Animation Insiders Pick Their Favourite Ghibli Films

Julio Bonet, senior development producer, Nexus Studios

Spirited Away may not have been my introduction to Studio Ghibli's work, but it is for me their most unforgettable film to date. Miyazaki's response to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is itself a mesmerising, disconcerting and poignant fairy tale. For all the brilliance of the Disneys and Pixars of the world, the acute understanding of a child's psyche remains unrivalled by Ghibli's films.The way in which their stories are so fearlessly crafted and how they balance the wonder and darkness of childhood, is to me what makes them so timeless, magical, and relatable. 

Becky Perryman, emerging talent producer, Passion Animation Studios

I'm saddened to hear of Isao Takahata passing away. His films are a huge inspiration to many people in the animation world and outside. Grave of the Fireflies is one of the best war films ever made in my opinion and stands up against any live-action film in this category. Isao Takahata proved that animation is not just for children, that it can be a powerful medium to tell any story.

Peter Sluszka, director, Hornet

Although I didn't see it until years after its release, one of the first Ghibli films to capture my imagination was Laputa: Castle in the Sky, which Isao Takahata produced.  Even early in my career when i worked almost exclusively in stop-motion, the visual detail and richness of the world created in Laputa served as inspiration and loomed large in my imagination as a place I wished I could inhabit.  I had the opportunity to visit the Ghibli museum outside of Tokyo where I got to see three dimensional models of many characters and props I had only seen as cel animation on film.  For me, visiting the museum was further testament to the brilliant life's work of Isao Takahata and his colleagues at Ghibli whose creative impact deserves to be described as monumental.

Layla Atkinson, director, Trunk Animation

When I first saw the cat-bus run onto screen in My Neighbour Totoro  I was hooked. The playfulness, the quiet mystery, the nature and the sense of calm in the film was so refreshing and unusual. We just watch the story unfolding, there are no answers.  None of the characters did what I was expecting, the mum is sick yet gets better and comes home. There's a ceremonial seed dance. Now a little wooden Totoro sits on my desk, looking back at me and helping me float off into my head whenever I need it.

Tamsin Hicks, new business assistant, Blinkink

My favourite Ghibli film is The Tale of Princess Kaguya - directed by Takahata. Taking eight years to make and drawn in minimalist, evocative watercolours with charcoal strokes, it is an exceptionally beautiful Japanese work of art. I love the themes that run through the Ghibli films of mythology, family, parenting, coming of age and the enchantment with nature and the weird but wonderful creatures and environments that are represented. Many of the Ghibli films are based on novels and folklore which I think really suits their use of traditional 2d animation because when you watch the films you feel like you’re being gifted some special aspects of knowledge, history and Japanese wisdom . After Miyazaki’s final film, Kimitachi, comes out in 2020 it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Japanese anime.

Takahata & Miyazaki's films capture the aesthetic that Ghibli is known for. Their lifelong students and alumni have set up their own company, Studio Ponoc, and their first film Mary and the Witch’s Flower is currently on release in cinemas. The improvement of computer graphics over the years has helped breathe new life into fantasy e.g Pixar’s Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc…etc. and in an interview the director, Hiromoasa Yonebayashi, says that he’s added 3D and CG effects to enhance the experience for the viewer. Will they continue to stick to the hand drawn Ghibli aesthetic or are they to usher in a new era of anime?

Andy Baker, director, Hornet

I got into Ghibli films quite late on and Spirited Away has to be the one film that really stuck with me, although they are all great in their own ways, especially Takahata’s harrowing Grave of the Fire Flies. Personally though, the mix of escapism, fantasy and scathing views of modern society viewed through Chihiro’s eyes in Spirited Away makes it my perfect Ghibli film and Kamaji and the soot sprites will always make me smile. It also has to have some of the tastiest looking animated food ever.