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What are the 5 must watch Studio Ghibli Movies ?

Rouk'

Rouk'

Member
Jan 10, 2018
8,134
I'm not going to make my own list, since everything has been listed already, however I do want to add the following:

Porco Rosso, but with the French Dub.

It's most likely the best French dub ever made, it's definitely my favorite one. If you are French, speak French, or are interested in learning the language, please do yourself a favor and watch Porco Rosso's French dub. Jean Reno, though not a dub actor usually, is a perfect Marco, and the other actors are all as good (Jean-Luc Reichmann is surprinsingly good, and Gérard Hernandez is great as he always is in all his roles)
 
Sanox

Sanox

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,533
LossAversion said:
2. When Marnie Was There - I think this film may be somewhat underappreciated but I'm honestly not sure how it was received by fans. The ending of this movie hit me pretty hard and I deeply relate to the protagonist, Anna. It's an incredibly introspective movie and I adore it.
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Completely agree its a fantastic movie. I think the problem is that what its about isn't obvious so many who would be interested in the themes and story of the movie likely overlooked it as well.
 
hiredhand

hiredhand

Member
Feb 6, 2019
3,147
Essential:
Spirited Away
My Neighbor Totoro
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Grave of the Fireflies
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Most overlooked/underrated: My Neighbors the Yamadas
 
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rubbishmonkey

rubbishmonkey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
797
Grave of the Fireflies (I wasn't crying I had something in my eye)
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle
Princess Mononoke
Cat Returns

*Totoro would be top of my list but as op stated they had seen it I left it out
 
Sirank

Sirank

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,321
It's been a while since I've watched them but I think my top 5 would be:

1a - (If it counts) Lupin: Castle of Cagliostro
1b - Whisper of the Heart
2 - Totoro
3 - Porco Rosso
4 - Grave of the Fireflies
5 - Spirited Away
 
Kapryov

Kapryov

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,131
Australia
Nausicaa
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle
...and maybe When Marnie Was There? There are too many others to pick from...

The first 2 in particular are my favourites, they both tell a similar story with different resolutions. Nausicaa is from the 80s, Mononoke from the 90s. Both are very much worth experiencing.
After you watch Nausicaa, you may want to seek out the manga, written and illustrated by Miyazaki himself, the story continues after the movie adaption.
 

Deleted member 32561

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Since you already saw Totoro, I'd say Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya, definitely.

Edit: Kiki, Porco Rosso and Pom Poko are definitely good choices as well. The rest are good too, but of "the rest", those stand out.
 
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Kamagii

Kamagii

Member
Oct 27, 2017
618
South of Heaven
They are all good to be honest but here are my picks:
1.princess mononoke
2. Naussixa
3 spirited away
4.Howls moving castle
5. Castle cagliostro ( I like Lupin and Miyazaki did a great job with the movie.)
 

Deleted member 58401

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Lucas M. Thomas said:
Everyone's Top 5 is different and nobody is wrong. :)
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That is exactly how I felt reading this. What a treasure Ghibli is. Castle in the Sky always reminded me of Crystalis so I love it (and Crystalis). But they are almost all good/great.

My five:

Mononoke
Castle in the Sky
Spirited Away
Grave of the Fireflies
The Wind Rises

But it was very hard to leave Howl off of this. And The Cat Returns.
 
Heh

Heh

Member
Dec 12, 2017
611
I don't know about "must" watch, but here's my top 4:
  1. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
  2. Princess Mononoke
  3. Kiki's Delivery Service
  4. My Neighbor Totoro
 
arcadepc

arcadepc

Banned
Dec 28, 2019
1,925
Nausicaa of course, though it was made by Topcraft, not Ghibili.

Princess Kaguya too
 

addik

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,527
My top 5 (in no particular order):
1. Princess Kaguya
2. Whisper of the Heart
3. Kiki's Delivery Service
4. Spirited Away
5. Porco Rosso

Rouk' said:
I'm not going to make my own list, since everything has been listed already, however I do want to add the following:

Porco Rosso, but with the French Dub.

It's most likely the best French dub ever made, it's definitely my favorite one. If you are French, speak French, or are interested in learning the language, please do yourself a favor and watch Porco Rosso's French dub. Jean Reno, though not a dub actor usually, is a perfect Marco, and the other actors are all as good (Jean-Luc Reichmann is surprinsingly good, and Gérard Hernandez is great as he always is in all his roles)
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This is one of the dubs I want to watch but sadly have no access to (coming from the Philippines). I heard clips from a French radio show about philosophy and films and the glimpses I heard of Jean Reno were perfect.
 

Deleted member 41502

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Morrigan said:
Nausicaä should be your #1 priority. Greatest film of all time? Possibly.

My preferred order:

1) Nausicaä
2) Castle in the Sky
3) Princess Mononoke
4) Spirited Away
5) Grave of the Fireflies (although, BRING TISSUES)

I haven't seen Kaguya yet, though.
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I'd take this list, but swap Castle in the Sky with Totoro. Laputa is basically just a really great 80's cartoon. The rest all brought something different and amazing to the table.
 
stoff

stoff

Member
Oct 27, 2017
201
Why five? Nearly all of them are great.
Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are the most well-known ones and therefore kinda essential viewing.
But Ghibli's entire repertoire is great. From the dramatic Grave of the Fireflies, the warning Nausicaa, the dreamy Whisper of the Heart, funny Pom Poko, endearing Totoro... it's just all really great stuff.
 
Ultima_5

Ultima_5

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,672
Morrigan said:
Nausicaä should be your #1 priority. Greatest film of all time? Possibly.

My preferred order:

1) Nausicaä
2) Castle in the Sky
3) Princess Mononoke
4) Spirited Away
5) Grave of the Fireflies (although, BRING TISSUES)

I haven't seen Kaguya yet, though.
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This is my list but Porco rosso i we monokke
 
electricblue

electricblue

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,991
I'd go with
  • Kiki's Delivery Service
  • Spirited Away
  • Princess Mononoke
  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
all classics and show every side of Ghibli
 
HStallion

HStallion

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
62,262
HotHamBoy said:
the lack of Princess Kaguya in this thread makes me want to vomit

Princess-Kaguya-studio-ghibli-38844545-500-200.gif
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I need to buy a copy of this to play on my new 4K TV. In fact i will do that right now. Everyone in here should if they consider themselves a fan of animation, anime, Ghibli or just fine fucking film making in general. Its a masterpiece from a master.
 
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JohnF

JohnF

Member
Jan 19, 2019
243
Of the movies I've seen, the ones I'd heartily recommend the most is Princess Mononoke. Just a really awesome film in every possible respect. After that, Spirited Away is really fun too.

Kiki's Delivery Service is fun if a bit uneventful.

Grave of the Fireflies is really good but HORRIFICALLY DEPRESSING. You'll probably enjoy life more if you just skip it. But again, it's really well done.

And finally, Castle in the Sky was really boring to me, and My Neighbor Totoro is one of the most boring things I've ever seen in my life. My Neighbor Totoro is strictly for young children and cripplingly devoid of conflict or plot of any kind. It put me in a coma.

That's all the Ghibli I've seen, that I can recall. I have a lot more watching to do myself.
 
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ginger ninja

ginger ninja

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Oct 25, 2017
3,060
Thanks guys, I am literally at the same place where I was when I created this thread lol.

It's no one's fault really, I should just watch all of them but I can't afford it. May be I should have framed the question to 'top 5 must see Ghibli movies in the theater'
 
shintoki

shintoki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,079
Princess Mononoke
Porco Rosso
Kiki's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
Nausicaa

I think Porco Rosso maybe my favorite
 
shintoki

shintoki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,079
ginger ninja said:
Thanks guys, I am literally at the same place where I was when I created this thread lol.

It's no one's fault really, I should just watch all of them but I can't afford it. May be I should have framed the question to 'top 5 must see Ghibli movies in the theater'
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If there is a universal "Must See 5"

Top 3 are pretty easy to say. Every list will have them.

Spirited Away - Most famous entry. One that broke records in Japan, won the Oscar, etc. It typically ranks as the highest on most lists.
Princess Mononoke - Second biggest hit, their most mature entry and typically listed after Spirited Away
Grave of the Fireflies - Is listed as one of the most powerful anti-war/anti-nuclear films in the world.

The other two would be more up in the air.
Howl's Moving Castle is typically listed really high and in terms of popularity is around Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, but isn't considered as good.
Princess Kaguya is one of their more unique entries and a non-Miyazaki
Nausicaa is their first flick and considered a classic
Whispers of the Heart is Kondo's only directed flick
Castle in the Sky
The Wind Rises is Miyazaki's swan song
My Neighbor Totoro, is one the founding of their logo and a little kid favorite, but the age is aimed very low

I would say go see Nausicaa or Princess Kaguya/Whisper of the Heart. This will encompass their first film and another non-Miyazaki directed. Princess Kaguya shows the studio talent outside the norm. So I'm leaning more towards it
 
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Deleted member 45614

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Jul 4, 2018
1,888
If you limit it to 5 for me it is:

Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Kiki's Delivery Service
My Neighbour Totoro
Grave of the Fireflies
 
ohkay

ohkay

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,019
I wouldn't say these are the best, but I would personally pick these if I were gonna recommend 5 of those films because I feel it gives a little more breadth of Ghibli's works:
Spirited Away
Whisper of the Heart
Grave of the Fireflies
Princess Kaguya
Nausicaa

Though Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, The Wind Rises, Totoro (though you've seen this one), and Kiki's Delivery Service could all honestly make this list
 

Deleted member 19218

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Grave of the Fireflies.

That's the only one I will recommend because it's the only one with a serious message to people outside of Japan:

Everyone suffers in a war, even the enemy.
 

Deleted member 46958

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I hit up the IFC Center last weekend for Princess Mononoke. It was my second time seeing it and first time seeing it in theaters.

and I loved it so much the second time I saw it. Pretty know I appreciated it the second time bc I saw it in theaters.

Spirited Away, while excellent, feels overrated (and it's plot meanders much imo).

Nausicaa was great but Mononoke? Perfect.
 
Stranger Things

Stranger Things

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Oct 27, 2017
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Grave of the Fireflies put me in a terrible mood for like a week, seriously. I felt like punching a wall in utter frustration afterwards. I was emotionally scarred. It's a groundbreaking piece of art, but you shouldn't watch it if you can't handle sad/depressing stuff (like me). It hurts just thinking about those characters and their circumstances. Ugh what a downer.
 
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MrMephistoX

MrMephistoX

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Oct 25, 2017
2,754
Holy fuck...based on this thread I watched Princess Kaguya for the first time. I just want to say thank you for introducing me to such a beautiful film!
 
Elandyll

Elandyll

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Oct 25, 2017
8,806
Morrigan said:
Nausicaä should be your #1 priority. Greatest film of all time? Possibly.

My preferred order:

1) Nausicaä
2) Castle in the Sky
3) Princess Mononoke
4) Spirited Away
5) Grave of the Fireflies (although, BRING TISSUES) Totoro

I haven't seen Kaguya yet, though.
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Ah, so close to mine! ;)
 
eternalblue

eternalblue

Member
Oct 27, 2017
165
My top 5 from what I've seen:
1. Nausicaä
2. Princess Mononoke
3. Kiki's Delivery Service
4. Spirited Away
5. Castle in the Sky

I would have had Grave of the Fireflies on my list, since I think it's a film that absolutely should be seen, but I left it off because it's not a film I would recommend anyone seeing in the theater. Even being forewarned about how sad it was, I still bawled my eyes out viewing it at home watching it with a friend. I would not have enjoyed being a snotty mess at a theater on top of depressed after having just viewed that film.
 
overcast

overcast

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Oct 25, 2017
13,404
1. Princess Mononoke
2. Spirited Away
3. Castle in the Sky
4. Porco Rosso
5. Totoro

The first 4 are masterpieces and Totoro is forever culturally relevant.
 
Sibylus

Sibylus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,728
My Essential Five:

  • Spirited Away
  • Princess Mononoke
  • Howl's Moving Castle
  • Kiki's Delivery Service
  • My Neighbor Totoro
 
Excuse me

Excuse me

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Oct 30, 2017
2,016
Tale of Princess Kaguya is animation masterpiece! While it's story might not be as universal as rest of Ghibli films I still would recommend it, especially if you can watch it on big screen. Then afterwards watch the making of docu from youtube. One thing about Isao's work I really like was the fact that he changed style from film to film. He tried new animation techniques and styles. Amazing how he managed to deliver this work at his age, stunning.

Rag said:
Lupin The Third and The Castle of Cagliostro is objectively the best. Anyone who disagrees is a Grade A Dumb Dumb. After that, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa, Spirited Away, Porco Rossi and Kiki's Delivery Service in any order.
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Humbug! Castle of Cagliostro isn't even best Lupin movie. Amazing for it's time, that's given, but not even Ghibli film so moot point.
 
PeakPointMatrix

PeakPointMatrix

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Oct 25, 2017
19,047
ginger ninja said:
Thanks guys, I am literally at the same place where I was when I created this thread lol.

It's no one's fault really, I should just watch all of them but I can't afford it. May be I should have framed the question to 'top 5 must see Ghibli movies in the theater'
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Not too late to make a poll! Make it so you can select multiple choices and pick the top 3.
 
1upsuper

1upsuper

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Jan 30, 2018
5,485
Spirited Away was my favorite for over a decade but I think Nausicaa has slowly become my new favorite.

I'd say the absolute essentials are

Nausicaa
Spirited Away
Porco Rosso
Castle in the Sky
Castle of Cagliostro

Grave of the Fireflies and Princess Kaguya are brilliant, but I think they are good movies to discover once you're already a Ghibli fan since they are very different from the usual (Miyazaki) style. All the Miyazaki-directed movies are worth watching eventually though.
 
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