How to get into the world of Ghibli movies

Ghibli movies are Japanese animated films produced from the Studio Ghibli under the guidance of of the legendary cartoonist and director Hayao Miyazaki along with director Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki. Started in 1985, its made films which encompassed a refreshing, soothing art style.

Studio Ghibli over the course of four decades has released over 26 feature films as well as several short films and projects. In this article we will discuss the discography of this studio and give you a complete guide to watch Studio Ghibli movies.

I am making this section in case you wish to explore a specific genre, you can skip to it or if you want movie reccomdation based on the level of familiarity you have with the studio movies. Here is the layout of the article:

Based on level

1. Movies to start your journey: Beginner

2. Explore further: Intermediate

3. Hidden gems: Advanced

Based on Genre

1. War Theme

2. High Fantasy

3. Shojo/ Romance

4. Magic

This is not a comparison of how good the movie is how much you know about the studio. Its about introducing new movies to your list on the basis of familiarity, how underrated they are and How you should start watching if you have no clue.

This level will include movies that are essential watches to get into Ghibli movies, these are extremely popular (for a reason!) and provide insight into why people fell in love with Ghibli in the first place.

One of the, if not the most popular Ghibli movie. Spirited away is a story about a young girl who transcends time and space into a world filled with witches, supernatural entities and monsters. The term “Spirited away” is derived from a old Japanese religious belief of human vanishing upon upsetting the Kami “gods”, the whole movie is filled with folklore and religious references.

Fantasy│Cozy│Cottage core│Adventure

An absolute fan favorite is the 4th feature film from the studio. My neighbor Totoro is a story about two sisters who move to the countryside with their father while their mother is recovering in a hospital. The movie follows them as they stumble upon the creature in the nearby forest, among which is the gentle giant spirit of the forest, Totoro.

Adventure│fantasy│Cozy

One of my personal favorites, this movie is about a little witch named Kiki who lives alone in the city as she learns to be independent. Soon she starts a flying delivery service to earn a living, accompanied by her cute but sarcastic taking cat Jiji. The film is a slice of life, coming of age tale and is o adorable and mindful in exploring a young girl navigating through life, friendship and hardships.

Slice of life│Coming of age│Fantasy

This is one of the most fascinating movies, the plot revolves around a ponyo who is a “gold fish like creature” who accidently gets trapped in a glass jar and drifts to the shore of a small village where is she rescued by a 5 year old boy names Sosuke. How ponyo navigates frienship, a new world and her growing desire to become a human through magic formas the basic premise of this movie.

Ocean│Fantasy│magic│friendship

The first official Studio Ghibli release, Castle in the sky is a movie about a young girl named Sheeta who acquires a mysterious crystal which is target of many high prolific people, along with her friend Pazu, she embarks on a journey to find the ancient sky city of Laputa. This film is filled with sky battles, politics, air crafts and friendship.

Adventure│Friendship│Sky city│Courage

This section will contain movies that are more complex in their execution of the plot and deal with themes other than light hearted slice of life.

After being cursed by a dying boar god, Prince Ashitaka travels west for a cure and lands straight into the middle of a brutal war between humans and the ancient forest gods. This movie is so good, it will make you questions the life around you; an absolute gem.

Adventure│dark fantasy│war│Forest

A community of shapeshifting tanuki find their forest habitat threatened by a massive suburban housing development. Using their magical transformation powers, they stage elaborate tricks to scare off human construction workers

Satire│Forest│Magic

One of the most beautiful stories ever animates, this movie tells the story of a young boy and his little sister struggling to survive in a poverty ridden japan during World War 2. Watch this movie if you wanna have an ugly cry.

Emotional│war│sibling│Semi biography

Technically, this isn’t a ghibli movie because it was made by the same artist before they officially named the studio, Ghibli but it kind of is a Ghibli movie. The story is set in a post apoclype world where a kindom called valley of wind is led by the fierce princess Nausicaa as she embarks on a quest to unite humanity and nature again.

Adventure│sci fi│fantasy│friendship

Shizuku is a book worm who notices every library book she checks out has already been borrowed by the same boy: Seiji. This unexpected discovery leads to start of a new friendship and self discovery

Coming of age│self discover│friendship│teenage

These are movies that deserve way more love than they get, this includes some of my favorites

Taeko, a 27-year-old unmarried office worker in Tokyo, takes a trip to the countryside to help harvest safflowers. Along the journey, memories of her 10-year-old self resurface, forcing her to confront childhood regrets, family pressure, and whether she is living the life she actually wanted. This is a very grounded cute tale, with a non linear structure that is so fun and emotional to watch at the same time.

Emotional│friendship│Drama

A story about enforcing societal handcuffs unto young women, his movie follows Kaguya who was found by a woodcutter growing inside a bamboo. When she grows up he takes her to the city to learn etiquette and marry a good suitor. The animation style of this film is so so beautiful.

Folk tale│female lead│cute

Anna, a lonely and self-loathing 12-year-old suffering from severe asthma, is sent to stay with relatives in a quiet seaside town. There, she meets an abandoned mansion befriends a girl named Marnie. This movie counters many themes like depression, foster care anxiety, and attachment issues.

Drama│mystery│horror│mental health

Presented as a series of comic-strip-style vignettes, the movie follows the everyday quirks, petty rivalries, and small triumphs of a typical modern Japanese family. This is is such a funny, cute movie, such a comfort watch.

Family│Funny│Shojo│Quirky

In 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I fighter ace named Marco Pagot lives as a freelance bounty hunter in the Adriatic Sea. Traumatized by the war, he has been turned into a pig. This movie feels like a fever dream, its funny, charming and endearing.

War│fascism│Survivors guilt

Now that we are past the levels, its time to divide the movies through genres. I won’t explain the movies as i have already done for 15, there are four main themes in Studio Ghibli movies:

• War Theme

• High Fantasy

• Shojo/ Romance

• Magic

  I. War Theme

• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

• Castle in the Sky (1986)

• Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

• Porco Rosso (1992)

• Princess Mononoke (1997)

• Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

• Tales from Earthsea (2006)

• The Wind Rises (2013)

• The Boy and the Heron (2023)

• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

• Castle in the Sky (1986)

• Princess Mononoke (1997)

• Spirited Away (2001)

• Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

• Tales from Earthsea (2006)

• Ponyo (2008)

• The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

• The Boy and the Heron (2023)

• Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

• Only Yesterday (1991)

• Porco Rosso (1992)

• Ocean Waves (1993)

• Whisper of the Heart (1995)

• Spirited Away (2001)

• The Cat Returns (2002)

• Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

• Ponyo (2008)

• The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

• From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

• The Wind Rises (2013)

• The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

• When Marnie Was There (2014)

• My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

• Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

• Pom Poko (1994)

• Spirited Away (2001)

• The Cat Returns (2002)

• Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

• Ponyo (2008)

• The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

• When Marnie Was There (2014)

• Earwig and the Witch (2020)

Alright that was it, I know this might be my longest article. If you made it this far thank you reading!! Let me know what are your favorite Ghibli movie.

Well now if you’ll excuse me, I have some Video tapes to return