The Top 10 Best Studio Ghibli Films

"Inspiration Unlocks The Future"

Often referred to as the Japanese equivalent to Disney, Studio Ghibli are arguably greater, if not more consistent, than their American counterparts. Founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki, the studio named after the Italian word for high-speed Mediterranean gale aimed to "blow a new wind through the anime industry." In transporting young and older audiences alike on adventures with roaming cat-buses  to shape-shifting raccoons as well as receiving numerous accolades in return for the past 30 years, it's clear to see that Ghibli's imaginative streak is an unparalleled masterclass that is both beautiful and moving. Indeed, what makes Ghibli so unique and different from a lot of other animation studios and their respected films, is the way in which it subtly amalgamates fantastical concepts with animated actions and movements of the characters that emanates realism. Their films have always treated their audience as intelligent; never-once talking down to their younger viewers or making the stories and themes presented seem over-wrought. As bittersweet as it was when Hayao Miyazaki announced after the release of his of The Wind Rises in 2014 that he would be retiring from making any more films and the fact that the disappointing box office figures of Ghibli's recent films resulted into the said studio to fall into "hiatus", there's still no reason to be dampened by what Ghibli have and still could produce. With their being recent reports suggesting that Miyazaki, again, could be going back to the directing high-chair to construct a feature-length Ghibli animation, which would for sure rival Studio Ponoc's arrival into the film/anime industry, and the fact that The Red Turtle subtly reinstated their names into the cinematic spotlight, it can't go unnoticed that Studio Ghibli aren't finished in providing fantastical and whimsical entertainment just yet. Since all of this is happening, it seems like the perfect excuse for myself to venture into the past Ghibli films and see which of these animated features still hold-up in the realm of today. Similar to my previous Blog Post where I listed the best Pixar films (https://rabbittevision.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/the-top-10-best-pixar-films.html), I'm going to rank the top 10 best Studio Ghibli films and how they each stack-up against one-another. Even at their 'worst', these films are second-to-none in comparison to other more familiarised animations...

Number 10 - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Isao Takahata, 2014)

Starting off this list with one of Ghibli's most successful recent efforts is Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya; an artistic piece of animation that eludes to the directors culmination of experimenting with abstract and differentiating animated techniques. In utilising a minimalist watercolour aesthetic, Kaguya offers a re-telling of the Japanese folk story 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter', using it as a framework to thoroughly explore the fleeting nature of wealth, status and morality. Presented in a storybook manner, it's not just that the watercolour imagery is so distinct and consistently gorgeous, Takahata implements the animation in a way that bends the reality shown to us to reflect the main characters state of mind. As the story and the young protagonist grows older, the world around her slowly sharpens with detail and it is only when she experiences massive distress when the art presented disintegrates into an impressionistic scribble of movement that's breathtaking and eerie to watch. While it may not be a film for everyone, it stands to be a film that show's Ghibli's diversity in artistic style and boldly shows what you can do with traditional animation techniques in this day-and-age...    

Number 9 - My Neighbour Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988)

Debuting as the second half of a double feature alongside another film within this list, Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbour Totoro stands today to be a Studio Ghibli films that epitomises the said studios fantastical and meaningful quality. While the plot itself is arguably not as grand as other films within the studio, the strength of Miyazaki's charming animation lies within the attainable personalities of the characters; from the dust-sprites, via Catbus to the bear-like Totoro himself who's become the mascot Ghibli since the films inception. One of the more imperative things to consider about My Neighbour Totoro is the way in which it approaches children experiencing a tragedy that they can't comprehend. Whereas a film like Grave of the Fireflies purposefully envelops ideas of children facing devastation in a rather blunt and clear-cut way, Totoro is amazingly subtle when dealing with a delicate theme such as this. The darker elements of the context never once override the film's pervasive sense of childhood wonder which, in turn, allow us to fondly remember the iconic moments - Totoro and the sisters waiting for the bus in the rain, the nighttime flight around the massive tree and the arrival of Catbus...

Number 8 - Kiki's Delivery Service (Hayao Miyazaki, 1989)

Along with the many notable cinematic motifs of environmentalism, flying and anthropomorphism that Studio Ghibli have projected into the vast array of films, one major theme that doesn't get recognised as much as it should is adulthood and how the majority of the characters shown in either Miyazaki or Takahata's films grow-up to become more mature and self-reliant. No other Studio Ghibli film presents this better than Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service; a fantastical animation that focuses on this transformation through the character of Kiki who, at the age of thirteen, leaves her home to find a job in the city suitable for aspirations in being a fully-fledged witch. Along with luscious flying sequences which are a normality to see within these films, Kiki's Delivery Service is a film that is brimming with charm and perfectly exemplifies Ghibli's all-knowing tendency to balance fantasy with reality. No aspect represents this than Kiki's pet cat, Jiji, who brings forth a welcoming comical demeanour. 

Number 7 - When Marnie Was There (Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2014)

As much as affiliated and devoted fans of Ghibli were disheartened when Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement in the wake of his animated feature of The Wind Rises, it has to be said that the arrival of of Hiromasa Yonebayashi's When Marnie Was There was just as equally emotional for Ghibli lovers since it was the last film the famed Studio produced before there short hiatus. While Marnie is a Ghibli film that arguably breaks away from the said studios formalities, with it focusing on a context that's primarily supernatural, it serves to be a poetic and emotional swansong that sincerely reflects on not only a young girl trying to find her own identity in a whimsical manner, but encapsulates Ghibli's way of presenting a wide-range of differentiating stories that all have their heartfelt moments. Indeed, as it sweeps you away with the attachment between two young characters, Yonebayashi's animated feature can be considered to be the perfect goodbye...For now.

Number 6 - The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, 2013)

If there's one film that Miyazaki has directed that perfectly embodies said directors beliefs and ideals on flying and the way in which he was brought up, it's his poignant farewell animated feature of The Wind Rises; a melancholy look at a man who wants nothing more than to fly planes but is prevented to do so due to his poor vision and subsequently funnels his passion for flight in being a master aerodynamic engineer. While it's not necessarily an auto-biographical picture, you can feel Miyazaki's voice shining through every frame of the film and with the narrative itself focusing on a rather realistic premise than something that it is full-blown fantastical, The Wind Rises is by far one of the studio's most mature affairs. As much as Ghibli is well-known to many for being a film company that produces and distributes films that are purposefully wondrous, Miyazaki's departing filmic piece is an prodigious example of the studios ability to tackle far-reaching serious topics with meaningful enthusiasm. 

Number 5 - Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata, 1988)

From one arduous filmic depiction of the confides of war to another, Isao Takahata's infamous and intimidating Grave of the Fireflies isn't like any atypical war film. Set on the backdrop of the final months of the Second World War, Grave of the Fireflies intricately follows the lives of two siblings as they deal with the aftermath of the death of their mother; first as they live with their stern relatives and then when they're on their own away from home. Released as a mainstream picture that thoroughly dispels the notion that animations are made solely for the purpose of younger audiences, Fireflies is one of the most affecting and intelligently paced depictions of war in an animated feature and will, for sure, leave but all the most cold-hearted viewers teary-eyed by the time the story ends. To devise an animation that not only, at the time of its release, connected the Japanese youth of the 80's with what their parents went through but also brings about this immersive realism through the scenarios that these young protagonists have to endure, isn't something that you see normally and makes for an heartbreaking and refreshing viewing experience. 

Number 4 - Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki, 1997)

In being the studio's crowning historical fantasy epic, Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke epitomises everything that everyone adores about both said director and Ghibli and is an animated feature that only gets better on repeated viewings. At over two-hours long, Mononoke is one of Ghibli's and Miyazaki's most boldest and memorable filmic pieces due to its themes of ecology and greed consistently colliding with each other in a manner that is transparent to events that take place elsewhere. From the colossal, ethereal gods of the forest to the captivating and visceral battle sequences between sets of characters that individually share plausible motives for what they want, not only does Mononoke rival the epic proportions seen in other like-minded fantasy features such as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy of films, but its deliberate and complex way in which the film instruments relative themes on environmentalism and selfishness is unparalleled and is reinforced by the viciousness of the action depicted; something which Disney, at the time, wanted to cut-out for American cinemas but was rightly refused by Miyazaki himself.

Number 3 - Castle in the Sky (Hayao Miyazaki, 1986)

Borrowing the floating island concept from Jonathan Swift's 18th century satire Gulliver's Travels,  Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky was the first animated feature to be released under the Ghibli banner and it's arguably their best. Set in an alternate/dystopian Victorian era filled with sky pirates and steam powered war-machines, Castle in the Sky remains to be one of Miyazaki's most action-filled, plot heavy and adventured filled films to date. As much as the straightforward-adventure plot structure doesn't warrant anything deeply meaningful in comparison to other Ghibli features that have come and graced the silver-screen, what is so riveting to notice about Ghibli's first feature is the way in which it envelops you into the fantastical fray. Containing stunning and innovative character and mechanical designs, it's easy to understand how much thought and passion Miyazaki and the rest of the animators put-in  towards a feature that, to this day, doesn't feel out of place in comparison to animations of today.

Number 2 - Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)

In commandeering certain story elements from Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed and Oscar-winning breakthrough hit of Spirited Away remains today to be not only the pinnacle of what animation can uphold in the cinematic industry, but is also considered to be one of Ghibli's greatest works; perfectly mixing the magical wonder and underlying dark themes with one another. In being a frequent contender on audiences 'films I need to watch before I die' lists, what is paramount to perceive of this animated fantasia is the vast array of imaginative beings, creatures and characters there are that culminate the run-time. With every-frame of the film displaying something new and beautiful, Spirited Away's rather engageable yet formulaic story-structure makes for an accessible film; even to those not familiar with the anime-genre. From No-Face's arrival to the bath-house to Chihiro's relationship with the enigmatic Haku, the fact that Spirited Away moves seamlessly between these memorable moments is truly a testament to Miyazaki's film-making craftsmanship.

Number 1 - Howl's Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004)

Based on the novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynn Jones, Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle centralises its story around Sophie, a young milliner who turns into an old woman by a wicked witch and encounters a young wizard named Howl in the hope of dispelling not only her own curse, but that of the wizard's inner blight as well. Following-on from the much acclaimed success of Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle boasts some of the best quality animation the famed studio has had to offer. As much as the exquisite animated illustrations of magic-grandeur and visceral backdrops of Victorian city-scapes and mountains bring about the necessary enjoyment for the younger demographic to grasp at, this 2004 animated feature simply offers more to it's story than just your atypical fantasy flick. Basing its story around themes of confidence and innocent love, you won't find another animated feature quite like this one which touches the hearts and minds older viewers and will stick with you long-after watching. In featuring an Eng-Dub cast which includes Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer and Billy Crystal, Howl's Moving Castle deserves to be placed as one of the better Ghibli films that has ever been released, despite the nonsensical criticism of those who damn the filmic piece due to it's critique on modernity, youth and war. Although many of you reading will opt for another film to be placed in this position, this is a film that will always remain to be my favourite Ghibli film since it opened many door ways. 

With that, it's time for me to end today's latest Blog Post. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest Film List where I go through my top 10 best Studio Ghibli films. If I'm honest, listing these films was very difficult and even though I'm sure some of you will disagree on the positioning of some of the films discussed, I think what we can all agree on is that all the films that I have mentioned are all great animations to watch. Anyone of these films could easily be picked for a persons 'favourite films of all time' list. Anywho, if you think that another Studio Ghibli films should have been placed on my list instead of a film that I have gone and mentioned, feel free to drop a comment down below. It'll be intersting to see what films you recommend that should be placed on this listing. As far as the norm of film reviewing is concerned, I'm officially back from my break! 👐😆 and I should have a review for you later this week on Friday! 😁 You may have noticed that my Blog looks a bit different. I thought I would change it up a bit to look more appealing since I'm applying a few changes. One of which is to hopefully bring you two Blog Posts per week now, instead of just one. I know I can try harder and give you more things to read which is what I want to try and do for you all! 👍 Once again, thank you for reading my latest Blog Post and I'll see you all later this week! Have a nice day! Adieu! 😎✌