The films and worlds that Studio Ghibli has created over the years have grown to be fan and family favorites with some more fantastical and lighthearted like My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, and Kiki’s Delivery Service and some being more gritty and steeped in thought-provoking conflict such as Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Grave of the Fireflies. But no matter whether you’re a fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s famous works like Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron or you crave the more underrated films like Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday, if you’ve run out of movies in the Ghibli filmography to watch, you might enjoy these other picks.
But whether you’re looking for something more on the fantastical side, something more relatable, or something that confronts the bitter truths of the world, you’re sure to find a new favorite. Although diehard fans may believe that there’s not much that can fully measure up to Studio Ghibli’s critically acclaimed legacy, there are indeed plenty of anime movies out there that are fantastic in their own rights with beautiful animation, captivating soundtracks, and unique stories that are sure to pull at your heartstrings.
1) Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
The mystical race of the Iorph, known for their longevity, live isolated from the tumultuous outside world of mankind. But when the power-hungry kingdom of Mezarte in their endeavor to add the immortality of the Iorph to the king’s bloodline invade their homeland, ravaging their home with what is left of the dragons, the Renato, at the invaders’ disposal, Maquia is carried off by one of the rogue Renato and left deserted in a forest far from her homeland. Finding the baby in a nearby destroyed village, she decides to raise him as her own, naming him Ariel. Knowing nothing of the world of mankind nor how to raise one of its children that ages much faster than her, she’s determined to not let Ariel feel the loneliness she’s had to endure.
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms follows the lives of Maquia and Ariel as they struggle to find their place in a fantastical world, somewhat like some of the characters in Ghibli films like how Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service sets off to become independent or how Ponyo in, well, Ponyo quite literally feels like a fish out of water.
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms can be streamed on Crunchyroll, Prime Video, Pluto TV, and Tubi TV.
2) A Whisker Away
High school student Miyo Sasaki comes from a broken family that now includes a stepmother who, much to the annoyance of Miyo, attempts to connect with her new stepdaughter. Endeavoring to find some respite from her personal issues, she takes to latching onto schoolmate Kento Hinode both in and out of school. But unbeknownst to Miyo’s crush, he’s actually grown closer to her than he realizes. Feeling as though she’s unable to attract his attention as herself, Miyo instead takes to spending time with him as a cat he’s named Tarou. But when she’s faced with losing her humanity completely, Miyo must make a choice to live at a distance from her crush as a human or be loved by him as a cat.
Ever wondered what it would be like to be a cat? Well, for either Studio Ghibli’s Haru in The Cat Returns or Studio Colorido’s Miyo in A Whisker Away movies, perhaps it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. But with either film, it’s still a fun prospect to ponder and definitely makes for fantastical feline adventures!
A Whisker Away can be streamed on Netflix.
3) Weathering With You
Runaway teenager Hodaka Morishima struggles to support himself in the concrete jungle of Tokyo, running away from cops and taking up residence in a net café until he lands a job and a place to live at a small publishing house. Although the rain in Tokyo seems to be relentless, when he meets orphaned Hina Amano who strives to find work to sustain herself and her younger brother, he discovers that she has an amazing power that allows her to make the rain disappear and call upon the sun. Dubbing her the “Sunshine Girl”, the two decide to monetize her abilities, spreading sunshine to those who wish for it. Unfortunately, their good fortune may eventually come at a price.
If she were a character in Kiki’s Delivery Service, perhaps Hina would be a weather witch. Or with its beautifully more gritty look at the street life of Tokyo, perhaps Weathering with You would be more up the alley of those who appreciate more realistic views of the world and its faults such as in Porco Rosso.
Weathering with You can be streamed on Max.
4)Your Name
While high school student Mitsuha Miyamizu wishes she could live life in Tokyo
instead of in the countryside, Taki Tachibana is busy city life balancing his academic responsibilities with a part-time job in hopes to one day become an architect. When Mitsuha wakes up to find that her dream has come true, there’s just one catch: she’s in Taki’s body and Taki has taken Mitsuha’s place as well. As they each try to get to the bottom of the body swap and find one another, they each inadvertently make actions that impact each others’ lives.
Your Name is as though a studio was given the task of recreating Freaky Friday with Studio Ghibli elements. If you enjoy themes of determination and light romance like those in Whisper of the Heart or From Up on Poppy Hill, you’re sure to enjoy Your Name.
Your Name can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
5) A Silent Voice
Shouya Ishida was a bit of a wild child in elementary school, but unfortunately he found entertainment in cruel ways. When Shouko Nishimiya transfers to Shouya’s class, Shouya takes to relentlessly bullying the deaf girl along with the rest of the class. But when her mother notifies the school that she suspects her daughter has been bullied, Shouya is singled out and Shouko transfers, leaving Shouya to become ostracized and the target of his class’s bullying. All the way up to high school, Shouya’s cruel past has haunted him. Filled with guilt and regret, Shouya tries turning a new leaf in honest attempts to redeem himself. Although he’s determined to meet Shouko and make amends, the road to redemption is much more difficult than he could’ve imagined, for both himself and for Shouko.
Like how Setsuko is diagnosed with tuberculosis in The Wind Rises, some Studio Ghibli films face the emotional ailments that come with physical adversities with resolute smiles, and so does Shouko with her deafness in A Silent Voice. And, akin to cursed Ashitaka and the lepers in Princess Mononoke, both Shouko and Shouya face ostracization.
[RELATED: 10 Best Anime Movies by Studio Ghibli, Ranked]
6) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
In her last year of high school, Makoto Konno spends her time struggling in class and goofing off with her friends, unsure of how to even begin planning for an unknown future her family and teachers try pressuring her to think of. But one day, Makoto discovers she’s capable of literally leaping through time. Although she finds her newfound power to be both useful for avoiding daily nuisances and for entertainment purposes at first, Makoto soon finds that time waits for no one and that actions always have consequences.
While The Girl Who Leapt Through Time carries it’s own weight as a masterpiece in its own right with any fan of Haru from The Cat Returns sure to take a liking to Makoto, fans of Studio Ghibli films are sure to fall in love with really any of Mamoru Hosoda’s works. Enjoy My Neighbor Totoro? Check out Wolf Children and Mirai. Spirited Away? Add The Boy and the Beast to your watchlist.
7) To the Forest of Firefly Lights
When six-year-old Hotaru Takegawa becomes lost in the forest upon spending the summer at her grandfather’s house, she meets a mysterious boy wearing a mask, Gin. But when she tries to run to him, he quickly dodges her embrace, explaining that he has a curse that will make him disappear should a human touch him. With the forest inhabited by spirits, Gin tells her not to return. So of course she decides to return every summer to keep Gin company. With the two becoming best friends as Hotaru grows up over the years, they begin to struggle with the boundary between them.
If you enjoy Ghibli works with paranormal elements or cozy countryside antics such as Spirited Away, When Marnie Was There, or My Neighbor Totoro, you’re sure to appreciate To the Forest of Firefly Lights. This film feels as though it would be the result if Studio Ghibli had ever received the IP rights to Natsume’s Book of Friends.
8) The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes
Proceeding the death of his sister and his parents’ divorce, Kaoru Touno’s home life seems to be filled with nothing but misery. After a confrontation with his short-tempered father, Kaoru runs from home only to discover a mysterious, otherworldly triangular tunnel that pulls him in and seems to go on forever. Retrieving his resurrected pet bird, although he thought only a few minutes had passed, in reality, an entire week elapsed. Suspecting the tunnel to be the rumored wish-granting Urashima Tunnel, Kaoru becomes determined to see if he can find his deceased sister in hopes to restore his broken home. Finding that new transfer student Anzu Hanashiro has apparently also found the tunnel, the two decide to team up and see just how far the tunnel will take them to grant their wishes.
If you’re a fan of two young, average lovebirds like in Whisper of the Heart finding otherworldly anime movie romance like that of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle, you might just enjoy The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes.
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes can be streamed on HiDive or Hulu where available.
9) Summer Ghost
They say that fireworks can calm the souls of the dead, but the Summer Ghost can only appear in a specific place and only to those at death’s door to answer questions pertaining to death. Tomoya Sugisaki, Aoi Harukawa, and Ryou Kobayashi venture to the former airport grounds runway where it’s believed that fireworks (sparklers) will allow them to meet the Summer Ghost, the spirit of a young woman who committed suicide, Satou Ayane. Though the three aren’t the most alike personality-wise, there is something that allows each of them to meet the Summer Ghost. With the prospect of death hot on each of their heels, the three friends would like to know more about the concept. But although they initially expected to learn more about death itself, they also learn about themselves and the Summer Ghost herself.
For fans of Studio Ghibli’s films that delve into such introspective, thought-provoking themes of life after death and ghosts such as The Boy and the Heron or When Marnie Was There, although a bit of a shorter film, Summer Ghost isn’t to be slept on.
10) Mary and The Witch’s Flower
Clumsy Mary Smith seems to be constantly making more trouble than she intends. Upon moving into her Great Aunt Charlotte’s home, she becomes lonely and bored. When she takes notice of a cat. Curious, she one day follows it into the woods where she finds mysterious blue flowers. Describing them to the estate’s gardener, he tells her they’re a rare species called Fly-by-Night, said to be incredibly magically powerful and especially prized by witches. Following the cat back into the forest one night to where she’d found the flowers, Mary finds a broomstick. Upon accidentally rubbing some of the magical plant onto the broom, it starts to glow and whisks her into the sky, leading her to begin an adventure at the Endor College for Witches where she’s mistaken for a new student.
If you think Mary And The Witch’s Flower not only has magical vibes like Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service but looks suspiciously close to the anime movie stylizations of Studio Ghibli, your instinct is correct. This is probably due to Studio Ponoc being founded in 2015 by former Studio Ghibli lead film producer Yoshiaki Nishimura. The studio also had the support of several former Studio Ghibli animators including director Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower can be streamed on Netflix.
What anime films do you think would be perfect for any Studio Ghibli fan’s watchlist? Let us know in the comments!
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