The best Studio Ghibli movies on HBO Max right now (October 2022)

Cementing Studio Ghibli in history is its initial project, 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. This Ghibli classic is based upon the manga written and illustrated by Miyazaki, the same individual who would not only write and direct the adaptation but become an archetype for 21st-century animated filmmaking. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind tracks a young princess in the throes of a revolution against the Tolmekia, whose persistent terraforming of a jungle teeming with massive insects leads Nausicaä on a quest to instill peace throughout the realm. The film was met with immediate acclaim upon release, praised by critics for its poignant anti-war themes and firm stance on ecological mindfulness. A year later, given the success of Nausicaä, a tight-knight animation studio would be born. Co-founder and beating heart of Ghibli’s continued success, Miyazaki proved that complicated real-world lessons could be expressed through evocative stories and wondrous art. Despite releasing before Studio Ghibli even existed, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is still cherished as the catalyst for renewing interest in animated feature films and beckoning a promising future for its artistic masterminds.