Ten Best Ghibli Anime Films

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Soranews has an interesting piece looking at the ten best Ghibli anime films as picked by six different age groups. Really interesting to see the differences. What is most interesting to me is that younger groups picked Spirited Away as their number one pick, but older groups picked My Neighbor Totoro as the top film. I would have guessed the reverse.

Anyway, I'll let you visit the site to read the full lists. Go read it here.

Studio Ghibli movies are beloved in Japan and all over the world by kids and adults alike because they aren't like most animation. You won't find mindless action scenes here like most action cartoons, nor will you find simple love stories or comedy like in young girl or boy cartoons, nor will you even find the fan service (ie jerk off material for geeks) of more adult anime. Ghibli films feature complex stories that treat both the characters and the audience with respect, moral messages, and often feature young girls as the protagonist. This approach has made them the most popular film studio in Japan and has won them fans of all ages and sexes all over the world.

Inspired by the Soranews piece, I thought for this post I'd look at my top ten.

Hmm...actually this might be tricky. I'm not a big anime fan, so even for Ghibli films I'm not sure I've even seen ten of them... I'll count as I go!

Top Ten Ghibli Films

I feel like we need a drum roll like on Letterman. And now, from our home office in Aichi Japan, here are the top ten Studio Ghibli films.

#10. Tales from Earthsea (ゲド戦記, Gendo Senki)

This was the first film from Miyazaki Hayao's son Gorō. It received a lot of bad press due to the fact that Hayao disapproved of his son directing the film and they reportedly didn't speak during production and furthermore Hayao thought his son did a bad job when asked about it after a private screening. Add to that, Ursula K. Le Guin didn't like the film: first because she wanted Hayao to direct it and not his son, and later because it changed a lot of her story and put too much of a focus on violence. Perhaps because of these things, the film isn't well thought of in Japan. It definitely isn't the best, but for a fun fantasy tale, it's not bad, and it's still better than most non-Ghibli anime.

#9. Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城, Rupan Sansei, Kariosutoro no Shiro)

This was one of Miyazaki Hayao's first films. He took the lovable thief, Lupin the 3rd, and his gang and made them into heroes while giving us an adventure that would go on to be a template for many Hollywood films, including Raiders of the Lost Ark. I had never seen this film before my son stumbled upon it. Like Tales from Earthsea it's not a deep story, but it is fun, and that goes a long way.

Hmm...come to think of it, this might predate the formation of Studio Ghibli. Oh well. Consider it a cheat pick then!

#8. Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便, Majo no Takkyubin)

This is another fun one, but also is the first on my list to feature the more complex story with serious undertones that has made Ghibli so well-known. At its basic level, this is Kiki coming of age. Kiki is kind of a proto-Chihiro (from Spirited Away), as both characters deal with similar issues related to growing up, becoming more independent and responsible. I think this was the first film to get a thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert (who were the most influential film critics in America at the time).

#7. Porco Rosso (紅の豚, Kurenai no Buta)

Porco Rosso is an Italian WWI ex-fighter pilot who is now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing air pirates. This is another fun one, but with hints of seriousness. At least with Western fans, this movie is probably most famous for the line "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist". Miyazaki has strong anti-war views and manages to put his beliefs in most of his films, but this may have been the first more blatant anti-war film he did.

#6. My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ, Tonari no Totoro)

If you've only heard of one Japanese animation, it's probably this one. My Neighbor Totoro is just a pure delight from start to finish. There are no bad guys, no one who even takes on a slightly villainous role, it is just a tale following a few weeks in the lives of two children as they discover a forest spirit who helps them cope with their new home and life. That may sound corny, but it is done in such an artful way that even the most cynical can't help but smile. There is a reason this film is so well-know and has such a high reputation.

#5. Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城, Hauru no Ugoku Shiro)

If Porco Rosso was hinting at anti-war, this one comes right out and hits you in the face with that message multiple times. It is a little too overt at times, but the movie is otherwise good enough that we can overlook that. The movie does fall apart a little at the end, with a sudden Disney-esque ending which is very uncharacteristic of Ghibli. But despite the faults, the journey is a fun ride.

#4. Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫, Mononoke-hime)

This film is something of a spiritual sequel to the next one on my list, Nausinaä of the Valley of the Wind and takes a look at Miyazaki's other strong belief, environmental issues. This one looks at our relationship with the environment and our destruction of it as we greedily consume as many natural resources as we can. Until the release of Spirited Away, I think this was the highest grossing film in Japan.

#3. Nausinaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ, Kaze no Tani no Naushika)

In a lot of ways this is less good than Princess Mononoke. The world feels like more of a fantasy than the more realistic setting of Mononoke, which might be a drawback for some. At the same time, the fantasy setting has gone on to inspire a lot of creators in Japan. For example, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi often cites Nausinaä as a big influence. The movie isn't as preachy as Mononoke and is a little more subtle in its message, which I like.

#2. Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ, Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta)

This has one of the most hauntingly beautiful soundtracks of any of his films. When they land on the floating castle for the first time and the soundtrack swells, it is almost overwhelming. This film has been highlighted as a big influence in the steampunk genre.

#1. Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)

This tale looks at Chihiro, a spoiled selfish young girl, and her growth into a courageous, responsible figure who the others in the film look to for leadership. The setting for this transformation is a Japanese bathhouse in the land of the gods. It's a delightful setting and gives the animators the chance to play around and give us many wonderful images, a lot of them pulled from Japanese mythology. This film held the record for top grossing film for 19 years until finally being displaced by Demon Slayer. This movie highlights another of Miyazaki's beliefs that we should be kind not just to everyone, but to everything. It also is a criticism of consumerism and greed. Most critics I've read in Britain and the US praised the film. Ebert went so far as to add it to his great movies list, calling it one of the best movies he had ever seen.

Well, there we go. I guess I found ten after all! Of all of these, I probably watch Castle in the Sky the most, because my son is constantly watching it! He loves it. I'm trying to get him onto Spirited Away, but he's still a bit too young to really understand Chihiro and her journey. Maybe next year.

Anyway, what do you think? If you have any favorite Studio Ghibli films, let me know in the comments!



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6 comments
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Princess Mononoke is a favorite! I bought a copy for my niece and it got misplaced before she ever saw it. The opportunity to influence her childhood is years past, but someday perhaps the adult version of her will enjoy it.
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That's too bad she missed out, but I'm sure she will be sucked in whenever she does get introduced to it.

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(Edited)

Nice post!! I love everything. I can't decide which one is the best. I never get tired of watching Ghibli movies. Hmm. Maybe I like Sento Chihiro the best kana... Or Mononoke... Or Naushika...
I also love Isao Takahata’s anime such as Hotaru no Haka, Kaguya Hime No Monogatari, Kiki's Delivery Service, Heidi and more!

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haha I completely understand 😃 I am the same. If I wrote this post next week my listing would probably be different!. They are all so good, so it's hard to choose.