Happy Birthday, Hayao Miyazaki!! My Top 5 Favorite Hayao Miyazaki movies

Hey everyone,

So as I'm sure most of you know yesterday was Hayao Miyazaki's birthday! He just turned 76. I adore his work and the work that he put into Studio Ghibli. In honor of his birthday, here are my top 5 favorite Hayao Miyazaki movies.

1. My Neighbor Totoro



I'm obsessed with My Neighbor Totoro. Not only was it one of the first five Studio Ghibli movies, Totoro, the friendly forest spirit that the main characters interact with became the face of Studio Ghibli. This movie struck a cord in me as a child. My mom had cancer when I was younger and spent a lot of time away getting treatment. While the malady of the girl's mom isn't really known, she is in the hospital the entire movie. Heart-breaking at some points and absolutely exhilarating at others, this movie is amazing. I have a Totoro onesie, Soot Sprite Slippers, and a Totoro mug set. Totoro is me and I am Totoro.

2. Howl's Moving Castle.



This movie is an interpretation of Dianna Wynne Jones's book of the same name (one of my all time favorites). While it has the same characters and same general story line, it is at its heart a retelling and an amazing one. Colorful, full of magic, love and friendship, not to mention some of the best lines, this movie is equally moving, captivating and unique. Not to mention the cast of characters is awesome. If you haven't seen it, go check it out.

3. Princess Mononoke



This was the first Studio Ghibli movie I ever saw. My dad brought it back from Japan as a souvenir from deployment, when I was seven or eight. I was enthralled. I had seen anime before like Slayers, Trigun, Robotech, and Reboot. This was something entirely different. Not only did this movie make me feel awesome to be a girl, it also evoked complex emotions in me. I wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad. It wasn't until much later that I realized how complex the narrative Miyazaki was actually weaving. The story and cast of characters is unique and I highly recommend watching it. There's a special showing in select theaters on the 7th and the 9th!

4. Spirited Away



This movie will always hold a special place in my heart. My sisters and I watched it together repeatedly as children. Noh Face is still one of my all time favorite characters and I loved the character development. It is a coming of age story without any real aging taking place. The main character has to grow up, learn to carve her own way, reach out for help when she needs it, and figure out how to save herself and her parents. AND the soot sprites make a reappearance. :D

5. Kiki's Delivery Service



There are some days I am a lot like Kiki, struggling with the realities of  being an adult, having a job, romance, and having a cat who needs attention all the time. The story is one of overcoming self-doubt to regain the abilities you had all along and this is a lesson I think everyone needs to be reminded of. In fact, I even keep a Jiji plushie on my desk to remind me that everyone goes through problems.

While these are my top five, I love Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki's work. He made an impact on several generations of anime fans and changed the way anime movies were accepted worldwide. While he is retired, he is making one more movie and I couldn't be more excited.