Anyone with an interest or connection to Japan or animated films in general will be familiar with the works of Hayao Miyazaki and the films produced by Studio Ghibli. For those that aren't familiar by that name, there is a good chance you are familiar with films such as Ponyo or Spirited away, or would recognize images of iconic cute characters such as Totoro.
As a Westerner growing up in the TV age before we had cellphones and computers, the TV was it and watching cartoons as a child was the pinnacle of enjoyment when stuck indoors. Despite growing up during the glory years of Disney films and the likes of Warner Brother's cartoons, none of it holds a candle to Hayao Miyazaki's films. There is a magic there, and it is a combination of incredible, imaginative and compelling storytelling that manages to evoke various emotions (wonder and delight mostly), along with fascinating and original characters all wrapped together in some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear.
Someone who does not seem to get much mention or plaudits but should, is Joe Hisaishi. Whilst doing some background research for this article I discovered that for all of the films that I adore the music of, their iconic sound tracks are ones composed by him and as mentioned earlier, it is some of the most beautiful and memorable music that will ever grace your ears. Before long you will be listening to playlists of his music on Spotify or Youtube I assure you.
In this post I will rate, out of 10, all of Hayao Miyazaki's films. Let me know if there's any ratings you disagree with in the comments!
Having not written anything like this before, I'm consciously aware that I do not want to ruin any of these films by exposing too much plot or detail. I suppose that will make it difficult to write, so please bear with me as instead I will just give my anecdotal thoughts on each one. I will also highlight any of the iconic pieces of music incase you want to make a start on a playlist.
Notes:
- There are 2 non-Miyazaki films in this list; The Cat Returns, and Pom Poko as I recall thoroughly enjoying them when I watched them last. Let's see how they hold up to the others.
- All films were watched in the English dubbed versions
- My scores are my own opinion from an everyday guy, I am no film critic and there is no system combining ratings or characters, screenplay or soundtrack. It is simply my feelings the following day after some reflection.
The Cat Returns - 5/10
2002 - 1hr 15mins
The Cat returns, or 'Neko no ongaeshi' as I prefer to refer it as, was the first film I rewatched for this article, mainly because I recall it being very short, and I was short on time on that particular day.
It is a delightful short story about a young school girl whom discovers she can talk to cats. A roller coaster series of events sees her taken to the cat kingdom to marry a cat against her will, and some friends attempt to rescue her and escape.
I had fond memories of the Cat Returns, but after the rewatch I realised that as far as Ghibli films go, it is decidedly average. The characters are great, especially the Baron and Muta, as are the voice actors for the English version. The soundtrack is not one of note, it was subtle and took a back seat unlike some of the iconic Ghibli films and their soundtracks. Overall, worth a watch because it's short and about Cats but I don't think you will be planning to rewatch anytime soon.
From up on Poppy hill - 6/10
2011 - 1hr 31mins
From up on Poppy Hill is a film set in the 'mundane world' - no weird and wonderful here, just a fantastically written and presented romance story.
Based in post-war 1960s Yokohama, the story revolves around Umi, a high school girl with an impossible workload looking after her family. She crosses paths with a boy, Shun, who is campaigning to save the schools old Latin quarter club house. They work together to try and save the club house and along the way become very close friends. They discover they are much closer than they thought.
I have no shame in admitting this was a tear jerker at times which is a testament to the story and how it is told. It was as refreshing to watch again as it was the first time years ago. The sound track is good with some nice songs but remains low key - It suits the film well as dialogue takes precent.
Arrietty - 7/10
2010 - 1hr 34mins
Arrietty is a charming film based on the concept of 'Borrowers' - tiny people that live inside your walls. The story follows Arrietty and her family who live peacefully under the floors of a house until one day they are discovered by humans.
An enjoyable watch despite not being an original concept. The attention to detail in relation to relative size of objects and the borrowers is well done, even the sounds.
Speaking of which, the soundtrack is decent and includes one of the great pieces of music in the Ghibli world in the form of Arrietty's Song. Interestingly, the song was the first for Ghibli not composed by a Japanese, instead by Cecile Corbel from France.
Notable music: Arrietty's Song - Cecile Corbel
Princess Mononoke - 10/10
1997 - 2hr 13mins
Set in the Samurai age, Princess Mononoke is the story of Ashitaka, a young warrior, and San, a human child of a forest god. Ashitaka is cursed from a battle with a demon, and in trying to find a cure he stumbles into a war between a mining colony and the forest gods.
One of the heavy hitters, an absolute masterpiece and for me, one of the 2 god-tier films by Hayao Miyasaki.
It has everything. A compelling storyline in an imaginative world with gorgeous visuals and underpinned by a beautiful sound track (possibly the best) Princess Mononoke is one of the best films ever, period. Not just animation but in all. It was one of the highest grossing Japanese films worldwide for a long time, and to this day it is still in the top 20, only dropping due to the release of much newer films which are far more accessible these days.
Notable music: Princess Mononoke - Joe Hisaishi
Pom Poko 4/10
1994 - 1hr 59mins
Racoons once used to live peacefully in the forests surrounding Tokyo. With the city in a growth phase and more homes needed, Urban sprawl starts encroaching on the Tama hills area, threatening the homes of the Racoons that live there. The Racoons hone their legendary transformation skills and work together to try and stop the development and save their home.
A comedic story underscored with narration give this film a unique feels compared to other Studio Ghibli productions. An entertaining watch with the transformation skills of the Racoons being of particular amusement. This is the second and last movie included on this list that did not have involvement from Hayao Miyazaki, and unsurprisingly it is not at the same level.
Porco Rosso - 6/10
1992 - 1hr 29mins
A badass mustachioed bounty hunting pig that hunts pirates in a sea plane! Porco rosso is about a World War 1 veteran pilot based in the Adriatic Sea whom is cursed to look like a pig. He's an ace pilot and the most feared bounty hunter, so naturally the Sea pirates want him out of the way.
The Story feels very much like a day-in-the-life of Porco which adds to the allure that it is just a snapshot of this legendary characters exciting life and makes you wonder what other exciting adventures he has.
A really fun film. Porco Rosso gives me the same feeling I used to have watching Saturday morning Cartoons as a kid, and that probably has a lot to do with the Wacky Races vibes I get!
My neighbour Totoro - 7/10
1988 - 1hr 35mins
Tonari no Totoro is a film about a young family who move to the countryside. The children by chance discover their neighbour is a rather large and cuddly forest spirit troll.
An adorable film that’s lacking much of a story, which isn't a bad thing at all - it's just a couple of young children enjoying being with their newfound friends.
Totoro is a classic. Kawaii characters such as Totoro, his mini-me's and Catbus have become iconic, and combined with the relatively short length and uncomplicated story, this is a great one for the kids to watch. Soundtrack is gorgeous and one of the highlights.
Notable music: Path of the Wind - Joe Hisaishi
Nausicaa of the valley of the wind - 6/10
1984 - 1hr 57mins
Technically Nausicaa is not a Studio Ghibli movie as it was made before the Studio was formerly established, however it is considered by many as a Ghibli film as it was written and directed by Hayao Miyasaki.
Nausicaa is a Princess of a tribe residing in the Valley of the Wind, in a strange world that is somehow both apocalyptic and medieval. It's incredibly imaginative, from the world itself, to the people, animals and technology. Nausicaa herself is an inspirational heroin and the story sees her trying to prevent two neighbouring countries from going to war to prevent the inevitable disaster for everyone.
It has a slightly different feel to it than the other films and in my opinion it's largely down to the soundtrack. Nearly every other Ghibli film has beautiful instrumental piano and string ballads, whereas Nausicaa has almost 80’s action movie sound with a lot of synth. It's not bad by any means, but a major difference.
Nausicaa of the valley of the wind has a very in-depth story with a lot going on all the time and in different places. Most Ghibli films are fairly linear in their story, following one character and the events surrounding that character. This is different and it is what sets it apart.
Whisper of the heart - 6/10
1995 - 1hr 51mins
Whisper of the heart is a lovely story about a Shizuku, a young girl who aspires to be a writer and loves to read books. She discovers that almost every book she checks out of the Library has previously been checked out by a mystery somebody called Seiji Amasawa.
The story is one of self discovery, as Shizuku embarks on a journey to find out who she is, and what she wants to do with her life.
This is a real life kind of film and is quite slow paced, but it is heartfelt, inspiring and has charm. It also introduces some characters later seen in The Cat Returns, so look out for those if you have already seen that film.
The Wind Rises - 7/10
2013 - 2hr 6mins
The Wind rises follows the story of Jiro, who whilst growing up in wartime Japan dreams of becoming an Airplane designer. He goes onto live his dream, along with tragedy and romance along the way.
The wind rises was supposedly Miyazaki's last film, at least at the time it was touted as such. It was a good and slightly emotional watch, similar to some of his previous films such as 'Up on Poppy Hill' but with the tragedy and seriousness dials turned up a notch. A good watch nonetheless and I'm glad this wasn't his last film as it is not quite ‘going out on a high’ that you might expect.
The Boy and the Heron - 8/10
2023 - 2hr 4mins
I am ashamed to admit I did not know of this film’s existence, being a recent release. It was only when I was checking my list to make sure I hadn't missed any films that I discovered it! As such, The Boy and the Heron is the only film on this list that I was watching for the first time, and as you may know or will soon discover, watching any of Hayao Miyazaki's films for the very first time is a special treat indeed.
The story is based during wartime, and is about a boy called Mahito who goes to live with his new stepmother in the countryside. A Grey Heron makes his acquaintance and a series of fantastical events unfolds that includes armies of giant Parakeets and cute white Kirby-like creatures. Intrigued yet?
This is a film which has you asking a lot of questions: why, who, when, where? and although it makes sense by the end, it's one of those films where you may wish Morgan Freeman was around to explain what is going on. This takes nothing away from it though, It is a fantastic film with a wonderful story line and I almost feel like it's taken the essence of a number of iconic Ghibli films, let me know what films you think I am referring to in the comments!
Notable music: Ask me why (Mothers thoughts) - Joe Hisaishi
Castle in the sky - 5/10
1986 - 2hr 4mins
Also known as Laputa: Castle in the sky, this film takes inspiration from the 1726 book Gulliver's Travels which depicts a floating island called Laputa.
The story follows a young man called Pazu who lives and works in a mining town, when one day a young girl called Sheeta falls out of the sky whilst being pursued by pirates who are after her necklace. A whirlwind series of events and revelations occur and it becomes a race to find the legendary floating city of Laputa.
Castle in the sky is a little different to the more popular films. I enjoyed it for the steampunk theme and that it gets a little bit dark at times. The story is great, though the characters are forgettable. The sound track includes one of the great Hisaishi pieces; Carrying you.
Notable music: Carrying you - Joe Hisaishi
Kiki's delivery service - 7/10
1989 - 1hr 42mins
Kiki is a young witch, and as per tradition has to leave home for a year at the tender age of 13 as part of her training. With broomstick in hand and her lovable talking black Cat Jiji, she sets off to find a town to call her own that doesn’t yet have a resident Witch and to make her place in the world.
A fun and cheerful film full of adventure. Great characters and a great soundtrack. Jiji in particular I love because well, he’s a talking cat and I love cats. I really enjoy Kiki’s every time I watch it, possible because everyone is nice and friendly, there is nothing dark or evil and it’s a reminder that there are good people in this world. Let’s just ignore the bit about her parents being OK with their daughter leaving home at 13 with only enough money for 1 trip to the supermarket though.
Notable music: A town with an ocean view - Joe Hisaishi
Howl's moving Castle - 9/10
2004 - 1hr 59mins
The film opens with a scene of a misty landscape, a shepherd herding his sheep on the mountainside against a backdrop of a walking castle stumbling out of the mist. The Shepherd and his sheep carry on like its a perfectly normal occurrence. I love it.
Based on a British novel and set in an early twentieth century European themed world, the story revolves around a young woman called Sophie, who through no fault of her own draws the attentions of Howl, a Wizard. A jealous Witch places a curse on Sophie that turns her into an old hag and the curse makes her unable to tell anyone about it, so she runs away. How will she lift the curse without being able to tell anyone she is cursed? Indeed.
Despite being one of my personal favourites, and one of the top 3 Ghibli films (in my opinion) Howl’s moving castle just falls short of reaching the god tier. The story starts and develops on an epic trajectory and then it felt like it just sort of plateaus off a bit just when your imagination is tingling with trepidation at the possibilities.
Notable music: Merry go round of life - Joe Hisaishi
Ponyo - 5/10
2008 - 1hr 43mins
Ponyo is the story of a ‘magic’ goldfish (which has a human face but no-one in the film seems to notice) who by chance finds herself in the hands of a little human boy called Sosuke. Ponyo uses her powers to turn herself into a human so she can be with Sosuke, and in doing so puts the entire world out of balance with catastrophic consequences.
I actually do not like this film. Yes It’s adorable, playful and has wholesome moments that I’m sure many of you will enjoy, the music is nice and the visuals are good. But, for me it just doesn’t seem like a Miyasaki-standard film, especially when you compare it to the other films of the 2000s. Some aspects just seem so out of place as to what you expect and the messages that are sent - things like how Sosuke’s mum is a really reckless driver throughout, abandons her 5 year son in the storm to check on old folks, and Ponyo is just as bad - but she gets a pass because she’s just a fish. A younger audience though wont notice these details and will enjoy this immensely.
Spirited away - 10/10
2001 - 2hr 5mins
A young girl called Chihiro is on her way with her parents to move to a new home. On the way they take a wrong turn and decide to investigate what appears to be an old abandoned theme park. That theme park turns out to be a magical place where spirits come to visit, centered around an enormous bathhouse. Her parents stumble into a trap and it’s up to Chihiro to rescue them and escape.
Spirited away is full of intrigue and wonder, a simply enchanting film. The story is brilliant as are the characters and the world building.
Due to hindsight bias I was convinced Spirited Away was the best Ghibli film. It certainly is my personal favourite as it is basically flawless and I could watch it over and over. An absolute master piece is an understatement.
I could not pick between this and Princess Mononoke for top spot so they share it. Both are equally outstanding in different ways. Princess Mononoke is more ‘epic’ in terms of scale in the story, whereas Spirited Away is more charming and Fun. What’s your no.1?
Notable music: One summers day - Joe Hisaishi
