Studio Ghibli Anime

Studio Ghibli’s films have been notable for crossing beyond the audience of anime fans and into more general audiences, delighting them with relatable stories depicted through fluid animation and oftentimes a touch of magic. They owe much of their success to Hayao Miyazaki, whose films range from the whimsical My Neighbor Totoro to more action-y fare like Princess Mononoke. Two of his films, Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron have gone on to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the only Japanese director to have done so.

But alongside Miyazaki is an equally-talented, yet underrated director in Isao Takahata. While not as prolific as Miyazaki, Takahata’s films have been recognized for the emotion that goes into them. None of them are more famous than 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies which many rank as among the most tragic, anti-war films of all time. His other notable works include the delightful Pom Poko and The Tale of Princess Kaguya, the latter of which was was a retelling of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. It would be his final film, which also got nominated for an Academy Award.

Given Studio Ghibli’s track record of successes, check out our thoughts on their many films if you’re in need of a good movie to watch.