Every Ghibli fan has one film that is theirs. Find out which, and the gift picks itself.
Studio Ghibli is the gift you can give to a ten-year-old and their grandmother on the same morning. Hayao Miyazaki's films are the anime that people who do not watch anime have already seen, which makes them the safest fandom on any list.
But Ghibli fans are specific. Ask which film made them cry and you learn who they are: the dreamer, the romantic, the one who wants to live in the countryside. Here is how to match the gift to the film.
1. Spirited Away (2001)
2001 · Film · Studio Ghibli
A ten-year-old works in a bathhouse for spirits to save her parents, who have been turned into pigs. It won the Oscar and it still feels like a dream.
Chihiro's night in Yubaba's bathhouse gave anime its most famous supporting cast: Haku the river spirit, the soot sprites, the stink spirit, and No-Face, the lonely masked spirit who follows her and tries to win her over with gold.
No-Face is the most loved character from any Ghibli film, and the one people recognise from across a room. For the Spirited Away fan, he is the gift.
2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
1988 · Film · Studio Ghibli
Two sisters move to the countryside and find a forest spirit living in the camphor tree. There is no villain, and no one has ever needed one.
Satsuki and Mei waiting at the bus stop in the rain, and Totoro discovering what an umbrella does, is Ghibli's most famous scene. The Catbus with its glowing eyes is a close second, and Totoro became the studio's logo.
Totoro is the gift for the person you are not sure about. Kids love him, adults love him, people who have never seen the film love him.
3. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
2004 · Film · Studio Ghibli
A hat maker cursed into an old woman moves into a walking castle with a vain wizard and a fire demon. It is Ghibli's great love story.
Sophie, Howl, Calcifer the fire demon and the walking castle itself are the reason this film has the most devoted fans of any Ghibli film online. Joe Hisaishi's waltz, Merry-Go-Round of Life, is the piece people learn on piano.
For the romantic who rewatches it every winter, Calcifer is the charming pick and Howl the swoon pick.
4. Princess Mononoke (1997)
1997 · Film · Studio Ghibli
A cursed prince walks into a war between a mining town and the gods of the forest, and refuses to pick a side.
Ashitaka, San the wolf girl, Lady Eboshi and the Forest Spirit made Princess Mononoke Miyazaki's biggest film and the one that made Western critics take notice. The little white kodama clicking their heads in the trees are the detail every fan loves.
For the fan who is outdoorsy, serious or into darker stories, Mononoke is their film. San and the kodama are the picks.
5. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
1989 · Film · Studio Ghibli
A thirteen-year-old witch leaves home to live alone in a seaside city for a year, with only her broom and a sarcastic black cat.
Kiki starts a delivery business from a bakery, loses her magic when she loses her confidence, and finds both again. It is Miyazaki's film about growing up and burning out, and Jiji the cat is its star.
It is the perfect gift for someone who moved out this year: first apartment, first job, first winter away. Jiji is the pick.
A Ghibli gift pairs perfectly with a movie night: wrap it with the film it comes from and the evening is planned.
Order by December 18 and free Standard shipping (7 to 10 days, tracked) gets it there for Christmas; Priority Express runs until December 22.
More gift ideas: Anime Christmas Gifts, Anime Stocking Stuffers, Cozy Anime Gifts, Anime Gift Boxes.
How we picked: five of Studio Ghibli's best-loved films, ordered by Anime Crush on how widely each one is loved. Years are the original Japanese release; pictures are official stills from Studio Ghibli.
