Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli is famous for its dizzyingly beautiful animations, and it’s hard to decide which of its films are better than the others. Nevertheless, here is a list of the top ten Studio Ghibli films.

10. The Wind Rises (2013) 

Normally I’m not the biggest fan of slow-burn historical animations. However, The Wind Rises was so breathtaking that I may have to revoke that previous statement.  This animation brings such peace of mind from just watching the main character’s life unfold before your eyes. Although I would not recommend this to children, I will say that anyone who has the patience to sit through it until the end would not be disappointed in the slightest. 

9. The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) 

This movie is a personal favorite of mine. However, I may be biased considering how upset the ending made me. Putting aside the ending for now, this animation was beautifully crafted and, in my opinion, the most detail-oriented Ghibli movie out there. On the outside, The Secret World of Arrietty may seem like a very lighthearted film such as Ponyo or My Neighbor Totoro, but don’t be fooled! There are most certainly many subtle depressing elements behind the works of this piece, from dealing with survival, losing loved ones, to even coming to terms with death. 

8. Ponyo (2008)

Here we have another one of Ghibli’s model movies and an iconic childhood classic for many (especially if you grew up in the early 2000’s). This film is such a fun and entertaining movie to watch with your family and friends because of its subtle humor. This movie is also very good at gluing people’s eyes to a screen with their lovable characters and fun, light hearted soundtrack. In my opinion, this is probably the most wholesome Ghibli movie, right on the other end of the spectrum from Grave of the Fireflies.  This is a very good example of how wide and malleable Ghibli’s range of depth is when it comes to catering to different types of audiences. 

7. Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)

Taking seventh place is Studio Ghibli’s very first animation, Castle in the Sky. Coincidentally enough, this was also the first Japanese animated movie that I ever watched. Considering that this was Ghibli’s very first film, they did an amazing job all the way from the hand animation quality to the intriguing chain of events that take place within the duration of the movie. I don’t particularly have too much to say about this movie except that it was decently good and very much worth watching. 

6. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Being one of Studio Ghibli’s verteran films as well as their most famous is an amazing feat in itself. Going into more detail, the oh-so-famous My Neighbor Totoro has definitely earned its fame through its colorful qualities and touching plot (with more than a few adorable characters thrown into the mix). Although I would rank this movie leaning more towards younger children as a target audience, it’s still a good watch for people of all ages. 

5. The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)  

Based on the tenth century Japanese literature tale, The Bamboo Cutter, The Tale of Princess Kaguya brings a new perspective and depth to feudal culture as well as introducing the viewers to important lessons. Being one of the newer Ghibli animations, this film displays a very unique and aesthetically pleasing animation style. I find this aspect of the movie very refreshing and a bit out of the box for a Studio Ghibli movie. The story line may be a bit of a slow burn, however, it is definitely worth the build up as it presents some very touching themes and messages that will leave you thinking. 

4. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Coming in at number four is none other than Howl’s Moving Castle. Not long after airing, this film joined the fray of the golden life of “mainstream” animations along with it’s older sibling, Spirited Away. I’ve also taken note that recently, this movie has become increasingly popular again, which is great because this breathtaking is once again getting the recognition it deserves. What really made this movie for me, personally, was the ethereal soundtrack and captivating storyline. The theme of the story, “love conquers all”, was slightly cliche, but was made up for with their intriguing characters as well as an abundance of character development. 

3. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

If you ever want to completely bawl your eyes out while witnessing beautiful storytelling and a unique animation style, Grave of the Fireflies might just be the movie for you. Following the storyline of the horrific Nagasaki and Hiroshima events during WWll, this film takes people by the shoulders and brings them something uniquely different from the rest of Studio Ghibli’s animations:retrospect. It brings into light the consequences of violence firsthand and the innocents who got caught up in the crossfire of a very dark time in our history. In all honesty, this film should be ranked at the top based on the sole fact that it’s the only Ghibli film with 100 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes website. However, I believe that not everyone is built to handle such a weighted piece of art. 

2. Princess Mononoke (1997)

One thing that I can say with confidence about this movie is that it is captivating like no other. Within the first ten minutes of the film, you might as well be hypnotized by the amazing dynamic of the constant battle between humans and nature. The voice acting for the subbed version of Princess Mononoke deserves far more recognition considering how much raw emotion and talent the voice actors put down. 

1. Spirited Away (2001)

Placed first is Spirited Away, an animation that hit the ground running ever since its first release to DVD. Like most of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, Spirited Away performed a riveting job at sweeping viewers off their feet and into an excitingly terrifying new world with its unique and colorful characters. This film also played a crucial role as a gateway film to the more mainstream world of animated movies, paving the way for watchers to find appreciation in other Studio Ghibli films.