Look, if you’re still deep in your Ghibli phase, I can assure you that you’re not alone. And honestly, why shouldn’t one be? There is every reason for you to be obsessed with it. But what if we take it a step further?
So if you’ve fallen into the Ghibli trend vortex and still can’t claw your way out (nor should you), these five movies are non-negotiable.
1. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
The original cottagecore witch vibes.
If “cosy” were a movie genre, Kiki’s Delivery Service would be its blueprint. Following 13-year-old witch-in-training Kiki as she sets off on a rite of passage to live alone for a year, the film is a masterclass in gentle storytelling.
She moves to a breezy coastal town, starts a flying delivery business, and faces the deeply relatable struggle of burnout.
This isn’t just a kids’ movie about a broomstick and a talking cat (though Jiji is the sarcastic best friend we all need). It offers a nuanced perspective on creativity, independence, and identity.
Honestly, if you’ve ever wanted to disappear into a life of making bread and flying parcels to grandmas, Kiki is your manifesto.
2. Spirited Away (2001)
Your gateway drug into a full Ghibli obsession.
This one’s a classic. The Oscar-winner. If you’ve ever tried to explain Spirited Away to someone who hasn’t seen it, you’ve probably found yourself spiraling into descriptions like, “Well, there’s this bathhouse run by a witch and a girl’s parents get turned into pigs, and there’s this spirit called No-Face who eats people but also isn’t evil? Also, a dragon-boy???”
And yet, it works. It’s a small girl, Chihiro’s journey of moving away from comfort to a brand-new place, bringing along all sorts of emotions, like fear, nervousness, and excitement.
Miyazaki brings this to life by actually sending Chihiro to a brand new world filled with demons, spirits, and adventure. You watch Chihiro slowly conquer her fears and grow into a confident young woman.
For example, you see her trepidation walking down the large wooden staircase at the beginning. But by the end of it, she’s flying through the sky on a dragon.
Beyond that major arc are several important, smaller lessons such as not forgetting who you are (your name), not giving into glutany and greed (through the gold), and learning that humans aren’t all or good or all bad but rather grey (Haku was a thief and stole from Zeniba).
3. Ponyo (2008)
Ponyo is for the part of you that forgot you were ever a child.
Loosely inspired by The Little Mermaid, this film tells the story of a goldfish princess who escapes the sea to become human and befriend a little boy named Sosuke. Sounds simple? Sure. But it’s also about the balance of nature, the chaos of love and how the world tilts on its axis when children believe fiercely and fearlessly.
This is probably Ghibli at its most whimsical. Watch it when the world feels too heavy.
4. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Magic, Mayhem and a VERY dramatic Wizard.
Ah, yes, Howl. Aka Tumblr’s boyfriend before that was even a thing. And yes, he’s vain, cowardly, and absolutely a drama queen. But tell me you didn’t swoon just a little when he morphed into a literal bird demon to protect Sophie.
On the surface, this is a fantasy adventure: a girl is cursed into becoming an old woman, stumbles upon a walking castle, and becomes entangled with a wizard hiding from war. But like all Ghibli films, it’s never just about what’s happening. It’s about why it matters.
Sophie’s arc is one of the most quietly powerful in Ghibli’s roster. She doesn’t defeat a villain. She becomes herself. And Howl? For all his melodrama, he’s a metaphor for what it means to protect the tender parts of ourselves without shutting down.
5. When Marnie Was There (2014)
This one is a little different. It’s not directed by Miyazaki but by Hiromasa Yonebayashi —and it’s probably one of the most emotionally devastating Ghibli films ever made, in the best way possible.
When Marnie Was There follows Anna, a lonely, asthmatic girl sent to live with relatives in the countryside. There, she meets Marnie, a mysterious blonde girl who may or may not be real. The story unfolds like a memory; haunting, soft and filled with aching nostalgia.
If you want to cry in a beautiful way, this is your ticket.
6. My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
The film that taught us stillness is magic.
There’s no villain. No “plot” in the conventional sense. Just two sisters adjusting to rural life while their mother is sick in the hospital, and the whimsical forest spirits who comfort them through the uncertainty. Totoro is huge, furry, and silent—and yet, he speaks to something primal in us. Something about safety, nature, and awe.
This movie is a reminder that wonder lives in quiet places. In waiting at a bus stop during a rainstorm. In growing a garden. In taking naps on a giant furry tree god’s belly. If that doesn’t sound like healing, I don’t know what does.
The Ghibli Effect: Why We Keep Coming Back
So why do we keep circling back to these films? Why are we still reblogging gifs of Haku flying through the sky or listening to Joe Hisaishi’s soundtracks like it’s a religious experience?
Because Ghibli is more than animation. It builds worlds where kindness is powerful, where magic is subtle, and where food looks so good it makes you want to learn how to cook. So, stay a while and enjoy these films made from human creativity and human emotions only.
Now, your turn: Which Ghibli film lives rent-free in your head?
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