Hayao Miyazaki
Author
Summary
"Shuna, the prince of a poor land, watches in despair as his people work themselves to death harvesting the little grain that grows there. And so, when a traveler presents him with a sample of seeds from a mysterious western land, he sets out to find the source of the golden grain, dreaming of a better life for his subjects. It is not long before he meets a proud girl named Thea. After freeing her from captivity, he is pursued by her enemies, and...
Series
Summary
The epic coming-of-age tale of Nausicaä, a compassionate princess warrior. Her rural valley lives at peace on the edge of a deadly fungal wasteland, until a ship carrying a weapon from a bygone industrial age crashes nearby. When warriors from a far country come to retrieve the artifact, their invasion draws Nausicaä and her people into a sprawling political conflict. Set 1,000 years after a global war that nearly destroyed all life on Earth.
Summary
A young woman named Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste and is turned into an old woman who is unable to tell anyone of her plight. Unable to continue her job at her mother's hat shop, she goes to the ambulatory castle of the notorious wizard Howl and insinuates herself into his household. Sophie befriends Calcifer, the fire demon who powers the castle and who is bound to Howl by a contract, the terms of which Calcifer cannot reveal. They promise...
Summary
Pazu is an engineer's apprentice who finds Sheeta, a young girl, floating down from the sky, wearing a glowing pendant. Together, they discover both are searching for Laputa, a legendary floating castle, and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around Sheeta's neck. Their quest won't be easy. There are greedy air pirates, secret government agents and astounding obstacles to keep them from learing the truth.
Summary
"Master thief Lupin III, a.k.a. 'The Wolf, ' and his right-hand gunman Jigen are hot on the trail of a double-crossing couterfeiter. But when their search leads them to the secluded European country of Cagliostro, they find far more than they bargained for. Lupin unwittingly attracts the attention of the nation's mysterious monarch when he tries to help a damsel in distress escape the Count's henchmen, and in the process stumbles upon the key to finding...
9) Porco Rosso
Summary
A pilot becomes disillusioned after seeing his friends die for their country, so he leaves the armed forces, becomes a private bounty hunter, and lives cursed as half-human, half-pig.
10) Spirited away
Summary
When a young girl gets trapped in a strange new world of spirits, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and rescue her parents.
12) Porco Rosso
Summary
A pilot becomes disillusioned after seeing his friends die for their country, so he leaves the armed forces, becomes a private bounty hunter, and lives cursed as half-human, half-pig.
13) The wind rises
Summary
Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the worlds most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. The film chronicles much of his...
14) Ponyo
Summary
A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embark on a fantastic journey of friendship before Ponyo's father forces her to return to the sea. Ponyo's desire to be human upsets the balance of nature and only Ponyo's mother, a beautiful sea goddess, can restore nature's balance and make Ponyo's dreams come true.
15) Only yesterday
Summary
While visiting family in the Japanese countryside, 27-year-old Taeko remembers her childhood spent solely in the city and wonders if her life has followed her childhood dreams.
Summary
In the year 1963 in Yokohama, an innocent romance blossoms between two high school students, Umi and Shun. As Japan recovers from World War II and prepares to host the 1964 Olympics, the mood contains both optimism and conflict as the younger generation struggles to escape the shackles of the past. While trying to save a dilapidated Meiji-era club house from demolition, the relationship flourishes. But a buried secret from their past emerges to cast...
17) The wind rises
Summary
Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the worlds most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. The film chronicles much of his...
18) Porco Rosso
Series
Summary
The World War I flying ace Porco Rosso battles sky pirates and his rivals for the beautiful Gina, all while living under a spell that transformed his face into that of a pig.
