Yes, no My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away on the list.
On December 7, 2023, a new anime from Studio Ghibli by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki will be released. This time the main character of the story will not be a girl, but a boy, whose growing up is largely based on the director's own childhood.
Miyazaki's imagination is boundless, and traveling through his fantastic worlds becomes a real fairy tale. It's no wonder that his films are the trademark of Studio Ghibli. Just look at Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), Howl's Moving Castle (Howl no Ugoku Shiro) or Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime).
However, we shouldn't forget that there were many talented directors who worked at the studio and gave us equally interesting projects. Unfortunately, many of them didn't get the attention they deserved or went unnoticed.
Grave of the Fireflies is the most famous work of director Isao Takahata, which unfortunately does not get the attention it deserves compared to Miyazaki's movies. Based on a story by writer Akiyuki Nosaka, the movie tells the story about events at the end of World War II in Japan. This emotional anime strikes with its gloomy atmosphere, and scenes of destroyed cities and burned corpses will not leave even the most resistant viewer indifferent.
Only Yesterday (Omoide Poroporo)
Only Yesterday is a touching story by Isao Takahata about a 27-year-old girl, Taeko, who decides to visit her distant relatives in the summer and, during her long journey, delves into childhood memories. Before its release on video media, the movie was considered one of the undeservedly forgotten works in the western market despite being the highest-grossing film of 1991 in Japan.
The Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru)
The Ocean Waves, directed by Mochizuki Tomomi, was perhaps Studio Ghibli's most unknown work. The summer melodrama for teenagers, with its overly realistic plot and disjointed narrative, failed to appeal to unprepared viewers and was a flop. Studio Ghibli suffered huge losses, from which it recovered only a year later. Despite the low reviews and bad reactions from critics, The Ocean Waves is worth watching, at least for the nostalgia of student days and first love, which is perfectly reflected in the anime.
Whisper of the Heart was originally intended to be directed by young Studio Ghibli artists, but due to the failure of The Ocean Waves, the project was taken over by experienced animators. Miyazaki wrote the script and Yoshifumi Kondo became the director. Whisper of the Heart is one of the best romantic films in the history of Japanese animation. It tells about a middle school student Shizuku Tsukishima, who finds her love on the pages of books from the school library. The anime will definitely appeal to fans of stories about self-discovery, growing up and first love.
The Secret World of Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty)
A touching story about the friendship between a 12-year-old boy, Shou, and a tiny girl, Arrietty, by young animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, based on the series of children's novels The Borrowers by British author Mary Norton. The Secret World of Arrietty is also on Studio Ghibli's list of underrated works. Although the anime has obvious advantages that may appeal to viewers, including incredibly detailed animation and backgrounds, a perfect soundtrack by French composer Cicile Corbel, and a relaxing romantic plot.
Yes, no My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away on the list.
On December 7, 2023, a new anime from Studio Ghibli by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki will be released. This time the main character of the story will not be a girl, but a boy, whose growing up is largely based on the director's own childhood.
Miyazaki's imagination is boundless, and traveling through his fantastic worlds becomes a real fairy tale. It's no wonder that his films are the trademark of Studio Ghibli. Just look at Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), Howl's Moving Castle (Howl no Ugoku Shiro) or Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime).
However, we shouldn't forget that there were many talented directors who worked at the studio and gave us equally interesting projects. Unfortunately, many of them didn't get the attention they deserved or went unnoticed.
Grave of the Fireflies is the most famous work of director Isao Takahata, which unfortunately does not get the attention it deserves compared to Miyazaki's movies. Based on a story by writer Akiyuki Nosaka, the movie tells the story about events at the end of World War II in Japan. This emotional anime strikes with its gloomy atmosphere, and scenes of destroyed cities and burned corpses will not leave even the most resistant viewer indifferent.
Only Yesterday (Omoide Poroporo)
Only Yesterday is a touching story by Isao Takahata about a 27-year-old girl, Taeko, who decides to visit her distant relatives in the summer and, during her long journey, delves into childhood memories. Before its release on video media, the movie was considered one of the undeservedly forgotten works in the western market despite being the highest-grossing film of 1991 in Japan.
The Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru)
The Ocean Waves, directed by Mochizuki Tomomi, was perhaps Studio Ghibli's most unknown work. The summer melodrama for teenagers, with its overly realistic plot and disjointed narrative, failed to appeal to unprepared viewers and was a flop. Studio Ghibli suffered huge losses, from which it recovered only a year later. Despite the low reviews and bad reactions from critics, The Ocean Waves is worth watching, at least for the nostalgia of student days and first love, which is perfectly reflected in the anime.
Whisper of the Heart was originally intended to be directed by young Studio Ghibli artists, but due to the failure of The Ocean Waves, the project was taken over by experienced animators. Miyazaki wrote the script and Yoshifumi Kondo became the director. Whisper of the Heart is one of the best romantic films in the history of Japanese animation. It tells about a middle school student Shizuku Tsukishima, who finds her love on the pages of books from the school library. The anime will definitely appeal to fans of stories about self-discovery, growing up and first love.
The Secret World of Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty)
A touching story about the friendship between a 12-year-old boy, Shou, and a tiny girl, Arrietty, by young animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, based on the series of children's novels The Borrowers by British author Mary Norton. The Secret World of Arrietty is also on Studio Ghibli's list of underrated works. Although the anime has obvious advantages that may appeal to viewers, including incredibly detailed animation and backgrounds, a perfect soundtrack by French composer Cicile Corbel, and a relaxing romantic plot.
