Top 9 Studio Ghibli Movies to Binge this Weekend

Studio Ghibli

These films offer a blend of fantastical worlds, emotional storytelling, and stunning animation, showcasing a variety of styles and stories making them perfect for a weekend movie marathon.

1. Spirited Away (2001)

The story follows a young girl named Chihiro who becomes trapped in a mysterious and magical world of spirits after her parents are transformed into pigs. She must find the courage and resourcefulness to navigate this new world, work in a bathhouse for spirits, and ultimately find a way to return to the human world.

Voice Cast: 
Rumi Hiiragi as Chihiro Ogino / Sen
Miyu Irino as Haku / Kohaku River
Mari Natsuki as Yubaba / Zeniba

2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

The story revolves around two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside to be closer to their ailing mother. They discover and befriend magical forest spirits, including the gentle and giant Totoro, who leads them on enchanting adventures.

Voice Cast:
Noriko Hidaka as Satsuki Kusakabe
Chika Sakamoto as Mei Kusakabe
Hitoshi Takagi as Totoro

 

3.Princess Mononoke (1997)

The film is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan and follows Ashitaka, a young Emishi prince, who becomes entangled in a struggle between the forest gods and a mining colony that is destroying the forest. Along his journey, Ashitaka meets San, a young woman raised by wolves, who is determined to protect the forest at all costs.

Voice Cast:
Yoji Matsuda as Ashitaka
Yuriko Ishida as San (Princess Mononoke)
Yuko Tanaka as Lady Eboshi

4. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

In this fantasy film, Sophie, a young woman transformed into an old woman by a witch's curse, encounters a wizard named Howl and becomes involved in his resistance against a war driven by political machinations and supernatural elements.

Voice Cast:
Chieko Baisho as Sophie
Takuya Kimura as Howl
Akihiro Miwa as Witch of the Waste

5. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

This charming film follows Kiki, a young witch in training, who moves to a new town and uses her flying abilities to start a delivery service. Along the way, she learns about independence, responsibility, and finding her place in the world.

Voice Cast:
Minami Takayama as Kiki
Rei Sakuma as Jiji
Kappei Yamaguchi as Tombo

6. Castle in the Sky (1986)

In this adventure film, young orphans Sheeta and Pazu search for the legendary floating city of Laputa while being pursued by pirates and government agents who seek the city's powerful technology.

Voice Cast:
Mayumi Tanaka as Pazu
Keiko Yokozawa as Sheeta
Kotoe Hatsui as Dola

7. Ponyo (2008)

This delightful film tells the story of Ponyo, a goldfish who longs to become human after meeting a boy named Sosuke. Her transformation and desire to live on land create a series of magical events that affect the balance of nature.

Voice Cast:
Yuria Nara as Ponyo
Hiroki Doi as Sosuke
Tomoko Yamaguchi as Lisa

8. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the film follows Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, who strives to understand and communicate with the giant insects of the Toxic Jungle to bring peace between her people and the natural world.

Voice Cast:
Sumi Shimamoto as Nausicaä
Mahito Tsujimura as Jihl
Hisako Kyoda as Oh-Baba

9. The Wind Rises (2013)

This historical drama is a fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of the Mitsubishi A5M and its successor, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. The film portrays Jiro's dreams of becoming an aircraft designer amid the backdrop of World War II.

Voice Cast:
Hideaki Anno as Jiro Horikoshi
Miori Takimoto as Naoko Satomi
Hidetoshi Nishijima as Honjo

All the movies are available on Netflix. Do not worry if you don't have a Netflix subscription because you are able to watch these movies in animesuge, soap2day, sflix, zoroxtv, etc.