The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013). 🤍 “The Procession of Celestial Beings I” by Joe Hisaishi is such an ethereal piece of music.
Still Totoro for me
I’d have to flip a coin between Porcco Rosso and Naussica
Pom Poko is literally the only one that didn’t put me to sleep in the first act.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is also my favorite! I especially love its painted watercolor art style. Made me cry a lot too 😅
Porcco Rosso. I can literally watch that movie on repeat.
Better to be a pig than a fascist.
“that American’s going to be trouble”
Grave of the fireflies. I’ve only watched it once but out of all movies i’ve ever watched, it’s the one that made me the most emotional. Incredibly powerful.
Agreed - all Ghibli movies are beautiful in their own right, but taking that cinematic mastery and applying it in what is essentially a film about the tragedies of war?
Shivers.
Whisper of the Heart but I couldn’t explain why
My Neighbors the Yamadas
It’s cute, hilarious, and uplifting.
This is like asking what is the best or favourite South Park episode. I can’t think of a favourite studio Ghibli movie. But for me, probably the closest to my number 1 spot is “When Marnie was there.” I am not sure why, but the movie pulls a heart string for me and it feels more personal. Speaking of the movie, I can’t believe that the movie is 10 years old this year! I remember watching it for the first time in my local independent theatre!
Mononoke is probably the “best” in my book but my personal favorite will always be Nausicaa. Although I just found out it predates the founding of studio Ghibli by one year.
Little personal story: As a kid, I repeatedly rented an animated movie called Warriors of the Wind from my local videostore. It was fairly short and the story was confusing as if there was something missing, but I loved it regardless. One day, the videostore didn’t have it anymore since they got rid of older VHS in favour of newer ones. I was heartbroken and didn’t managed to track it down (this was way before the internet).
Fast forward about 15 years, when I had already watched Princess Mononoke and wanted to watch other movies by that studio. So I watched Nausicaa, and the longer it ran, the more I realized it was that movie from my childhood.
Turns out that a US studio had gotten the rights in the 80s and cut 23 minutes of the run time to make the story simpler, even changing names completely (Nausicaa became princess Sandra for example). This was the version I saw as a kid.
Nausicaa is my favorite, too. The hand-drawn animation is incredible, the conflict is nuanced, the setting is beautiful, and the characters have interesting motivations. Its a masterpiece.
a fellow Nausicaa appreciator! It’s hard to find people that have even seen it tbh.
Have you read the Nausicaa manga? It’s really good.
The only problem with reading the Manga is that after you finish it, the film seems so simplistic and flat in comparison. The Manga has so much greater nuance, tragedy, and depth to it.
Agreed, and I never see anyone claim Nausicaa as their favourite. If the studio ever revisits earlier material, I hope they do a fuller adaptation of the source. It’s such a rich world, it deserves more time spent within it.
There are dozens of us.
Yeah, Castle in the Sky is considered the first “official” Ghibli movie.
I’d also have a pre-Ghibli film as my favourite with Lupin III: Castle of the Cagliostro. Although hard to argue with Mononoke or Nausicaa.
- Only Yesterday - Probably my favorite movie ever. It’s so authentic and personal and real.
- Spirited Away - Really emotional and dramatic and surprisingly NOT overrated at all.
- The Wind Rises - Feels very personal while also feeling broad and important.
- From Up on Poppy Hill - I love complicated family situations, and I like the aesthetics and music.
- The Secret World of Arrietty - The philosophy of the characters in this one is actually really interesting.
About half of them.
I’ve only seen one so far (twice) - My Neighbour Totoro, so it’ll have to be that one for now.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Her wonder every time she is exploring the poisoned areas that everyone else is afraid to enter still gets me.
Favorite is not the right word.
I think there are different Ghibli movies for different questions.
Which is the most rewatched in my home? Probably Porco Rosso since it’s light-hearted and easy to consume. Miyazaki’s Magnum Opus? Mononoke or Nausicaa. Best to watch with your kids? Totoro, Kiki, and Ponyo. Most emotionally impactful? Grave of the Fireflies.
“Favorite” though? No idea. Depends on how I’m feeling.
I agree with all this. I also have a soft spot for The Cat Returns because that was the first one I saw, lol
