Summary
There is no doubt thatStudio Ghiblihas amassed a huge following around the world, since its unique animation style, mesmerizing themes, and endearing stories beautifully convey the adventures of its characters, showing magical worlds and nostalgic situations that can warm the hearts of even casual viewers. However, Studio Ghibli only has a limited number of films, so after seeing them all, many fans are left with an empty feeling about what to watch next.
Fortunately,Ghibli isn’t the only studio capable of making movies that stay with fans forever, since its influence has created great animators and directors from other production houses. Many other studios have to their credit stunning films that touch on very diverse themes, treating them with the delicacy and correctness characteristic of Studio Ghibli movies.
Many non-Ghibli films take their inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki’s works, and even if each director gives them their personal touch, they feel as if they were made by Studio Ghibli.
All Studio Ghibli Movies In Order of Release Date (Including The Boy and the Heron)
Studio Ghibli are a mainstay of anime film studios, having been working since the 80s. Here’s every major film they worked on in the order of release.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices
Cast
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is a Japanese animated film directed by Makoto Shinkai. The story follows Asuna, a young girl who embarks on a journey to a mysterious world called Agartha after receiving a crystal radio from her deceased father. Along the way, she encounters danger, mystery, and a diverse cast of characters, all while exploring themes of loss, love, and the everlasting human spirit.
2011’sChildren Who Chase Lost Voicesstars Asuna Watase, a young girl who’s been struggling in life thanks to the untimely death of her father. During that time, an encounter with a mysterious boy named Shun leads Asuna and her teacher to Agartha, a mystical realm said to hold the power to revive the dead, and while Asuna’s teacher is set on using it, it takes an arduous journey through the land for Asuna to figure out what she wants.
While Makoto Shinkai is best known forYour Name,Weathering with You, andSuzume,Children Who Chase Lost Voicesencapsulates everything great about Makoto Shinkai’s work with its amazing visuals and strong, emotional character writing. The film does a good job of playing into the action and drama that have become staples of Studio Ghibli, and fans of their work are sure to find a lot to love about it.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
The acclaimed movieThe Girl Who Leapt Through Timeby Mamoru Hosoda is one of his most Ghibli-esque films, which follows the story of Makoto, a high school student who, one day, when she is about to suffer a terrible accident, discovers she is able to go jump in time. From that moment on, Makoto begins to use her new powers to make her life easier, but then she realizes that changing the past is not so simple and that every action, no matter how small, has consequences.
The magical way in which Hosoda manages to transcend the story, using the time leap as an excuse for Makoto’s personal journey, resemblesa Studio Ghibli film.The Girl Who Leapt Through Timeis a beautiful film about adolescence and second chances that teaches fans to enjoy the present and that time waits for no one.
13Mary And The Witch’s Flower (2017) Is a Film by Former Studio Ghibli Workers
Based on the 1971 Novel, The Little Broomstick, by Mary Stewart
It is expected that the animation style ofMary and the Witch’s Flowerwill be reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s films, since Studio Ponoc was founded by former Studio Ghibli workers. This fact can also be noted in the way its plot is reminiscent ofKiki’s Delivery Service.
Also, Mary is a girl living in a modern era who embarks on a journey just like Chihiro fromSpirited Awayand has to face a mysterious environment, in this case magical instead of the supernatural criatures of Japanese fantasy.Mary and the Witch’s Flowertakes elements from its past legacy and, although it is unrefined as Ponoc’s first film, still shares part of the spirit and strength of Studio Ghibli, creating a marvelous experience for the viewers.
12The Boy and the Beast(2015)Shows a Fantasy Kingdom Separate From the Real World
Written and Directed by Mamoru Hosoda
Kyuta is a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya who suddenly encounters a fantastical Beast’s Kingdom and meets Kumatetsu, a big brute bear-like warrior beast. From that moment on, the young boy becomes sort of an apprentice for Kumatetsu.
The Boy and the Beast shows the growth that its protagonists go through,touching on themes like finding family through an adoptive father-son relationship, loneliness, searching for a place to belong, and friendship, among many others. With a drawing style characteristic of Mamoru Hosoda, the film clearly shows the separation between the normal world and the fantastic realm where different beasts coexist, giving a look into Japanese mythology and culture just like inSpirited Away.
The Imaginary
In a realm where imaginations can exist and be consumed by others, only Amanda, a young girl, can see her imaginary friend Rudger. Yet, Imaginaries face an inevitable destiny: they fade away as humans forget them. Determined to defy this fate, Rudger holds on to a faint hope, setting out on a secretive quest when Mr. Bunting, an Imaginary hunter, shows up at Amanda’s door. This journey takes him to a haven known as The Town of Imaginaries, a refuge for those forgotten.
The Imaginaryis a Ghibli-inspired filmbut with its own magic. The character design resembles the famous studio, which is to be expected as it is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, who had previously worked as an animator on films such asPorco Rosso,Spirited Away,Princess Mononoke, andGrave of the Fireflies.The Imaginaryfocuses on imaginary friends, creating a whole world of fantasy and wonderful creatures coming from Amanda’s mind.
Amanda’s friend is an imaginary entity called Rudger, and they share a relationship like Ponyo and Sosuke from Studio Ghibli’s filmPonyo. With a charming animation full of color and detail, the film is an emotional journey that deals with imagination as an escape from reality, loss, and, above all, the beauty of childhood.
10Flavors of Youth (2018) Is Full of the Melancholy of a Ghibli Film
Original Film Produced By CoMix Wave Films and Haoliners Animation League
Flavors of Youthremembers Studio Ghibli not only through the food, in how the film manages to animate it and represent it in two dimensions in a visually attractive way, but also through the memories it awakens in its viewers, those associated with childhood and significant moments in life.
Flavors of Youthis an anthology produced byYour Namestudio CoMix Wave Films and Haoliners Animation League, thatshows a beautiful collection of memories full of nostalgia through three different stories, a film about growing up that shares the same emotion asOnly Yesterdayfrom Studio Ghibli, but at the same time is also full of social criticism, showing how cities are transformed by the search for modernity. It is an ode to the passage of time and the arrival of adulthood, full of melancholy similar to the way a Ghibli film makes fans feel.
A Whisker Away
A Whisker Away is a 2020 Japanese animated film that follows Miyo Sasaki, a girl with an unrequited crush, who uses a magical Noh mask to transform into a cat. This transformation allows her to be closer to her crush, Kento Hinode, but she faces complications as the boundaries between her human and feline forms blur. The film explores themes of identity, love, and self-acceptance.
A Whisker Awayis a film by Studio Colorido in which Miyo Sasaki gets a mysterious mask that helps her transform into a cat, and with this appearance, she decides to approach her classmate Kento Hinode, discovering his sweet hidden side. But Miyo soon realizes that stopping being human is not as fantastic as she thought.
The existence of a magical world known as the Island of Cats in the film is reminiscent of the movieA Cat Returns.Also,A Whisker Awayshares the fantastic essence of Studio Ghibli, mixing reality with supernatural elements to tell the story, which is not only about love but also about life decisions, loneliness, and family.
A Letter to Momo
A Letter to Momo is an animated film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura. It follows a young girl named Momo who, after moving to a remote island with her mother, discovers three goblins in her attic. These supernatural encounters help her navigate personal loss and her transition to a new life.
A Letter to Momois a film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura that starts with the premise that Momo’s father only left her a small letter before he died, so she struggles to overcome her grief by distancing herself from her mother, and when they move to a remote island, Momo meets three particular yokai. These quirky beings serve as intermediaries to explore the relationships between living loved ones and those who have left.
In this way,A Letter to Momois like an homage to Studio Ghibli’s films, adhering to the formula of supernatural spirits that interact with children and teach them a valuable lesson in life.A Letter to Momohas a large melancholic feel, exploring ideas such as regret and the desire to change what you did in the past;however, the film showcases a very optimistic story with touches of humor distributed so that it is not excessively heavy for viewers.
7Fortune Favorite Lady Nikuko (2021) Is an Underrated Film About a Mother’s Love
Based on the 2014 Novel Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko by Kanako Nishi and Directed by Ayumu Watanabe.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikukois a wholesome and quirky movie about a mother-daughter relationship and growing up that unfortunately fled under the radar of many anime fans.The film’s detailed and realistic photography and very well-made animation activate a feeling of nostalgia in the viewer by showing the endearing dynamic between Nikuko and Kikurin, with light touches of magical realism thanks to the latter’s overflowing imagination.
Not only is the fantastic dimension that the film gives to motherhood reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, but Nikuko pays several tributes toMy Neighbor Totorothroughout the entire film. Additionally, Kikurin is a girl entering adolescence who starts to take an interest in another classmate, something that fans of the underrated moviesWhispers of the HeartandFrom Up on Poppy Hillcan enjoy.
6Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms Is Bittersweet Tragedy At Its Finest
Film By P.A. Works; Directed By Mari Okada
2018’sMaquia: When the Promised Flower Bloomsstars Maquia, one of the few surviving members of a race of beings that live for hundreds of years without aging. After the destruction of her clan, Maquia adopts a human child, Ariel, to regain a sense of family, and while things are initially fine, the realities of Ariel aging while Maquia stays the same are quick to catch up with them and create new tragedy for them to overcome.
Mari Okada is famous for anime with tragic and emotional storytelling, and with the masterful craft of its writing and visuals,Maquia: When the Promised Flower Bloomsis one of the best showings of Mari Okada’s penchant for dramatic stories. Studio Ghibli is also no stranger to that type of writing, and anyone who enjoyed it there will find a lot to love aboutMaquia, as well.
