Hayao Miyazaki films: my ranking
My ranking of the films written by Miyazaki (most are also directed by him, but there's a couple for which he only has writing credits and still worth including). They're all great so they aren't far apart but still worth ranking!
List activity
20 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
12 titles
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHideaki AnnoHidetoshi NishijimaMiori TakimotoJiro Horikoshi studies assiduously to fulfill his aim of becoming an aeronautical engineer. As WWII begins, fighter aircraft designed by him end up getting used by the Japanese Empire against its foes.My favourite. Beautiful, human, down to earth and dreamy at the same time, really moving.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHitoshi TakagiNoriko HidakaChika SakamotoWhen two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.Iconic. It is magical and yet so relatable. The bus stop scene is simply haunting.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsMayumi TanakaKeiko YokozawaKotoe HatsuiA young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.This is my favourite among the more epic/adventurous ones. I LOVE the characters, I love the setting & mythology of Laputa, everything is beautifully executed.
- DirectorGorô MiyazakiStarsSarah BolgerChris NothAnton YelchinA group of Yokohama teens look to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.Miyazaki senior should be proud of Miyazaki junior: this is a wonderful film. It masterfully overcomes the one potential weakness, which is the plot twist in the middle of the film, by not taking itself too seriously.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsKirsten DunstMinami TakayamaRei SakumaA young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.Super sweet while empowering at the same time.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.What a great story! Such a nice take on the human vs nature theme.
- DirectorYoshifumi KondôStarsYoko HonnaIssei TakahashiTakashi TachibanaA love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.Such a sweet story of coming-of-age. Miyazaki only has writing credits for this one, but it is definitely worth including.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSumi ShimamotoMahito TsujimuraHisako KyôdaWarrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.The imagery is simply haunting. Like all the other movies, but even more so, each frame could be a painting. It bursts with imagination. The only drawback is the storytelling, which drags on a bit.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsDaveigh ChaseSuzanne PleshetteMiyu IrinoDuring her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.To be honest, I thought it was SUPER weird when I first watched it, but it has since grown on me.
- DirectorHiromasa YonebayashiStarsBridgit MendlerAmy PoehlerWill ArnettThe Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.I love The Borrowers and this is an excellent rendition. It just misses out on the usual levels on Miyazaki's imagination due to having to be faithful to the source material.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsShûichirô MoriyamaTokiko KatôBunshi Katsura VIIn 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot is cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig.I never thought I'd enjoy a story about an pig-faced human so much! It's one of the wittiest on this list.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsChieko BaishôTakuya KimuraTatsuya GashûinWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.I think it's my least favourite. Still a really cool movie with great ideas, but there's just so much competition. The storytelling/pacing has some flaws and I find Howl a bit annoying as a character.