Studio Ghibli Afternoons

A young witch starts a flying broomstick delivery service with her cat in a seaside city, navigating loneliness and finding her life’s purpose. Celebrated for its emotional realism and themes of independence, the film helped solidify Studio Ghibli’s global influence and redefine the coming of age animated film.

Film classification: G. 

In the sunlit Adriatic in 1929, a former World War I pilot cursed with a pig’s head works as a bounty hunter, defending ships against air pirates. After his plane is damaged, he befriends spirited young engineer Fio who helps him rebuild it. Porco develops a rivalry with an American air pirate, who challenges Porco for his love interest, Gina. Beneath the film’s charm, its gentle reflections on courage and kindness enrich a deceptively simple adventure.

Film classification: PG – Low level violence. 

Taeko’s countryside trip sparks vivid memories of her childhood, prompting reflection on identity and unrealised dreams. Its realistic portrayal of adult introspection and female subjectivity broadened animation’s thematic reach. Celebrated for emotional subtlety, it proved animation could depict intimate, lived experience with equal – or greater – depth than live action.

Film classification: PG – Mature themes. 

Based on a 10th century Japanese literary tale, a bamboo cutter finds a tiny girl growing inside a bamboo stalk, and raises her together with his wife as their own child. Convinced of her noble blood, the bamboo cutter takes her to the city, although the girl longs for the freedom of her rural childhood. Her story reflects impermanence, identity, and resistance to social expectation. Rendered in painterly minimalism, the film stands as a landmark of cultural heritage and artistic innovation in animation.

Film classification: PG – Mild themes, violence and nudity. 

Sisters Satsuki and Mei encounter forest spirits that embody nature’s quiet magic. Their gentle adventures evoke childhood wonder and familial warmth. Totoro’s iconography and environmental themes cemented the film as a cultural touchstone, influencing global perceptions of Japanese animation and becoming Studio Ghibli’s enduring symbol.

Film classification: G. 

Chihiro enters a spirit world to save her transformed parents, working in a bathhouse ruled by a witch. Her trials reveal courage and compassion. A groundbreaking cultural milestone, it reshaped global views of anime through its award winning storytelling, folkloric depth and unprecedented international acclaim.

Film classification: G.