These are the 6 films you should watch to appreciate Studio Ghibli
These are the 6 films you should watch to appreciate Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli is one of the most acclaimed and revered animated film studios in the world. If you don’t know which films to start with, we’ve got recommendations.
For fans of animated storytelling, there are are few film collections that rival that of Japan’s Studio Ghibli. These iconic films tell gorgeously animated tales that range from slow-paced and whimsical to intense and dramatic. Their themes of perseverance and love transcend cultures and generations and have become indelible touchstones for people around the world for decades.
The studio has released 25 feature films, so if you are looking to be introduced to the wonder of Studio Ghibli, it can be daunting to think about diving into such a robust catalog. But don’t let the depth of the studio’s library stop you from digging into the mind of Hayao Miyazaki and the other directors helming these beloved classics. Nearly all of the studio’s films are available to audiences in the United States on Max with both English and their native Japanese audio options. The English dubs are often filled with incredibly well-known voices, so spotting them is a fun treat.
For many people, the easiest way to go through the Studio Ghibli archive is to watch the films in chronological order. However, that might not yield the best results as you dip your toe in the anime waters. Some of the films require a more well-versed appreciation for the artform and might be too dense for viewers just becoming acquainted with the form. As a relative newcomer myself, I spent time going through the collection and have picked out some of the titles that I think might make for good entry points for Ghibli first-time viewers.
Where should you start your Studio Ghibli exploration?
Kiki’s Delivery Service
“Kiki’s Delivery Service” is a gentle movie about a pivotal point in a 13-year-old girl’s life as she begins transitioning into a woman. It’s easy for parents to use as a lens to understand their kids’ development or even to remember their own adolescence, but it can also be equally familiar and impactful for tweens themselves.
Oh, and did I mention that Kiki’s a witch? And as everyone probably knows, witches leave home at 13 to train for a year. So, as Kiki enters a time of figuring out who she is and what’s important, she’s also doing it away from home. Jiji, her talking cat, provides comedic relief. Some Studio Ghibli films can take hallucinated detours way from the main plot of the story, but “Kiki’s Delivery Service” is a great introductory choice for American audiences because it sticks to a mostly straightforward storyline.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
The Wind Rises
“The Wind Rises” follows the life of an aeronautical engineer as he tries to fulfill his dreams of flying. However, since his eyesight won’t let him be a pilot, he decides to build them instead. His home country of Japan is on the precipice of WWII and so a complicated subtext of the impending destruction on the island is woven in throughout the film.
Beyond the personal aspirations and socio-political backdrop of the film, there is also a love story that starts with a chance meeting. Despite the rigidness of the main character’s profession, “The Wind Rises” features a rich tapestry of emotions from soaring highs to devastating lows. Plus, the dream sequences should give you a taste of the weirder side of Ghibli.
The Wind Rises
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
Whisper of the Heart
While there are some bombastic imaginative scenes in “Whisper of the Heart” centering on the process of main character Shizuku writing her novel, most of the movie is grounded in a more realistic take on someone finding their creative outlet. As an early adolescent, Shizuku is spurred on to think about her future after seeing a crush be so enthusiastic about his craft of making violins.
The movie is musical and inspired in a very relatable way. Anyone who’s told their parents they want to quit school to pursue their passion — or at least thought about doing it — will likely find some level of solidarity in “Whisper of the Heart.” Be prepared for an abrupt and potentially cringy ending, but that shouldn’t taint the enjoyable journey.
Whisper of the Heart
Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: ‘Seiji Amasawa’.
From Up on Poppy Hill
Despite being animated, “From Up on Poppy Hill” is geared more toward adults — both young and old. That’s due less to any specific content and more about the film’s intricate and subtle storylines. On the more obvious side, a group of teenagers are trying to save the building housing their school clubs from being destroyed. On a deeper level, the two main characters navigate their way through their fathers’ unique and complicated pasts.
“From Up on Poppy Hill” is a teen drama that’s set in the early 1960s. Although it centers on a messy family history akin to “Star Wars: A New Hope,” it still carries an air of innocence and has lots of fun moments.
From Up on Poppy Hill
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.
My Neighbor Totoro
The most widely known and acclaimed film ever to emerge from Studio Ghibli is undoubtedly “My Neighbor Totoro.” The giant, furry spirit known as Totoro is instantly comforting but still has an unpredictable and wild side which keeps it from being just a generic, Disney-style fuzzy monster. This film is the perfect one to introduce young kids to what Ghibli has to offer because of how playful and imaginative it is.
On a deeper level, the story likely will resonate even more with adults. The story’s father, Tatsuo, is struggling to work and watch his kids while his wife is in the hospital with an undisclosed illness. That is where Totoro comes in to keep an eye on his children. Are Totoros real? Are they the manifestations of the kids’ anxieties? That is up to interpretation, but the film can provide an escape from whatever you may be going through in your own life.
My Neighbor Totoro
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
Only Yesterday
“Only Yesterday” is a lesser-known Ghibli movie, but don’t sleep on this heavy dose of nostalgia. The film opens with the 27-year-old Taeko taking her annual vacation from her city job to head out to the countryside to work in the fields — a desire that has oddly bubbled up later in life as she had never worked on a farm in her life.
On this year’s trip to the country, she accidentally brings memories of her fifth-grade self and the movie shifts back and forth between the past and present. There are some painfully accurate details of first crushes and other adolescent events that felt consequential at the time. Watching them play out should induce a chuckle or two. Mixed in with the memories is the more pressing will-they-or-won’t-they story between Taeko and a country suitor. Be sure to stick around through the end credits to get the full story.
Only Yesterday
In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.