its underlying content. Like I said, Whisper of the Heart’s about the creative experience, most-notably the ups and downs of it. Creating something takes time, passion and a lot of failure to pull off, and this movie doesn’t glamourize that. It shows how much of a personal toll a passion project can have, and as a writer that speaks to me. It speaks to me even more than Kiki’s Delivery Service, and that movie already speaks to me a lot!

The film also has a running-motif of music playing an important part in the story proper, even revising a specific song several times. As someone who’s jammed with relatives on several occasions, this also resonated with me. It’s also upsetting that not many people know about this movie, as it was the magnum opus of its late-director, Yoshifumi Kondō, before his untimely death in 1998. For now, people largely think of as another Hayao Miyazaki movie, which is disgusting. You should totally fix that by seeing it, even if it’s not your cup of tea.

4. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

I know this isn’t technically a Studio Ghibli film, but the company wouldn’t exist without it so I’m including it here. Also, it’s largely considered to be an unofficial-official film in its library. Not to mention, Studio Ghibli has grandfathered it into their library. And it has the studio’s logo cemented on its box-art. In other words, suck it!

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, thousands of years from now. The world is overly-polluted, and the remaining pockets of civilization are fighting for resources. Amidst the chaos, a tiny kingdom, The Valley of the Wind, has thrived thanks to good irrigation and strong wind currents, and its beloved leaders, King Jihl and Princess Nausicaä, have helped keep it that way. Unfortunately, The Valley of the Wind is caught in a crash-landing of foreign ship one night, only to be invaded the following morning by the warmongering kingdom of Tolmekkia. Its ruler, Princess Kushana, plans to use The Valley of the Wind for her own war against Pejite, and wishes to do so with an ancient weapon long-thought dead. Amidst the chaos, Nausicaä must make the choice of prioritizing her kingdom over the enemies abroad.

This is a movie that I once, many years ago, said I love more than I respect. I still hold that to be true. The film’s littered with bizarre contrivances, rushed pacing and ham-fisted writing, such that it’s hard to take it seriously. And many people don’t, even calling it “overrated”. But I’m not one of them. And I think that’s because it’s not a movie rooted in logic, but rather emotion.

Ignoring that, it’s still an immensely well-strung experience. I’d even call it excellent, especially in how it ties together themes of war and environmentalism. No doubts that that’d resonate more now than in 1984, especially with the current shape of the planet. It’s also a draining experience emotionally, such that, more than any other Miyazaki film, it borders on overkill. But that’s never stopped me from loving it, so what do I know?

3. Princess Mononoke

I’m gonna get lots of crap for putting this not at #1. While Princess Mononoke’s a masterpiece in every sense of the word, I haven’t been shy about my problems with it in the past. I think it takes a while to get going, is overly-dense and sidelines much of its massive cast in favour of overarching themes that, while important, feel a little too blunt. Also, one of its characters doesn’t get the comeuppance she deserves. However, this is supposed to be me telling why you should see the movie, so I’ll stop with the criticism.

Princess Mononoke’s about Prince Ashitaka and his quest to find balance in a world full of conflict and chaos. After having his arm cursed while fending off a demon boar, Ashitaka goes into exile and journeys to the west to find a cure. He finds a mining town run by Lady Eboshi, a woman who’s both a compassionate leader and a blood-hungry tyrant. Eboshi’s indebted to the emperor of Japan, and she figures the best way to pay her debts is to obtain the unthinkable. As Eboshi and the gods of the forest, led by San, duke it out for supremacy, it’s up to Ashitaka to set it right. But can he do the impossible, or will his curse kill him first?

This is the closest you’ll get to an animated film epic on-par with some of the greats in live-action. It’s also one of the few, mature animations that don’t feel overly gory or edgy for the sake of it, as many of its counterparts tend to be. Every choice in Princess Mononoke is earned, right down to its violence, which is important given its subject matter. It’s also densely-packed with lots happening in it. So yeah, not for kids.

One of the movie’s biggest accomplishments is conveying a heavy subject without feeling cheap or tacky: environmentalism. Princess Mononoke isn’t exactly subtle, but unlike other movies dealing with the subject it takes its time fleshing-out both sides. It gives weight and nuance to both civilization and nature, even while it still picks a side. That’s really refreshing, even though I’m not completely against pro-environmental stories. I’m still hesitant to call it flawless, but I whole-heartedly recommend the experience to anyone willing to give it a chance.

2. Castle in the Sky

The film that started it all, Castle in the Sky’s one of the few films in the pulp-serial adventure sub-genre I not only tolerate, but love. It’s interesting saying that because the movie’s direct influences, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, I’m not nearly as big on. Ignoring how I went into this initially without any expectations and was still blown-away, that it’s managed to outdo its direct predecessors is nothing short of a miracle. And, what’s better, it’s self-contained. Eat your hearts out, Lucasfilm!

Castle in the Sky tells the tale of two pre-teens, Pazu and Sheeta, and their quest to find the mythical, flying city of Laputa before a gang of pirates and the military. For Pazu, finding Laputa is a personal venture, as it’d mean clearing the name of his late-father. For Sheeta, however, Laputa’s her birthright, as evidenced by her mysterious pendant. But while they both have reasons for finding the city, their journey forces them to decide what’s more important: glory, or the fate of the world?

It’s really easy to guess everything in this movie, right down to its third-act twists and reveals, but like so many others in the sub-genre, it doesn’t end up mattering. Castle in the Sky knows that it’s goofy. It knows it’s littered with plot-holes. It even knows that its premise, even by 1986-standards, is cliché! But it embraces all of that as part of its aesthetic. And isn’t that what matters?

This is the kind of movie I can pop-in at any moment and be satisfied with. It’s also the kind of movie that I’d recommend to friends and family-alike, which I have. Why? Because it’s fun! If that’s not the heartiest of recommendations, I don’t know what is!

1. Spirited Away

You saw this one coming from a mile away. Considering that I can never shut up about it either, you knew it’d be my #1 choice. And why beat around the bush? It’s that good! I’m not joking!

In Spirited Away, 10 year-old Chihiro Ogino’s moving to her new house with her parents. She’s already bitter about it, but when they stop in an abandoned theme park along the way, she decides to mope on her own as her parents gorge on an open food stand. Unfortunately for her, the theme park is actually a bathhouse for the spirits, and when Chihiro returns to her parents, she discovers them turned into pigs. Desperate to save them from being eaten, Chihiro takes up a job at the bathhouse. The job is cruel, tedious and unwelcoming, but so long as she does what she’s told, she at least has a chance at surviving this.

Hayao Miyazaki’s later works routinely get chastised for “not being good” by fans. I don’t think that’s entirely-fair. I find that late-Miyazaki’s excellent, irrespective of quality! And nowhere is this more apparent than this movie, which is, arguably, the pinnacle of his career. I don’t care about the debate with Princess Mononoke fans, this is my pick for best Miyazaki movie!

I think most of that falls on Chihiro. Not only is she the most-realistically portrayed 10 year-old ever, but she’s forced into a horrible situation against her will and manages to rise above it! They say bad times bring out who we really are, and this definitely holds true with Chihiro. Fictional or not, she’s everything admirable about children under pressure, and we get 2+ hours to see why. I’d take that any day over films that patronize children! So check out my favourite Studio Ghibli film, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it!

And there you are: my Top 12 Studio Ghibli movies! Feel free to comment if you choose, and have a Happy Hallo-I mean, wonderful Autumn!