Movies

Studio Ghibli created many fantastic movies, many of which collected numerous awards. Let's take a look at some of their finest work.

Spirited Away

Release Date: July 20, 2001

Rating: PG. An excellent all-ages movie and perfect to enjoy with the family.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: 10 year-old Chihiro is moving when her father decides to take a shortcut, ending up at a seemingly abandoned train station. her parents explore, eventually find a place to eat, but she won't touch the food and goes off to look around, only to find that the food has turned her parents into pigs! Enlisting the help of a young man named Haku, she works at the bathhouse run by the evil witch Yubaba and crowded by Japanese spirits and folklore, the place where they keep the pigs that were once humans. Can she escape with her parents safely?

My Neighbor Totoro

Release Date: April 6, 1988

Rating: G. It's a very family friendly movie, and an amiable choice for young children.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toru Hara

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: What could be more exiting than moving to the country side? The twin girls, Mei and Satsuki, have just settled down in their new home until along Mei finds a massive tree and the spirits that live there. When Mei gets lost looking for the hospital that has their sick mother, Satsuki asks the tree spirit, Totoro, for help. Can they all get back home?

Howl's Moving Castle

Release Date: 5 September 2004

Rating: PG. Good for families and slightly older children, but still a mild movie that is fantastic.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Living in a world where witches and wizards exists, a young woman named Sophie is cursed and must find a way that is not near her home. walking out into the 'Wastes', a place for the magical, she meets a feared wizard called Howl and pretends to be a cleaning lady. as she falls in love with Howl, she learns more about his magic and past, and finds herself with friends of all kinds- a young boy with the title of Marcus, a scarecrow with the head of a turnip that is also under a spell and even a talking fire demon named Calcifer! Can Sophie find a way to break the curse?

Princess Mononoke

Release Date: July 12, 1997

Rating: M. Some frightening, intense and graphic scenes (Conflict between gods, humans and demons). Teens and adults is probably the best age bracket.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Since ancient times, gods and humans lived in peace. when humans start to destroy the forest, this angers the gods and fighting starts. A young prince named Ashitaka is cursed by a demon, rendering him dead. the wise woman of his tribe tells him that he can rise to meet his fate if he wishes to do so. Travelling away from his home, he meets the ruthless Lady Eboshi and the proud wolf girl San, who clash constantly with each other. Struggling to keep the peace, he tries to stop Lady Eboshi from cutting of the forest spirits head, but is he too late?

Kiki's Delivery Service

Release Date: July 29, 1989

Rating: G. an easy to understand movie for very young children, but still entertaining for adults.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Hayao Miyazaki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: a small witch who must leave home to learn her trade, Kiki is unprepared but smart. Finding a baker in the big city, she finds work as a delivery girl. Bad weather and complicated gifts leave her in a pickle-but Kiki is willing to do whatever it takes to deliver her packages. Away from home for too long, Kiki starts to lose her ability to fly, but needs it in a desperate attempt to save her best friend Tombo. Can she do it?

Ponyo

Release Date: July 19, 2008

Rating: G. Young children are sure to find this movie fabulous, but it is just as immersive and heart-felt for adults.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Just a fish in the sea, Ponyo escapes from home but gets stuck in a jar. A child named Sōsuke rescues her, but gets cut on the finger, which instantly heals when Ponyo licks it. Captured by her father and brought back to the sea, she has a fight with him and escapes again, using Sōsuke's blood to turn herself human. When Sōsuke's mother gets lost, they go on a quest to find her, but this leads Ponyo back to her father and mother. will Ponyo be forced back into a fish or continue living as a human?

Laputa: Castle In The Sky

Release Date: August 2, 1986

Rating: PG. Some mildly intense scenes and a few deaths, but a marvellous movies for 8+

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Isao Takahata

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: After mankind's great technology progression, their man made objects finally fail and they are sent back to basic needs and options. Sheeta, an orphan with family history linked to the great flying structure named Laputa, is stolen by secret army agents but falls out of their plane in an attack, saved by her magic crystal. Meeting a boy named Pazu, they escape the army agents and join air pirates. When the army and the pirates arrive at Laputa after a nightmarish ordeal, Sheeta gets trapped with the agents again, but must find a way to save Laputa. Can Sheeta and Pazu do it?

Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind

Release Date: 11 March 1984

Rating: PG. Intense scenes may frighten some children, so keep it to 10+

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Isao Takahata

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, loves exploring as much as anything. Taking risks like no one else, she braves the toxic jungle that has taken over the earth due to human negligence to get supplies for one of the last remaining colonies on earth. Once home, a ship crashes into their village, infesting the town with poison and a heart of a great fire warrior. Another colony comes and ambushes them for the heart, where Nausicaä braves the jungle again, banding with a boy named Asbel. When a fearsome giant insect calls its hundreds of thousands of friends to kill her village, Nausicaä must find a way to keep peace. What will she do?

Grave Of The Fireflies

Release Date: 16 April 1988

Rating: M. Definitely for teens and adults, as there are some very frightening and harrowing scenes.

Directed by: Isao Takahata

Produced by: Toru Hara

Written by: Isao Takahata

Music By: Michio Mamiya

Summary: Seita, a teenage boy in World War 2, watches his mother burn and tries his hardest to look after his little sister, Setsuko. When they move into his distant aunt's house, she becomes resentful and tells them that they are lazy, useless, and that they don't deserve the food she prepares. She insults them one too many times and they leave, taking a home in a bomb shelter. When his sister dies of malnutrition and he gets beaten harshly, he tries to cremate her but runs out of money. Will he die or can he make it?

Whisper Of The Heart

Release Date: July 15, 1995

Rating: G. An amiable movie for all ages.

Directed by: Yoshifumi Kondō

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Yuji Nomi

Summary: Shizuku is an average highschooler, with a passion for writing. after writing a remix of 'Take me Home, Country Road' she leaves it and a young man, Seiji, teases her about it. eventually she finds an antique shop, run by the man's grandfather. Once they eventually befriend each other, they fall in love and Seiji reveals his plans to be a master violin maker and Shizuku continues writing. Can they both find hope in their dreams?

The Wind Rises

Release Date: 20 July 2013

Rating: PG-13. Some violence and sickness is shown, as well as much destruction.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Jiro has always wanted to be a pilot, but with his poor eyesight he is unable. A dream he has as a child tells him to engineer planes instead of fly them. When he saves a girl and her maid from the earthquake that hits, he leaves them without a name. After studying planes in Germany with his friend, he eventually finds the girl he saved again, learning that her name is Naoko Satomi and they plan to marry. When Naoko falls ill, can she be saved and can Jiro continue his engineering?

The Secret World Of Arrietty

Release Date: 17 July 2010

Rating: G. For children 6+

Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Cécile Corbel

Summary: Arrietty, a tiny person, lives under a human house with fear of being discovered. Not to be outdone by her love of borrowing and exploring, she takes her first trip with her father to borrow items, only to be discovered by a young man with heart problems, Shō. When Shō's family finds out about her, her mother gets kidnapped. She must save her travel away. But with all the complications, is she strong enough?

The Cat Returns

Release Date: July 20, 2002

Rating: G. Some comical violence, but a fantastic movie for all ages.

Directed by: Hiroyuki Morita

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Reiko Yoshida

Music By: Yuji Nomi

Summary: Haru just wants a normal life but she is always late to class and i always awkward. When she saves a cat from certain death, he speaks to her and tells her that she will repay him. The cats father, the cat king, goes over the top with gifts, and plans to kidnap her so she can marry his son. Told to seek help from the Cat Bureau, she meets 'the Baron', a fancy, well-dressed cat and Muta, a fat white cat. But when Haru is captured anyway and starts to turn into a cat, she must get back to her home before it's to late. Can she achieve this?

From Up On Poppy Hill

Release Date: July 16, 2011

Rating: PG. older than 10+ for understanding and some smoking scenes, but nevertheless a good movie.

Directed by: Gorō Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Satoshi Takebe

Summary: Umi Matsuzaki is just an average high school student, but as her mother is away and her father dead, she takes care of her whole family. At lunch at her school, a young boy jumps of the building, and she runs to help him. Teased, she is ashamed and runs back to her table. She ends up going to their school building, and working in the same part as him, but they soon realise that their father may be the same man. On top of that, the building where they work may be under threat. Is their father the same man and can they save their beloved building in time?

Porco Rosso

Release Date: July 18, 1992

Rating: PG. An excellent movie, but does have some themes and terminology that younger children may not fully understand.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Once a seaplane fighter for Italy in World War 1, Porco Rosso, a man cursed to be a pig, leaves the hotel after talking to Gina, his admirer. While there he meets Curtis, an arrogant seaplane fighter who likes Gina but is rejected because Porco is in the way. When Curtis shoots down Porco, he must make a trip to Italy for his plane to be fixed. there, he meets his friend, Piccolo, and his granddaughter, Fio. after taking her home with him, he must win a battle against Curtis. Can he do it and still end up with Fio and Gina alive?

The Tale Of Princess Kaguya

Release Date: 23 November 2013

Rating: PG. While a good movie, it does have some slightly older scenes, so best leave it at 12+

Directed by: Isao Takahata

Produced by: Yoshiaki Nishimura

Written by: Isao Takahata

Music By: Joe Hisaishi

Summary: Based off the tale of the bamboo cutter, this timeless classic is about a bamboo cutter who one day, cuts open a piece of bamboo only to find a tiny child. Blessed with other gifts such as a bag of money and fine silks, he tries to turn her into a princess. Governed under a mistress that tries to teacher her the ways of royalty and constantly threatened by men who want to marry her for her beauty, all the princess wants is to be back in her home country. Can she find a way to escape and be happy?