Favourite Ghibli Movie and Why

[On My Own]

What is your favourite Studio Ghibli movie, and why?

 

[skategal]

I've only watched 3 or 4 (with DS) but my favorite so far is "My Neighbor Totoro."

I like Totoro and the cat bus.

DS loves "Spirited Away" but I can't stand that one.

 

[MacMadame]

I've only watched 3 or 4 (with DS) but my favorite so far is "My Neighbor Totoro."

I like Totoro and the cat bus.

Mine too!

DS loves "Spirited Away" but I can't stand that one.

I don't think I've seen that one. My second favorite is Kiki's Delivery Service.

 

[Taso]

Nausicaa, because of our own Chen Lu!

 

[On My Own]

I like Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke, and Nausicaa, in that order, as my favorites. Grave of the Fireflies is just too complex to discuss, but Princess Mononoke is the kind of topic that I find they did with such care for the nuance of the topic they'd tackled, and did well with presenting both sides of the issue (vague-splaining to avoid spoilers).

 

[Miezekatze]

Spirited away!

 

[Tesla]

I've only seen one, but I love Howl's Moving Castle.

 

[DynamicMutation]

I've only seen one, but I love Howl's Moving Castle.

This is my favorite. although it is not the best story, I really enjoy the characters, the animation of the castle, and especially the musical score—which incidentally I hear often in programs from Juvenile to Novice and then I daydream about rewatching the film.

For its pure fun and whimsy I enjoy My Neighbour Totoro. For the adorable fishy-girly-chicken legged main character, I like Ponyo.

I’ve watched all the Miyazaki films but these stand out for me.

 

[my little pony]

I think princess Mononoke is my favorite since it is the one I rewatch the most and I think the only one ive ever bought merch from

 

[Aussie Willy]

For me it is a toss up between Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. Both are beautiful movies. And I really loved Totoro. One thing Ghibli does well is to create unique stories.

As an aside but related to Ghibli, here in the state of Tasmania where I live there is a country town called Ross. It has a bakery which is famous for looking like the one from Kiki's Delivery service. Japanese tourists travel there just to go the bakery. Aside from the association with the film, it is a very good bakery and makes great pies.

 

[Andora]

I am just delighted this thread came back up, because I sometimes miss the days I ran with an anime group in 2002.

I like Grave of the Fireflies...

I struggle to say this is my favourite because it's SUCH an affecting and devastating movie. I honestly haven't been the same since I saw it 22 years ago. I was upsetting my friend with how angry I was at one point.

It's the kind of movie that requires "My Neighbor Totoro" to reset. I love it because I had a roommat that put it on for a couple of us that were having a bad day. It really is the perfect movie to turn things around.

Princess Mononoke, and Nausicaa, in that order, as my favorites. Grave of the Fireflies is just too complex to discuss, but Princess Mononoke is the kind of topic that I find they did with such care for the nuance of the topic they'd tackled, and did well with presenting both sides of the issue (vague-splaining to avoid spoilers).

Princess Mononke was so good, "even the dub" as one can joke, and also ubiquitous. This is the Ghibli/Anime film I find has transcended a bit, and it did so based on quality.

I think princess Mononoke is my favorite since it is the one I rewatch the most and I think the only one ive ever bought merch from

Same, MLP. I'm 100% going to find the soundtrack later today.
(Though I had a boyfriend that gave me a stuffed Neko Bus when I was sick)

 

[On My Own]

I struggle to say this is my favourite because it's SUCH an affecting and devastating movie. I honestly haven't been the same since I saw it 22 years ago. I was upsetting my friend with how angry I was at one point.

Oh yes. When I say "like" I don't mean "I loved watching it". It's precisely because I thought the filmmakers did such a visceral job with their film, that I can't help but commend them.

I am not sure I'd ever watch it again, like just now I read a review of it, and I just couldn't think of making myself watch it again.

I do also like Totoro a lot.

 

[BlueRidge]

I haven't seen as many as I should have nor any recently (er like 15 years?) but I liked the one that had the Devonian fish in it.

 

[On My Own]

I haven't seen as many as I should have nor any recently (er like 15 years?) but I liked the one that had the Devonian fish in it.

You should watch more. The themes of climate change, feminism, anti-war are rather strong in some films (even if unintentionally sometimes).

And I think some like Totoro and Spirited Away can also be interpreted as anti-capitalist, anti-westernization of Asian countries. I also love how the studio tries to present both sides of the argument many times, and with a good degree of success, at that.

 

[BlueRidge]

You should watch more. The themes of climate change, feminism, anti-war are rather strong in some films (even if unintentionally sometimes).

I don't watch anything but I should. I liked the ones I saw.

 

[marshallpond]

I like Howl's Moving Castle for the music (and endured so many programs skated to it LOL), but did not like how Miyazaki politicized it and put stuff that are not in the book. Took me awhile to enjoy it, and only after making sure I don't think of the book when watching the movie.

I love Grave of the Fireflies. I was literally catatonic when I first watched it. Couldn't move. It hit me so deeply -- that I made it the official video to watch in the car on all our road trips, LOL. Any long car ride must begin with Grave of the Fireflies.

I watched the Boy and the Heron last week, and it is so funny watching references from previous films. There's something that looks like Calcifer from Howl's .. traces of Spirited Away with that hidden world ... the Kodama from Mononoke. I am just waiting for No Face to come out (I made my 3 kids the No Face costume, which I made to be this huge, huge face and they were the hit during Holloween's treat or trick where both kids and parents ask to take photos of my kids)

I watched everything Ghibli, even the crappy ones after Miyazaki's first or so retirement like Earwig and the Witch which was neither here nor there (scream-inducing from sheer frustration). Tales From Earthsea could have been sooo good but no coherent plot came out from combining elements from one book to the next.

I still dream of my kids skating to Nausicaä, which I don't think will ever happen LOL

And yes, going to Japan means making a pit stop at the Ghibli Museum

​

 

[escaflowne9282]

Laputa, Castle in the Sky is my favorite. I love steampunk and I loved the soundtrack.

Kiki's Delivery Service is a close second.

Grave of the Fireflies is probably the most emotionally distressing anime movie I've ever seen. Beautifully done, but I don't think I can make it through again.

 

[On My Own]

I love Grave of the Fireflies. I was literally catatonic when I first watched it. Couldn't move. It hit me so deeply -- that I made it the official video to watch in the car on all our road trips, LOL. Any long car ride must begin with Grave of the Fireflies.

Can't even imagine how...

 

[marshallpond]

Can't even imagine how...

LOL we are quirky that way

 

[escaflowne9282]

Can't even imagine how...

Ditto. I'd be so devastated and possibly crying, that I would run the risk of crashing the vehicle if I were driving and even just listening to the movie in the background.