Wednesday, February 22, 2012 / 15 Comments. Fantasy too. Empire ranks the Studio Ghibli movies, from Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro, to Kiki's Delivery Service and Ponyo. History is decided by powerful forces that are not kind, and it doesn’t always get better, Miyazaki says. You don’t say.). Let me stay a little longer! A “borrower” named Arrietty becomes friends with a human named Shō after he goes to spend the summer in his mother’s childhood home. Produced before Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, Miyazaki here sets down environmental concerns that become a staple of his later work. The 50 Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now. I would’ve loved to place this charmer higher. My Neighbor Totoro can be called "one of the most enjoyable and delightful children's films ever"! What’s most baffling about this mercifully brief film is that given a palette swap, it might’ve been good—not a revelatory entry in Ghibli canon but certainly a warm, welcome addition to it. For the uninitiated, Studio Ghibli is just another brand of anime. If it’s placed down this low, it’s only because that personal journey just doesn’t feel as big as some of the others we’re about to discuss. Auditions in the werkroom? Eventually, the girls meet and befriend Totoro, a large fluffy fellow with plenty of helpful woodland friends who are ready to aid the girls. MOVIE LISTS: Ranking the Studio Ghibli Films. Made in 1991 but not released Stateside until 2016, Only Yesterday is a delicate gem, a moving piece of dramatic work by Takahata that lacks some of the fantasy elements that often define Ghibli for casual viewers but is one of the best examples in the catalogue of the studio’s deep, unfailing humanism. And Totoro remains one of the most iconic characters of modern animation. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation film studio founded in June 1985 by the directors **Hayao Miyazaki** and **Isao Takahata** and the producer **Toshio Suzuki**. This doesn't touch upon the studio's video game and television work, nor does it include the short films never officially released in the United States (some shorts can only be … Studio Ghibli loves a coming of age story and Whisper of the Heart is a lesser-known classic of the studio's craft. Many animated films are called magical, but this one truly lives up to that word. It’s also filled with meditative scenes of real nature that transcend a lot of things you see in animated films. This is a story of dragons and wizards and magic swords, yet far more subdued fantasies in the Ghibli canon do far more to leap off the screen than this one does. Dapper, unflappable, and so effortlessly and non-threateningly macho that even a human teen goes to pieces over him, the Baron may not be the protagonist of The Cat Returns, but he’s certainly the hero. Asimov, Bradbury … At night, the place transforms into a luxury spa for visitors from the spirit world, and Chihiro must make her own way as a lowly servant there if she’s to break the curse on her porcine parental figures and return to the real world. A clear culmination of themes he had explored throughout his career, this is a film that feels simple at first: an old-fashioned fairy tale about a magical girl who grows up quickly. To observe Studio Ghibli’s 30th birthday, I’ve taken up the task of ranking its entire oeuvre of feature films. Earwig and the Witch is, by normal standards, a misfire—and by Ghibli’s standards it’s much worse. When it comes to animation, few studios can match the same level of quality and consistency that Studio Ghibli movies consistently rise to (Pixar gives them a run for their money though).Founded in Japan by producer Toshio Suzuki, alongside directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki (whom many call the … Pixar gets all the credit for being the world’s most unimpeachable movie studio. This was extremely hard to rank as I absolutely love the majority of these films. Tackling divorce, loneliness and the wishy-washy emotions of late high school years with detail and starkness, Ocean Waves’ biggest boon is one of its final scenes, where its characters reunite and share the regrets of their not-so-far-behind-them youths. In the meantime, though, Jiro dreams of the flying machines he wants to create and perfect. It also remains grounded in a story about finding one’s true self and having the courage to face down responsibility. Studio Ghibli doesn’t go for simple ideas, imbuing even what appears to be a straightforward children’s story like this one with a complexity rarely seen in fantasy fiction. It is Miyazaki in a deeply philosophical mode, not making a didactic message movie about taking care of the Earth as much as asking questions about agency, human nature, and moral complexity. The story revolves around a suburban development threatening the natural world outside Tokyo and the limited resources human beings have a habit of devouring. Earthsea is widely regarded as one of Ghibli’s worst entries, so its low ranking here shouldn’t surprise anybody. She rooms with a kindly old rural family (fill out your bingo card!) We end this series where we always knew we would, and while it doesn’t feel unexpected, it does feel truthful. No one makes movies like Ghibli. For anyone remotely familiar with the studio and discussion surrounding it, categorically ranking the Ghibli movies from worst to best will seem a futile or innately subjective endeavor. So it was interesting to see Miyazaki make what is arguably Ghibli’s kiddiest film to date in this variation on the The Little Mermaid, starring a goldfish named Ponyo who wishes to become a human girl after he meets a boy named Sōsuke. Blending fantasy with coming-of-age tropes, Whisper is a deeply empathetic film, a great example of how even when they were dealing in human nature, the people at Ghibli could find magic. After all, we know that these dreams will lead to nightmares, and Miyazaki took some flak for one of the few times in his career for not making this film sufficiently antiwar. Already a subscriber? To help you decide which ones are most worth your viewing time, we've compiled a ranking … Dargis, Manohla. Isao Takahata’s adaptation of the short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka may be the most “not exactly for the little ones” films in the entire Ghibli catalogue, and yet its antiwar message is something to be considered by all demographics. Yonebayashi and his team use perspective in a way that makes the ordinary seem extraordinary, giving the whole experience the sheen of a classic fairy tale. The classic tune plays a major role in this 1995 coming-of-age tale that was actually the first Ghibli production not helmed by Miyazaki or Takahata. Studio Ghibli's movies on HBO Max, the best ones ranked. Here, we have the theme of destruction of the natural world, how we relate to those different than ourselves, and even some of the visual motifs that would recur for the next three decades. A ranking of Studio Ghibli from the least perfect to the most sublime. Ghibli films are chock full of dragons, swordsmen, witches, and enough plucky young girls to fill up a whole YA section at your local library, but I submit that Porco Rosso is far and away the baddest hero the studio has yet drawn to life. Technically, this was a TV movie, but it was released in American theaters by GKIDS under the Studio Ghibli banner in 2016, so it counts for our purposes. If you subscribe to a service through our links, Vulture may earn an affiliate commission. Dargis, Manohla. This one ranks so high because in addition to that pitch-perfect tone, Ponyo is one of the best-looking features Ghibli has ever produced. Studio Ghibli doesn’t go for simple ideas, imbuing even what appears to be a straightforward children’s story like this one with a complexity rarely seen in fantasy fiction. Takahata’s gift with character allows the memories of his protagonist to break through stereotype and feel organic and true. His father the King and the various other mystical talking cats shower Haru with well-meaning if misguided gifts (such as a swarm of mice in her locker). Light playing across clear, rushing water or dappled across a dirt road by the shadows of leaves. Totoro does, too, and I was tempted to rank it lower until I watched it again, more closely than I had previously. If you don’t cheer at the end credits of this one, go see a cardiologist—your heart may have been stolen by a misunderstood witch. It often feels like fate drags us apart, or that we need to make ourselves into someone else in order to be with somebody. Pom Poko tells the story of a population of these winsome little mammals as they try to survive the real-life historical event of one of the Tokyo area’s largest residential developments utterly ravaging their environment. Years later, it’s fun to watch what is technically the first Studio Ghibli title and see it as a sort of cinematic overture of what would come. Spirited Away is an imaginative, incomparably gorgeous fable filled with memorable moments, bat-shit crazy creature design, hilarious high adventure, and tons of feelings. Best Studio Ghibli Movies Ranked: ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and More – Variety Why? Look, I’m just going to tell you, because I know a lot of people won’t dig this deep into Ghibli’s catalog and it’s just too good: The twist isn’t that Marnie is a ghost, since, come on, that’s obvious. The one Ghibli ranking practically everyone agrees on is that Tales from Earthsea is not the studio’s best.You feel bad for Goro Miyazaki, being dragged in to direct a huge movie with zero experience while also being dragged by his cranky, more experienced father.That sympathy doesn’t make this bad movie any better, though. Adapted mostly from the novel The Farthest Shore, it pulls in some characters and situations from other books. Pom Poko digs deep into Japanese folklore regarding raccoons and their ability to transform themselves and hide in plain sight. Grown-ups, am I right? A prim and proper young haberdasher, Sophie, runs afoul of a handsome young magician who takes her on a brief, magical chase through her Victorian-themed home city after saving her from some loutish soldiers. One Studio Ghibli’s most recent films is unfortunately its weakest. 10. For any Ghibli pedants out there, I want to make two things clear: Ocean Waves was a … Sue me. Like all Studio Ghibli movies, it’s got some strong visuals, but it doesn’t hold your interest. With HBO Max and Netflix now streaming (almost) every Studio Ghibli film, CNET ranks the animation studio's very best to watch first. Together, they are in a race against the pirates, the army, and the government spooks who want to steal the power of that ancient kingdom for themselves. Studio Ghibli has a long and noteworthy list of works. It treats its subject respectfully and gracefully, which is why it’s developed such a loyal following over the years. Studio Ghibli. New York Times (May 21): Arts 23, 26. If you have any doubt that childhood is fundamentally the same odd experience in Japan as it is here in the States, though, this should dispel that doubt. Combine Studio Ghibli with any number of dragon-filled fantasy tales, and the result might look like Tales from Earthsea.It's actually adapted from one such series of books, Ursula K. Le Guin's The Earthsea Cycle.The feature directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki's son, Gorō Miyazaki, this is the most standard of the company's features — … Log in or link your magazine subscription, Studio Ghibli Movies Will Finally Be Available to Stream, Margaret Qualley Thanks FKA Twigs for Speaking Out Against Shia LaBeouf, Ted Cruz Can Run to Cancún, But He Can’t Hide From These Memes, “‘They treated us like kings and queens.’”, Regé-Jean Page and His Bros Cry to ‘Drivers License’ on, Aidy Bryant’s Ted Cruz Has Vacation Braids, No Shame in. Grave of the Fireflies is a must-watch if you want to see a real, on-the-ground story of the true fallout of war. But, as she is stifled by the strictures of court life, she begins to remember the celestial life she left behind to fall to Earth. Horrified, Haru seeks help from the indefatigable Baron and his bumbling sidekicks. Tomomi Mochizuki directed this unique entry in the Ghibli canon in that it contains nary a sign of fantasy or magical storytelling. Who better to voice a cynical, world-weary WWI pilot who just happens to have been turned into an anthropomorphic pig? At its core, it’s a simple story of an imaginary creature discovered by two girls dealing with the emotional stress of a sick mother and a relocation. The Cat Returns is too delightful to be this short, failing even to clock in at an hour and a half. This children’s tale is a testament to the kind of storytelling that the studio can display when it knows exactly how it wants to make its audience feel. It is also, incidentally, loaded with the idiosyncratic marks of a Hayao Miyazaki feature—including the endearingly specific dream world where Jiro converses with an Italian aeronaut and sees his turn-of-the-century flying machines come to magical life. Unfortunately, it also dares to answer that question. At its core, it’s a simple tale: A woman living in Tokyo goes to visit the countryside and remembers her childhood on the train journey. It was the first time I’d seen it since my brother had his two daughters. While Studio Ghibli is best known for its fantasy works, the storied studio has also produced some great slice-of-life stories and quiet meditations on growing up. We are republishing it on the occasion of the launch of HBO Max, the platform upon which Studio Ghibli’s films are now streaming for the first time in the U.S. The story follows Ashitaka, young prince of a hidden tribe (the Emishi people—a real tribe that really did resist the rule of the earliest Japanese emperors, if you’re interested). This time-traveling ghost story is a mish-mash of tones that never quite … That folkloric, mythical, legendary quality suffuses my pick for the very best Studio Ghibli has to offer. Opening and closing with covers of, no joke, “Country Roads” by John Denver, it follows Shizuku, a high schooler struggling with musical and writing aspirations. (The curse might be slowly eating his body alive, but it also gives his arm absurd, limb-amputating, sword-breaking strength in the meantime. ew.com. They find what joys they can in a time when food is scarce and adults are straight-facedly insane. The procedural wrapped its nearly 15-year run in February 2020. Third, it embraces fantasy in a way that makes it feel as essential as breathing, not merely escapism.