Best 5 Ghibli Movies of All Time

Ghibli Movies are my childhood anime. I watched it often with my mum and my sisters. The movies are always unique and the art style is great. Ghibli Movies are popular as well. One of the most popular mascots is totoro. The big, animal like creature. I’m not sure what that creature is but it’s cute! My Japanese friend once asked me what foreigners think of Japan. All I can say is that they probably think it’s like anime. Then, my friend responded that it’s a far cry from anime but Ghibli movies are pretty close. So yes, if you want to know what real Japanese is like, watch Ghibli movies!

Anyway, for those who haven’t watched any of Ghibli Movies, I highly advice you to do so! The movies I listed down below are a good start, I’m telling you. So, scroll on!

I’m pretty sure Spirited Away is the first Ghibli Movie I watched. I was a toddler at the time. It was fascinating watching it. I watched it so many times I lost count. Among all the Ghibli Movies, Spirited Away is my favorite. Haha, and there’s this cute boy named Haku. In Japanese, this movie’s title is Chihiro to Sen no Kamikakushi. Chihiro is the main character’s name while Sen . . . you’d have to find out yourself who that is. I’m not giving any spoiler! Kamikakushi means spiriting away.

A ten year old girl named Chihiro and her parents accidentally entered a magical world. Because of some incidents, Chihiro is unable to go out and is trapped in the world. You must watch this amazing adventure of Chihiro figuring her way out. Of course, she received helps along the way. It’s confusing too because it’s not the magical world you used to see, you see. I personally like Chihiro’s character. She is just a normal ten year old kid. Not some unrealistic hero/heroine you see. I also like her character’s development. Spirited Away is said to be the “Best Film of 21^st Century So far” in 2017 by the New York Times. Spirited Away was also got nominated for the forth Best film of the 21^st century by 177 film critics. That makes Spirited Away as the highest ranked best animated movie of all time! I mean, I’m not surprised. Seriously, for those who haven’t watched, you need to!

Howl’s Moving Castle is the movie adaption of Diana Wynne Jones by Ghibli Studio. There are a few changes here and there however. I have never read the book though I want to. I’m unable to get a copy from anywhere, which is a shame. Moving on, the movie is very interesting. You’re in for a treat as well since you get to see Howl. In Spirited Away, we’ve got Haku but in Howl’s Moving Castle, we’ve got Howl, I suppose.

Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three and since she is the eldest, she must be responsible of her father’s hat shop. She thinks she is the most plain of the three too. One day, she runs into a wizard named Howl. Somehow, she got cursed into an old lady. Well, that’s all I’m telling you. You must watch the rest yourself! Besides, the movie has a beautiful OST. The most popular one is Merry Go Round of Life. Here, watch the video yourself. If my article is not enough to convince you, perhaps the theme song will.

Including My Neighbor Totoro is a must. Totoro is a creature often associated with Ghibli. It’s one of my childhood anime. Just like Spirited Away, I watched My Neighbor Totoro over and over again. The movie is cute, it’s interesting. The kind of a movie a child would like. It tells the tale of two girls named Satsuki and May. Their mother is suffering from a long-term illness so they moved into a house closer to the hospital. They meet Totoro there. It’s cute, light-hearted, and a little sad.

This is one of the best Ghibli movies in my opinion. Kiki is a young witch, trying to make her debut as a witch. She wants to be independent and moves into a new town. I think it’s very realistic. We always wanted to grow up and do all the things grownups do. We want to be able to stand on our own. Sadly, reality is not as easy as we think. It’s hard. Finding job is hard, living alone is hard. Adulthood is hard. Like everyone, Kiki is confused and she’s finding it hard to adapt. But gradually, she managed to get by. So yes, for those who are trying to be independent, don’t lose hope! Watch Kiki’s journey to be independent on her own. I love this movie – it’s light, humorous, and adorable. You know what else I love? The food that was shown in the movie. It makes me hungry.

Finally we’ve come to the last movie in this list! It’s the adaption of Joan G. Robinson’s novel though the location has been changed to Sapporo instead of England. Like a lot of other Ghibli movies, it’s a story about an encounter. Anna Sasaki moved into a rural, seaside town because of her asthma attack. Anna comes across an abandoned old mansion and later on, she meets a mysterious, pretty young girl named Marnie. Who exactly is she? I wondered throughout the film. Ah, one more thing I should tell you is the beautiful OST. I’ve included the video down below.

Aside from the beautiful stories, Ghibli Studio produced great music as well. Be sure to listen to it. So, this is my list of best Ghibli Movies of all time. There’s more I’d like to include but I’d keep it Top 5. What do you think? Perhaps, you might disagree with me. If so, tell me in the comments down below. For those who haven’t watched it, go watch it!