Every Studio Ghibli Movie Ranked

Schaff: puts howls moving castle 4th worst Everyone else: so you have chosen death

I give James this: He admits problems he has with certain pieces of media are his own problems rather than objective problems with the work itself.

I love how Earwig didn't even make it to the thumbnail 😭

I think Ashitaka taking the time to help the women of Iron Town with their work despite the curse on his arm heavily numbering his days is actually a really effective piece of characterization; it hammers home the compassion he has that allows him to connect with San and her family.

Challenge: Schaff ranks every Barbie movie from the 2000's (which is 16 total). I have no doubt the animation would irritate him to no end, but I also want him to be pleasantly surprised but how good a lot of them are regarding story, characters, & music. Plus, considering how pleased he was with Tim Curry as the Cat King, I want to hear Schaff's face when he realizes Tim was in not one but two Barbie movies, the era beginning and ending with him as the villain. 😉😆🥰 I'd let him decide whether or not he wants to continue into the 2010's...

One of the things I love about Ghibli films is that the children actually ACT like children. Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo— So many of their movies are made better because their characters act their age and like actual people.

2:08 Earwig and the Witch 6:04 Tales from Earthsea 8:05 Ocean Waves 10:09 Howl's Moving Castle 14:16 Pom Poko 16:14 The Wind Rises 17:23 My Neighbors, the Yamadas 19:39 The Secret World of Arrietry 20:58 The Cat Returns 22:20 Ponyo 23:20 Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind 24:41 Castle in the Sky 26:17 Porco Rosso 29:24 From Up on Poppy Hill 31:24 My Neighbor, Totoro 32:34 When Marnie Was There 33:46 Princess Mononoke 35:57 Grave of the Fireflies 36:35 Only Yesterday 38:18 Kiki's Delivery Service 39:44 Spirited Away 42:07 The Tale of Princess Kaguya 45:52 Whisper of the Heart

Kiki’s delivery service is my absolute favorite. It’s just so delightful and relatable

Grave of fireflies is one of those movies you watch once and then never ever again unless you like your heart being torn from your chest.

People not understanding Sophie's curse is literally just... I don't understand, even as a little kid I got that the less self-conscious she was about how she looked the younger she looked. Howl literally says, "Sophie you're beautiful" and she becomes self-conscious again, believing he's just being nice and turns old again. The subtext is right there, it's right there!!! The curse is a self reflection of how she feels about herself, not young and spritely nor beautiful like the other girls. By the end she's grown in confidence, been on an adventure and just doesn't dwell on her looks anymore.

I have a complex relationship with the HMC movie because the BOOK by Diana Wynne Jones is PHENOMENAL. All of the confusion, EVERY single question raised about the film is addressed perfectly in the book. The first 45 minutes of the movie are great because they pull almost directly from the book and then the movie shifts directions completely once Soloman is introduced. If you have any interest in the story at all and want answers, I beg you to read the book. It is far more complex and yet it still wraps everything up into a gorgeous tidy little bow. I have reread it again least three times and I find something new in each read. Please, for the love of god and all that is good, read the book!!!!

Princess Mononoke will always be my favorite (but I recognize Kaguya is probably the objective best). I love that the message of the film isn’t “don’t cut down the trees guys. That’s not nice”. The actual message is how hatred can only grow stronger and stronger unless we try to resolve conflicts through empathy and understanding towards each other. Ashitaka never sides with anyone but instead always tries to act as a diplomat for every faction we meet in the movie

To be fair about Howls moving castle the war isn’t just randomly called off, But the reason it’s called off isn’t like explained at length. It’s mentioned that the reason the kingdom with the sorcerer lady is at war with the other kingdom is because they believe they kidnapped their prince. But when it’s revealed that Turnip Head was the missing prince all along, the sorcerer lady calls off the war bc theres no reason for them to keep fighting.

Adding to the sea of Howl’s Moving Castle commentary: Howl is such an unpredictable and emotionally volatile character because he gave his heart up when he was 12. Emotionally, he never matured past that stage in his life, and his behavior reflects this. We don’t really know who he is because, without his heart and the ability to develop any kind of emotional maturity, he doesn’t know who he is either.

Strangely, Howl's moving castle being so abstract is the reason i like it so much. The characters struggle to navigate this strange world riveted with magic and ravaged by war, they live in, trying to make sense of it, battling throgh all the challenges that rise up on their way, staring uncertainly in the eyes, all the while learning to accept and love thems. I love how human and flawed all the main characters are, not one is perfect or special or chosen, they just all make their own path, yet none of them are obnoxious or insufferable. I love the picture, the motion, the color palet vibrancy, the theme, the music. I love the flow and the pace of the movie, and I do like it's conclusion. This movie leaves a lot of room for thought and interpretation, yet delivers a very satisfying end. I love the slow burn of romance, without any frustrating love triangles or wavering and self inflicted suffering. All in all, this is one of those abstract stories that i love, but I also understand that it's not for everyone. It reminds of one of those weird yet beautiful dream you sometimes have.

Princess Mononoke is a movie I wish I could experience again. It hits every note of visual storytelling for me. I always tell people Princess Mononoke is the closest thing someone will ever get to a Legend of Zelda Ghibli movie. It's a must watch if your into dark fantasy.

I feel like one of the themes of Howl's Moving Castle is "acting your age," where Sophie acts like an old woman and gets turned into such, only changing back when she starts becoming more cheery. Howl starts off cool and calm until he throws said temper tantrum over something like his hair because he "has the heart of a child," like dub version of Sophie says. Heck, Markl disguises as an old man and keeps the entire shop running while the Witch of the Waste's true age gets revealed after getting yoinked of her powers I can totally understand how you can get confused with the movie, but I think it's a pretty fun ride with beautiful animation and music, with a story I can get behind.

I watched Whisper of the Heart right after watching this. Schaff wasn’t kidding. It’s incredible and you should all watch it. If you’re struggling to find direction or are trying to pursue your passion, you have to see this movie. It will speak to you on a level most films don’t even come close to. It is immersive yet incredibly reflective. It is magical, heartwarming, and uplifting.

i just watched Kaguya for the first time and i was in tears. it’s so beautiful, from the story to the animation to the music. i loved every character. i genuinely wanted the princess to stay on earth at the end and i felt her and her parents’ pain when she had to leave :(

Having Only Yesterday as number 5 and Whisper of the Heart as number 1 is extremely based of you. Those movies don't get enough love. Incredible movies.