June 15th, 2020 marked 35 years since Studio Ghibli was officially founded by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata with producer Toshio Suzuki! Studio Ghibli has gone on to produce 21 films – with another two on the way – alongside several short films, games, TV commercials, and a TV movie, with six of its films being listed among the 10 highest-grossing anime films of all-time. Prior to the foundation of the studio, Miyazaki and Takahata already had established careers in Japanese film and television animation, having worked together on The Great Adventures of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968) and a series of Panda! Go, Panda! films (1972, 1973, and 1978), while the studio itself was founded after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), based on an original manga by Miyazaki.
The studio name is derived from the Italian word ghibli which describes the hot desert winds that blow from North Africa, as the studio was said to “blow a new wind through the anime industry.” Also, the name of the Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli Italian aircraft, an interest in which Miyazaki has had from an early age. While a more direct transliteration of the Italian word in Japanese Katakana would be Giburi (ギブリ), the studio name is written as Jiburi (ジブリ).
For the most part, the studio’s catalogue prominently features Miyazaki lead projects with the likes of My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke being among the most popular. Takahata, known for Grave of Fireflies and My Neighbours the Yamadas, is recognised as the second most prolific director, though other directors have worked alongside Ghibli – including Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki, who directed Tales From Earthsea (2006), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) and the upcoming Earwig and the Witch.
With 35 years of animated classics, picking favourites from the Ghibli catalogue isn’t exactly easy. Whether you’re more into grounded dramas, fantastical childhood imaginary worlds, swords and magic, or pigs gunning planes in spectacular dogfights, Studio Ghibli has something for everyone, with an exceptionally memorable cast of characters and mascots! Including but not limited to cats that turn into buses, samurai raccoons, a giant baby à la Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), and of course a fish that turns into a human girl…
While it’s tempting to list, say… all of the Ghibli filmography at number 1, certain films are simply too enchanting, beautifully animated, and magic not to be counted as the best of the best. As such, even with a catalogue as creative and captivating as Ghibli’s, even their best films stand apart from the rest…
1 – Laputa Castle in the Sky (1986, directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
While Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is often considered a Ghibli film, it was produced and released before the studio was officially founded, making the 1986 Laputa: Castle in the Sky the studio’s first film – and my personal favourite! It follows a young orphan girl, Sheeta, and a boy named Pazu as they race against a military group led by Muska to find the legendary floating castle, Laputa, while keeping a crystal with mystical properties safe from thieving pirates and pursuing government agents. As with many of Ghibli’s other classic animations, Laputa is brought to life with gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations, concept art from Miyazaki himself, and a stunning orchestral score from Ghibli veteran composer, Joe Hisaishi.
Castle in the Sky is recognised for its strong influence in the steampunk genre, as well as having inspired numerous films and games, particularly in Japan, with the likes of Final Fantasy V (1992) and VI (1994) with their steampunk aesthetics and airships, Skies of Arcadia (2000), as well as BioShock Infinite (2013) and the Disney animation, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).
2 – When Marnie Was There (2014, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi)
With John C. Reilly and Kathy Bates lending their voices for the English dub, When Marnie Was There is based on the 1967 Joan G. Robinson novel of the same name and was Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s final directed film for Ghibli before quitting the studio. It follows an introverted young girl named Anna Sasaki, who lives with her foster parents in Sapporo. However, after collapsing from a severe asthma attack, a doctor recommends sending her to stay somewhere with cleaner air to recover, and so she spends her summer break with her foster mother’s relatives in the rural, seaside town, Kissakibetsu. It is here that she finds an abandoned mansion across a salt marsh, which, of course, she feels the inner Mystery Incorporated need to investigate. Unlike most abandoned mansions in horror movies, thankfully this one is home to a friendly blonde-haired girl, the titular Marnie, and the two become quick friends. If this wasn’t a hearty Ghibli feature, perhaps this would be the story of how Anna Sasaki walked into a mansion and met Marnie, who proceeded to transform into a ghastly, towering creature, and then ate her without a second thought…
Blending a more grounded world with some lighter fantasy elements than most other Ghibli films, perhaps more akin to a Shinkai narrative like Your Name, the blossoming friendship between the two is endearing and captivating, with plenty of heartfelt moments that can emotionally impact even the most hardened Ghibli fans! Naturally, the original novel saw a boost in sales internationally following the success of the film…
3 – Princess Mononoke (1997, directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
Arguably one of Miyazaki’s most profound narratives, presenting poignant themes about environmental protection and the damaging effects of pollution and industry, the story centres on Ashitaka as he seeks a way to lift a curse inflicted upon him by a bore transformed into a demon by Eboshi. During his travels, he comes across Irontown, a refuge for outsiders and social outcasts, including lepers who are employed to manufacture firearms. Lead by Lady Eboshi who has been clearcutting forests to produce iron, Irontown has come into conflict with a wolf pack, with a human girl, San, leading the charge, introducing powerful forests spirits, deities, and demons to produce some of Ghibli’s most captivating and creative visuals.
Princess Mononoke is a film that presents deeper, more mature themes that criticise aspects of modern society – particularly of industrialisation, gendered divisions of the labour workforce, and the exploitation or total disregard for disabled people. While many have cited Studio Ghibli as a “Japanese Disney,” the maturity and complexity of Princess Mononoke show that this comparison simply doesn’t do Miyazaki’s storytelling justice. It’s another example of an exemplary Hisaishi score, but the visuals for this film are stunning, drawing from Miyazaki’s own sketches that make use of real-life locations such as the ancient Yakushima forest in Kyushu. The films influence can be felt in wider popular culture as well, including the recent The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) which recalls visual design and thematic ideas prominent in Princess Mononoke, including demonic creatures, pastoral plains, forests, and even Link’s own design, which bears similarities to Ashitaka.
4 – The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013, directed by Isao Takahata)
Based on the 10th-century Japanese story The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was co-written and directed by Isao Takahatta and is the most expensive Japanese film produced as of 2020. It’s a fantasy drama that follows the life of a small girl found inside a bamboo shoot by a bamboo cutter, Sanuki no Miyatsuko, who believes her to be of divine descent. As she grows at a rapid rate, she becomes known as “Takenoko” (Little Bamboo), developing close friendships with some of the village children – particularly Sutemaru. When Miyatsuko comes across gold and fine cloth in the same bamboo grove he discovered his daughter, however, he sees this as proof of her heritage, and devises plans to make her a real princess and move up in the world as a noble…
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya not only offers a captivating fantasy tale akin to an Aesops narrative, rich in folklore that preach morale messages about greed, but it is instantly recognisable for its unique art direction, which recalls a more traditional Japanese painterly style. With an inky brushstroke aesthetic, simplistic colour pallet and expressive character animation, it’s easily among Studio Ghibli’s most beautiful animations, and surely Isao Takahata’s best feature.
5 – My Neighbour Totoro (1988, directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
Released alongside the considerably depressing Grave of the Fireflies in 1988, My Neighbour Totoro introduced us to Studio Ghibli’s most iconic mascot, the titular Totoro, and has grossed over $1.142 billion from licensed merchandise alone as of September 2019! Miyazaki began working on My Neighbour Totoro shortly after Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), while Isao Takahata worked on his own production, the animated war film Grave of the Fireflies based on the 1967 novel of the same name.
It primarily follows sisters Satsuki and Mei, who move to a new house with their father, Tastuo Kusakabe, so they can be closer the hospital their mother, Yasuko, is being treated at for a long-term health condition. However, they discover the house and nearby forest are home to playful spirits, which leads them to meet a larger creature, Totoro – the guardian of the ancient forest. Along with a bus-shaped cat, the fantasy element of My Neighbour Totoro recalls an active childhood imagination, making for one of Studio Ghibli’s staple and most charming animated features, though those who like to read into some of the themes of the film might be surprised to find hints at a potentially darker undertone, particular in the latter half of the film, making it as enjoyable for younger audiences as it is for mature viewers. And as with just about every great Ghibli movie, it of course boasts a spectacular score from Joe Hisaishi with beautiful concept work from art director Kazuo Oga, which inevitably became associated as the Studio Ghibli trademark style, based on original watercolour art by Hayao Miyazaki.
