A guide to Studio Ghibli's beautiful world of anime films

Studio Ghibli has broken mold after mold of what we expect films for kids to be.The Japanese animation house — founded by filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki — has spent 35 years telling winding, complex stories that stretch the bounds of what animation can do. In one, a treacherous battle rages between humans and the deities of a forest fighting to maintain the balance of nature. Another tale pits sorcerers against each other and questions the supernatural ethics of using magic in warfare. And one story opens up a transcendent and terrifying spirit world, in a work heralded by critics as one of the best films of the 21st century.Studio Ghibli has made its films more widely available on streaming platforms. Here's a guide to some of the most greatest anime movies ever made.   

Classic | Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” is essential viewing. The story, about a young girl who stumbles into a dark spirit world, goes beyond the imaginative limits of just about every other animated film, from Studio Ghibli or anyone else. The hero, Chihiro, spends much of the tale looking for a way out — but by the end, you’ll wish you could both stay just a little bit longer. It is filled with fantastical creatures, strange demons and a powerful sorceress looming over them all. Credit: IMDb

Classic | “Howl’s Moving Castle” (2004) | There is a witch, a curse and a love story, but that’s where the similarities between this Miyazaki film and all other fantasy stories end. The curse in question is on Sophie, a shy young hatmaker turned into a feeble, elderly woman. In her quest to break the spell and get back to her normal self, she joins an odd troop of characters — including Howl, a powerful, shape-shifting wizard himself — traveling in a roving steampunkish home. Credit: IMDb

A Coming-of-Age Tale | “The Secret World of Arrietty” | That titular secret world is close by: Arrietty is no taller than a leaf, and her equally diminutive family lives under the floorboards of an old family home. The Borrowers, as they call themselves — Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s film is based on the children’s novel by that name — take only what they need from the human “beans” a few inches above them, one sugar cube or tissue at a time. Arrietty, turning 14, is impatient to go on borrowing adventures of her own, but her family’s way of life is put at risk when a human boy with a keen eye moves in above. Credit: IMDb

A Coming-of-Age Tale | “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) | This Miyazaki film has one of Studio Ghibli’s most lovable (human) characters in its young hero, Kiki — an adolescent witch who leaves home, as all witches do at her age, to complete her magic training in a new town. With a bright red radio and talking black cat, Jiji, in tow, she starts a delivery service to sharpen her broom-flying skills and meets a delightful array of new friends along the way. Credit: IMDb

Light but Heartfelt | My Neighbor Totoro” (1988) | “Totoro” is one of Miyazaki’s earliest films, and also one of his best. The touching story focuses on the sisters Satsuki and Mei, and the extraordinary characters they befriend outside their new home. Having two young protagonists (along with their massive, fluffy allies) makes this a great way to introduce small children to Studio Ghibli. But be warned: This one will just as easily suck in the adults. Credit: IMDb

Gripping Adventure | “Castle in the Sky” (1986) | There are no slow moments in “Castle in the Sky.” Packed in the first few minutes alone are a kidnapping attempt, an attack from a crew of lovable airborne pirates and a girl magically floating down from the sky. From there, the film follows the quest of that girl, Sheeta, and her courageous new friend, Pazu, as they try to find a mythical levitating kingdom hidden in the clouds. Credit: IMDb

Gripping Adventure | “Princess Mononoke” (1997) | This is one of Miyazaki’s greatest stories — but it can, like any good supernatural battle for the soul of a forest, get a bit bloody. Princess Mononoke is not a name but rather a description of San, a human girl raised by wolves. She and the warrior prince Ashitaka become entangled in a bitter war between the animal gods of the forest and the humans using up its resources. Credit: IMDb

Mesmerizing Animation |