6 Most Popular Movies by Hayao Miyazaki You Should Watch

01 Castle in the Sky (August 2, 1986)

Castle in the Sky was the very first movie animated by Studio Ghibli. It follows the adventures of Pazu, an orphaned teenage boy, and Sheeta, a teenage girl floating from the sky, who attempt to keep a magic crystal necklace from a group of military agents and find out that the necklace is connected to the floating city of Laputa. Director Hayao Miyazaki creates an amazingly beautiful fantasy world that can make the audience get shocked by this imaginary world.

02 My Neighbor Totoro (April 16, 1988)

Another Miyazaki's movie loved by people is My Neighbor Totoro. It tells a story of two young girls who move with their father to a house in the rural, and meet a spiritual tree guardian, Totoro. The movie revolves around the interactions between the kids and the wood spirits. The adorable magical friends will make children quickly accept the movie and love the story. It is also an enjoyable movie which enables you to appreciate the beauty of nature from a different perspective.

03 Spirited Away (July 20, 2001)

In terms of ranking Studio Ghibli movies, many people are likely to deem Spirited Away the greatest Studio Ghibli movies in their mind. The 2001 animated fantasy movie is just perfect and classic. It has a fascinating plot, strong characters, and wonderful soundtrack. It is such an enchanting fairy tale that makes viewers astonished and related to. People have different interpretations toward the movie. And every time you watch the movie, it always brings you something new.
Besides, after all these years, the soundtrack music can still be heard in schools, supermarkets, amusement parks, and most public places, which indicates the movie's great influences.

04 Howl's Moving Castle (November 20, 2004)

Miyazaki's presentation of movie themes is always brilliant. Howl's Moving Castle is a sound example. The movie is loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. It is an anti-war story which is set in a fictional kingdom where both magic and early 20th century technology are prevalent. And Sophie, a young girl cursed by a witch into an old woman's body, encounters a wizard named Howl and set out their journey together.
The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards, which is worth to watch if you haven't seen it.

05 Ponyo (July 19, 2008)

Ponyo, also titled as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is the eighth film Miyazaki directed for Studio Ghibli. It is a story of a young girl fish, the daughter of a masterful wizard and a sea goddess, defying her father's wishes and transform herself into a human to live with the boy she loves. But the use of the magic power causes a progressively dangerous effect to the world. Although it is not as popular as other Studio Ghibli movies, it is a well-made movie that is underrated.

06 The Wind Rises (July 20, 2013)

The Wind Rises was the final movie directed by Miyazaki before his retirement in 2013. It is adapted from Miyazaki's manga of the same name, which was in turn loosely based on both the 1937 novel The Wind Has Risen by Tatsuo Hori and the life of Jiro Horikoshi. It is a heavy and ponderous movie. And it can be considered as a narration of a complex and overwhelming period of the early 20th century, which separates The Wind Rise from other Studio Ghibli movies.

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