You’re looking out your window with a hot cup of matcha contemplating your life. Well, let me give you something more to contemplate. The transition from winter to spring is a wonderful sight, but the nature and landscapes in a Studio Ghibli movie is much more captivating. The best friend duo of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata capture the essence of nature into a peaceful state of mind. Their stories are told through art and empathy creating a difference in what is seen in American animations. Here are my five favorite Studio Ghibli movies to dissolve yourself into.
This popular Studio Ghibli movie with an amazing soundtrack can sweep anyone off their feet to a magical land of witches and wizards. Even after 20 years, this film still reaches the hearts of many as it tells the story of a boring life of a young girl named Sophie turned around by a mysterious encounter with a wizard. The contrast of the violent war and Sophie’s adventure shows how powerful Ghibli’s visuals are in ensuring the audience’s attention. The creation of the castle itself is a remarkable invention letting the audience jump into this world without any hesitation. Although the targeted audience are kids, Miyazaki accomplishes to conclude with a moral that is both fit for adults and kids: “In a world filled with problems, you must seek a way to use them as a stepping stone to improvement.”
The first ever Miyazaki film in the Ghibli industry tells the simple story of a boy and a girl searching to find a floating castle in the sky named Laputa whilst protecting a magical crystal from pirates. Yet again, Miyazaki lives up to his famous vivid details in each frame presented in the movie. The structure and design of the castle and its nature can hold a special place in anyone. As the saying goes, if art can soothe one’s soul then so can the visuals of a Ghibli movie.
Another one of Ghibli’s most popular movies takes a place in this list. This award winning animated film chosen for its fascinating storyline and graphics showcases a young girl Chihiro’s journey to a land of spirits. As her parents’ greediness turned them into pigs after eating the delicious food made by spirits, Chihiro finds herself learning to embrace change and allowing new discoveries to enhance her curiosity. Miyazaki makes this fantasy as a way to learn rather than to merely escape reality.
An extraordinary story of a young witch’s adventure out in the world depicts how the help of others are needed for the growth of an individual. Miyazaki’s love for animals and nature is what the world needs. As an expanding technological world, many people don’t realize the beauty of what lies outside of their house. However, Miyazaki’s films help people to immerse themself and want to go out and experience this type of life. What’s even better is the food in these anime making you want to make some for yourself. Two in one deal right there, nature and food to create a thoughtful environment around you.
Lastly, I want to end with a film not created by either Miyazaki or Takahata. This 1995 coming-of-age film is created by Yoshifumi Kondo blending the story of a determined violinist, an avid writer and a mysterious cat. With his first and last film before his death in 1998, Konda successfully lets the audience realize that even simple things are worth calling magical.
I truly believe that Studio Ghibli movies can make you feel as if you’re lying on the grass daydreaming while watching the cotton shaped clouds pass by on a breezy summer day. Even if they are told by a male author, the roles of these protagonists tend to be powerful women. The connection between the morals, the visuals and characters in the story show the uniqueness Ghibli movies hold compared to other animated films. With that, Studio Ghibli has the longest standing winning streak of having the best animated films. So, next time you catch yourself overthinking or lost in thought, go watch a Ghibli movie on Max and let it take you to another land of mysteries!
oculus 
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