For many,Studio Ghibliis a staple of their childhood or coming-of-age whether one watched it inEnglish or Japanese. Founded in 1985, the Japanese animation studiohas done immense workon animated films, making some of the most recognizable titles and characters around the world. On the top-grossing animated lists for animated movies in Japan, Studio Ghibli movies claim five of those 10 slots, and out of the worldwide lists for highest-grossing Japanese movies, several Studio Ghibli titles appear on that list as well. Director Hayao Miyazaki, one of the co-founders of the company, has been a long-time collaborator on many of these films, and, despite saying he is going to retire, isreturning for one last moviein 2023:How Do You Live?.
But Studio Ghibli movies are not just for one age group: they appeal toboth kids and adultsalike. Whimsical and full of lessons about the way the world works and how people interact with each other, there’s quite a bit to learn from these movies. So, if one is looking for a movie night with the entire family, these 12 movies might be the perfect fit — especially if the kids like an element of fantasy to their shows and films.
12Castle in the Sky
Released in 1986,Castle in the Skywas the first movie Studio Ghibli ever put out into the world. It was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also wrote the storyline and script. The story takes place in the recent past, when an orphan, Sheeta, abducted by a government agent possesses a blue amulet that seems to be precious. When she falls off the airship and is found by another orphan, who brings her home, the people after Sheeta come to find her. As it turns out, she is a descendant of the family who ran a legendary floating city.
11The Red Turtle
The Red Turtlemade its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 before releasing in Japan and the rest of the world. The movie was an international production, as it featured the work of not only Japanese animators, but direction from a Dutch animator, Michaël Dudok de Wit, and several French companies were involved with producing the movie.
InThe Red Turtle’s story, a man washes up on a beach and discovers he is on an abandoned island. He first tries to escape but fails after three attempts. After befriending a sea turtle with a red shell, the turtle turns into a woman, and they fall in love with each other.
10The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Based on the centuries-old Japanese tale ofThe Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,The Tale of Princess Kaguyacame out in 2013 and would land a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. It was the final film directed by Isao Takahata, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli.
When a bamboo cutter discovers a girl inside the bamboo he’s cutting, he believes she is a divine spirit, so he and his wife take her in and raise her. He decides she must be a princess, and, when he moves the family to the capital, she becomes unhappy with what her life has become.
Hayao Miyazaki releasedPonyoin 2008, and it would become one of his most successful movies ever. The English-dubbed version of the movie featured Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Matt Damon, and Cate Blanchett, among many others.
Ponyois about a fish of the same name that, after getting captured by a fisherman and put in a glass jar, is now owned by a five-year-old human boy. When the fish’s wizard father summons her home, she defies his expectations and tries to live a life as a human on the surface. However, the magic used to do that could have disastrous consequences on the environment.
8Whisper of the Heart
Whisper of the Heart, which came out in 1995, was adapted from a Manga of the same name. It would be the only film director Yoshifumi Kondo directed before unexpectedly passing away three years after the movie’s release. I
ts protagonist is Shizuku, a 14-year-old living in Tokyo. She loves to read, and when she looks at her library books, she sees the same name written on all of the checkout cards. When she meets a mysterious boy, she follows a cat on a train and discovers a cat statue called The Baron. There, she meets the boy again, and throughout the movie, they bond over their love of books, as it was his name on her library checkout cards.
A film that’s secretly about the environment,Pom Pokois one of the more underrated classics in Studio Ghibli’s catalog. It takes an element of Japanese mythology called tanuki, raccoon dogs that can transform into anything, and juxtaposes their existence against 1960s Japan.
Set in Tokyo,Pom Pokobegins with development projects just outside the city. However, these projects will destroy the land that’s the tanuki’s natural habitat. With a time jump into the nineties, the tanuki’s home is almost destroyed, and they must unify to stop the threat to their lives.Related:The Best Anime Movies Not From Studio Ghibli
6Kiki’s Delivery Service
Considered to be one of the essential staples of all the movies that Studio Ghibli has ever released,Kiki’s Delivery Serviceis not one to be missed. The protagonist of the movie is Kiki, a young witch beginning her coming-of-age. She leaves home on her broom with her talking black cat and lands in a seaside town called Koriko.
There, she befriends a local boy her age and ends up working at a bakery, where she starts her own delivery service business. But throughout the movie, Kiki ends up losing touch with her witch side, and she must reconcile with herself before it’s too late.
5Spirited Away
The highest-ever grossing anime movie in the world,Spirited Awayis the most iconic Studio Ghibli movie released. The 2001 movie won the Academy Award the year it was released and is considered one of the best movies ever made because of how good it is.
10-year-old Chihiro is moving with her parents, and while heading to their new place, they accidentally end up in an abandoned amusement park. When her parents stumble upon a restaurant filled with food, Chihiro’s parents are turned into pigs. The amusement park is full of spirits and creatures, and if Chihiro wants to get her parents back, she must go through a series of tasks while preserving her humanity.
4My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totorois another staple in the Studio Ghibli lineup, and the character Totoro has become a symbol of the company. When a university professor moves into a new home with his two daughters in the 1950s to be closer to their ailing mother, the one daughter, Mei, realizes the house has many spirits in it. She follows them to a tree one day and discovers a large spirit that she names Totoro. Totoro and she become friends, but her family is unable to see his existence–until one day, her older sister can see him and become friends with him, too.Related:Suzume Review: Makoto Shinkai’s Newest Movie Is Visually Stunning but Formulaic and Repetitive
3The Cat Returns
The Cat Returnsis a spinoff ofWhisper of the Heart: the character of the Baron returns as one of the protagonists. Haru, a Japanese high schooler, can talk to cats. When she rescues a cat from almost getting hit on the road, and afterward, the cat reveals itself to be a Prince. He offers marriage to her, and while she doesn’t want to, he takes her answer as a yes. Haru ends up being led to the Cat Bureau through a voice, where she meets the Baron. When Haru is kidnapped and taken to the Cat Kingdom for her impending marriage, the Baron must get her out of there before she turns into a cat.
