10 Studio Ghibli Films Everyone Should See

10. Only Yesterday (1991)

Only Yesterday is an adult drama that follows city woman Taeko as she decides to escape city life and visit her family in the Japanese countryside. The trip ignites long forgotten childhood memories - Total Recall style - which are interspersed throughout in the form of flashbacks. Isao Takahata's second film for Studio Ghibli was a landmark movie that proved animation doesn't have to be simplistic or aimed exclusively at children. The focus on a female protagonist was unusual at the time for animation, but the film proved popular with both genders at the box office, making Only Yesterday one of the biggest hits of the year in Japan.

Why You Should Watch It: Sure, the plot may sound as riveting as Kristen Stewart reciting Shakespeare, but Only Yesterday is a nostalgic, heart-warming drama that explores universal issues of love and loss, all while gently coaxing the viewer into remembering pivotal moments from their own childhood.

Contributor
Contributor

David is a primary school teacher who tries his best to turn every math lesson into a discussion on the latest Pixar film. Passions include superheroes, zombies and Studio Ghibli. In between going to the cinema, moving to South Korea and eating his body weight in KFC, David writes for a number of movie sites, http://becarefulyourhand.blogspot.co.uk/