With decades of nostalgic movies that a lot of us remember from our childhood and even all-time favorites, Studio Ghibli films have a homey feel. June 15 marks the studio’s 40th anniversary. 

I’ve always loved their films. From the unique art style to incredible storytelling, I’m obsessed. A few movies hold a special place in my heart for many different reasons. These are my top three favorites of all time.

Honorable mention: Ponyo

2008, G

Ponyo was the first movie I ever saw. I watched it at the McMenamins Kennedy School theater when I was around three. It immediately became a staple movie in my childhood because of how much I was obsessed with the animation style, and I constantly rewatched it whenever I could. 

The art style specifically in this film is so warm and soft, especially the way water is animated. The story is also so incredibly sweet. It’s about a goldfish who gets separated from her family and swept to shore before being saved by five-year-old Sosuke. He names her Ponyo and promises to take care of her. From that moment, Ponyo wished to be a human girl to be with Sosuke. 

It’s such a wholesome film that I could never rewatch too many times. As I’ve grown up and explored other Studio Ghibli films, Ponyo has fallen down the ranks of my favorites, just because there are others I enjoyed more, but it has had such a big impact on me, it felt wrong not to include it. 

Howl’s Moving Castle

2004, PG

This film was the first movie I watched from Studio Ghibli that stuck with me as a teenager. It was the first movie that I was old enough to actually grasp the concept of. It’s such a bittersweet story, and it can be somewhat emotional at times. 

Howl’s Moving Castle follows the story of Sophie, a young girl who is turned into an old woman by a witch. Sophie wanders upon Howl’s moving castle, where she meets Howl as they attempt to break the curse. She slowly falls in love with him. Howl helps Sophie break the curse, and Sophie helps Howl get his humanity back. The addition of the small side characters like Calcifer, Howl’s fire demon and his walking scarecrow are also really cute. 

This is probably one of the sweetest films I’ve seen. If you enjoy any love story, this is the perfect movie for you.

Spirited Away

2004, PG

This movie is a hard contender for my favorite Studio Ghibli film because of how detailed it is. There’s so many small things to notice in each scene, and each time I watch I notice something different. 

Each night, an abandoned building turns into an active bathhouse for the spirits. Tons of different workers help to clean and treat the customers. From the different types of spirits that roam the bathhouse to the people who work there. Each person seems to have such different personalities. The variety of characters is probably one of my favorite things about this movie. I especially like the radish spirit; he’s the cutest. 

Spirited Away is a perfect film for a movie night or even just a comfort film to rewatch when feeling down. The cute spirits that wander the house make me smile so hard. Some of them are so goofy looking; they always raise my spirits.

My Neighbor Totoro

1988, G

I genuinely can’t express how much I adore this movie. Out of every Studio Ghibli film I’ve seen, this one has made me the happiest because it makes me want to be a little kid again. I get such a warm feeling after even just looking at Totoro, a big squishy forest spirit. 

Two sisters stumble upon Totoro after moving into their new home by a forest. He takes them on adventures on the cat-bus and takes them to the hospital to visit their ill mother. The specific aspect of this movie that I really adore is how Totoro is drawn and animated. They make him so fluffy and round; I love it so incredibly much.

Overall, this is my number one comfort film, no matter what, I’m always in the mood to watch My Neighbor Totoro. I desperately wish Totoro was real and that he lived by my house. I want to dance around with him and fly on his spinning top. I want to ride on the cat-bus. 

Overall, Studio Ghibli has some incredible movies. From the nostalgia from my childhood to the movie nights with my family, these films will always have a special place in my heart. There are so many more Studio Ghibli movies that I didn’t list here that I really love, picking favorites within this style is so difficult. 

If you are like me and love Studio Ghibli, you should check out OMSI’s annual Studio Ghibli Film Festival! It’s happening from Jan. 10 – Feb. 9, showing all of your favorite films.