Now, it’s worth noting that the Venn diagram between Studio Ghibli movies and Hayao Miyazaki movies is not a circle. Although Miyazaki wrote and directed four of the studio’s five highest-grossing pictures — Ponyo, Spirited Away, The Wind Rises, and Howl’s Moving Castle — a number of other directors have taken the helm over the years, most notably Isao Takahata and Miyazaki’s own son, Gorō. Hayao Miyazaki served as the writer, director, producer, and/or concept-creator on each of the films below. Notable Studio Ghibli works not found here include Grave of the Fireflies, Tales from Earthsea, and When Marnie Was There. Also left off this list is How Do You Live?: the movie Miyazaki came out of retirement — again — to make, in which the 1937 Genzaburō Yoshino novel of the same name will play a major role. Keep scrolling to find recommendations for what to read next, based on your favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie.
What To Read Next, Based On Your Favorite Hayao Miyazaki Movie
If You Like The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Try…
If You Like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Try…
If You Like Castle in the Sky (1986), Try…
If You Like My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Try…
If You Like Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Try…
If You Like Only Yesterday (1991), Try…
If You Like Porco Rosso (1992), Try…
If You Like Pom Poko (1994), Try…
If You Like Whisper of the Heart (1995), Try…
If You Like Princess Mononoke (1997), Try…
If You Like Spirited Away (2001), Try…
If You Like The Cat Returns (2002), Try…
If You Like Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Try…
If You Like Ponyo (2008), Try…
If You Like The Secret World of Arrietty (2010), Try…
If You Like From Up On Poppy Hill (2011), Try…
If You Like The Wind Rises (2013), Try…
Now you know which book to read next, based on your favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie. Want even more? Check out these books for fans of Studio Ghibli, some Isao Takahata read-alikes, and Howl’s Moving Castle gifts.
