10 Studio Ghibli Films Everyone Should See

9. Whisper Of The Heart (1995)

Whisper of the Heart is a touching coming of age story about a schoolgirl who falls in love with a boy who makes violins. Yes, that is actually a thing apparently. Yoshifumi Kondo debuted as a director with this beautiful movie but sadly, he died shortly after it was completed.

I know you may be thinking that the plot sounds sappy but in reality, Miyazaki's screenplay is far more than just a typical teen romance. The film was another huge success for the studio and it's still the only Ghibli film to date that has its own spin-off film. It's called The Cat Returns and yes, it does feature a cat who at some point does return.

Why You Should Watch It: As the first Ghibli film to be directed by someone other than Miyazaki or Takahata, Whisper of the Heart showed huge promise which was sadly never realised after Kondo's untimely death. Extraordinary fantasy dream-sequences impress but the majority of the film is set in the real world, and this is where it's sweet and compassionate tone is brought to the fore. Make sure to check out Whisper of the Heart, even if it's just to sound pretentious to amateur fans who have only seen Spirited Away.