Where to start · Wind, food and flying machines
Where to start with Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli made hand-drawn films that feel like childhood memories you never had: gentle, strange and full of wind, food and flying machines. Start with the one that became its logo, then follow the path from cosy to epic.
1Start here
My Neighbor Totoro1988 · Hayao Miyazaki · 86 minThe gentlest way in: two sisters, a forest spirit and a cat bus. Pure wonder, with no villain at all.2Then
Spirited Away2001 · Hayao Miyazaki · 125 minGhibli at full power: a bathhouse for gods and a girl finding her courage. Its most loved film, for good reason.
Kiki's Delivery Service1989 · Hayao Miyazaki · 103 minA young witch's first job, and her first burnout. Warm, funny and quietly wise about growing up.
Howl's Moving Castle2004 · Hayao Miyazaki · 119 minRomance, war and a walking castle. Lusher and stranger, the perfect next step.3Go deeper
Princess Mononoke1997 · Hayao Miyazaki · 134 minThe epic: gods, forests and industry at war. Darker and more violent, and unforgettable.
Grave of the Fireflies1988 · Isao Takahata · 89 minNot a children's film. A devastating wartime story that will stay with you for years.
Whisper of the Heart1995 · Yoshifumi Kondo · 111 minA quiet teenage romance about becoming an artist. Ghibli's most underrated gem.
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya2013 · Isao Takahata · 137 minIsao Takahata's farewell: a folk tale drawn like moving brushstrokes.