The best films by Hayao Miyazaki with gripping plots and unusual characters.
Hayao Miyazaki is world-renowned for his unique artistic style. Each of his movies invites viewers to immerse themselves in a world where fantasy and reality intertwine.
For those just beginning to explore the Japanese animator's work, we have chosen five of his best anime films.
5. The Wind Rises, 2013
The plot centers on young Jiro, a boy who dreams of designing airplanes but suffers from myopia. In a dream, Jiro meets his idol, a renowned aircraft designer, who explains the process of designing airplanes to him.
Following his subconscious's advice, Jiro enters university to study engineering. A few years later, he lands an internship at Mitsubishi and begins producing the iconic A6M fighter plane.
However, professional success does not bring him happiness. Jiro regrets that combat vehicles are used for killing, and his wife, Nahoko, is slowly fading away due to a serious illness.
4. My Neighbor Totoro, 1988
When Satsuki and Mei's mother falls ill, Satsuki is left to care for the house and her father. The family moves to a house near a mystical forest so they can be close to the hospital where their mother is being treated.
One day, while walking in the forest, the youngest daughter, Mei, meets a small spirit who accidentally leads her to the forest's guardian – a huge, fluffy Totoro.
This new acquaintance turns out to be a good-natured creature who becomes a friend to the lonely girl and, later, her older sister, Satsuki.
3. Howl's Moving Castle, 2004
The young Sophie meets the mysterious Howl, who has settled near her hometown, and immediately falls in love with him. However, Howl has many admirers, including those from another world.
One of them is the Witch of the Waste, who turns Sophie into an old woman out of jealousy. Desperate, Sophie goes to Howl's Moving Castle to lift the curse. In order to return to her former appearance and rid the inhabitants of the castle of the curse, Sophie must dispel the witch's spell.
2. Princess Mononoke, 1997
After a fight with a demon that has turned into a boar, a young warrior named Ashitaka is cursed to death. He leaves his village in search of a cure but finds himself caught in a war between the forest spirits and the people who cut down trees for iron.
Among the forest's inhabitants is San, a beautiful girl raised by a wolf goddess. She is also known as Princess Mononoke. As Ashitaka's conflict with San unfolds, their story develops into a tale of true love.
1. Spirited Away, 2001
Chihiro's parents tell her that they are moving to a new town soon. After getting lost on the way to their new home, the family ends up in the spirit world.
They discover a restaurant with numerous delicacies, but the girl's parents cannot resist the food. As punishment for their gluttony, they turn into pigs.
To save them, Chihiro gets a job at a bathhouse for the gods. There, she meets the bathhouse's eccentric owner, Yubaba, and becomes entangled in a tale involving an ancient curse and an enchanted seal.