Top 1x The Best Ghibli Studio Movies

Studio Ghibli is one of the most popular and well-known animation studios in the world. Founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata in 1985, the studio has produced some of the most celebrated animated movies ever made. Included are both older and newer films, so there’s something for everyone. Let’s take a look!

Top 15 Films Of Ghibli Studio

There’s no denying that Studio Ghibli movies are a cut above the rest. The animation, storytelling, and overall artistry is unparalleled in the world of animation. If you’re a fan of Ghibli movies, or if you’re just looking to get into them, then this list is for you. Here are the 15 best Studio Ghibli movies.

15. Porco Rosso

Porco Rosso is a brilliant film, but it’s still somewhat disjointed at times. The story can’t seem to decide what it wants to be: a comedy, a drama, or simply just a character study. Despite this being one of Miyazaki’s more lighthearted films in comparison to something like Princess Mononoke, the protagonist’s darker side never comes across as anything but hamfisted and too harsh for its own creating. While don’t get me wrong – I do enjoy the movie – [the] scenes [are] which comprise this film leave something desired . In fact – I believe they would have been better off if the film was not about Porco Rosso at all. Miyazaki’s desire to figure out the title character’s past is fine, but it can’t help overshadowing what should have been a story about friendship between mercenaries.

The movie starts off with a quick feeling of an action movie, but quickly drops that in favor of much slower pacing than I’d like for this type of film. The one thing it has going for it is great visuals and animation – but much like the characters themselves, there isn’t enough depth in any area to truly make them stand out . It makes for something that is fun to watch , nicely animated, and well-written…but also only slightly above average in every way.

14. My Neighbors the Yamadas

The Yamadas is a tough movie to watch. Not because the film itself is bad, but rather because it feels unfocused. It doesn’t feel like it knows what kind of story it wants to tell – whether that’s an episodic nature or one with some sort of underlying message about family life. When it tries to be “cute” for the sake of being cute, it falls flat on its face . The Yamadas are not interesting or memorable characters, so why should any viewer care about them? On the other hand , when Miyazaki aims to go deeper into these people’s lives…it really doesn’t matter since you don’t have any attachment to them in either case. There are certainly brilliant moments here and there , but they are not enough to make the film as a whole something worthy of note.

13. The Secret World of Arrietty

Arrietty is one of those films that feels like it should be incredible, but there’s something lacking in some areas. There aren’t many flaws with the movie; it’s beautiful, well-animated, and does carry some emotional weight at times . However it seems more like a proof-of-concept than anything else. It has no real sense of identity. Is this supposed to be a normal drama? A fantasy adventure? A horror/thriller? The reason why I say it’s proof-of-concept is because you can tell Miyazaki was trying out different things and seeing what worked best. Some of these things pay off, while others don’t. The movie never quite knows what it wants to be, and as a result it falls into the realm of “a good movie” rather than “an outstanding one.”

12. Ponyo

Ponyo is an interesting example because it’s probably the most child-friendly film Miyazaki has ever done – yet at the same time I would say that there are far better children’s movies out there . It doesn’t have anything deep or meaningful to say , as its story is more about exploring its own fantastical world than presenting any sort of moral . This makes for a fun experience with some great visuals – but nothing else really stands out since the film is so simple both in its story and characters. Ponyo herself is cute, but by no means one of Miyazaki’s best creations . None of the other characters are particularly impressive either – not even Sosuke , our protagonist. I would say that it bounds back with an ending which is surprisingly dark for a movie like this, but it just comes across as jarring rather than meaningful or interesting .

11. Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle feels like two movies put into one: on one side you have a charming little fantasy story about magic and friendship…and on the other you might as well be watching some sort of post-apocalyptic war drama filled with intrigue, betrayal , and harrowing conflict between friends . It succeeds in the first case , but it fails to make an impact in the second . This is because both halves of Howl’s Moving Castle are just slightly above average. The characters and visuals are great, and Miyazaki’s direction ensures that the film remains visually stunning throughout – but there simply isn’t enough substance or depth to elevate either half into something truly memorable.

10. Mononoke Hime

Influenced by both Japanese folklore and classic monster movies, Princess Mononoke is an enthralling work – one which I did enjoy quite a bit when I first watched it…but over time I’ve found it harder and harder to actually love . My main issue with this movie is that it’s just so long ! There’s a lot of downtime where nothing really happens , and we just see people walking or riding through the woods as some sort of atmospheric music plays in the background. These scenes are meant to build atmosphere, but they don’t really work – especially when it’s clear that Miyazaki has put so much emphasis on making these characters look cool or badass . I think this film would have been improved by cutting down both its runtime and number of minor characters (that fat guy who hangs out with Eboshi comes instantly to mind). As it stands now it feels like a good movie rather than an amazing one .

8. Kiki’s Delivery Service

I’m not really sure what it is…but I’ve never been able to 100% connect with Kiki’s Delivery Service . It didn’t click for me during my first few watches, and since then I’ve found it harder and harder to return to. What exactly went wrong? I think the characters are part of the problem. They’re fun enough, but could have used more development , as they kind of just come across as “generic anime girls” – especially our protagonist, who is pretty much “generic Miyazaki girl #1”. Another issue is that Kiki herself isn’t all that interesting – at least not compared to some other Ghibli heroines – which makes her quest feel a bit flat. And lastly, my least favourite part of this movie is the flying scenes: they’re just not that interesting or well-animated, and after a while they kind of drag. Despite these issues it’s still worth watching – I mean come on, it’s got witches and broomsticks in it!

7. Tales from Earthsea

Like Princess Mononoke , Tales from Earthsea feels like two movies put into one…only this time the division is less clear . On one hand we have a fantasy story about magic and dragons (and deus ex machine on ), and the other we get a drama about depression and loss featuring giant walking dead skeletons. It would certainly help if either half was all that good , but unfortunately neither is . The fantasy side of this film is incredibly generic , and I don’t care for any of its characters – even the protagonist, who we’re supposed to root for. Even worse is the second half: it’s boring as hell and features some of the worst CGI monsters I’ve ever seen (especially those walking skeleton dudes). All in all Tales from Earthsea falls into a category I like to call ” anime that tries too hard” – you know what I mean? It’s just trying way too damn hard to be cool and edgy .

6. Arrietty

When I was a kid this movie would have likely been my favourite Ghibli film – and maybe it’s still? I don’t know, I’m not a child any more (if you hadn’t noticed). The thing is that this is really the only Ghibli movie that feels like it takes place in “modern day Japan” – where as all the others take place in an alternate past or present. So if we were to compare them Arrietty would most closely resemble one of those old-school Ghibli films…except with less charm and atmosphere . Perhaps they were going after some kind of vintage Disney vibe here – but whatever they were trying, it didn’t work for me. Even worse is that the titular character (Arrietty) isn’t all that interesting or likeable , and she doesn’t live up to some of Miyazaki’s stronger heroines. The only characters I really cared about were Sho and his mother – not Arrietty, and certainly not those goofy cat-things!

5) Grave of Fireflies (1988)

Grave Of The Fireflies is an anime film adapted from the Akiyuki Nosaka novel of the same title. It was written and directed by Isao Takahata, produced by Studio Ghibli, animated by Group TAC and distributed by Shochiku-Fuji Company. A tragic story upon first glance, it tells about two innocent children trying to survive during World War Two era Japan. They both lose their parents during a firebombing raid on Kobe city in 1945, but they still try to live on despite the loss of their mother and father figures after finding shelter in a broken down air raid shelter named ‘home’. This rather disturbing tale is made lighter with a great score and lively animation, and it brings something to the table that no other World War Two anime film has done so.. It’s a movie about children during wartime.

Grave Of The Fireflies is an incredibly moving film with characters that are very memorable and realistic despite their appearance as cgi character models. If there is one masterpiece I’d recommend everyone to watch from this studio, then it would without a doubt be Grave Of The Fireflies. Do not let the synopsis fool you, as what could seem like yet another generic war-based anime flick – it isn’t! It will make you laugh and cry at several moments throughout its runtime and it’ll make your heart hurt in ways few films ever manage to do.

4. When Marnie Was There

Miyazaki’s last film as director is one of his better ones…though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea (also: it’s a Studio Ghibli film made without Miyazaki). It has a very slow pace and downplays everything we’ve come to expect from Miyazaki: there isn’t any action or adventure here, just some kids learning about life and growing up . This wouldn’t normally bother me – in fact, it might even be something I’d like – but the characters weren’t very charming or interesting, so I was never emotionally invested in them. I also didn’t much care for Anna’s relationship with her foster mother: it seemed to be all over the place , and I’m not sure if it was supposed to be a serious subplot or just done for laughs. This is unfortunate because that subplot would have provided some much needed character development! We are told that Marnie lives alone on an island, which might explain why she can “teleport” out of nowhere…but frankly this plot hole isn’t good enough for me .

This movie could have been one of Miyazaki’s best…but unfortunately the characters aren’t very interesting, and their personal drama isn’t compelling enough to be interesting on its own. The pacing was also really slow, so it took me a while to actually get invested in the story. Despite this, When Marnie Was There is still one of Miyazaki’s more original films – and if nothing else I’m glad that he ended his career by trying something new!

3.The Wind Rises

Everyone knows that Studio Ghibli films are all heartwarming affairs – but honestly that doesn’t always work in the studio’s favour. I thoroughly enjoyed everything Miyazaki had to say in The Wind Rises , but many audiences were put off by the lack of “awww” moments. It’s not like it didn’t try, though…after all, Jiro’s love for Naoko is what drives him to make beautiful airplanes (it also probably inspired him to sleep with her sister). I found that whole subplot fascinating; watching these two interact was always fun and the chemistry between them made sense! Even though he secretly loved her sister too (oof!), his interactions with Naoko were charming enough for me to ignore that little fact.

The Wind Rises isn’t Miyazaki’s most inventive film…but it might be one of his best. Everything came together so well – from the animation quality to the music that this could have been a masterpiece! It feels like Miyazaki was giving his life story in anime form, which is pretty badass. Unfortunately many audiences were just put off by the lack of adorable characters (although there are still Mochis to cheer you up).

I really liked how this movie turned out – even though it’s your average Studio Ghibli film at heart…it also has some very dark moments that show Miyazaki isn’t afraid to go beyond creating small films for kids.

2. Spirited Away

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that Spirited Away is my favourite Miyazaki film. Like most Ghibli movies, it’s very imaginative and filled with memorable characters…but the best thing about this movie is its heroine: Chihiro. She starts out as a whiny little brat (albeit at a young age), but ends up growing into a strong and likeable hero by the end of the film (just like Ashitaka!). Even though she has her moments of fear and doubt, we know that she’ll always come through in the end – which makes for some fun and exciting scenes! It also helps that she gets paired off with Haku (who may or not be another girl), as their relationship is given time to develop, allowing us to get invested in their lives. I also really enjoyed the story, which was probably animated better than any other Miyazaki movie (these were the days when Ghibli animation still had that Disney touch!)

Every Studio Ghibli movie aims for “heartwarming” above all else…which is great in small doses, but Spirited Away is so good it can give you diabetes! This may not sound like a good thing – after all, who wants to feel sick while watching an animated film? But you know what? The characters are so charming and lovable , you won’t care if this movie makes your head explode with cuteness! Even though Spirited Away may not have a deep plot, it’s still a fun, interesting ride from start to finish.

1. My Neighbor Totoro

Everyone loves Totoro ! He’s so cute and cuddly – not to mention his size makes him stand out among Ghibli characters. While he didn’t appear in the film much, I really liked how expressive he was: even though I couldn’t understand what Miyazaki was saying, it was easy to tell what kind of feelings Totoro had at any given time (I think that’s why this movie is usually used in ASMR videos). Nausicaä also gets some character development in this movie, which makes the story more interesting! I also enjoyed the theme exploring the wonders of nature…although when it came right down to it, all Studio Ghibli movies are about how great “nature” is (which is great when you live in Japan) – but it gets old after a while.

While My Neighbor Totoro isn’t Miyazaki’s deepest film, it’s still an enjoyable watch. It’s similar to the previous entry since the characters are so likeable (especially Mei, who is adorably clumsy), and you’ll enjoy watching these adorable children explore their new world. Studio Ghibli movies also go by very quickly thanks to their short run time…so even though this movie is about two hours long, I was never bored!

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