Hayo Miyazaki has animation audiences all over the world hyped for his next movie, How Do You Live. Based on the 1937 novel of the same name, the film will join such masterworks as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Kiki's Delivery Service. 

While fans eagerly await his upcoming project, his past projects remain some of the most influential animated features of all time, ranging from war tales inspired by real events to magical dimensions filled with spirits and magical creatures. Miyazaki's mind is one of the most inventive and original out there, and these are his 10 best movies according to Letterboxd, the social media for film lovers.

Porco Rosso (1992) - 3.9/5

Porco Rosso having dinner with friend

Porco Rosso is a surreal story with many typical Miyazaki elements such as curses, strong female characters, pirates, and a good amount of air combats. All that, of course, is seasoned with a hint of humor, fantasy, and magic.

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The main protagonist is Porco Rosso, a fighter ace now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing air pirates across the Adriatic Sea. He used to be called Marco Pagot before being given a curse that changed his head to that of a pig. It's not an ambitious story and addresses similar themes that were conducted in a much more relevant way in other Miyazaki movies, but it's still a fun watch.

Ponyo (2008) - 4.0/5

Studio Ghibli

Ponyo is a young goldfish princess who longs to become human after meeting 5-year-old Sosuke, the son of a sailor. Introducing a well-known tale of saving the world, Ponyo stands out for its unforgettable seaside landscapes and magical attributes. The contrast between humanity and fantasy is developed through the relationship of the two protagonists in a beautiful arc of love and friendship.

Ponyo is funny and sweet and offers some of the most heart-warming quotes in Miyazaki movies. It also established complex mythology for a standalone movie, and fans eagerly hope a sequel could end up being developed.

The Wind Rises (2013) - 4.0/5

Jiro stops his hat from blowing away and smiles in The Wind Rises

Shying away from his typical magical realism and fantastical elements, Miyazaki delivers a beautiful romance drama narrative with The Wind Risestelling the story of Jiro Horikoshi, a real-life engineer who created the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

In this movie, Miyazaki proves that a story doesn't need sorcery and spirits to be magical. While The Wind Rises is grounded in reality, it has every element from his previous works to ensure the story is told through a sweet, dreamy atmosphere. Not to mention the breathtaking sunny landscapes.

Castle in the Sky (1986) - 4.0/5

Sheeta and Pazu in an air combat

 

A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle. If the flying pirates' setting isn't already cool enough, then the giant robot soldiers covered in ivy should do the job.

Related: 10 Ways Miyazaki's Movies Are Feminist Works Of Art

Castle in the Sky has a very linear, straightforward narrative that wouldn't be so special if it weren't for the amazing characters of the movie. Not only is the relationship between the two protagonists beautifully developed, but the villains are also entertaining from beginning to end, delivering a bunch of hilarious moments.

Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) - 4.1/5

Nausicaa flying with her companion on her shoulders

Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind is one of these movies largely unknown to a wider audience, but everyone who does eventually becomes a fan. It's Miyazaki's take on a post-apocalyptic world, far from the cute, charming landscapes his fans are used to seeing in his movies.

After a destructive world war, warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicäa desperately tries to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet. Even in the most hopeless scenarios, Miyazaki manages to deliver a message of hope and the importance of finding something worth fighting for.

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) - 4.1/5

Kiki flies on her broom over the ocean in Kiki's Delivery Service

Kiki's Delivery Service has a bunch of unforgettable characters, and it's far from being the typical coming-of-age witch story. As Kiki sets out for her mandatory year of independent life, she tries her best to fit into her new community and run an air courier service, in a quest of becoming a responsible witch.

Miyazaki delivers a beautiful story of the search for freedom. It makes viewers want to step out of their houses and have a good look at what's around them for once.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - 4.2/5

Totoro walks in a field with two girls and carries an umbrella in My Neighbor Totoro.

My Neighbor Totoro is the kind of movie fans find so visually amusing they could watch it on mute. After moving to the country to be closer to their hospitalized mother, two sisters discover the surrounding forest is inhabited by magical spirits. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

Easily one of the cutest stories about childhood, My Neighbor Totoro offers a set of innocent, sweet characters on a quest for self-discovery. In this world, fantasy and reality walk with hands held tight, and growing up never looked so magically charming.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - 4.3/5

Turnip-Head and Sophie in Howls Moving Castle

 

Howl's Moving Castle offers the most iconic looks and craziest visuals from Miyazaki's movies, and the moving castle itself should take the credit as one incredibly designed aspect of the film. With contrasting colors as the movie addresses total darkness and bright sunny days, the movie is simply a visual delight from start to finish.

Related: 10 Scenes From Howl's Moving Castle Book That Were Impossible To Adapt To The Movie

When a shy young woman is cursed with an old body by a cruel witch, her only chance of breaking the spell rests with a peculiar wizard and the strange companions that inhabit his legged, moving castle.

Princess Mononoke (1997) - 4.3/5

Ashitaka and San riding on animals in Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke might be Miyazaki's most ambitious project to date, with sturdy worldbuilding and intertwined narratives that culminate in an incredible tale of nature, friendship, and trust. On a journey to find a cure for the curse of a demonized boar god, Ashitake finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. That's when he meets San, the Mononoke Hime, and their bond might change the course of the conflict completely.

Princess Mononoke is a magnificent standalone fantasy movie, with incredible mythological aspects from the Japanese culture and represents the importance of preserving the nature around us.

Spirited Away (2001) - 4.3/5

Spirited Away

Winner of the best-animated feature at the Oscars, Spirited Away is Miyazaki's biggest crowd-pleaser. Enchanting younger and older audiences just as much, the movie follows little Chihiro as she becomes trapped in a mysterious world inhabited by spirits and gods, in an attempt to free her family from a bizarre curse.

Spirited Away is a movie that gets comfortable in its absurdity and beautifully conducts such an imaginative narrative in a very delicate way. Not only are the visuals fantastic, but the movie also introduces plenty of unforgettable, unique characters, delivering a sweet message about childhood and innocence.

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