When Marnie Was There, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, has been read through a few different lenses since its 2014 release, with many centering platonic female friendships and/or queer relationships. Theater artist and writer Ben Gierhart and Tristan tackle these nuanced themes and generally praise this downtempo and somewhat unconventional Studio Ghibli film.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is Isao Takahata’s final directorial effort. So it comes with a bit of resonance as the conclusion to the career of a great filmmaker, and Tristan and Ethan Simmie, host of the The Movie Draft Podcast, explore the many emotions and themes of the expansive film, released just months after The Wind Rises in 2013.

For quite a while, it seemed like 2013’s The Wind Rises would be Hayao Miyazaki’s final film. While that ended up not being true, there is a sense of something ending with this complex movie, and Tristan and Gabe Gurwin, SEO Editor at GameSpot, discuss that and much more.

From Up on Poppy Hill has settled into a place of recognition as not just Goro Miyazaki’s best film, but also an underrated slice of life period drama. Tristan and Yuki Irikura, Assistant Professor at Waseda University, talk about its finer points and dive into the historical context of its 1960s milieu and 2011 production and release.

Catherine Butler, Professor of English Literature at Cardiff University, wrote quite a bit about The Secret World of Arrietty (as it is known in the US, at least) and its relation to, and deviations from, its source material in her book British Children's Literature in Japanese Culture: Wonderlands and Looking-glasses. While Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s 2010 directorial debut may live in the shadow of the more renowned Studio Ghibli fantasies, its spectacular and clever rendering of scale and themes of change are certainly still entertaining and moving.

Hayao Miyazaki’s 2008 film Ponyo feels like the end of an era for Studio Ghibli, as it stands (as of now) as the director’s final movie to present a rosy fantasy realm cultivated for children. But as Tristan and Seth S. Scott, video game developer as Perfect Hat, discuss, it still carries deep themes and beautiful moments that make the film resonant (and fun) for everyone.

Goro Miyazaki’s debut feature, 2006’s Tales from Earthsea, was bound to be compared to his father’s work. Unfortunately, within the scope of the complete Studio Ghibli catalog, this is done so unfavorably. But as Tristan and David Lewis, host of the Cinemallenials podcast, discuss, there are plenty of things to like about the fantasy film.

Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle is yet another example of the director’s, and Studio Ghibli’s, massive hits with ongoing cultural impact. So Tristan and Brendon Bouphachay (@theboopbear on TikTok) fittingly explore the movie from many angles, reflecting on its incredible nuance and sheer entertainment value.

The Cat Returns is Studio Ghibli’s only feature sequel, although as Tristan and Mihaela Mihailova, Assistant Professor at San Francisco State University, discuss, its connection to 1995’s Whisper of the Heart isn’t its defining feature. But Hiroyuki Morita’s 2002 follow-up can’t help living in the shadow of the monumental Ghibli films that surround it and the two acknowledge this while evaluating its more lackluster moments.

Well, here we are: Tristan’s favorite Studio Ghibli film. Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 masterpiece Spirited Away broke the studio into unprecedented international fame and repute, and Tristan and Shiro Yoshioka, Lecturer at Newcastle University, go long on its richness and impact.