Every Studio Ghibli Movie Ranked Worst To Best
9. Castle In The Sky (1986)
In what is technically Studio Ghibli's first film, two friends set out to discover a magical floating city. What follows is an adventure that flows through many of the studio's defining features.
From its towering score to its inspiring elements of companionship, Castle in the Sky finds Miyazaki already at his peak, infusing a simple story of conflict and treasure with a rich sense of wonder many filmmakers can only dream of achieving.
Taking inspiration from Jules Verne, the fantasy flick acts as perfect distillation of what makes Ghibli and its storytellers tick, bringing a small, character-driven tale to life by making it feel important and bigger than what it says on the tin.
From here, Ghibli would go even bigger and brim with more confidence, but it would rarely be this adventurous and delightful again.