Studio Ghibli Movies are very special, Hayao Miyazaki’s art style is unique, distinct and combines both Japanese (anime/manga) and American animation together. He uses a mix of innovative animation techniques to produce amazing landscapes, scenery, and environmentalism, the movies are popular and have a loyal following.
Studio Ghibli stands for unique artistry and powerful imagery. The animation powerhouse from Japan has produced some of the most beautiful landscapes and inspired others to come up with original and creative works through movies, series, or art pieces.
It’s a magical, beautiful, and moving world out there painted by Hayao Miyazaki and his team who created Studio Ghibli Movies. This world is best shared with the young ones who will marvel at the scenery, relate to characters, and learn lessons about courage, determination, and happiness.
A Roundup of 10 Studio Ghibli Movies
So here’s a handful of great Studio Ghibli movies/films you and the kids can watch together. Spoiler alert, just in case.
When Marnie Was There (2014)
It is the latest offering from the studio, which has yet to release a new film in the last five years. When Marnie Was There follows Anna, who is to spend her summer in a place that is good for her health. She explores the area, which is based on the Kushiro wetlands in Hokkaido, and finds an abandoned mansion. There, she meets and befriends a mysterious girl named Marnie.
The Borrower Arrietty (2010)
Titled The Secret World of Arrietty in North America, the film and its theme song are very popular. The titular character belongs to a family of “borrowers” who live under the floorboards of a house where a young boy named Sho was temporarily staying.
Arrietty’s first foray into borrowing, however, proved to be a disaster as Sho saw her. As the existence and survival of the borrowers are threatened, Sho is also facing uncertainty over a medical condition.
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
The founder’s son Goro Miyazaki directed this coming-of-age animated film set in ’60s Yokohama. Highschooler Umi raises flags every morning, which catch the attention of Shun, who makes a poem about it. Umi ends up helping Shun publish the school paper and preserve the Latin Quarter, a historical but dilapidated building about to be demolished. Apparently, the two characters are connected more than they think.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
It’s a fantasy-action movie in the late Muromachi period. Ashitaka, a prince from Emishi village, defeats a demon who inflicts a curse on his arm and who turns out later to be a boar god. Ashitaka then sets out to Nago to find a cure to the curse. In the course of his journey to the west, he comes across San, a human raised by wolves and who hates humans for the destruction of the environment. Ashitaka finds himself caught in the crossfire involving gods and humans.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
The basis of the movie is a novel by Eiko Kadono. It’s a story about Kiki, a young witch who flees the family home to fend for herself by opening a delivery business. Things don’t start well as Kiki loses a stuffed toy and swaps it with her real cat while she looks for the item. She also has to deal with issues like losing her flying powers and her cat meeting another of his species.
Kaze no Tani no Naushika (1984)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind predated and paved the way for the creation of the animation company a year later. Nausicaä is the daughter of the ruler of the Valley of the Wind, which survives the apocalyptic Seven Days of Fire. This settlement is near Toxic Jungle or Sea of Decay, where mutant insects and plants thrive. The princess must foil the plan of another kingdom to eradicate the jungle that can send the earth to the path of annihilation.
Spirited Away (2001)
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi is a worldwide hit and the second-highest-grossing anime film in Japan. The movie starts with Chihiro’s family, who, en route to their new home, stops by a seemingly abandoned amusement park. Her parents feed on the food and turn into pigs. Chihiro must then free herself and her parents from the realm where everything is not what it seems.
A little fun fact about this animated movie is that it features a small Japanese traditional candy called konpeito. It is a rock sugar candy in the shape of a cross between a star and confetti and it is crunchy with a mildly sweet flavor. There are many foods and snacks featured in most Ghibli movies and some of them are well-loved treats that most Japanese know and grew up with. If you’re interested in Japanese sweets and the like, check out this guide.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Cofounder Isao Takahata helmed this tale with the remaining months of World War II as a backdrop. Siblings Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive the war that destroyed their home and killed their mother and, as the movie implies, their father. The two children make do with what they have, ultimately moving into an abandoned bomb shelter where they release fireflies to illuminate their surroundings. At one point, Setsuko asks, “Why do fireflies have to die soon?”
Only Yesterday (1991)
This movie particularly attracted adults with its theme of career, love, and life choices. Taeko, the protagonist, is visiting family in the countryside from Tokyo, where she spent most of her life. The trip, starting with the train ride, makes her nostalgic of her childhood and schoolgirl days. As she wallows in the memories of the past, she gets confronted by issues facing adults.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Given the film’s massive following around the world, it’s understandable why the studio has elected Totoro as its official mascot. My Neighbor Totoro follows the story of Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside to be near their mother’s treatment facility. The two become friendly with magical creatures in the forest, including the biggest, whose roar sounds like “totoro,” and the Catbus.
The World of Studio Ghibli
These Studio Ghibli movies will undoubtedly make you a fan or at least evoke respect and admiration for the animators and directors who painstakingly created each film. Look at the colour. It is one key aspect of these works and the subject of an exhibition at the Ghibli Museum.
Much attention is also paid to the musical scoring with some of the songs as noted above receiving love too. You can even find playlists containing the instrumental pieces from the movie, and these musical scores can be used for studying and relaxation.
You can’t also discount collectables that perpetuate or prove the popularity of the films. Items like books, bags, clothes, and figurines are not rare for favourite characters like Totoro.
As with capsule toys, you have to get them from vending machines in Japan. If you are interested in these small collectibles, subscribe to a gacha crate. You get toys from your favourite series, game, or Studio Ghibli movies / film, perhaps; who knows, it’s a surprise.
For more roundups check out Exceptionally Good Podcasts for Teens to Inspire and Entertain Them, Films I Want My Teenagers to Watch
