Considered the Walt Disney of Japan,Hayao Miyazakiis a living legend. Making his feature film debut withThe Castle of Cagliostroin 1979, he has been behind some of the greatest animated works that have captured the imaginations of millions. Studio Ghibli’s auteur-animator has directed eleven masterpieces, including worldwide hits such asPrincess Mononoke(1997),My Neighbor Totoro(1988), andSpirited Away(2001).
In 2013,Miyazaki announced his retirement, but it appears he is not finished telling his beautiful stories. While Miyazaki is in production on anew animated film,How Do You Live?, let’s look at every movie from the Oscar-winning Japanese animator.
11The Castle of Cagliostro
Though his name is synonymous with Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki worked as an in-between artist and provided key animation at Toei Animation, A-Pro, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha before founding Studio Ghibli in 1985 with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki. Produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, 1979’sThe Castle of Cagliostrowas Miyazaki’s first feature-length animated film.
Related:Best Studio Ghibli Movies, Ranked
Based on Monkey Punch’s long-running manga franchise, this comedy follows the adventures of a James Bond-like gentleman thief Arsène Lupin III. It is the most action-packed film in the animator’s career, which has gone on to influence theIndiana Jonesfilms by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and the work of Pixar co-founder John Lasseter.
10Castle in the Sky
1986’sCastle in the Sky(Laputa: Castle in the Sky) is the very first Studio Ghibli film. Set in the fictional late 19th century, Miyazaki’s epic fantasy follows an orphan boy and a princess searching for the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa.Castle in the Skyhas been cited as one of the first modern steampunk classics and a kind of bridging of the gap between Miyazaki’s action animeThe Castle of Cagliostroand the director’s emotionally deep following films.
Miyazaki’s sweet take on Hans Christian Andersen’sThe Little Mermaid, the 2008 animated fantasy filmPonyotells the story of a goldfish who dreams of becoming a human. Soon, Ponyo transforms into a little girl to be with her five-year-old friend. It might not be the animator’s best film, but it is a magical watercolor-styled fairy tale that the whole family can enjoy.
8Porco Rosso
Miyazaki’s father was the director of a company that manufactured parts for fighter planes (Miyazaki Airplane). So, as a child living in Japanduring World War II, little Hayao was drawn to aviation. His dreams about the sky lasted well into adulthood, finding their place in the animator’s films. 1992’sPorco Rossois a homage to early aviation.
Porco Rossofollows Marco Pagot (known to the world as Porco Rosso), a former World War I pilot who is turned into an anthropomorphic pig and takes to the skies to combat air pirates. Blending fantasy and elements of real-world history, Miyazaki made one of his weirdest and most imaginative films.
7Howl’s Moving Castle
Featuring a steampunk vibe that brings to mindCastle in the Sky, 2004’sHowl’s Moving Castletakes place in a world where both magic and technology co-exist. Loosely based on the novel by English children’s author Diana Wynne Jones, Miyazaki’s film follows a young girl named Sophie who is turned into an old woman by a witch. Sophie’s only chance of breaking the spell lies with a troubled wizard named Howl.
There is also a bitter taste of war at the center of the plot. Despite exploringthe theme of old age, containing feminist elements, and focusing on love,Howl’s Moving Castle, at its core, is an anti-Iraq War protest film.
6Kiki’s Delivery Service
The director’s tendency to include strong female leads is intentional. “They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man,“Miyazaki saidin 2013. A 13-year-old witch-in-trainingfrom 1989’sKiki’s Delivery Serviceis one of Miyazaki’s brave female protagonists.
In the film, Kiki leaves home with her talking black cat to become a real witch. It is a simply magical tale of a teenage girl discovering her place in the world.
5Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
The success of Miyazaki’s second film, the 1984post-apocalyptic masterpieceNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, gave the animator the clout and funding to co-found Studio Ghibli a year later. Many of Miyazaki’s lovers are sure that if the director had made that anime film only, his legacy would have been the same.
Related:Nausicaä: A Look Back at Miyazaki’s First Masterpiece
The magnificent fantasy with an anti-war and environmental focus,Nausicaä of the Valley of the Windcenters on a young peacemaker princess trying to stop a kingdom from destroying the jungle and its creatures. It is the director’s meditation about living in harmony – a theme that would grow to define his later work and be further explored inPrincess Mononoke.
4Princess Mononoke
The director does not simplify his films for children. Miyazaki’s characters experience hope and joy as well as sadness and despair. The wartime epicPrincess Mononokeis another multi-layered story with the fullest palette of emotions from the legendary Studio Ghibli filmmaker.
The 1997 animated film follows a young warrior from 13th century Japan, Ashitaka, and his involvement in a battle brewing between the gods of a forest and humans. In this quest, Ashitaka falls for Wolf Girl, Princess Mononoke.Princess Mononokehas the soul of a romantic epic, but a central theme of the film is the clash between human civilization and nature.
3The Wind Rises
2013’sThe Wind Risesis the director’s latest work. It is an animated historical drama about Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of many Japanese fighter planes of World War II. Horikoshi’s beautifully designed planes eventually left blood on his hands. Miyazaki said he was inspired to make this heartbreaking film, which is both a love letter to aviation and an anti-war movie, after he read Horikoshi’s quote, “All I wanted to do was to make something beautiful.” The director admitted that it was the only one of his films that has made him cry.
This emotional response is partly due to the fact thatThe Wind Risesis Miyazaki’s most personal film. The prototypes of Jiro and Nahoko were to some extent the animator’s father and mother.
2My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro, the 1988 animated fantasy about a giant woodland magical creature who eats acorns, and two little sisters, Satsuki and Mei, with a sick mother, remains one of the loveliest movies ever made. Totoro is the kind of imaginary friend we all wished we had. There’s a reason why he has become the de facto mascot for Studio Ghibli.
Related:These Animated Movies Are Perfect For Bad Days
For some viewers, there is darkness seething underneath the film. However,Studio Ghibli has debunked fan theories, saying, “Everyone, do not worry. There’s absolutely no truth or configuration that Totoro is the God of Death or that Mei is dead inMy Neighbor Totoro”. So, the film is really as cute and sweet as it seems.
