Any fan of animation knows the name Studio Ghibli. The Japanese animation studio has made a name for itself by crafting some of the greatest animated films of all time. The studio was founded in 1985 by established animators Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki. Over the next three decades and 23 movies, Studio Ghibli produced some of the best coming-of-age, fantasy and family films of all time. Studio Ghibli is a creative and box office powerhouse. Five of the studio’s films are among the highest-grossing anime feature films and five have received Academy Award nominations in the states. With everything from theme park in Nagakute, Japan, to art exhibitions in the U.S., Studio Ghibli has a dedicated fan base, especially for its high-quality film output and memorable characters. But what is the best way to jump into Studio Ghibli’s filmography? Whether it is with every Studio Ghibli movie in order or Studio Ghibli movies ranked, this list will break down how to watch every Studio Ghibli film.
Studio Ghibli Films In Order Of Release
While this should be simple, there is a little bit of debate when it comes to “how many Studio Ghibli films” there actually are. For this list, Studio Ghibli films are defined as feature-length films made after the studio's establishment in 1985. This means 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and 1982’s The Last Unicorn are omitted. Both films were made by Topcraft before the Ghibli’s founding. This also excludes TV shows such as Ronja and The Robber’s Daughter. This list also omits The Red Turtle, which was a French co-production from Michaël Dudok de Wit.
- Castle in the Sky (1986)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- Ocean Waves (1993)*
- Pom Poko (1994)
- Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- My Neighbors The Yamadas (1999)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Cat Returns (2002)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Tales from Earthsea (2006)
- Ponyo (2008)
- Arrietty (2010)
- From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
- The Wind Rises (2013)
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
- When Marnie Was There (2014)
- Earwig and the Witch (2020)*
- The Boy and the Heron (2023)
*Denotes non-theatrical releases. Ocean Waves was initially broadcast on Nippon TV, and while Earwig and the Witch was eventually released in theaters, it was first shown on NHK General TV.
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The Best Studio Ghibli Movies, Ranked
Studio Ghibli films often feature similar aesthetics or themes. Not only are their best films beautiful, but they also often feature environmentalist messaging, strong female protagonists, the wonder (and sometimes loss) of childhood, emotional depth and/or endings left up to the viewer. These themes have become synonymous with the Ghibli ethos. Their films often also include magic, Japan’s past, the countryside, and planes/flying machines and rarely spell everything out to the viewer.
These themes are what really make “Ghibili movies” Ghibili movies and factor into this ranking. This ranking also takes note of Awards, critical reception and historical relevance for the studio. However, it prioritizes the film-viewing experience and the movie itself. While usually the original Japanese is preferred by most viewers, dubbed versions are available for all of these films and often feature American a-listers and have higher production values than other dubbed films from Japan.
23. Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Tales from Earthsea is loosely based on Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series. However, Le Guin even pointed out that it strayed too far from the source material and was confusing. The first film directed by Gorō Miyazaki (Hayao Miyazaki’s son), Tales from Earthsea feels like it comes from someone still unsure of themselves.
While the film has some dedicated fans, Hayao Miyazaki wasn’t one of them, and famously said of the film and his son, "I was looking at my kid. He's not an adult yet. That is all." While the film is enjoyable, if not a little overpacked, it doesn’t have the craft or magic that many other films from the studio have. It currently has a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes and is streaming on Max.
22. Earwig and the Witch (2020)
Maybe the studio's only true flop, Earwig and The Witch is another film from Gorō Miyazaki. The biggest issue with Earwig and the Witch is the animation style. The film is CGI and not particularly beautiful CGI. Ghibli films are often noted for their craft, especially when it comes to breathtaking visuals, and Earwig simply doesn’t deliver anything close.
The story follows a young girl adopted by a witch in 1990s England who starts listening to a band called Earwig. The film has some sweet moments, and some of the characters feel in line with Ghibli as a studio. However, when it comes to Ghibli movies about a young witch finding herself, this one is nowhere close to Kiki’s Delivery Service. The English dub of the film features Richard E. Grant, Dan Stevens and Kacey Musgraves. The film is the lowest-rated film by the studio on Rotten Tomatoes, with 28% from critics. It is currently streaming on Max.
21. The Cat Returns (2002)
As a studio, Ghibli doesn’t really do sequels. However, The Cat Returns is a spin-off of 1995’s Whisper of the Heart. The film follows a young girl who is invited to the enchanted Cat Kingdom after saving a cat from being hit by a truck. The story is based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi, and the film was directed by Hiroyuki Morita.
For a spin-off, the film is fun and engaging, but it is slightly forgettable. There isn’t a lot of emotional depth to The Cat Returns, but it also doesn’t feel like it needs to be more than a kind of Alice and Wonderland story that will delight young children. Cary Elwes (who also voiced the character of the Baron in Whisper in the Heart) returned for the dub and was joined by Elliot Gould, Anne Hathaway and Tim Curry. Yōko Honna (who voiced the main character in Whisper in the Heart) also returned for a cameo in the original Japanese. The film is currently streaming on Max.
20. Ocean Waves (1993)
The actual plot of Ocean Waves is very sweet. The film follows two friends as a love triangle develops at their high school when a new girl is transferred to their idyllic sea town from Tokyo. It is a perfectly nice coming-of-age romance anime, but it feels a bit underwhelming when compared to other Ghibli films.
Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, Ocean Waves was the first Ghibli film not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. Mochizuki was in his 30s at the time, and the film was an attempt by the younger members of the studio to make a film with a reasonable budget. While the film exceeded budget and schedule, it still feels like a low-budget production. The animation isn’t very noteworthy, and it often feels like the TV movie that it is. The film has, however, taken on a bit of a second life as an under-appreciated gem and a possible queer narrative. The film is currently streaming on Max.
19. My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Based on the comic Nono-chan by Hisaichi Ishii, My Neighbors the Yamadas feels like reading Sunday morning comic strips. The film is a series of vignettes featuring the Yamada family and their many adventures.
My Neighbors the Yamadas also has a comic graphic style that makes sense for the film. However, it doesn’t deliver the striking visuals of other films on this list. The film is notably funnier than many other Studio Ghibli films as well. Directed by Isao Takahata, the film’s English dub stars Jim Belushi and Molly Shannon. The film was met with generally positive reviews but didn’t do as well at the box office as many other Ghibli films. It is currently streaming on Max.
18. Arrietty (2010)
Also called The Secret World of Arrietty and Arietty the Borrower, Arietty is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and is based on Mary Norton's 1952 novel The Borrowers. Arrietty is amongst Ghibli’s most accessible offerings. While that isn’t a bad thing, it lacks some of the finesse of other films from the studio.
The film follows a young boy who goes to live with his great-aunt before an upcoming surgery. At her country home, he spots a tiny teenager named Arrietty, who lives under the floorboards with her family. The film is gorgeously animated and balances visual slapstick with heart. The film received two dubs, a U.S. and a UK. While the U.S. version features Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and Carol Burnett, the UK version (which stars Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Coleman and Tom Holland) is better. The film is currently streaming on Max.
17. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
From Up on Poppy Hill is the best film by director Gorō Miyazaki. The film follows the romance between two high schoolers in the city of Yokohama before the 1964 Summer Olympics. It was co-written by Hayao Miyazaki and based on the 1980s manga of the same name by Tetsuo Sayama and Chizuru Takahashi.
From Up on Poppy Hill mixes romance with nostalgia and an anti-war message. Its sweetness and depiction of 1960s Japan make this film well worth watching. The dubbed version features Sarah Bolger, Anton Yelchin, Ron Howard, Jeff Dunham, Gillian Anderson, Ronan Farrow and Aubrey Plaza. The film is currently streaming on Max.
16. The Wind Rises (2013)
The Wind Rises doesn’t have magic or almost any whimsey. It feels a little more Oppenheimer than Ghibli. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the film also suffers from being a little lackluster. Most Ghibli movies are slow-paced, but The Wind Rises feels slow. The film follows a fictionalized version of Jiro Horikoshi on his journey to become a plane engineer and eventually build the Mitsubishi A5M fighter for use in WWII.
While the ending scene of this film cements the film's anti-war stance, until then, the film is far more neutral, which feels odd for a usually very anti-war studio and director, Hayao Miyazaki. The film was a box office success and a critical darling, even being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, it prompted controversy in Korea for its depiction of the Japanese army. It also features a Jewish character that is drawn somewhat stereotypically. The film was supposed to be Miyazaki’s last film before retirement. However, he returned ten years later to helm The Boy and the Heron. The Wind Rises is currently streaming on Max.
15. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
The only Studio Ghibli film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō before his sudden death in 1998, Whisper of the Heart, is based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. The studio was priming Kondō to be Miyazaki and Takahata’s successor, which can be felt in Whisper of the Heart. The film has the same magic and slow pacing as many of the studio's classics.
The film follows a love story between Shizuku, a hopeful writer, and Seiji Amasawa, a boy who hopes to become a master violin maker. Shizuku tasks herself with finding Seiji after she notices they check out all the same library books while befriending an eccentric shop owner and a large, mysterious cat. The English dub features Brittany Snow, Cary Elwes and Jean Smart. The film is currently streaming on Max.
14. Pom Poko (1994)
While the English dub of the film says that it is about raccoons, it is actually about tanukis. Easily the strangest film from the studio, Pom Poko follows a tanuki army as it resists a housing development on the outskirts of Tokyo over 30 years. Directed by Isao Takahata, the film is about deforestation, modernization and Japanese folklore, which features tanukis prominently.
American audiences may not “get” Pom Poko. Many jokes and themes would be understood by Japanese audiences but don’t really translate. For example, the tanukis often use their large testicles in the film. In traditional art, tanukis are often depicted with large magical “you know whats;” however, most Americans will not be familiar with the characterization. The film is also the most experimentally animated film on this list which can turn some off. However, it is sure to leave an impression. Pom Poko is currently streaming on Max.
13. When Marnie Was There (2014)
When Marnie Was There has a more Gothic fiction tone than any of the other Studio Ghibli films. While its tone sets it apart, the visuals deliver on the studio's high artistic standard. The film follows a young orphan who moves to the Kushiro wetlands in Hokkaido for a summer in hopes of treating her asthma. There, she meets a mysterious girl who lives in a mansion that seemingly exists outside of time.
While the twist of the film is fairly easy to guess for adult audiences, it offers a heartfelt mystery that will certainly surprise some young viewers. The film was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It was also the last film of noted animator Makiko Futaki before her death in 2016. The dub features performances by Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka, Catherine O'Hara, Vanessa Williams, Geena Davis and John C. Reilly. The film is currently streaming on Max.
12. Ponyo (2008)
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo is essentially The Little Mermaid with a very Ghibli twist. The film follows a goldfish who falls in love with a little boy. She must take a fully human form or risk a natural disaster. The film is maybe the most accessible Ghibli film and feels far more child-friendly or maybe just child-intended than other films from the studio.
While many Japanese films look at natural disasters as a part of Japanese cultural history, many Studio Ghibli films instead focus on environmentalism. However, Ponyo blends a simple, child-friendly story with the realities of natural disasters. The film was fully hand-animated frame by frame, giving it a gorgeous and nostalgic look. Ponyo is currently streaming on Max.
11. Only Yesterday (1991)
There isn’t really anything in Only Yesterday that makes it inappropriate for children. However, it doesn’t feel like a film that children could easily connect to. The film follows Taeko as both a fifth grader coming of age in 1960s Tokyo and her life as an unmarried 27-year-old on a summer trip from Tokyo to work as a farmer in the countryside.
Directed by Isao Takahata, the film explores the place of women in a changing Japan and a society moving away from its traditional practices. The film is a melancholy masterpiece that will connect with women in their late 20s today just as it did in the 1990s. While an English dub was completed in 2016 with Daisy Ridley and Dev Patel, the Japanese version is better, especially due to Taeko's explanatory inner monologue, which feels clunky in the English version. While the film doesn’t have any of the fantastical elements of many Ghibli films, it is a masterpiece that will leave the viewer thinking for a long time after. It currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently streaming on Max.
10. Castle in the Sky (1986)
Castle in the Sky is a bit of a “cult” film. This is partially due to its steampunk aesthetic and partially because of its underperformance on its initial run. However, it has since become beloved by fans. The film was also the first film released by Studio Ghibli. It follows a young girl who falls from the sky after being kidnapped from a floating city and the young boy who finds her and then must outrun pirates while finding their way back.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film was partially inspired by his trip to Wales after the 1984–1985 coal miners' strike. Like many other of his films, Castle in the Sky has an environmentalist message and explores the theme of technology. Even though it is the first film made by the studio, so much about what makes a Ghibli films great is already present, and the film has been critically acclaimed since its release. There are two English dubs for the film. The first was commissioned for Japan Airlines flights in 1988, and a second was made by Disney in 2003, starring James Van Der Beek and Anna Paquin. It is currently streaming on Max.
9. The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Hayao Miyazaki came out of a ten-year retirement (for at least feature films) for The Boy and the Heron. In ten years, it may move even higher on best-of lists for the studio. Studio Ghibli films tend to age exceptionally well and deepen with multiple viewings (kind of the opposite of “recency bias”). The film follows a young boy in WWII-era Japan who encounters a demon heron who promises to help him find his mother.
The narrative is purposely hard to parse but is supposed to function as a metaphorical autobiography. It explores the themes of creation, destruction and selfishness. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The English dub features performances from Robert Pattinson, Karen Fukuhara, Christian Bale and Mark Hamill. It is currently available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV and Google Play.
8. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Howl’s Moving Castle is a masterclass in animation and arguably the most beautiful film from a studio that only makes gorgeous films. Howl’s Moving Castle is very loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones. It follows a young milliner who is transformed into an old woman by a witch and her subsequent relationship with a vain wizard.
It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Joe Hisaishi has composed 11 of the films on this list, and Howl’s Moving Castle is amongst his most iconic. The score was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic. Howl’s Moving Castle is anti-war and also explores themes of aging and beauty. While some, including Roger Ebert, criticized the movie for its plot, there is so much more going on that it is a fan favorite amongst Ghibli films. It is currently streaming on Max.
7. The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Director Isao Takahata’s final film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, retells the 10th-century folklore, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. The film uses an animation style not seen in other Ghibli films. While it is far more simply animated, it evokes traditional painting styles, especially Sumi-e watercolor paintings. The film follows a bamboo cutter who finds a tiny girl inside a glowing shoot. He raises her to be a princess even though she yearns for the village she once called home.
The film is heartbreakingly beautiful and has a strong message about how to live life and the place of women. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is Takeo Chii's final film and also features Yukiji Asaoka in a special appearance. The English dub features Chloë Grace Moretz, Darren Criss and James Caan. Until 2023’s The Boy and The Heron, The Tale of Princess Kaguya was the highest-budget film in Japanese history, with a budget of around $49 million. The film has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is currently streaming on Max.
6. Porco Rosso (1992)
An animated film noir about a seaplane pilot (turned bounty hunter) cursed to live as a pig in the 1930s era Adriatic Sea is a hard sell, but everything about Porco Rosso works. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film is both arguably the funniest movie that Studio Ghibli has ever made and a heartbreaking take on trauma, war and the rise of fascism in the 1930s. The film’s ending will leave the viewer wanting more in a heartbreakingly beautiful way.
While an English dub was made for Japan Airlines in the 1990s and later included in some box sets, most will be more familiar with the 2005 English redub starring Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes and Susan Egan. While usually subtitles are preferred, this is the rare film that should be watched in English. The noir style lends itself well to the redub, and Keaton’s work as Marco “Porco Rosso” Rossolini feels like Humphrey Bogart in his prime. The film shows a reverence for early aviation, which can be seen in later Ghibli films as well. The film is exceptionally quotable, and the line, "Better a pig than a fascist," became a rallying cry in Spain’s 2023 election. It is currently streaming on Max.
5. Princess Mononoke (1997)
Set in the Muromachi period (around 1400 AD), Princess Mononoke tells the story of an epic war between kami (forest deities) and humans using the land's resources. The film was a critical and box office juggernaut, holding Japan's box office record for domestic films until 2001's Spirited Away. The film also helped establish Ghibli as a studio outside of Japan.
The film explores humans' interactions with nature, has a strong environmentalist message, and does not shy away from moral ambiguity. Princess Mononoke also balances beauty and horror in a way that is still fairly kid-friendly (though some of the kami are on the scary side for super-young viewers). It was also the first animated film to win the Japan Academy Film Prize for Picture of the Year. It is currently streaming on Max.
4. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Kiki’s Delivery Service follows a young witch who must move to a new seaside town to establish herself. There, she starts a flying delivery service while making friends with a baker’s wife, a painter, a wealthy older woman and a boy obsessed with aviation. The film feels like a warm hug and explores the themes of independence, vulnerability and a changing world.
While there was a Japan Airlines English dub of the film, a late 1990s Disney dub of the film is more popular. Disney even updated the dub in 2010 to make it closer to the Japanese original. The Disney dub features Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman (in one of his final roles) and Janeane Garofalo. The film blends reality and magic seamlessly, creating a beautifully animated world that feels real, nostalgic and imagined. The film is currently available for streaming on Max.
3. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Grave of the Fireflies is one of Studio Ghibli's darkest films and one of the darkest animated films of all time. The film follows two children’s fight to survive the war in 1940s Japan. While the film is not appropriate for children, it was strangely shown initially as a double feature with the much lighter My Neighbor Totoro.
Directed by Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies is an anti-war masterpiece that still feels important over 35 years later. It is the only theatrical Studio Ghibli film before 2011’s From Up on Poppy Hill that Disney never had the North American distribution rights to, possibly because of how dark it is. Similarly, while two English dubs of the film exist, neither are star-studded like many of the other dubs for Ghibli films. However, the film doesn’t need celebrities to sell its message. The film was director Akira Kurosawa’s favorite Ghibli film, and he even once wrote a letter to Hayao Miyazaki singing its praises (he mistakenly thought Miyazaki had directed it.) Unfortunately, Grave of the Fireflies is currently unavailable to rent or stream in the US.
2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro is arguably the most recognizable film from the studio, mostly because the character Totoro serves as the mascot and logo for Studio Ghibli. Like many other Ghibli films, My Neighbor Totoro is a coming-of-age story that stresses reverence for the natural world. The film follows two young sisters who move to the Japanese countryside in the 1950s only to meet the spirit of the forest, a large creature that one sister names “Totoro.”
This breathtakingly beautiful film captures a bygone dreaminess that will make the viewer nostalgic for a place and a time they most likely have never been. The film was originally dubbed in English for Japan Airlines in 1989. In 2004, it was re-dubbed in English with the voice talents of Dakota and Elle Fanning and Timothy Daly. However, some still prefer the original airline dub. The film is available to stream on Max.
1. Spirited Away (2001)
Arguably Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece, Spirited Away follows a 10-year-old girl who must save her parents from the spirit realm and an evil witch by working at a bathhouse and befriending a mysterious spirit who takes the form of a teenage boy. Spirited Away held the record for the highest-grossing film in Japan for 19 years.
The film was the first non-English-language animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (it was also the only one until another Miyazaki film, The Boy and the Heron, won in 2024). It is one of the most beautifully animated films of all time, with a visual richness that draws the viewer in. The film explores themes of modernism, environmentalism and consumerism. It is currently streaming on Max.
Bottom Line
Studio Ghibli has made a name for itself by creating beautiful and moving animated films. These films are not only amazing animated films but also amazing films in general and are well worth a watch for kids and adults alike.