# Best Miyazaki Film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183 "2010-08-23T17:45:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/1 "2010-08-23T17:45:25Z")
I’m including what I believe to be his full feature films. Let me know if I am missing something that is not a television series. Only things he has directed are included, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/2 "2010-08-23T17:49:20Z")
I voted **Spirited Away** , mainly because I think it is the best animated movie of all time. However, I do love My Neighbor Totoro. It has a special place in my heart. I think for little kids, it’s just the perfect movie(though I still love it). His worst movie? Porco Rosso Sadly, that is his next movie, he announced yesterday. He’s making a sequel to Porco Rosso. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/3 "2010-08-23T17:51:14Z")
I think a complete list of the films that Hayao Miyazaki has directed is: # The Castle of Cagliostro, 1979 # Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984 # Castle in the Sky (also called Laputa), 1986 # My Neighbor Totoro, 1988 # Kiki’s Delivery Service, 1989 # Porco Rosso, 1992 # Princess Mononoke, 1997 # Spirited Away, 2001 # Howl’s Moving Castle, 2004 # Ponyo, 2008 It’s hard to pick the best – perhaps Spirited Away. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/4 "2010-08-23T17:51:46Z")
Although I intellectually realize that _Princess Mononoke_ is the better movie, I love _Howl’s Moving Castle_ and have seen it again and again. I agree that\* Porco Rosso \*is the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/5 "2010-08-23T17:58:14Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > I think a complete list of the films that Hayao Miyazaki has directed is: … That list was input before the poll was completed – fortunately, it matches! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/6 "2010-08-23T18:10:38Z")
I actually like his earlier work better than his more recent films (except for _Nausicaa_, which is slow and preachy). I rated \*Totoro \*as #1, but I’d put \*Laputa \*a close second. Interestingly, my favorite Studio Ghibli films aren’t Miyazaki’s. I’d put both _Whisper of the Heart_ and _Pom Poko_ ahead of any of the films in the poll. The scene at the end of _Pom Poko_ where the tenuki show the humans what they’ve lost by destroying Tama Hills always brings tears to my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/7 "2010-08-23T18:15:11Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > His worst movie? > > Porco Rosso > > Sadly, that is his next movie, he announced yesterday. He’s making a sequel to Porco Rosso. > > ☹ Pistols at dawn! Porco Rosso was my favorite, although Ponyo is very close. Spirited Away was good, but I thought it lost a little by being so very fantastical. I think Studio Ghibli in general does best when things are slightly magical, but set in the real(ish) world. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/8 "2010-08-23T18:22:13Z")
I voted for _Spirited Away_. It captures the essence of magic and growing up perfectly. I consider it Miyazaki’s masterpiece–all his other works are practice for this one. 😃 _Princess Mononoke_ is a close second. I recommend it to people who think anime is only shallow kids stuff. It’s great for as starting material for a lot of good philosophical discussions. There aren’t any Miyazaki movies I don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/9 "2010-08-23T18:24:56Z")
> [@TheMerchandise](#): > > Although I intellectually realize that _Princess Mononoke_ is the better movie, I love _Howl’s Moving Castle_ and have seen it again and again. I think Howl’s was rather overlooked. It really is an excellent movie. I’d rate it as one of his better movies, too. > [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Interestingly, my favorite Studio Ghibli films aren’t Miyazaki’s. I’d put both _Whisper of the Heart_ and _Pom Poko_ ahead of any of the films in the poll. The scene at the end of _Pom Poko_ where the tenuki show the humans what they’ve lost by destroying Tama Hills always brings tears to my eyes. I thought about making a Ghibli poll, but stuck with Miyazaki. I just finished Whisper of of the Heart for the 2nd time just now and it really is a great movie. Written by Miyazaki, I think. The Cat Returns is cute, too. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/10 "2010-08-23T18:28:46Z")
_Spirited Away_ for me, _Kiki’s Delivery Service_ close behind, \*Mononoke \*even closer behind that and \*Totoro \*kinda rear-ending that, with the rest piling up behind \*Totoro \*in an inseparable group. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/11 "2010-08-23T18:36:05Z")
My favourite is _My Neighbour Totoro_. It’s got a real charm and innocence to it that makes me feel like a little kid every time I watch it. I also love _Spirited Away_, probably more for the visuals than the story. The worst in my opinion is _Naushika of the Valley of the Wind_. I still haven’t managed to watch that one all the way through, I just don’t find it interesting. I also find _Princess Mononoke_ pretty boring, although can I appreciate that it is a very well-made film. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/12 "2010-08-23T18:43:40Z")
Man, it’s far and away Princess Mononoke. The grandest, most epic movie ever. A cartoon that includes moral and political issues, in a nuanced and mature way. The building power of love, the inherent destructiveness of hate, the good and bad sides of tradition and innovation, nature vs culture, huge majestic creatures, beautiful animation. I think this poll is probably biased, since a lot of western people have seen Spirited away, but few people have seen all of the movies. Castle of Cagliostro is the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/13 "2010-08-23T18:50:16Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I think this poll is probably biased, since a lot of western people have seen Spirited away, but few people have seen all of the movies. That’s a good point, but I think Dopers will have seen more than you think. I, at least, have seen every movie in this poll. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/14 "2010-08-23T18:54:59Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I, at least, have seen every movie in this poll. I’ve seen all except Castle of Cagliostro, and all of those multiple times except for Ponyo (which I first saw yesterday). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/15 "2010-08-23T18:59:06Z")
Huh. I’m surprised that Nausicaa gets the short end of the stick here. I rather liked it. My least favourite was probably Porco Rosso (although I haven’t seen Castle in the Sky or Ponyo). ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/16 "2010-08-23T19:01:57Z")
It was a tough call between _Spirited Away_ and _Howl’s Moving Castle_, but I finally went with the former. I actually enjoy rewatching _Howl’s_ more, I think, but consider _Spirited_ the better movie, if that makes sense. The title still annoys me, but I guess a direct translation seemed too unwieldy for the English-speaking market, and I believe it was consistently mis-translated as well. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/17 "2010-08-23T20:07:52Z")
I’ve only seen _Princess Mononoke_ and _Spirited Away_, which are generally considered (from what I’ve heard) to be his two best. Of those, I thought that _Spirited Away_ was certainly good, but _Mononoke_ was far better. It had a much more mythic feel to it, and I appreciated the fact that it wasn’t neatly resolved in the end. Plus, too, the fact that the two main warring factions are both basically good, and still can’t easily resolve their differences. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/18 "2010-08-23T20:24:10Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I think this poll is probably biased, since a lot of western people have seen Spirited away, but few people have seen all of the movies. On the Dope? I think more people have seen them on here. I’ve seen them all, multiple times(except Castle of Castiligo, which I’ve seen once). ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/19 "2010-08-23T20:44:12Z")
_Spirited Away_ is my favorite as a work of art and cinema. _Porco Rosso_ is my favorite as just something fun to watch. _Pom Poko_ is my favorite non-Miyazaki Ghibli film because it involves characters singing about their giant magical testicles. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183/20 "2010-08-23T23:16:56Z")
Best: Kiki’s Delivery Service …This one had the perfect blend of fantasy, historical charm, obligatory steampunk fetish, character, and romance and comedy. Worst: Castle in the Sky …Visually good, but no memorable characters and a stale plot. Disclaimer: I’ve seen all of the movies except Castle of Cagliostro, and also rate Porco Rosso in the top 3 or 4. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-miyazaki-film/551183.md?page=2)