Studio Ghibli Feature Length Films 1 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa Director: Hayao Miyazaki 1984, 116 minutes Nausicaa, the princess of a small nation, lives in a world devastated by a holocaust called, "The Seven Days of Fire." She tries to stop other warring nations from destroying themselves and from destroying the only means by which their world can be saved from the spread of polluted wastelands. 2 Laputa - Castle in the Sky / Castle in the Sky Tenku no Shiro Laputa Director: Hayao Miyazaki 1986, 124 minutes Laputa, a mythical floating kingdom, is sought after by Pazu, an orphan boy into whose arms falls Sheeta, a mysterious girl who floats down from the sky, unconscious, with a shining pendant around her neck. The two are chased by pirates, government secret agents, and the military who are after the pendant which will guide them to legendary treasure and terrifying power of the floating island of Laputa. 3 My Neighbor Totoro Tonari no Totoro Director: Hayao Miyazaki 1988, 83 minutes Totoro is a forest spirit that little Mei, and later her older sister Satsuki, encounter in a giant camphor tree near their new home in the countryside. 4 Grave of the Fireflies Hotaru no Haka Director: Isao Takahata 1988, 88 minutes (from Ghibli but not part of the Disney deal) Based on the partially autobiographical book of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka, who lost his little sister during the war to malnutrition. Grave is a very somber film about the struggle of two children to survive during World War II. (The story takes place in Kobe during 1945.) 5 Kiki's Delivery Service Majo no Takkyubin Director: Hayao Miyazaki 1989, 116 minutes Based on the book by Eiko Kadono, this magical story follows Kiki, a 13-year-old witch who must live one year away from home to make a living from her craft... except that she only knows how to fly! 6 Only Yesterday Omohide Poro Poro Director: Isao Takahata 1991, 118 minutes Taeko, a single woman living and working in Tokyo in 1982, takes a vacation in the countryside... and a trip down memory lane as she recalls her childhood while considering her future. 7 Porco Rosso / Porco Rosso - The Crimson Pig Kurenai no Buta Director: Hayao Miyazaki 1992, 116 minutes During World War I, he was an Italian Air Force pilot. Now he's a bounty hunter rescuing people from air pirates. A bounty hunter who looks like a pig, that is. Perhaps he can explain why... pigs fly. 8 I Can Hear the Ocean / I Can Hear the Sea / Ocean Waves Umi ga Kikoeru Director: Tomomi Mochizuki 1993, 72 minutes (from Ghibli but not part of the Disney deal) A love triangle develops between two good friends and a new girl in school who transferred there from Tokyo. The new girl, Rikako, is at first really stuck up and distant, but eventually makes friends. 9 Pom Poko Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pom Poko Racoon War Pom Poko Director: Isao Takahata 1994, 116 minutes This film follows the efforts of several tribes of tanuki (a Japanese animal that looks like a racoon) trying to survive the destruction of their habitat by the spread of urban development. 10 Whisper of the Heart Mimi wo Sumaseba Director: Yoshifumi Kondo Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki 1995, 111 minutes Based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi. Shizuku and Seiji are junior high school students who love reading the same fantasy books. Shizuku wants to try her hand at writing, and Seiji wants to study the craft of violin making. 11 Princess Mononoke Mononoke Hime Director: Hayao Miyazaki 1997, 133 minutes A mystic fight between the Animal Gods of the forest and humans, which takes place in the Muromachi Period (1333-1568) of Japan. 12 My Neighbors the Yamadas Hohokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun Director: Isao Takahata 1999, 104 minutes Based on Hisaichi ISHII's comic strip which has been serialized in Asahi Newspaper, "Yamada-Kun" is a story about the daily lives of the Yamada family: Takashi (father), Matsuko (mother), Shige (grandma), Noboru (son), Nonoko (daughter), and Pochi (family dog). 13 Spirited Away Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi Director: Hayao Miyazaki 2001, 124 minutes A young girl named Chihiro travels into the Land of Spirits on an adventure to change her parents from pigs back to their former selves. 14 The Cat Returns Neko no Ongaeshi Director: Hiroyuki Morita 2002, 75 minutes Based on "Neko no Danshaku, Baron" (literally "Baron, the Cat Baron") by Aoi HIIRAGI. The movie follows Muta (the fat cat in Whisper of the Heart) and Baron (also from Whisper) as they set out to rescue a young girl named Haru who has wandered into the world of cats. 15 Howl's Moving Castle Hauru no Ugoku Shiro Director: Hayao Miyazaki 2004, 118 minutes Based on the book "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones. Young Sophie Hatter is cursed by a witch aging her into a 90-year-old. She finds her way to the moving castle inhabited by the wizard Howl. 16 Tales from Earthsea Gedo Senki Director: Goro Miyazaki 2006, 110 minutes Based on the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin. 17 Ponyo on a Cliff Gake no ue no Ponyo Director: Hayao Miyazaki 2008, 100 minutes Ponyo is a goldfish princess who wishes to become human. Sosuke is a five year old boy who somehow becomes involved with Ponyo. A sense of closeness between a parent and child is a theme of the film. 18 The Secret World of Arrietty / The Borrower Arrietty Karigurashi no Arietti Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Miya 2010, 94 minutes Based on Mary Norton's novel "The Borrowers." 19 From Up On Poppy Hill Kokurikozaka kara Director: Goro Miyazaki Storyboards: Hayao Miyazaki Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Miya 2011, 91 minutes This nostalgic and romantic coming-of-age tale about a pigtailed high school girl named Umi Matsuzaka is set in 1963 in the port city of Yokohama. 20 The Wind Rises / The Wind Is Rising Kaze Tachinu Director, Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki 2013, 126 minutes The story of Jiro Horikoshi, the aircraft engineer most remembered for his design work on the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen "Zero", Japan's famous World War II fighter aircraft. 21 The Tale of Princess Kaguya Kaguya-hime no Monogatari Director, Screenplay: Isao Takahata 2013, 137 minutes The story is adapted from "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter", the 10th Century work that is the oldest surviving folktale in Japanese literature. 22 When Marnie was There Omoide no Maanii Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi 2014, 103 minutes The film is an adaptation of British author Joan G. Robinson's atmospheric 1967 ghost story for children. 23 The Boy and the Heron / How Do You Live? Kimitachi wa do ikiru ka Director, Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki 2023, 124 minutes A young boy named Mahito, yearning for his mother, ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.