Say animation and children movies- enters Disney.
While no other production house may take Disney's place for what it's been since ever,  and while I enjoy watching amazing Disney movies and cartoons, I somehow feel that in India the right kind of animated kids movies are underrated. Movies, which are for kids yet deliver a strong message or a thought, aren't complex and teach some insightful lessons making a child's imagination sore high. To cover that all, comes Studio Ghibli for you.

One of the favorite bits of my precious childhood memories is growing up watching the movies by Studio Ghibli that I'd proclaim with rejoice. The movies so surreal, that each of them left me speechless with their compelling story-lines and the cuteness of every character. Simple plots crafted with perfection with little details that'd leave you with a smile on the lips and bewildering about how could it be so perfect. You would find every movie to be the best of all, until you see the next one.

To all those who don't know about Studio Ghibli, I must say, you know nothing about the great anime movies. Studio Ghibli is an animation film studio from Tokyo, Japan. It is famously known for its anime feature films, but like I mentioned that I doubt people in India know much about it. Each story is based on a fantasy or driven by a real life event with a hint of progressive thinking and some elements that'd make you think and wonder. The silent moments speak volume. The emotions calm your senses. All the plots, incidents, events woven carefully to give a pleasant experience. I call them the movies with soul.
I did try searching if people have written about this amazing production house in India already, but couldn't find much that'd justify the greatness of such amazing production house. Hence in this blog, I am putting down some of the best movies out of all by Studio Ghibli to make you feel what you've been missing in life.

1- Grave of the Fireflies- An animated war drama (1988)

This is one of the finest movies and the very first movie which made me realize that animated movies could be full of drama & seriousness rather than just being funny. It tells a story of two siblings and their hardship to survive through the period of World War II, in the city of Kobe in Japan. Their innocence, struggle, dismay, you'd feel all of it throughout the movie and your heart will reach out to the little girl, the younger sibling, satsuko. Truly one of the greatest movies set on the background of world war II with heart-wrenching emotions.

2- The Secret world of Arrietty- An animated Fantasy Movie (2010)
 
A family of super small people who take food from the houses of Humans and call it borrowing while the Humans aren't aware of the secret world of these tiny people who live right under their houses. The movie features Arrietty, one of the tiny wonders who while borrowing a sugar cube from a house, caught seen by a human, a nice boy. The boy eventually helps her and her family escape from the fellow human beings trap.

3- Ponyo- An animated Fantasy Movie (2008)

Ponyo is a story of the friendship between a little boy and a tiny pretty goldfish, and his struggle to safeguard his little fish friend. Sounds cute enough already, eh? Wait-for-it. The goldfish grows legs and convert into a pretty little girl. And then the duo embarks on an adventurous journey on their magically enlarged toy boat.
You should watch!

4- My Neighbor Totoro- An animated Fantasy Movie (1998)
 
Okay. This I'm sure people would know about. Because of the popular merchandises inspired by the movie character Totoro that gradually became a cultural icon. It features the story of two young sisters and their imaginary friend Totoro. Imaginary or not? you should watch it yourself. One of the super beautiful and cutest movies ever.
Fact- people do have theories that the movie resembles a real life event.

5- Only Yesterday- An animated Fantasy Movie (1991)
 
A story narrated by a young lady of her precious childhood & sweet memories and how she ends up choosing a countryside life over her luxurious city life. This would surely hit hard on your nostalgia button as the movie not just targets the younger audience but slightly larger audience including adults.


6- Kiki's Delivery Service- An animated Fantasy Movie (1989)

A story about a girl, kiki, who delivers parcels from town to town on her magic broomstick and that's how she earns her livelihood. Oh, and she has a cute talking cat. Awesome enough that the movie was produced in collaboration with Disney.

7- From Up on Poppy Hill- An animated Fantasy Movie (2011)

A teenage boy and girl trying to make their own place in school, become friends, and take up the deed which is, saving their school from being demolished by cleaning up the school's club house and make it worth to be retained.

8- Whisper of the Heart- An animated romantic drama Movie (1995)

A boy. A girl. One cycle. Fate. Ambitions.

An unusual well-crafted love story of teenagers. #NuffSaid

9- Castle in the Sky- An animated fantasy movie (1986)

An adventurous story of a boy and girl secretly trying to create some kind of magic crystal, and while doing so, also locating a mythical castle. A castle that floats and is hidden somewhere in the sky.

10- Spirited Away- An animated Fantasy Movie (2001)
 
Recognize the spirit's face? It's all over in the market or may be you've seen it in a couple of videos representing the look of the ghosts and spirits. Anyways, the movie features a story of a 10 year old who loses her parents in the middle of nowhere in a jungle and how she finds them by going through some really unusual creepy situations.
Whoa, she is brave, I thought while watching it.

11- When Marnie was there- An animated Fantasy Movie (2014)

This is a ghastly one. The movie features a life changing trip of an adopted girl, Anna, who meets and befriends a lone girl Marnie who's been living in a vacated mansion right across the river which people believe is haunted. Soon enough they become really good friends and with the help of Marnie, Anne unfolds the truth about her family.

12- Howl's Moving Castle-An animated Fantasy Movie (2004)
 
That is an interesting movie all the boys would like. It has fantasy, technology, war, magic everything rolled into one movie. It promotes the message of antiwar, the importance of freedom and the destructive effects of war in the society and its people.

That's all guys! There are many more movies by Studio Ghibli, but these all tops the chart for me. You know, most of the movies have one thing in common. That is, having a cat. You'll see for yourself. I hope you'd like watching most of the movies and share with me how you find. OR if you have seen them already, which one you like the most? Do share here with me :)