Every Studio Ghibli Movie Ranked Worst To Best
Almost 40 years of animated heaven.
Officially forming in 1985 following the success of breakaway hit Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Studio Ghibli was the brainchild of animation veterans Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, three genuine masters of storytelling and imagination who would use their gifts to create an empire.
Since its inception, Studio Ghibli has produced 24 feature films, all of which have been uniquely characterised by their vivid 2D animation, watercolour flourishes, and recurring themes of humanism, war, youth, family, environmentalism, and hope.
Typically geared toward a younger audience, save a few standout dramas, Ghibli didn't find mainstream success in the west until the early 2000s, after which they've become one of the greatest and most popular animation studios on the planet, and effortlessly the most artistic and universal.
With the recent release of Earwig and the Witch, and the exciting announcement that Miyazaki is working on a new epic called How Do You Live?, now is the perfect time to remember the consistent highs and rare lows of what Studio Ghibli has produced over the years, by ranking all 24 movies worst to best...
24. Earwig and the Witch
Since its founding, Ghibli has thrived as the world's leading 2D animation studio, preferring hand-drawn art to the less personal use of CG. After all, Miyazaki himself once infamously referred to CG animation as "an insult to life itself."
In 2020, though, the studio relented, and Earwig and the Witch became their first 3D endeavour. Following a young orphan who falls into a world of spells and magic, it's the only film in Ghibli's back catalogue that can be considered a total misfire.
Between its narratively thin story and sloppy characterisation, Earwig and the Witch fails to bring any of its themes to life in a compelling, authentic way.
That being said, the main issue here is the animation, which feels ugly, cheap, and almost plastic. It's tragic to see Ghibli stumble this badly, and it's honestly such a mess one wonders why it was allowed to happen.