My Favorite Films of Studio Ghibli

Hi everyone, I was hoping to be done with a book I'm reading right now, but unfortunately I'm not. I did decide to blog about a certain company that I've been viewing the films of. That company would be Studio Ghibli.

Studio Ghibli has produced a number of great anime films since the 1980's, with their first official film being Castle in the Sky. The founder of the studio, Hayao Miyazaki, created the company following the success of his film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The studio has become to Japan what Disney is to the United States, a producer of great animated tales. I haven't seen all of Studio Ghibli's films, but those that I have seen I have enjoyed. My top five favorite films rank in the following order:
5. At fifth place comes Kiki's Delivery Service. This film is about a young witch who leaves home to do a year of training on her own. Settling in a big city, Kiki makes friends with Tombo and Osono, who help her to be confident in her skills and abilities. This film was good because it helps you to believe in yourself.4. Fourth place goes to Castle in the Sky. This movie is about a young miner boy named Patzu with a dream to find Laputa, a lost castle that floats in the sky. His adventure starts out when a girl named Sheeta falls out of the sky. Together, they must brave air pirates, soldiers, and the government to find this castle before its secrets fall into the wrong hands. An epic tale that anyone can enjoy.
3. Third place is taken by Howl's Moving Castle. This movie is based off the book by Dianna Wynne Jones and follows the adventures of Sophie, a young hatter who meets and falls in love with the wizard Howl. However, the Witch of the Waste curses Sophie into becoming an old woman. Now Sophie must journey to Howl's castle, which is constantly on the move, and help rescue her love before he loses himself. This film was great because it had an amazing story, wonderful music, and a delightful cast of characters.2. Coming up in second place is Hayao Miyazaki's world famous Spirited Away. The film is about a young girl named Chihiro who is moving to a new town with her family. However, they take a detour on the way and wind up in a place that at first looks like an abandoned theme park. However, Chihiro finds out this is really a world for the spirits of Japanese culture and she is unable to get home. After losing her parents (because they were turned into pigs for pigging out on spirit food), Chihiro is rescued by a spirit called Haku who helps her get a job at a local bathhouse where she must learn to be confident in herself if she wants to rescue her parents and find her way home. This film is definitely worth seeing and definitely deserves the Oscar it won.
1. The best film I've seen from Studio Ghibli, which earns first place here, is My Neighbor Totoro. This film follows the adventures of Satsuki and Mei as they and their father move into a new house in the country. Soon, Mei finds a huge furry creature called Totoro, and is told by her father that he's the king of the forest. Totoro helps Mei and Satsuki see the beauty of the woods around them. However, when Mei goes missing, it's up to Totoro to help Satsuki find her. This is the first Studio Ghibli film I've seen, and is the best in my opinion. Totoro is someone you can't help but like because he is such an awesome character.