This article at Rotten Tomatoes will be of interest to Studio Ghibli fans:
The Best of Studio Ghibli
Agreed! Kiki for me, followed by Ponyo. I found Ponyo to be particularly touching after the tsunami - gosh, they captured so well the relationship between those seaside towns and the sea.
No one mentioned Night on the Celestial Railway. I like the cats with Italian names. The Galectic Railway is quite beautiful also, but I prefered the simpler story.
A Google search for “night on the celestial railway” (with quotes) only brings up this thread… are you thinking of something else? It doesn’t ring a bell as a Ghibli thing.
Night on the Galactic Railroad or Night on the Galactic Express. I don’t think Studio Ghibli made it, but it’s a hauntingly beautiful movie – notable for use of Esperanto in its titles – the Esperanto name of the movie is Nokto de la Galaksia Fervojo.
Me: So where are you going tonight?
Thing One: To see “The Secret World of Arriety.” The latest by Hayao Miyazaki.
Me: The same guy who did…
Thing One: “Princess Mononoke”
Me: …and “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
Thing One: And “Spirited Away.” I know you liked that one.
Would I have remembered seeing any of those if it weren’t for this thread? Well, with some help, maybe. But the same director? Not a chance.
Miyazaki didn’t direct Secret World of Arreity. His most recent movie was Ponyo.
He was heavily involved in the production of it though.
See, this is why I need you people to help me pretend to be a Cool Dad. Because I, truth be known, don’t know and don’t care, but it is to my advantage (as in “following dinner conversations”) that I pretend that I do.
::checks calendar:: At 59, I’m apparently still a little kid. I love Totoro with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns. 
Spirited Away. I first saw it when I was in a bitter bout of depression, and walked out feeling like a little kid again, walking on clouds. Truly wonderful movie, in the original sense of the word. I like all of Miyazaki’s movies, but that one has a special place in my heart.
*Pom Poko *also deserves special mention, because how often do you get to see raccoons using their scrotums as parachutes ?
Me too, believe me. Little Mahlothette and I have sat and watched it more than once.
I’m sorry to see that Ponyo is performing so poorly, especially that it’s so far behind Howl’s Moving Castle which was so nonsensical it made me mad. I think Ponyo has a lot of the golden childhood overtones that make Totoro so wonderful.
But then, those three are the only three I’ve seen.
I agree with your post (except the part about only seeing 3). Howl was incredibly off-putting, the only one I considered stopping partway through it was so stupid.
I only voted for my top 2.
If I could change my vote I would vote for Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, and Ponyo. Every one of those I have seen multiple times and they are all wonderful.
Of the rest, Tales From Earthsea is a bad movie. Arriety is “merely” a good movie. Pom Poko and Howl’s Moving Castle didn’t quite work for me, though they may be great for others. Haven’t seen My Neighbors the Yamadas.
I liked Howl’s Moving Castle well enough, but I had read the book years before I saw the movie and I felt that it didn’t capture a lot of the brashness of the characters. I had also looked forward to seeing how the movie would treat some aspects of the book that ended up not being in the movie.
My Neighbor Totoro is amazingly beautiful in its simplicity.
Let’s add The Secret World of Arietty to the list. It was fantastic.
Just saw this poll, and voted for Castle in the Sky. Saw it in college and it just blew me away. I’ve seen a bunch of the others since then, but this remains my favorite.