Revisiting the world of Master Animator Miyazaki Hayao

Master Animator Miyazaki Hayao

A cat bus. A moving castle. A princess raised by a wolf-god. None other than Studio Ghibli. None other than Miyazaki Hayao.

What I actually love about Studio Ghibli films is how they scare me and make me fall in love at the same time. With various themes each movie uniquely portrays, from love, friendship, death, importance of nature, dreams and memories, Miyazaki-sama, the master animator and director in Japan, was able to create an entirely  new world in the industry that not only imparted these heart-warming lessons for the eager young minds around the world, but also showcased a unique and creative trademark in animation that would always make us think twice whether we're really watching an animated film or a real-life one: that is, his realistic portrayal of the movies through water color painting.

ハウルの動く城

となりのトトロ

Studio Ghibli, spearheaded by the well-recognized animation creator Miyazaki Hayao, is a Japanese animation studio that has led us to the breath-taking realms of the castle in the sky, the hiding place of the cute Totoro and the jaw-dropping bath house run by spirits. Somehow it's not the usual places we imagine and want to go to when we're still kids, but such sceneries and the characters in each movie that somehow are always led by women or brave 10-year-old girls have stories that we can relate to in real life, more than love stories and happily-ever-afters that will only make us disappointed as we grow up.

These are some of the Studio Ghibli films:

1. Laputa: Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ)

A legend, a dream and an unbreakable friendship and love revolve around the story, where young boy Pazu embark on a journey to rescue and protect a mysterious young girl-princess named Sheeta from pirates and government secret agents because she possesses a powerful chrystal that could lead them to the legendary Laputa, a paradise rich in both nature and gold.

2. Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城)

A love story and a battle between good and evil--this outstanding movie places an 18-year-old lass in the abandoned and sinister territory of witches and wizards, where she meets and the notorious and handsome wizard Howl, and where she helps him break the spell he is under while, as a challenge, she is also under one.

3. Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便)

Adapted from a Japanese children's book, the movie revolves around the wonderful journey of a young witch named Kiki as she heads to the big city to find her fortune, make new friends, inspire people and do good, and learn some new things and realities too.

4. Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫)

A story where there is no villain, Princess Mononoke is one of Mr. Miyazaki's best movies ever, where he said he "will not make any movies again in this way". Young warrior Ashitaka, cursed by a boar-god/demon set off to the forests of the west to be cured, but only to find out about the terrible feud between Iron Town and the gods of the forest led by a young woman named Mononoke. It  leads to an impossible love story and the quest to achieve peace between the two parties.

5. My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ)

A magical hiding place, a cute forest-god and a cat bus: as sisters Satsuki and Mei move together with their father in a rather timeworn house in the countryside, they encounter small and huge furry creatures of the forest that help them cope up with the new place and teach them how to love the forest.

6. Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ)

A love story for the kids, Ponyo portrays an exquisite relationship of a young boy named Sosuke and a beautiful goldfish whom he named Ponyo after he found it by the shore. Upon using magic to become human, Ponyo quickly falls in love with the sweet boy but such is forbidden for it can cause disastrous imbalance to the world. The journey begins when both fight for their innocent love story and friendship and must pass a test to restore the world in order again.

7. Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し)

A world like you've never imagined before.

New place. New school. New friends. Chihiro doesn't seem to like the idea of moving and is further frightened to death when she and her parents made a wrong turn to a tunnel that led them to the world of the spirits. Further making mistakes, her parents are turned into pigs and Chihiro must find a way to bring them back with the help of a mysterious young man named Haku, and to actually help him in return.

8. Whisper of the Heart ((耳をすませば)

Writing a love story and watching your own love story unfold. Visiting the library, reading books and translating songs-- that's the Shizuku you would see everyday. Somehow her story takes an interesting turn when a new kid in school named Seiji mocks her songs, a stubborn cat leads her to a magical antique shop, and everything that followed paints a love story for her.

9. Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓 )
World War II. Bombs. Air raids. What would you do if everyone you love, died one by one?
A story not only about war in the eyes of the innocent, but also about lost souls, Grave of the Fireflies is a tragic insightful movie about Seita and her sister Setsuko and how they tried to survive the war without a home, without money and without parents.

10. The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしの ｱﾘｴｯﾃｲ)
Studio Ghibli's latest movie tells about a unique story of a young sickly boy named Sho and a tiny girl-borrower Arrietty, how they forged a forbidden friendship and proved "no friendship is too small".