For many, Studio Ghibli’s animated movies have been what they grew up with. Whether it’s the magic of Kiki riding her broom around town in Kiki’s Delivery Service, or feeling both wonder and horror as a kid watching the protagonist of Spirited Away search for her lost parents, Studio Ghibli has permeated into popular culture all around the world. However, one of the core members of Studio Ghibli’s most famous works, Hayao Miyazaki, has been getting older and plans to retire from the industry.
His newest work is The Boy and the Heron, which was released in 2023. Although this is a movie that enters the classic Studio Ghibli canon, originally branded as Miyazaki’s final film, there are so many elements of the film that audiences will laugh about later due to the love they have for it. From killer parakeets with meat cleavers to unborn babies manifesting as cute little blobs, Miyazaki did it once again. For those chasing the magic of movies like The Boy and the Heron, we suggest these 10 movies to watch afterward.
The Boy and the Heron
- Release Date
- December 8, 2023
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast
- Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Dan Stevens, Tony Revolori
- Rating
- PG-13
- Main Genre
- Animation
10 Your Name (2016)
Your Name
- Release Date
- April 7, 2017
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Cast
- Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Ryô Narita, Aoi Yuki, Mone Kamishiraishi
- Rating
- TV-PG
- Main Genre
- Animation
Your Namehas been one of the most popular animated movies in the past decade, setting the standard for what animated movies can and cannot be. A high school girl, who dreams of going to the big city of Tokyo, goes to bed one night and wakes up in the body of a high school boy in Tokyo. As the two keep switching bodies, they learn more about each other and the world around them.
Why It’s Great
Your Name is a visually stunning film, and the soundtrack from Radwimps is going to want to be on your music playlists after the fact. With a story that weaves in elements of fantasy, Your Name is an incredible example of storytelling in film.
Rent on Prime Video
9 Suzume (2023)
Suzume no Tojimari
- Release Date
- April 14, 2023
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Cast
- Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu
- Main Genre
- Animation
Makoto Shinkai, who created the movies like Your Name and Weathering With You, came out with Suzume in 2022. Set in Kyushu, in 2023, Suzume is a high schooler who witnesses a strange young man going to an abandoned onsen and finding a random door in the middle of it. When she enters the door, she finds a cat statue that turns into a real cat, but natural disasters keep hitting across Japan due to the fact she opened the door.
Why It’s Great
Fans of Shinkai’s earlier works will recognize the narrative elements he utilizes in Suzume, as it manages to capture the spirit of his filmography as a whole. Like The Boy and the Heron, it mixes together reality with fantasy, showing how well the two genres go together.
Stream on Cruncyroll
8 The Tunnel to Summer, The Exit of Goodbyes (2023)
A 2023 release, The Tunnel to Summer, The Exit to Goodbyes tells the story of two high schoolers, both struggling with personal issues at home, meeting each other at school. When they discover a tunnel that seemingly gives them what they want, while time moves slower than the outside world, it threatens to tear them apart by giving them the answers they desperately seek inside of themselves.
Why It’s Great
The Tunnel to Summer, The Exit to Goodbyes might induce some tears throughout its runtime, but it has quite the message tucked within its story. While some might find it moving in how it depicts grief and teenagers grappling with it, the experience of watching the movie is stunning as well.
Buy on AppleTV
7 Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022)
Muse
Based on the book of the same name, Lonely Castle in the Mirror was adapted in 2022. When a young girl in school, who is bullied, enters her mirror and finds a fantasy-like castle inside of it, she meets a group of peers her age going through the same things she is. As they’re instructed to play a game by the one watching over the castle, the situation they’re in begins to twist in on itself.
Why It’s Great
The fantasy elements of Lonely Castle in the Mirror show the meaning behind the phrase “be careful what you wish for.” While the characters find temporary solace in each other, they realize what it means to find joy in yourself at the same time — relevant themes for many going through the same struggles.
Rent on AppleTV
6 Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Another Studio Ghibli movie, Howl’s Moving Castle dwells on similar themes as Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. When its protagonist is turned into an elderly woman, despite being a teenager, she has to find out the cause of her curse and fix it. She meets the wizard Howl and declares herself to be his new cleaning lady. Together, they get caught up in a war and help the kingdom.
Why It’s Great
Howl’s Moving Castle has its influence on Miyazaki’s strong anti-war stance, especially when the war with Iraq began, and there’s a tragic note to the story behind the movie. Filled with romance and what it takes to save everything you know, both kids and adults alike would love this film.
Stream it on Max
5 Weathering With You (2019)
Weathering With You
- Release Date
- June 19, 2019
- Director
- Makoto Shinkai
- Cast
- Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Shun Oguri, Sei Hiraizumi, Yûki Kaji, Riz Ahmed
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Animation
Released in 2019, Weathering With You was Makoto Shinkai’s follow-up movie to his hit Your Name. In this film, a high schooler is on a ferry when he’s stuck on a ferry. From there, he meets a young woman named Hina, who works at McDonald’s and is an orphan. When he figures out she has the ability to control the weather, she has to control her emotions, especially when they bond and his family begins looking for him.
Why It’s Great
There’s a certain brand of magic when it comes to Shinkai’s work, no matter how repetitive his recent movies can get. Weathering With You not only boasts some incredible animation, but the story is pretty solid as well, making it the perfect movie to watch on a free Friday night.
Stream on Max
4 Mirai (2018)
2018’s Mirai was the first movie outside of Studio Ghibli from Japan to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its protagonist is Kun, who is four and spends his days playing with his toys and dogs. Things change when his sister Mirai is born and the attention is taken away from her, and after throwing a fit one day, he meets a man who is his dog turned into a human. When his dog turns him into a dog, but when he meets the future version of his sister, things are about to become even stranger.
Why It’s Great
Mirai is a movie ripe in the art of storytelling, and it flows beautifully. Full of vibrant themes and messages, it certainly is not to be missed if you’re a fan of The Boy and the Heron.
Rent on Prime Video
3 The Boy and the Beast (2015)
Mamoru Hosada came out with The Boy and the Beast in 2015, and gained quite a bit of traction domestically in Japan. After the death of his mother, a nine-year-old named Ren sleeps in the alleys of Shibuya and steals food in order to survive. Meanwhile, in the Beast Kingdom, the grandmaster retires and tells Kumatetsu to find a disciple. When roaming the streets, he decides Ren will be the one who will be taught under him.
Why It’s Great
Those who are fans of Studio Ghibli in general will love The Boy and the Beast, especially when it comes to the story. However, it stands on its own when it comes to stories and the style of animation, making it a unique movie that’s hard to replicate.
Stream on Crunchyroll
2 The Garden of Words (2013)
Sentai Filmworks
Anime Limited
A short movie that isn’t even an hour, The Garden of Words brings us into a completely new world throughout its story. A teenager, who is working as an apprentice shoemaker, meets an older woman who leaves him behind with a tanka, or Japanese poetry style. As the two continue meeting, yet never learning about each other, their worlds are going to collide further when he accidentally realizes who she really is.
Why It’s Great
There are some breathtaking images that connect to the themes of The Garden of Words, making this a movie that feels like a poem in itself throughout. For those looking for meaningful works on loneliness and companionship, this is the perfect movie to add to a to watch list.
Rent on AppleTV
1 The Anthem of the Heart (2015)
Released in 2015, The Anthem of the Heart is deeply underappreciated in the world of animated films. Jun Naruse is young, and loved to talk. But when she spots her father cheating on her mother, she dreams of a fairy who curses her not to talk, and Jun is left unable to speak after thinking of this. The years pass, and when she’s in high school, she slowly learns how to sing.
Why It’s Great
There isn’t a big world or visuals to accompany this movie, but it captures the spirit of many Studio Ghibli movies like The Boy and the Heron. Its young protagonist has a coming of age where she learns something about the world and itself, giving her the chance to reinvent her life as she knows it.
Rent on Prime Video
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