Pom Poko

Sheeta is being pursued by an army, sky pirates, and government agents, all of whom want her mysterious blue pendant, in Studio Ghibli’s debut feature. The film bears some of Hayao Miyazaki’s signature motifs: a girl awakening to her powers; an aesthetic that combines the industrial with the organic; and, of course, high-flying derring-do. Such is the Ghibli affection for this film that one of its iconic robot sentinels stands guard at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, in Tokyo. A bravura piece of hand-drawn animation including more than 300 different shades of color spanning 69,262 cel drawings, Castle in the Sky is one of Miyazaki’s most visually rich films.

Sheeta is being pursued by an army, sky pirates, and government agents, all of whom want her mysterious blue pendant, in Studio Ghibli’s debut feature. The film bears some of Hayao Miyazaki’s signature motifs: a girl awakening to her powers; an aesthetic that combines the industrial with the organic; and, of course, high-flying derring-do. Such is the Ghibli affection for this film that one of its iconic robot sentinels stands guard at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, in Tokyo. A bravura piece of hand-drawn animation including more than 300 different shades of color spanning 69,262 cel drawings, Castle in the Sky is one of Miyazaki’s most visually rich films.

Sheeta is being pursued by an army, sky pirates, and government agents, all of whom want her mysterious blue pendant, in Studio Ghibli’s debut feature. The film bears some of Hayao Miyazaki’s signature motifs: a girl awakening to her powers; an aesthetic that combines the industrial with the organic; and, of course, high-flying derring-do. Such is the Ghibli affection for this film that one of its iconic robot sentinels stands guard at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, in Tokyo. A bravura piece of hand-drawn animation including more than 300 different shades of color spanning 69,262 cel drawings, Castle in the Sky is one of Miyazaki’s most visually rich films.

Director Isao Takahata’s first film for Studio Ghibli is a harrowing depiction of the last days of World War II as seen through the eyes of teenager Seita and his little sister Setsuko. After Allied firebombing destroys their home, family, and much of Kobe city, the two must fend for themselves and search for joy in their war-torn community. Based on Nosaka Akiyuki’s semi-autobiographical account of the same name, Grave of the Fireflies is an uncompromising portrait of personal tragedy and loss of innocence in war.

Director Isao Takahata’s first film for Studio Ghibli is a harrowing depiction of the last days of World War II as seen through the eyes of teenager Seita and his little sister Setsuko. After Allied firebombing destroys their home, family, and much of Kobe city, the two must fend for themselves and search for joy in their war-torn community. Based on Nosaka Akiyuki’s semi-autobiographical account of the same name, Grave of the Fireflies is an uncompromising portrait of personal tragedy and loss of innocence in war.

Director Isao Takahata’s first film for Studio Ghibli is a harrowing depiction of the last days of World War II as seen through the eyes of teenager Seita and his little sister Setsuko. After Allied firebombing destroys their home, family, and much of Kobe city, the two must fend for themselves and search for joy in their war-torn community. Based on Nosaka Akiyuki’s semi-autobiographical account of the same name, Grave of the Fireflies is an uncompromising portrait of personal tragedy and loss of innocence in war.

Based on the manga of the same name, Isao Takahata’s second feature for Studio Ghibli is a serene memory piece featuring 27-year-old Taeko reminiscing about her 1960s childhood, travelling from Tokyo to the sleepy country town of Yamagata and rediscovering herself in the process. Takahata renders these flashbacks in a style different from the present-day scenes—corners slightly fade into white, edges blur—lending these moments a sense of impermanence. Though most Japanese anime projects record dialogue after animation is finished, this film reversed much of that process, allowing the visual artists to create more realistic facial expressions. A surprise smash hit in Japan, the film attracted a largely adult audience with its poignant look at the cost of growing up.

Based on the manga of the same name, Isao Takahata’s second feature for Studio Ghibli is a serene memory piece featuring 27-year-old Taeko reminiscing about her 1960s childhood, travelling from Tokyo to the sleepy country town of Yamagata and rediscovering herself in the process. Takahata renders these flashbacks in a style different from the present-day scenes—corners slightly fade into white, edges blur—lending these moments a sense of impermanence. Though most Japanese anime projects record dialogue after animation is finished, this film reversed much of that process, allowing the visual artists to create more realistic facial expressions. A surprise smash hit in Japan, the film attracted a largely adult audience with its poignant look at the cost of growing up.

Based on the manga of the same name, Isao Takahata’s second feature for Studio Ghibli is a serene memory piece featuring 27-year-old Taeko reminiscing about her 1960s childhood, travelling from Tokyo to the sleepy country town of Yamagata and rediscovering herself in the process. Takahata renders these flashbacks in a style different from the present-day scenes—corners slightly fade into white, edges blur—lending these moments a sense of impermanence. Though most Japanese anime projects record dialogue after animation is finished, this film reversed much of that process, allowing the visual artists to create more realistic facial expressions. A surprise smash hit in Japan, the film attracted a largely adult audience with its poignant look at the cost of growing up.

A motley band of tanuki—shapeshifting wild raccoon dogs—must battle humans to protect the idyllic Tama Hills from being converted into a suburb. Isao Takahata’s epic is a playful and entertaining adventure brimming with visual delights and surprises—the film’s nocturnal spirit parade is a showstopper, with many iconic characters from other Studio Ghibli films, including Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, appearing in the sequence. A huge local hit that remains an under-screened gem in the Studio Ghibli catalog, Pom Poko infuses Japanese mythology with madcap energy, bringing a light tone to heavy topics such as gentrification and deforestation, as the tanuki call on their community to build a place where people can live in harmony despite their differences.

A motley band of tanuki—shapeshifting wild raccoon dogs—must battle humans to protect the idyllic Tama Hills from being converted into a suburb. Isao Takahata’s epic is a playful and entertaining adventure brimming with visual delights and surprises—the film’s nocturnal spirit parade is a showstopper, with many iconic characters from other Studio Ghibli films, including Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, appearing in the sequence. A huge local hit that remains an under-screened gem in the Studio Ghibli catalog, Pom Poko infuses Japanese mythology with madcap energy, bringing a light tone to heavy topics such as gentrification and deforestation, as the tanuki call on their community to build a place where people can live in harmony despite their differences.

The first and only feature directed by veteran Studio Ghibli animator Yoshifumi Kondo, from a script by Hayao Miyazaki, Whisper of the Heart is a wistful coming-of-age saga. One day, bookworm Shizuku finds a cat riding the same train as her. She follows it to an antique shop, where a peculiar statuette of a dapper feline named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen sends her imagination reeling. A tale of crushes, daydreams, and friendships, Whisper of the Heart bears the stamp of Studio Ghibli’s superior craftmanship.

The first and only feature directed by veteran Studio Ghibli animator Yoshifumi Kondo, from a script by Hayao Miyazaki, Whisper of the Heart is a wistful coming-of-age saga. One day, bookworm Shizuku finds a cat riding the same train as her. She follows it to an antique shop, where a peculiar statuette of a dapper feline named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen sends her imagination reeling. A tale of crushes, daydreams, and friendships, Whisper of the Heart bears the stamp of Studio Ghibli’s superior craftmanship.

The first and only feature directed by veteran Studio Ghibli animator Yoshifumi Kondo, from a script by Hayao Miyazaki, Whisper of the Heart is a wistful coming-of-age saga. One day, bookworm Shizuku finds a cat riding the same train as her. She follows it to an antique shop, where a peculiar statuette of a dapper feline named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen sends her imagination reeling. A tale of crushes, daydreams, and friendships, Whisper of the Heart bears the stamp of Studio Ghibli’s superior craftmanship.

Hayao Miyazaki’s international breakthrough is an epic cinematic marvel. Infected by a deadly curse after killing a god, young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. He stumbles upon a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves and who will stop at nothing to prevent humans from destroying her home, and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Princess Mononoke resists an easy dichotomy of good versus evil and was the first Miyazaki film that incorporated computer-generated imagery alongside traditional hand-drawn animation.

Hayao Miyazaki’s international breakthrough is an epic cinematic marvel. Infected by a deadly curse after killing a god, young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. He stumbles upon a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves and who will stop at nothing to prevent humans from destroying her home, and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Princess Mononoke resists an easy dichotomy of good versus evil and was the first Miyazaki film that incorporated computer-generated imagery alongside traditional hand-drawn animation.

Hayao Miyazaki’s international breakthrough is an epic cinematic marvel. Infected by a deadly curse after killing a god, young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. He stumbles upon a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves and who will stop at nothing to prevent humans from destroying her home, and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Princess Mononoke resists an easy dichotomy of good versus evil and was the first Miyazaki film that incorporated computer-generated imagery alongside traditional hand-drawn animation.

Isao Takahata’s adaptation of Hisaichi Ishii’s beloved slice-of-life manga departs from Studio Ghibli’s traditional anime style and instead uses a roughly sketched comic-strip look. Awash in pastel watercolors, My Neighbors the Yamadas delights in the everyday misadventures of its titular family—dad, mom, older brother, little sister, granny, and Pochi the dog. Punctuated by daydreams and fantasies, Takahata’s film is a heart-warming and honest look at modern family life. Along with its typical animation style, Ghibli forgoes its usual long, orchestral music in favor of short piano themes to match its episodic style, making the film a standout in the studio’s filmography.

Isao Takahata’s adaptation of Hisaichi Ishii’s beloved slice-of-life manga departs from Studio Ghibli’s traditional anime style and instead uses a roughly sketched comic-strip look. Awash in pastel watercolors, My Neighbors the Yamadas delights in the everyday misadventures of its titular family—dad, mom, older brother, little sister, granny, and Pochi the dog. Punctuated by daydreams and fantasies, Takahata’s film is a heart-warming and honest look at modern family life. Along with its typical animation style, Ghibli forgoes its usual long, orchestral music in favor of short piano themes to match its episodic style, making the film a standout in the studio’s filmography.

Isao Takahata’s adaptation of Hisaichi Ishii’s beloved slice-of-life manga departs from Studio Ghibli’s traditional anime style and instead uses a roughly sketched comic-strip look. Awash in pastel watercolors, My Neighbors the Yamadas delights in the everyday misadventures of its titular family—dad, mom, older brother, little sister, granny, and Pochi the dog. Punctuated by daydreams and fantasies, Takahata’s film is a heart-warming and honest look at modern family life. Along with its typical animation style, Ghibli forgoes its usual long, orchestral music in favor of short piano themes to match its episodic style, making the film a standout in the studio’s filmography.

Spirited Away was Hayao Miyazaki’s first Oscar win, and the first hand-drawn, non-English-language animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film invites audiences into a mind-bending supernatural realm when a wrong turn on a family road trip lands 10-year-old Chihiro in a mysterious dimension populated by all manner of creatures, including soot gremlins (first introduced in My Neighbor Totoro), the giant witch Yubaba, and, most memorably, the enigmatic No Face. To find her parents and return to the real world, Chihiro must work at an enchanted bathhouse serving spirits of all shapes and sizes. A tour de force of surrealist invention, Spirited Away is a timeless wonder filled with whimsy and joy.

Spirited Away was Hayao Miyazaki’s first Oscar win, and the first hand-drawn, non-English-language animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film invites audiences into a mind-bending supernatural realm when a wrong turn on a family road trip lands 10-year-old Chihiro in a mysterious dimension populated by all manner of creatures, including soot gremlins (first introduced in My Neighbor Totoro), the giant witch Yubaba, and, most memorably, the enigmatic No Face. To find her parents and return to the real world, Chihiro must work at an enchanted bathhouse serving spirits of all shapes and sizes. A tour de force of surrealist invention, Spirited Away is a timeless wonder filled with whimsy and joy.

Spirited Away was Hayao Miyazaki’s first Oscar win, and the first hand-drawn, non-English-language animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film invites audiences into a mind-bending supernatural realm when a wrong turn on a family road trip lands 10-year-old Chihiro in a mysterious dimension populated by all manner of creatures, including soot gremlins (first introduced in My Neighbor Totoro), the giant witch Yubaba, and, most memorably, the enigmatic No Face. To find her parents and return to the real world, Chihiro must work at an enchanted bathhouse serving spirits of all shapes and sizes. A tour de force of surrealist invention, Spirited Away is a timeless wonder filled with whimsy and joy.

A spin-off of Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns finds another schoolgirl encountering a mysterious tomcat on the street, though this time she is led to a fantastic world beyond her wildest dreams. Launched into a cobblestoned magic kingdom ruled by cat royalty—including a motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service—she must enlist the help of the elusive Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (the same cat featured as a statue in Whisper of the Heart) if she hopes to make it back home. The only feature film directed by Hiroyuki Morita to date, The Cat Returns is a feline flight of fancy.

A spin-off of Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns finds another schoolgirl encountering a mysterious tomcat on the street, though this time she is led to a fantastic world beyond her wildest dreams. Launched into a cobblestoned magic kingdom ruled by cat royalty—including a motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service—she must enlist the help of the elusive Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (the same cat featured as a statue in Whisper of the Heart) if she hopes to make it back home. The only feature film directed by Hiroyuki Morita to date, The Cat Returns is a feline flight of fancy.

A spin-off of Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns finds another schoolgirl encountering a mysterious tomcat on the street, though this time she is led to a fantastic world beyond her wildest dreams. Launched into a cobblestoned magic kingdom ruled by cat royalty—including a motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service—she must enlist the help of the elusive Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (the same cat featured as a statue in Whisper of the Heart) if she hopes to make it back home. The only feature film directed by Hiroyuki Morita to date, The Cat Returns is a feline flight of fancy.

An adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’s fantasy novel of the same name, the Oscar-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle is a pitch-perfect fairy tale about aging and war, set in a dazzling steampunk world. When young hatmaker Sophie is transformed into a 90-year-old woman by the vengeful Witch of the Waste, she seeks to break the curse with the help of the enigmatic wizard Howl, the fire demon Calcifer, and the magical moving castle they inhabit.

An adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’s fantasy novel of the same name, the Oscar-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle is a pitch-perfect fairy tale about aging and war, set in a dazzling steampunk world. When young hatmaker Sophie is transformed into a 90-year-old woman by the vengeful Witch of the Waste, she seeks to break the curse with the help of the enigmatic wizard Howl, the fire demon Calcifer, and the magical moving castle they inhabit.

An adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’s fantasy novel of the same name, the Oscar-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle is a pitch-perfect fairy tale about aging and war, set in a dazzling steampunk world. When young hatmaker Sophie is transformed into a 90-year-old woman by the vengeful Witch of the Waste, she seeks to break the curse with the help of the enigmatic wizard Howl, the fire demon Calcifer, and the magical moving castle they inhabit.

Ponyo focuses on the friendship between 5-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Brunhilde, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After wandering away from her father’s four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde washes ashore and is discovered by the curious Sosuke. Now renamed Ponyo, she forms a quick bond with Sosuke that fuels her yearning to be a real girl, and together they shoulder the cost of what that might take. The vibrant and colorful hand-drawn animations are a delight for audiences of all ages, as Hayao Miyazaki builds a world filled with magical goldfish, spellcasters, and sea goddesses in this tale of how friendships can blossom anywhere—even in the ocean’s depths.

Ponyo focuses on the friendship between 5-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Brunhilde, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After wandering away from her father’s four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde washes ashore and is discovered by the curious Sosuke. Now renamed Ponyo, she forms a quick bond with Sosuke that fuels her yearning to be a real girl, and together they shoulder the cost of what that might take. The vibrant and colorful hand-drawn animations are a delight for audiences of all ages, as Hayao Miyazaki builds a world filled with magical goldfish, spellcasters, and sea goddesses in this tale of how friendships can blossom anywhere—even in the ocean’s depths.

Ponyo focuses on the friendship between 5-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Brunhilde, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After wandering away from her father’s four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde washes ashore and is discovered by the curious Sosuke. Now renamed Ponyo, she forms a quick bond with Sosuke that fuels her yearning to be a real girl, and together they shoulder the cost of what that might take. The vibrant and colorful hand-drawn animations are a delight for audiences of all ages, as Hayao Miyazaki builds a world filled with magical goldfish, spellcasters, and sea goddesses in this tale of how friendships can blossom anywhere—even in the ocean’s depths.

Debut director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There, 2014) and Studio Ghibli teamed up for this film version of Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s classic The Borrowers, full of gorgeous imagery of the natural world. Arrietty is the daughter of a family of Borrowers—miniature people secretly living in an occupied house—who risk their home when she befriends a human boy.

Debut director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There, 2014) and Studio Ghibli teamed up for this film version of Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s classic The Borrowers, full of gorgeous imagery of the natural world. Arrietty is the daughter of a family of Borrowers—miniature people secretly living in an occupied house—who risk their home when she befriends a human boy.

Debut director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There, 2014) and Studio Ghibli teamed up for this film version of Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s classic The Borrowers, full of gorgeous imagery of the natural world. Arrietty is the daughter of a family of Borrowers—miniature people secretly living in an occupied house—who risk their home when she befriends a human boy.