If you are looking for animations to watch this weekend, you should definitely check out the movies of Studio Ghibli as they produced some of the most beloved animation films of all time. And the good news is you can watch many Studio Ghibli’s films on Netflix? To save your time, we created a list for you and ranked them so you can use this to prioritise your animation binge!
List of Ghibli movies and which one you should watch first
1. Spirited Away
Chihiro thinks she is on another boring trip with her parents. But when they stop at a village that is not all that it seems, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits, shape-shifting dragons and a witch who never wants to see her leave. She must call on the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world.
2. Howl’s Moving Castle
Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. After this chance meeting she is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl’s apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer.
3. Arrietty
In this whimsical adventure, tiny 14-year-old Arrietty lives under the floorboards of a sprawling mansion set in a magical, overgrown garden with her father and mother. Arrietty and her family live by borrowing. Everything they have, they borrow or make from the things they have borrowed from the old lady who lives in the mansion.
4. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice finds a young girl, Sheeta floating down from the sky wearing a glowing pendant. Together they discover both are searching for the legendary floating castle Laputa and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around her neck. Their quest won’t be easy however. There are air pirates, secret agents and astounding obstacles to keep them from the truth – and from each other.
5. Kiki’s Delivery Service
It is tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon to learn their craft. That night comes for Kiki, who follows her dream and embarks on the experience of a lifetime.
6. The Cat Returns
Haru, a schoolgirl bored by her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual cat, and suddenly her world is transformed beyond anything she’s ever imagined. Her good deed is rewarded with a flurry of presents, including gift-wrapped mice, and one very shocking proposal of marriage – to the Cat’s King’s son!
7. Grave of the Fireflies
A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi), a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi), after an American firebombing during World War II separates the two children from their parents.
8. Ponyo
One morning near his seaside home, five year old Sosuke discovers a goldfish he names Ponyo, her head stuck in a jam jar. He rescues her, and fascinated with each other, they promise to stay firm friends. When Ponyo’s father, a powerful underwater sorcerer, forces her to return to the ocean depths, Ponyo is determined to join Sosuke on the surface and become human. What follows is an amazing underwater adventure for all ages.
9. My Neighbour Totoro
Two young girls, Satsuki and Mei, have moved with their father into a new home in the country, while their mother recovers from illness in a nearby hospital. To their surprise, they soon discover that they share this home with some rather unusual creatures and even stranger neighbours – forest guardians that the girls dub Totoro. When trouble occurs, their new friends will help them rediscover hope.
10. Whisper of the Heart
Shizuku Tsukishima is a bit of a book-worm, spending her last summer vacation in junior high school reading and translating popular foreign music into Japanese. With aspirations to one day become a writer, Shizuku can’t help but notice that the name Seiji Amasawa appears on every one of the books she borrows from the library.
11. When Marnie Was There
Twelve-year-old Anna believes she sits outside the invisible magic circle to which most people belong, and shuts herself off from everyone around her.
12. The Wind Rises
Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, he becomes one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers, experiencing key historical events in an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.
13. From Up on Poppy Hill
Set in Yokohama, From Up On Poppy Hill is a high school love story that take place in the year before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. As the country begins to pick itself up from the devastation of the Second World War, the new generation struggles to move towards a prosperous future whilst trying not to lose the essence of their past.
14. Tales from Earthsea
In the land of Earthsea, crops are failing and livestock dying. Two dragons appear from the storm clouds and devour each other – an omen of impending disaster. The balance of the world is in peril of tearing apart.
15. Princess Mononoke
While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the young warrior Ashitaka becomes afflicted with a deadly curse. To find the cure that will save his life, he journeys deep into sacred depths of the Great Forest Spirit’s realm where he meets San (Princess Mononoke), a girl raised by wolves.
16. Porco Rosso
World War I has ended, and peace reigns again. Aviators from around the world circle above the Adriatic Sea, keen to recapture the romanticism of flight lost during the war. Many have turned to air piracy, in amongst which a hero emerges: a man with a pig’s head, known as Porco Rosso (once an Italian air force pilot called Marco Paggot).
17. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
A thousand years after a great war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind is one of the only areas that remains populated. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley are engaged in a constant struggle with powerful insects called ohmu, who guard a poisonous jungle that is spreading across the Earth.
18. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo, a tiny girl grows into an exquisite young lady, raised by an old bamboo cutter and his wife. From the countryside to the grand capital city, even unseen she enthralls all who encounter her, including five noble suitors. Ultimately she must face her fate, punishment for her crime.
19. Earwig and the Witch
Growing up in an orphanage in the British countryside, Earwig has no idea that her mother had magical powers. Her life changes dramatically when a strange couple takes her in, and she is forced to live with a selfish witch. As the headstrong young girl sets out to uncover the secrets of her new guardians, she discovers a world of spells and potions, and a mysterious song that may be the key to finding the family she has always wanted.
20. Ocean Waves
Kochi is your average coastal town on the sleepy, idyllic island of Shikoku and young Taku is definitely your average high school student. But soon his quiet life will be turned upside down with the arrival of Rikako: a beautiful student recently transferred from Tokyo. By the end of the term Taku will have learnt a valuable lesson in love and friendship.
21. Only Yesterday
Taeko, a single woman working a desk job in Tokyo, has reached a point in her life where she needs to get away from her job, her family and most of all, big city life. A much needed vacation to the countryside stirs childhood memories, recalling her time as a schoolgirl in 1966. Amidst beautiful country scenery, Taeko reflects on her life and forming new friendships, begins to make some tough decisions about her future.
22. Pom Poko
The Raccoons of the Tama Hills are being forced from their homes by the rapid development of houses and shopping malls. As it becomes harder to find food and shelter, they decide to band together and fight back. The Raccoons practice and perfect the ancient art of transformation until they are even able to appear as humans.
23. My Neighbours the Yamadas
Join in the adventures of the quirky Yamada family — from the hilarious to the touching — brilliantly presented in a unique, visually striking comic strip style.
Entering the Ghibli movie world
Do you know there is a Ghibli Park in Japan? Ghibli Park is a park that represents the world of Studio Ghibli. Although there are no big attractions or rides in Ghibli Park, in here you can take a stroll, feel the wind, and discover the wonders.