The Ghibli Gallon

A tier list of all 23 Ghibli movies

Due to the large number of images in this post, it will not fit within the email. To read it in its entirety, please click through to the website.

Having a pint of Pixar as a treat was fun, but what about gorging myself on the whole gallon of Ghibli? Long time readers of The Low Major will remember our earlier series, Pixar Pints, where a group of us sat down to watch and review every Pixar movie. 

Earlier this year, I decided to take on a similar challenge by myself, and watch all 23¹ Studio Ghibli films in advance of the release of The Boy and the Heron, the 24th entry in the studio’s filmography. Studio Ghibli is a beloved Japanese animation studio, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It has produced iconic films like My Neighbor Totoro and 2002 Best Animated Feature Oscar winner Spirited Away². 

Instead of giving each movie a score from 1-10, I decided to take a tier list approach, as Ghibli films are, on average, very good. I grouped them by my perception of their quality and personal enjoyment of the film instead of using strict rankings and numerical scores. When you reach peak cinema, it’s hard to draw rigid lines about which cinematic masterpiece is the best cinematic masterpiece.    

I’m going to preface this by saying that I don’t think Ghibli has made a truly bad movie. Even the weaker movies have redeeming qualities that might make them a movie someone somewhere might enjoy, even if it’s not a classic getting a perfect 100 on the Tomatometer. 

Without further ado, here is the breakdown of each tier. 

C-Tier: Fine for What It Is Tier

Earwig and the Witch (2020)

Directed by Gorô Miyazaki

The lone member of the C-Tier is Earwig and the Witch, a movie unlike anything else in the Studio Ghibli filmography. It’s a made-for-TV kids’ movie that’s silly and cute and probably shouldn’t be scrutinized too hard. (Seriously, what was up with the lax adoption policy at the orphanage?)  While I was watching it, I was reminded of the sort of Halloween specials they’d play on Cartoon Network when I was a kid. Not exactly Spirited Away, but I think I would have watched it if it came on TV when I was a kid.

B-Tier: Decent Movies

Tales From Earthsea (2006)

Directed by Gorô Miyazaki

This film is a bit infamous, but I hesitate to call it a bad movie. It’s an adaptation of Ursala K. Le Guin’s Earthsea book series. The animation was excellent, with gorgeous backgrounds and expressive characters. However, the story is less impressive. I’ve only read one of the Earthsea books (almost a decade ago), and some references in the movie made me feel like I was missing something. This is the only Ghibli film for which I feel like lack of familiarity with the source material impaired my experience. I think this had the potential to be another great Ghibli fantasy adventure, but it missed the mark.

Ocean Waves (1993)

Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki

This is Ghibli’s other made-for-TV movie (and the only film I couldn’t find an English dub for). You can tell that this didn’t have the animation budget of Kiki’s Delivery Service or Whisper of the Heart, but it is by no means bad. Ocean Waves tells a story about growing up and the difficulties with relationships at the high school/college age. I think this is a good movie, but it doesn’t reach the same level of art quality as the films that came before it, nor does the story feel as unique as the movies in the higher tiers. It does have the best-rendered can of Sprite in Ghibli’s whole filmography though!

A-Tier: Good Movies

Only Yesterday (1991)

Directed by Isao Takahata

An excellent frame story about Taeko, a 27 year old woman who experiences memories of growing up while taking a vacation away from her office job out in the country. As someone in her late twenties, I could relate to Taeko’s story. Growing up often means processing what happened before and figuring out where to go next. The gorgeous scenery of the countryside is a highlight of this movie. 

Ponyo (2008)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Our first entry directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo tells the story of a young boy named Sōsuke who meets a magical goldfish/girl named Ponyo. This is an adorable movie about love, choosing your own path in life, embracing change, and keeping balance with nature. With typical Ghibli charm, the art, music, and story come together to delight.

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)

Directed by Isao Takahata

With themes of family conflict being so common in Ghibli movies, a movie specifically about family was inevitable. This film follows the Yamadas, a Japanese family going through their day-to-day lives. The stylization in this movie was imaginative and visually interesting, providing the opportunity to incorporate the fantastical into ordinary family life. I also think it was brilliant to have this movie follow up Princess Mononoke (more on that one later), since it’s so different from anything Ghibli had put out before.

From Up On Poppy Hill (2011)

Directed by Gorô Miyazaki

From Up On Poppy Hill tells the story of a group of 1960s Yokohama teenagers trying to save their school clubhouse from demolition (with a surprising love story on the side). This film is also an emotional look at the aftereffects of war and the way grief influences our lives. But this movie isn’t all doom and gloom. The high school students were hilarious; they had a combination of precociousness and pretentiousness that only teenagers can get away with.

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

The Secret World of Arrietty tells the story of a sickly boy named Shō who goes to stay at his aunt’s house to prepare for surgery, and while there meets a tiny girl named Arrietty, living under the house with her family. This is a touching story about being brave in the face of life’s hardships. The film creates a unique sensory experience using sound and visuals to immerse the viewer into the world of the borrowers (the tiny people, like Arrietty, who live a precarious existence and try to remain hidden). 

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Ghibli movie. A charming story about a pair of sisters who go to live in the countryside and encounter forest spirits (including the titular Totoro). Totoro is an iconic character that ascended to Ghibli mascot status for a very good reason. This movie leans into delightful magical realism with scenes that enchant viewers young and old. If only I could ride the Catbus.

S-Tier: Great Movies

The Cat Returns (2002)

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita

A spin-off of Whisper of the Heart, this tells the story of Haru, a girl who saves a cat and gets taken to the Kingdom of Cats to marry the Cat Prince as her reward. She, unsurprisingly, does not want to marry a cat, and needs to find a way to escape. I will admit, I ranked The Cat Returns so high because it combines two of my favorite things: cats and fantasy. If I were less of a cat person, this might be in my A-Tier, but that’s not the world we live in! This is a truly delightful movie about coping with the difficulties of life and learning to believe in yourself.

When Marnie was There (2014)

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

A twelve-year-old girl goes to stay with relatives by the sea to improve her asthma, and begins a friendship with a mysterious girl named Marnie. This is a beautiful, symbolic movie about how love and lack of love shapes the human experience, and how people can overcome the adversity of their circumstances. Unraveling the mystery of who Marnie is makes for a compelling narrative and an incredibly touching ending. 

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata

Ghibli’s most brutal and depressing film, Grave of the Fireflies is a story of two siblings living through World War II and the challenges they face. It also has the most memorable and striking opening of any Ghibli movie (if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I don’t want to ruin it). This is a great movie, and an important depiction of very real historical horrors. Watching it invites the viewer to consider how the world could become that cruel, and how humanity can do better in the future. This is also the Ghibli movie I would be least likely to rewatch, not because of any quality issue with the movie, but due to how emotionally painful watching it the first time was. 

Pom Poko (1994)

Directed by Isao Takahata

This might be the most bizarre movie Studio Ghibli has ever made. Pom Poko tells the story of a group of raccoon dogs trying to protect their forest home from suburban development. The world of the raccoon dogs is filled with an absurdity that is both funny and gripping. This film has a well-crafted narrative, with memorable characters and a thematic density atypical of talking animal flicks. As a xenofiction aficionado, I think this is a great example of how stories from a nonhuman perspective can help humanity learn about themselves.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Kiki’s Delivery Service tells the story of a thirteen-year-old girl, Kiki, leaving her family and home for a year to train as a witch. A delightfully magical coming of age film, this blends the fantastical with the challenges many of us face while growing up, like making friends, finding your place in the world, discovering yourself and your passions, and overcoming a lack of motivation. Also, this movie has a talking cat, which is incredibly based. 

Porco Rosso (1992)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Porco Rosso follows a bounty hunter/former World War I fighter pilot that is cursed to look like a pig as he evades pirates and the Italian government. Why had I never heard of this movie before I started this project? It’s a hilarious movie with incredible animation and stronger anti-war themes than you might expect from a movie about a dude who looks like a pig. It also has one of the best lines in Ghibli’s body of work: “I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.” Finally, I would like to say that the character of Curtis is the best dumbass American representation I’ve ever seen in cinema and I love him for it.

S+-Tier: Cinematic Masterpieces

Spirited Away (2002)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The only foreign film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away follows Chihiro, a girl who becomes trapped in a strange spirit world after exploring an abandoned amusement park with her parents. Chihiro must navigate a fantastical world filled with spirits and magic, while finding a way to escape and save her parents. With gorgeous animation, an incredibly creative setting, memorable characters, and a stellar story, this earns its place as one of Studio Ghibli’s best works. A brief synopsis can’t do it justice.

The Wind Rises (2013)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Wind Rises gives us a fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, an airplane designer whose planes were eventually used for Japan to fight in World War II. Miyazaki’s love of airplanes shines through in this film. This is a thematically complex film with a cast of characters that make the story come alive. It’s easy to come out and say “war is bad,” but that alone doesn’t make for a very good movie narrative. Throughout their body of work, Ghibli has taken an anti-war stance that is pretty hard to miss. In showing the impact of war on the ambitions of man, The Wind Rises offers us a chance to look at ourselves and reflect on our own legacies. Don’t forget to bring your tissue box for this one.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)

Directed by Isao Takahata

Takahata’s masterpiece, The Tale of Princess Kaguya adapts a 10th century Japanese story, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. It follows a girl who was found in a stalk of bamboo and adopted by a bamboo cutter who sees her as “a blessing from the heavens.” A film that is equally unique and gorgeous in its style, The Tale of Princess Kaguya offers a gripping narrative about the nature of happiness. The scene where Princess Kaguya runs out of the mansion during the party celebrating her name contains my favorite animation from any Ghibli movie; it’s a dynamic and striking scene and I highly recommend you watch the movie to see it for yourself. This is a visual treat from beginning to end.

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Castle in the Sky follows a boy and a mysterious girl who falls from the sky and their journey to find Laputa, the castle in the sky. They must overcome pirates, the military, and other obstacles in their quest. Incredible art, incredible narrative, incredible music, incredible worldbuilding. What more could you want? This movie immerses you in the adventure and hits hard thematically.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind follows a princess navigating a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by pollution and threatened by war in a sci-fi tale that feels as relevant in 2023 as it must have felt in 1984. This is a hopeful movie about learning to work with the Earth, with a narrative that had me fully invested and tearing up by the end. It also contains an S+-Tier animal friend to the protagonist, if you need more incentive to watch.

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô

Whisper of the Heart follows a young girl who is intrigued by a boy that has previously checked out the same library books she checks out. A wholesome love story, this movie is a touching narrative about both finding encouragement through relationships and finding your way as an artist. A must-watch for all creative types. Also, if you like the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” you should watch this movie. It’s so tragic that this was the only movie Kondô directed for Ghibli before his death.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Howl’s Moving Castle tells the story of a young woman cursed to become old, and her journey through a war-torn land to undo the curse. Along the way, she encounters a wizard, his apprentice, a fire demon, a helpful scarecrow, and an old witch. This movie has it all: gorgeous music and art, compelling characters, a captivating story. Thematically, it explores the futility of war and importance of love. With mastery over all the elements that make a film good, this is easily one of Ghibli’s best.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Watching all the Ghibli movies leading up to Princess Mononoke, it felt like this movie was the culmination of all the talent and creativity Studio Ghibli had been cultivating. Princess Mononoke tells the story of a prince who’s been fatally cursed by a demon boar. He goes on a journey far from home to find a way to escape the curse, being told he must “see with eyes unclouded by hate.” Everything that makes this movie so great can hardly fit in a paragraph, but I’ll try. The art style is vibrant, the story is gripping, the music is gorgeous, the characters are complex and fascinating to follow, the worldbuilding immerses you, and the themes are powerful. This has the absolute best of all the things that make Studio Ghibli’s movies so good. Do yourself a favor and go watch it.

The Tier List

Make your own!

Conclusion

After watching all 23 movies, I can confidently say Ghibli is a truly special studio. Their mastery of the medium of animation is a joy to behold, and their mastery of storytelling makes these movies truly great. If you’re looking for films exploring the horrors of war, the need to respect nature, family conflict, the realities of life and death, and hope for the future, then look no further. There’s something for everyone within this filmography from the whimsical and fantastic to the heart wrenchingly brutal and realistic and everything in between. I believe truly great art can help us learn not only about the world around us, but also about ourselves. Ghibli movies encourage us to imagine a better world and to become better people. For that reason alone, taking the time to watch these movies was worth it.

Movie Marathon Lightning Round

Movie Marathon Ideas if you don’t have time to watch all 23 movies

Isao Takahata’s Films

Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko, My Neighbors the Yamadas, The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Hayao Miyazaki’s Films

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, The Wind Rises (better block off the whole weekend for this one)

Aviation

Kiki’s Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, The Wind Rises

Environmental

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Pom Poko, Princess Mononoke

Slice of Life

Only Yesterday, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Whisper of the Heart

Fantastical

The Cat Returns, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service

Historical

Grave of the Fireflies, From Up On Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises

Best of the Best

Spirited Away, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke

Wrap Up

So that’s my Ghibli tier list! I’d love to hear what you think of my tiers in the comments. Do you disagree with my placement of any of the movies? What’s your Ghibli tier list? 

Also, as you might already know, the 24th Ghibli film, The Boy and the Heron, is coming out on December 8. I’m going to see it on Friday and I will be adding it to the tier list. Look out for the review this weekend!

1.  Depending on what you’re counting as a “Ghibli movie”, you might come up with a different number. This list includes TV movies (Ocean Waves and Earwig and the Witch) and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (released before Studio Ghibli’s founding, but is often considered a Ghibli film). It excludes The Red Turtle, which Studio Ghibli co-produced with Wild Bunch.

2. This may come up again later in The Low Major canon.