18. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: I rather like the rest of these movies (which are a B- or above starting now), but I imagine people might balk at my placement of Nausicaa. This sci-fi environmentalist story reminds me a bit of Final Fantasy in some ways. The flying scenes are a real highlight, particularly later in the film when Nausicaa is escaping an enemy airship. I also really enjoyed the quiet exploration the movie opens with, culminating in a chase sequence that's our introduction to the fourteen-eyed Ohm creatures. This movie has a lot of world-building and exposition through dialogue--a bit too much for my tastes, frankly. It does feel well-realized, but I found it a little overwhelming and felt that it got in the way of what I tend to look for in Ghibli films: 1) quieter, atmospheric moments, 2) endearing characters, and 3) whimsical, visually creative sequences. To be blunt, the dialogue in these movies is rarely a highlight and is sometimes only serviceable. Even so, this is a pretty fun adventure with quite a spectacle of a finale. The environmentalist message is a little heavy-handed in this one and I think was handled with more deftness in Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke.

17. Howl's Moving Castle: I can’t help but feel that Howl is kind of a lesser, less atmospheric Spirited Away. It certainly has some whimsical, iconic, and majestic moments and some of the characters really make an impression, but it also has similar problems of Spirited Away where certain plot points just sort of happen without a proper buildup.The castle itself is whimsical and I enjoy the character of Calcifer, but overall it's a bit disjointed. Miyazaki's films often have a love subplot (which I generally enjoy), but it felt a little hamfisted here as I had trouble pinpointing how/when exactly the main characters fell for each other or why the villain does what she does. It certainly is imaginative though.

16. Ponyo: This is a cute take on The Little Mermaid that made me smile a lot. Weird, random moments like Ponyo squeezing the baby's cheeks really add to the characters feeling like real kids rather than just plot devices. The spunky mom was memorable as well and I really enjoyed the morse code interaction with the dad. When the movie starts getting grandiose in scope with the end of the world and the giant moon and stuff, I feel that it bites off more than it can chew. And the climax is a little underwhelming with the kid just saying "Sure, I love her" or whatever as his final test. Also a little weird that they needed these two six-year-olds or whatever to basically get engaged, but that’s more minor since it’s meant to be a pretty light fairy tale type story. It’s a fun film overall and doesn't overstay its welcome.

15. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro: I'm going into the world of Lupin III completely blind here, but this movie was a good introduction to it. He's a bit of a scoundrel and a bit of a hero, and it's fun to see what sorts of tricks and traps he'll employ to get the upper hand. The main storyline is pretty light--stop the creepo, save the girl--but it's got a fun adventurous feel to it. A couple of the characters in Lupin's gang just kind of seem along for the ride without really being a solid part of the story, but they help lighten the mood and give our hero some much-needed backup, while I felt the female lead was pretty forgettable. The hot-tempered detective and female spy were good fun though. All in all, a pretty solid film although I feel it's kind of a prototype to Castle in the Sky, which was a little more my speed.

14. The Wind Rises: It helps to know a little bit of the backstory going into this film, as it seems largely autobiographical for Miyazaki's own career--his focus on work over family, his mom suffering from tuberculosis, and what the movie has to say about art and following one's dreams in general. One character remarks in a poignant line that you're only inspired for about a decade when you're an artist, which I hope Miyazaki doesn't apply to his own work! Anyway, it's a smart movie with some ambitious themes, but I won't lie--it's a bit hard to get through. It's lengthy and more importantly, feels long with a lot of calm, dialogue scenes between calm and soft-spoken people, and it did make me a little sleepy a few times. Ultimately though, pacing issues notwithstanding it's a pretty cool swan song for Miyazaki (even though he's apparently still working on another film, hah).

13. My Neighbors the Yamadas: You’ve made it halfway through my rankings! And sitting smack in the middle of my list is the quirky comedy My Neighbors the Yamadas. If Castle in the Sky is Spielberg-esque, Kiki is Disney-esque, Pom Poko and Arrietty are Pixar-esque…then Yamadas is The Simpsons (with a little bit of Peanuts thrown in). From the short-tempered blowhard dad to put-upon housewife and the hapless son who's sort of a Lisa/Bart blend, this slice-of-life comedy definitely channels some of the simple charm of America's animated shows. Not every bit works but it did get me to laugh a number of times at the goofiness onscreen, and the characters have enough depth to carry the film. It's a little loose and the art style oscillates between appropriately simple and appealing to slightly lazy, but still a good palette-cleanser after all the more dramatic, emotional films in the lineup.

12. From up on Poppy Hill: Apparently there's this whole to-do about Hayao Miyazaki's son taking the reigns to mixed results, and most Ghibli fans agree this entry is a big improvement over his first one (Tales from Earthsea). Goro’s other two films have already been covered at the beginning of this post but I enjoyed Poppy Hill well enough--the '60s Tokyo setting is enticing and the period-appropriate music really stands out. While the songs can get a bit overbearing at points just in comparison to how low-key a lot of this film is, it's got a lot of personality and I'm pretty sure there's even an overt Koichi Sugiyama reference to an old pop song of his in the OST. The leads were likable enough and the theme of old vs new really spoke to me. On the down side, the brother/sister plot line is a bit of an odd one and kind of peters out in a flaccid way, but this wasn't a bad showing by ol' Goro Miyazaki.

11. Spirited Away: Here it is—my big controversial placement. This movie has been frequently lauded as a masterpiece, the crowning jewel of Ghibli and indeed of all modern animation, and the winner of the 2003 Best Animated Feature award. The last of which I might agree with, actually (sorry Stitch)—Spirited Away, like most Miyazaki films, really excels in animation, music, and a tangible atmosphere. This film feels really cozy and serene in spots, despite the protagonist's fear and confusion. So I do think it's worth watching on those merits alone, especially if someone's tired of the sugar-infused obnoxiousness of so many animated films here in the US. This is an imaginative, unpredictable and super-creative movie.

So here’s my problem: this movie's plotting is kind of a mess. Things just sort of happen with no real build-up or motivation. The boy is a dragon, the dragon is attacked by these paper...things, one of the paper things is the witch's twin sister who we've never heard of and she was trying to apparently kill the boy for him taking her treasure, an object we've never heard of and have no real idea of its value or importance. The baby and old-lady-bird-thing get turned into other creatures and decide to just hang around Chihiro, etc. I really like Chihiro's personal journey of growth and in showing kindness to others (the bath scene with the stink spirit is the movie's high point and a wonderful spectacle), but a lot of these details just kind of feel made up as the movie goes along. I feel like the pacing is off as well; things get slow around the time she gets on the train since it feels like we've gone through two climaxes and the final act of the movie is pretty subdued (IMO the river spirit reveal would have a lot more oomph if we knew more about Chihiro's trauma in the past).

It’s absolutely a film worth watching for its numerous merits. Personally, I had trouble just rolling with the story elements after a while, at least to the degree where I couldn’t put it above the remaining ten (very good) movies…

10. Grave of the Fireflies: This was a tough watch. Confirming the deaths of the children at the beginning of the movie removes some of the shock that comes later, but has this added effect of the viewer knowing that ultimately, they're headed towards their doom the entire film. This gives everything a kind of bleak, hopeless feel in lieu of shocking devastation...although there is a bit of that as well in the opening act with their mother's injuries. When your movie is essentially two children starving to death across most of its runtime, it runs the risk of being bleak just for the sake of bleakness. And honestly I thought a couple sequences were reveling too much in the sadness of it all. But this film still has plenty to say and think about, and thankfully enough moments of happiness and character development that it still succeeds as a story and not just as a dire black hole of soul-crushing emptiness!

One of the little nuggets of joy to cling onto here comes across in Ghibli's trademark eye for detail. Little moments like Setsuko struggling to remove her pants at the beach, or the fruit drops clinging together in the can, or the long, quiet pans over serene environments untouched by people really help humanize the characters and this world. The iconic firefly/netting scene was tranquil and lovely. Some people have a big problem with Seita's stubbornness and refusal to return to his aunt's even when they were dying of illness and malnutrition, but I took that as commentary on our pride and misunderstanding of the severity of some situations. Plus, he was like 12. The movie certainly shows the devastating effects of war, but it felt to me like the themes were less directly about that and more about Japan's nationalism and some Japanese selfishness at the time (seen in many of the characters who interact with the kids). All in all, a brutal movie but a good one. Might wanna have a second film chaser on hand so you don’t cry yourself to sleep at night (this was a double-feature with Totoro during its debut, so that’s a good one to help wash the sadness away).

(A side note—this is the only film that I felt compelled to change from dubbed to subtitled partway through. I felt the voice actors didn’t do the movie justice, unlike the rest of these)



9. When Marnie Was There: Upon my first watch, this drama-mystery felt a lot more like a drama-romance. I think part of that might be due to the localization—it really felt like the film was implying that the lead Anna was working through her feelings for the enigmatic but friendly Marnie. But while it seems like a lesbian love story at first “blush,” it’s actually meant to be something completely different (and given the nature of the ending, I don’t think this was actually intended to be a mislead). As such, I found it a little jarring how the movie seems to be about one thing and then abruptly switches gears. But maybe I’m just not as familiar with how personable, emotionally open, and physical female platonic friendships can be.

Enough of that. That element aside, this is actually a really compelling story with a well-written lead and a good look at how social anxiety can be crippling (and overcome). The ending is perhaps the biggest tearjerker in Ghibli’s canon—at least with the exception of those Fireflies above—and the resolution with Anna feels way more earned than The Cat Returns’ lead suddenly being more confident. While some of the dialogue is a little flat or on-the-nose, this is an intensely likable film that looks and sounds great and features well-defined characters. A sleeper hit of sorts.



8. Kiki's Delivery Service: Miyazaki seems to be channelling Walt Disney here, which I’d say is a very good thing in this case. It's got a nice sense of optimism and whimsy, though the story has a more traditional structure (cartoon movie-wise, anyway) than something like Spirited Away or Totoro. On the plus side, it’s also lacking those odd out-of-nowhere plot points that bothered me in Spirited and Howl. And it’s less trite than you’d expect, covering themes of losing your passion and dealing with depression with deftness and tenderness. But going back to that Disney comparison, there's even a wisecracking talking cat! Voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman, no less. "You may remember me from such films as Kiki's Delivery Service..."



7. The Secret World of Arrietty: We’re into the A-tier with these final movies. I hadn't heard much about Ghibli's take on The Borrowers story, so I went in with basically no expectations. Turns out, this movie was just what I was looking for. It's thoughtful, pensive, beautifully illustrated and has atmosphere to spare. The concept of taking a closer look at the natural beauty around us is right up Ghibli's alley, and it's always fun in these kinds of stories seeing things like kitchen counters become these imposing cliffs, etc. The themes are a little light in comparison to most of their filmography but make some salient points about risk and fear of the unknown, I found the ending emotional, and the dub is really good too (minus the lead boy Sean, who sounds a little stilted). I mentioned that Pom Poko had elements of Pixar in it, but this one's wayyy closer to Pixar stylistically and in terms of storytelling. It’s not the most original of their work but I sure found it enchanting. All in all, my pick for most underrated of their films.



6. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya: Now, one of my criticisms across the board with Ghibli films is that they can be about 20 minutes too long. I think that also applies here, where Kaguya sort of loses the plot for a time, or takes a bit too long to set a mood. That said, this movie is gorgeous! Definitely one of the prettiest animated films I've ever seen, utilizing an impressionist brush stroke approach that conveys some serious emotion and life in every frame. It's got this sort of sumi-e or wall scroll look that reminds me a little of Zelda: The Wind Waker's bold departure, bolstered by the usual quality soundtrack. And despite my problems with its pacing, the story is strong as well, focusing on themes of humanity, expectations, the joy of nature, the treatment of women, and even questions about the afterlife and whether our emotions (negative ones included) make us more human. I can have mixed feelings on some of Isao Takahata’s work but I feel like I really “get” him with this and Fireflies. There’s a rich sadness here and the ending is quite bold and memorable. It's a thoughtful, lovely film and I really liked it.



5. Whisper of the Heart: Whisper of the Heart is often advertised with one of the film’s (very few) fanciful dream sequences, but the true strength of this story is in how grounded and relatable it is. It’s a drama/romance slice-of-life tale in 90s Tokyo and everything just works. The well-defined lead character, Shizuku, is easy to root for and the themes of budding artistry are deftly explored. This isn’t a movie about prodigies or effortless talent—it’s about just starting out and making something that has the potential for greatness.

I also found it extremely cozy. From the distinctive setting and the attention to detail, the familial relationships between the characters and the multiple dimensions each had, this is a Ghibli movie through and through. Whisper’s best moment, however, comes around the mid-point of the movie when Shizuku comes out of her shell just enough to sing her modified (translated) lyrics to “Country Roads”—words that very much encapsulate the themes of this story—and begins to realize both her love for the male lead and for creativity. No extra polish required—this is a hidden gem for sure.



4. Porco Rosso: This action-packed take on dogfighting films and Bogart was solid entertainment through and through. The grouchy Porco is a breath of fresh air compared to the usual protagonists, being a grizzled, tough middle-aged dude with survivor's guilt. The cast in general and themes are endearing and memorable, and it's easily one of the funniest Ghiblis, with multiple really great comedic moments. As always, the fun is interspersed with deceptively rich character moments and themes. The music is a tad understated for Joe Hisaishi, and there are a few elements that seem cribbed from other movies (notably the comedic pirate crew, who basically have the same arc as Castle in the Sky's) but this is still a great watch. Heartfelt, good characters, lots of fun! Zero speaks the truth.



3. Castle in the Sky: This was recommended to me in this thread a few times after I voiced my complaints about some Ghiblis being too surreal, and I can now see why. This is a great little film! I can see some people thinking it's too straightforward-action-movie fare compared to the more surreal Miyazakis, but darned if I wasn't entertained. Castle in the Sky features the strengths associated with this line of films (excellent animation, endearing character design, great music) but in a rousing, steampunk adventure featuring pirates and cannons and death-machines. It honestly gave me Skies of Arcadia vibes at a few points, which is very much a good thing. The sequence through the storm comes to mind as both beautiful and thrilling.

I also liked the characters. The main boy (Pazu) is likable and has a distinct voice, and while the main girl (Sheeta) is not as memorable, she goes through some character growth by the end that I think the boy doesn’t, while the pirate crew gave me Team Rocket vibes. Pretty dramatic climax too. All in all, a lovely and exciting adventure, even if there are quite a few super-convenient coincidences to give the leads plot armor.



2. Princess Mononoke: One nigh-universal complaint I've had about these movies is that almost all of them past the 2-hour mark are a little too long and could've used a cut here or there. Princess Mononoke is a whopping 137 minutes, I'd seen it in the past but barely remembered it, and I thought Nausicaa was a bit too heavy-handed with its "save the Earth" theme--so I was going in with somewhat lowered expectations…

However, this movie was great! I actually felt it didn't drag at all and used its runtime to properly developed its (rather brutal) world and characters. The visuals were stunning and a testament to how much effort was put into the film, with a number of wild sequences that looked like a nightmare to animate. The cast is done well too, with people all over the morality scale, which bolstered the themes of man/nature/beast coexistence.

As for the environmentalist plot that felt a little basic for me in Nausicaa? I thought here, it was actually quite nuanced with many shades of gray, which I appreciated. It felt like the theme of the movie was rallying more against concepts of revenge and hatred than just "don't cut down trees" or whatever. That said, it can be a slightly tough watch at times due to the trademark grotesque Ghibli creature design mixed with gore (I could’ve done without the fast-rotting carcass of a beast or the encrusted eyelids of the blind boar leader, etc) so it’s not going to be one I return to a lot, necessarily. But it sure was impressive and told a good story, and when it was done, I felt like I watched a real epic and quite an achievement in animation.


1. My Neighbor Totoro: Ready, set, let's go!

The climax of this film involves a young girl delivering an ear of corn to her mother. Plotwise, it’s as simple and basic as it gets, but that’s not the point. My Neighbor Totoro paints a picture of childhood so clearly and so honestly that I can’t help but be impressed and charmed each time I see it. The heart of the movie is in a pair of unbelievably-well-characterized girls, both dealing with the darker elements of the world in their own way. In a lot of ways, My Neighbor Totoro is about coping with fear, but in the most joyful, whimsical way possible. A haunted house is something exotic and appealing, a crumbling front porch is fun, and a furry, toothy giant is so docile that a child can take a nap on his tummy.

The cast is an all-star lineup: Mei is adorable in her mirroring her older sister, her constant insistence that she’s not scared, and her wide-eyed wonder at finding the magic in nature. Satsuki is caught between the fun-loving whimsy of early childhood and the responsibilities she feels compelled to take on in her mother’s absence. Their father Tatsuo encourages the girls’ imaginations and helps them look on the bright side. Granny is caring if a little misguided, Kanta is basically every crush-ridden boy you knew in elementary school to a T, while the mystical Totoro and Catbus really steal the show with their limited screentime.

Due to its laid-back structure, the film breaks all the rules of storytelling and it’s actually gotten me to re-evaluate the kinds of tales that can still be told effectively without adhering to a strict “ruleset”. The quieter moments of observing nature, the tiny elements of characterization through movement, the three-dimensional characters that reflect children perfectly without making them into catchphrase-shouting mini-adults…these are Ghibli-defining features, and I’d argue that none of their repertoire nails these elements quite like Totoro does. Despite the wave of merchandise associated with him, Totoro himself appears rather sparingly in the film (not even showing up until about half an hour in), making the most of his limited screentime. Ultimately, this is the girls’ movie, and Totoro’s merely there on the sidelines to help them cope and aid in their sense of discovery and wonder.

I could go on for a while with a deeper analysis of the movie, the nature of Totoro and reality, the parallels with the Three Billy Goats Gruff, the role Satsuki feels burdened with and how it comes crumbling down when the reaches her breaking point…but the important thing is, this movie is just joy personified. It’s enchanting, funny, thoughtful, pensive, achingly nostalgic and masterfully drawn. It’s basically my film equivalent of EarthBound, and a movie that I wish I could’ve grown up with and associated with childhood. But that’s okay—now my kids can!

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Whew, that was a lot of typing. It's late and I'm starting to feel like the Stink Spirit, so it's time to hit the bath. I'd be curious to hear of your own thoughts about these films, which ones resonated with you, which ones had you scratching your head, which ones I should give another shot to. And keep an eye out for "How Do You Live?", Hayao Miyazaki's next film. And supposedly his final film (yeah, I've heard that one before)!

If you didn't "tl;dr" this business, then thanks for spending 15 minutes of your day reading some random dude's opinion of twenty-five different Japanese animated movies. Sayonara!

Your top 5 are pretty close to my top 5. Porco Rosso often gets overlooked... I overlooked it myself for a long time... but then I finally watched it and was like woah, this is one of the best!

I've only seen Ponyo, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro. Good to know I've seen the number one in your list! I did love it! If I ever get the chance to watch others, I'll take to this list for recommendations.

Totoro is indeed pretty great, and given that I'm trying to be fully non-argumentative upon returning I won't even point out the utter insanity of Spirited Away falling out of the Top 10, let alone the Top 3.

@J.K. Riki
Welcome back! Yeah, Spirited Away has some of my favorite sequences in any of the Ghiblis, I just wish it came together as a whole a bit more for me. But I wouldn't want to dump on anyone's opinion of this repertoire of films--they each have their own particular strengths except Earwig.

TriforceBun said:

except Earwig.

I don't want to dump on Goro Miyazaki, he's probably a nice guy and all, but this definitely feels like a case where if he wasn't the son of Hayao he wouldn't be anywhere near directing movies for Ghibli. From Up on Poppy Hill was pretty solid though.

@TriforceBun

Now I'm curious, lol. Maybe I'll have to get that one from the library to see why it is so disliked!

Our overall thoughts on each film line up remarkably similar, and the rankings wouldn't be too far off, either. Always happy to see another appreciator of Arrietty and Whisper of the Heart in particular.

My Ghibli hot takes are that I wasn't as into Porco Rosso as most (maybe because the library DVD was damaged and I missed at least a few scenes entirely...), and I found Kaguya to be an absolute slog, despite how pretty it was at times. I also remember liking Pom Poko a lot for its messy morality and characters, which seems to irk most viewers. I don't know, it lent the whole thing a birds-eye documentary feel that I liked for its subject matter.

I think it's been five years or so since I watched most of these, and back then they were only available on physical media, so in a lot of cases I watched them on scratched DVDs I got from the library. Maybe I should check them out again soon, now that they're available to stream.

Ghibli fans should also check out the Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, and Never-Ending Man documentaries. I enjoyed the window they provided to Miyazaki's day-to-day life and the actual Studio Ghibli.