It goes without saying thatStudio Ghibliis one of the biggest names in anime and animation in general. The gorgeous animation and heartwarming writing of their films have always made them some of the best movies a person can watch, and for decades now, they’ve been a major part of pop culture and a frequent source of inspiration for creatives around the world in any medium.
There’s very little not to love aboutStudio Ghibli, but someone’s appreciation of their craft doesn’t have to stop with the films. As great as Studio Ghibli is at telling heartfelt, human dramas with occasional blendings of the supernatural, those ideas are hardly unique to them, and as such,there are plenty of great anime that capture similar aesthetics as Studio Ghibli films and are just as worth watching. A few films and shows like that especially stand out, and any Studio Ghibli fan would be remiss to pass them up.
10Penguin Highway
Anime Film By Studio Colorido; Based On The Novel By Tomihiko Morimi
In Studio Colorido’sPenguin Highway, penguins suddenly start appearing in an otherwise ordinary town, but despite the oddity of it all, everyone tries to live out their lives as if nothing were happening. The only exception to that is a precocious young boy named Aoyama, who spends his days trying to uncover the truth about the penguins while simultaneously expressing his love for the mysterious older woman he’s grown attached to.
Some of the best Studio Ghibli films tend to use the supernatural as a vehicle for inspiring growth within their protagonists and getting a story’s general themes across, and sure enough,Penguin Highway’s surreal storytelling complements its coming-of-age narrative as perfectly as some of the best Studio Ghibli films. Add in how gorgeous the visuals are, and it’s a film that’s perfect for any Studio Ghibli fan.
Anime Series By Liden Films; Based On The Manga By Kotoyama
Call of the Night
Call of the Nightstars Ko Yamori, a young boy who, in his first foray into night-walking, meets the vampire Nazuna Nanakusa. Ko wants Nazuna to turn him into a vampire so he can become a permanent night-walker, but a person can only become a vampire if they’re in love with the vampire who sucks their blood, thus setting Ko on a journey to learn what it means to be in love.
Liden Films’Call of the Nightstars Ko Yamori, a young boy who, in his first foray into night-walking, meets the vampire Nazuna Nanakusa. Ko wants Nazuna to turn him into a vampire so he can become a permanent night-walker, but a person can only become a vampire if they’re in love with the vampire who sucks their blood, thus setting Ko on a journey to learn what it means to be in love.
Between its unique takes on vampires and romance, how it all comes together for a stunning coming-of-age story for Ko, and the gorgeous visuals accompanying it all,Call of the Night’s unique vampire romance story feels like the exact sort of story that Studio Ghibli would tell. It’s probably one of the best modern anime for capturing Studio Ghibli’s aesthetic, and with season 2 coming so soon, now’s the perfect time to start watching it.
TMS Entertainment’sLupin IIIis a massive multimedia franchise centered around Lupin III, the grandson of the famous phantom thief Arsene Lupin, who has become a master thief in his own right. Every story sees Lupin and his friends, many of whom may or may not betray him, working to pull off a major heist of some kind, all while avoiding being arrested by Inspector Zenigata of Interpol and occasionally saving the world.
Not only do the action-adventure elements and slapstick comedy always harken back to the era Studio Ghibli started in, but with how genuinely fun and inventive every new anime is, it’s a franchise that will always appeal to someone in some way.Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki famously made a name for himself working on the firstLupin IIIanime, so it’s safe to say that understandingLupinis key to understanding Studio Ghibli, as a whole.
7Mushishi
Anime Series By Artland; Based On The Manga By Yuki Urushibara
Artland’sMushishiis an episodic anime set vaguely in 19th-century Japanwhere people are constantly plagued by ethereal beings called Mushi. As one of the few people who can see Mushi, series protagonist Ginko has taken it upon himself to research Mushi and aid those who suffer because of them whenever he comes across them in his travels.
Not only isMushishianother story set around exploring a supernatural setting with a protagonist who simply wants to do good, but it’s also a story that primarily tries to be a lighthearted romp about the beauty of nature and human connections whenever possible, all of which is classic Studio Ghibli.Mushishi’s themes of nature and human kindness get to the core of what makes a great Studio Ghibli film, and it’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard.
The eponymous hero of Kyoto Animation’sViolet Evergardenis a former orphan turned soldier who spent her entire life fighting in a war that’s only now ended. Now needing a new purpose in life, Violet becomes a special type of ghostwriter called an Auto Memory Doll in the hopes that writing for others will help her better understand people, and she especially hopes it will help her understand why her commanding officer told her he loved her before he died.
Violet Evergardenhas been praised as an emotional masterpiece for its thoughtful and mature examinations of love and human connections, and with the gorgeous visuals accompanying it, it always feels like something straight out of Studio Ghibli’s playbook.Violet Evergarden’s emotional storytelling has it regarded as one of thebest Kyoto Animation anime to watch, and overall, it’s hard to argue with that.
Belle
Cast
Belle is a film exploring the journey of Suzu, a 17-year-old high school student who discovers a vast online world called “U.” As her avatar, Belle, she gains widespread attention, ultimately encountering a mysterious, dragon-like figure amidst her virtual experiences.
Studio Chizu’sBellestars Suzu Naito, a socially awkward girl plagued by trauma and self-doubt who finds release moonlighting as Belle, the idol of the virtual world of U. During one of her concerts, Belle is inexplicably drawn to a violent player called the Beast, and her quest to get to know the Beast just might be what both of them need to overcome their respective pain.
Belleis an emotional story about the hero overcoming her crippling lack of self-worth for the sake of others, and when combined with its gorgeous mixture of 2D and 3D visuals,Belleis one of the best films at capturing what Studio Ghibli does best both visually and narratively.Mamoru Hosoda’s past Oscar nominationmakes him the only director unaffiliated with Studio Ghibli to earn the honor, and that’s a perfect testament to what to expect fromBelleand his other works.
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley explores the protagonist’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, highlighting her connection with siblings Matthew and Marilla, her friendship with Diana, and her romance with Gilbert.
The Answer Studio’sAnne Shirleyis the most recent anime adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’sAnne of Green Gables. Like the books and previous adaptations, the series stars a redheaded orphan named Anne Shirley who starts a new life after her accidental adoption, and from there follows Anne going through all the ups and downs of life and slowly growing into adulthood.
The 1979Anne of Green Gablesanime is one of the most iconic anime of all time, and the latest adaptation is a worthy successor, asAnne Shirley’s gorgeous artwork and animation, combined with how perfectly the novels are being adapted, make it an incredibly heartfelt character-driven story from start to finish. The original anime was another project the founders of Studio Ghibli worked on before starting the company, and overall, everything great about Studio Ghibli can be felt both there and in the new anime.
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is an animated film set during the late 19th century. It follows Nadia, young inventor Jean Ratlique, and Captain Nemo aboard the submarine Nautilus as they confront the villainous Gargoyle and his organization Neo-Atlantis, whose ambition threatens the fate of the world.
Gainax and Group TAC’sNadia: The Secret of Blue Wateropens with the young inventor Jean Rocque Raltique encountering Nadia, a circus performer being chased by thieves over her crystal necklace, the Blue Water. Jean decides to help Nadia learn the truth of her past and find her home, and the answers to both end up having bigger ramifications on the world than they ever could have imagined.
Nadiawas based on a concept for an anime that Hayao Miyazaki never finalized, and that’s fairly evident in the final product, asNadia: The Secret of Blue Water’s gorgeous steampunk aesthetic and fun character writing make it the exact sort of story Studio Ghibli would try to tell. The series was even directed by Hideaki Anno, who got his start at Studio Ghibli, so overall, it’s an anime that has everything a person could want out of a Studio Ghibli project.
CoMix Wave Films’Your Namestars Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, two strangers who suddenly discover that they swap bodies whenever they fall asleep. Taki and Mitsuha must learn to balance each other’s lives amidst their bizarre circumstances, and as their relationship becomes romantic, the distance between them becomes far from the biggest obstacle they have to overcome.
Your Nameis the film that made Makoto Shinkai go from a cult director to one of the biggest names in anime, and it’s easy to see why, as not only is the animation still gorgeous after almost a decade, butYour Name’s strong sense of character writing gives it a devastatingly emotional narrative with one of the best payoffs a person could ask for from a romance story.Your Namecaptures every emotional aesthetic of a Studio Ghibli film, and it’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard.
In A-1 Pictures’Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, five friends calling themselves the Super Peace Busters were broken up by the sudden death of one of their own, Menma. Five years later, one of those friends, Jinta, suddenly encounters Menma’s ghost, and to help her pass on to the afterlife, the Super Peace Busters have no choice but to confront their various traumas and make peace with each other and themselves.
Not only doesAnohanaboast incredible art and animation, but with its emotional and thoughtful writing,Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Dayhas some of the most heartwrenching and emotionally fulfilling writing of any anime, with its final big scene especially standing out asone of the best scenes in anime. Few anime are as emotionally impactful asAnohana, and its perfect handling of that makes it thebest anime for Studio Ghibli fans, by far.
