By: Alex Posniewski

I love Studio Ghilbi. Ever scene i was about 14 and my mom took me and my brother to go see an award winning animated film. Little did i know that my life would change after i left the theater. i saw “Spirited Away” in the theaters at the age of 14. Immediately the unique animation drew my attention. Along with the soundtrack. The music seemed to flow seamlessly with what was happening in the story line/scean. when i move wrapped up and we left i couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had to see more movies. I looked into the director. Hayao Miyazaki . I saw that Studio Ghibli had made more movies. now 11 years later Hayao Miyazaki is retiring and me and my wife went to go see the last Studio Ghibli movie that Hayao Miyazaki directed “The Wind Rises”. Nowing that Studio Ghibli will still make movies but with out the brilliant director id like to go over my top 5 favorite movies to honer this studio and their brilliant director. Now these dont go in any particulate order seeing as i love all his movies.

1:Princess Mononoke

We will start with Princess Mononoke. This was the second Ghibli film that i saw. My brother had some friends that were into Ghibli before i even know what it was. So my good friend Robert showed me Mononoke. i sat in awe! I didn’t really get the story line the first watch threw so i had to watch it again and again. The story revolves around Ashitaka trying to find a cure for a Tatarigami’s curse. I don’t want to spoil the movie if you haven’t seen it but it charms on all levels. From the cookie sprites to a arrow taking some ones head clean off there shoulders. The animation in this movie flows so well. This story has more folk lore and mysterious creatures then most of the Ghibli films seeing it revols around the Tatarigami’s curse.

2. Howl’s Moving Castle

This is the first ever Ghibli movie that i showed to my wife. Shes not to big into animation but when this movie kicked off i could tell she was really into it. I missed my chance to go see this movie in theaters but i bought it the minuet i could on DVD. The story revolvs around a young girl named Sofî being cursed by a witch. The witch curses Sofî into and older lady body. Sofî then leavs home and seeks a way to be cured. As she is on her journey she eventualy ends up in a moving castle. A Castle that moves with legs. In the castle, Sophie meets a fire demon, named Karishifâ. Seeing that she is under a curse, the demon makes a deal with Sophie–if she breaks the contract he is under with howl, then Karushifâ will lift the curse that Sophie is under, and she will return to her 18-year-old shape. Howl is the wizard that lives in the castle and is very mysterious and powerful. If your going to see any of the Ghibli movies id recommend this one. Seeing as my wife loved it and is not a big animation buff.

3. My Neighbors the Yamadas

This movies isent your stranded story line movie. It follows the day to day life’s of a family named the Yamadas. There are a series of short senescence that show what the family is doing that day and the trouble and life that they live. Some of the stories are more serious then others but they are all wonderful. The animation in this movie is much different then most Ghibli moves. Theres not alot of detail in the characters but there is a mass amount of detail in the background shots. i love this movie seeing as more of a comedy them most Ghibli movies.

4. The Wind Rises

This is the most recent and last Hayao Miyazaki directed Studio Ghibli film. This movie is wonderful. Im not going to lie, i cried at the end. Mostly from the story line but some of it was knowing that this is it,this is Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie. This is story telling at its finest. It follows Jiro Horikoshi from childhood until adulthood. He is fascinated with planes. He eventually grows up and designs plans for japan in WW2. Threw out his life he meets a girl named Nahoko. He meets her when she is very young and saves her hat from flying off of a train. They then dont see each other for many many years. They eventually run into each other when they are both in their adulthood’s. i wont spoil any of the story , but this story is amazing. I hope someday i can tell stories or write scrips like this. i recomend this movie to older teens and adults. This story line is not really for children.

5. Spirited Away

last on the list is my personal favorite movie studio Ghibli movie “Spirited Away”. When i first saw this movie i was sunned for days. I love this movie! The story line takes you in within moments of this movie beginning. it holds you in threw out the whole movie. This movie is about a young girl named Chihiro. her and her parents are moving to a new city and are in the process of driving there. When Chihiro’s father takes a “Short cut” then end up at and abandon amusement park. chihiro and her family decide to take a look around. You can tell that Chihiro doesn’t want to enter the park or want her parents to go in. After a while of them wondering around Chihiro runs into a younger boy who says” you shouldn’t be here” with a panic. chihiro runs to her parents and sees them stuffing htere faces with food. They then turn into pigs in front of her eyes! i wont spoil any more of this movie but its a MUST WATCH! Any one from young to old can appreciate this movie.

I hope you enjoy our little jpurney threw the films of Studio Ghibli. If i get even one person to watch atleast one of these movies iv done my job. Thanks for reading!