If you’re looking for a “just the facts ma’am” list of Studio Ghibli movies without any pesky critical opinions, we’ve got you covered. I get it, sometimes you don’t want to know who the hottest Ghibli bachelors are or what somebody on the internet thinks is the worst Studio Ghibli movie (it’s Tales of Earthsea). Maybe you LIKE Tales from Earthsea. Maybe you thought it was COOL that Willem Dafoe was in it. Maybe you just wanna support Hayao Miyazaki’s son who made the film in the first place (much to his father’s chagrin). Because after all, the viewer is always right, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I mean, if you really like Earthsea that much I think you should get those eyes checked, but again, I’m just some rando on the internet! What do I know?
One thing I know is that Studio Ghibli has made an impressive amount of movies. They started almost 40 years ago and have since made 24 movies. THAT’S BASICALLY A MOVIE EVERY TWO YEARS. In the ’90s there was a brief period where they were making ONE MOVIE A YEAR. ONE ANIMATED MOVIE A YEAR. And then in 2013, they released TWO MOVIES in ONE YEAR. How is that possible? Who put cocaine in the water cooler? Or was it just that good old Ghibli magic that was responsible? I wanna know.
So here’s the full list:
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Castle in the Sky (1986)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- Ocean Waves (1993)
- Pom Poko (1994)
- Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Cat Returns (2002)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Tales from Earthsea (2006)
- Ponyo (2008)
- The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
- From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
- The Wind Rises (2013)
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
- When Marnie Was There (2014)
- The Red Turtle (2016)
- Earwig and the Witch (2020)
- The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Now keep in mind, Hayao Miyazaki didn’t direct all of these. If he did, he would have died from exhaustion. That guy is in the studio cooking up dreams like seven days a week, 365 days a year. Other films were directed by Isao Takahata and Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who frequently collaborate with the studio. And of course, Goro Miyazaki has tried his hand at two of the films, and From Up On Poppy Hill was damn good! I’m sure he’ll be able to take over for his father someday, whether Mr. Miyazaki Sr. agrees or not. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to Studio Ghibli’s latest film, How Do You Live? which will be released in 2023.
(featured image: Studio Ghibli)
