Studio Ghibli has made many fantastic films over the years and considering they're on a hiatus as of the writing of this article, I figured now is the best time to talk about which ten films I deem to be the best. So here we go!

10. Kiki's Delivery Service

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this film tells the story of a young witch who goes off on her own to live in a town for the sole purpose of helping others. She meets many wonderful characters along the way, learns many lessons and ultimately helps save someone's life at the end of it all. The film's plot is fairly standard, but I feel its simplicity has charm and its likable cast of characters give it its own unique feel. The English dub voice acting is spot-on with the late Phil Hartman being the highlight for me. The only thing I don't really like about the film is its last third, which I feel becomes kind of a drag and is just kind of uneventful up until the climax. But it's still a great film for the #10 spot.

9. Grave of the Fireflies

Directed by Isao Takahata, "Grave of the Fireflies" tells the story of a young boy and his sister trying to survive the fire bombings in Japan during World War II. We're told from the beginning that this story will not have a happy ending and if viewer be warned, this is a dark, dark movie. I will say right now that it's a very hard film to watch for many of the plot elements it throws at you and its willingness to hold absolutely nothing back with its truly haunting visuals. It's not a film I go back to watch often, but it's only because it does what it sets out to do so well. Whether you look at it as an anti-war story or just a simple story of survival, "Grave of the Fireflies" is most definitely the darkest film Ghibli has ever produced.

8. From Up on Poppy Hill

Directed by Goro Miyazaki, "From Up on Poppy Hill" tells the story of a young girl's life in high school as she befriends a boy who eventually becomes a romantic interest to her. However, things take a strange turn when they find out they may share the same father, thus they may actually have been siblings the entire time, leading to a huge conflict with a pretty interesting ending. The story is a little cliché, but much like "Kiki," I feel the characters are what drive it. They're all so likable and the voice actors they get to play them each give a distinguishable voice and identity. It's not a film I hear many people mention when it comes to Studio Ghibli, but trust me when I say it's most definitely worth a watch.

7. The Secret World of Arrietty

Loosely based on the book, “The Borrowers," this film tells the story of a bunch of little people that live within the walls of a small house, taking things from within said house to survive. However, the family of little people may have to leave as the daughter, Arrietty, is discovered by a young boy who is staying in the house for health reasons, but it seems the two do form some kind of frienship. This is a very light-hearted Ghibli film. It's mostly just this girl's adventure in the environment the film establishes and her friendship with this boy. There is a conflict near the end involving a maid voiced by Carol Burnett (whose performance is worth watching the North American dub at least once), but it's rather short-lived and not really the focus. It's light-hearted, enjoyable, and a rather relaxing entry for #7.

6. My Neighbor Totoro

The very face of Studio Ghibli, "My Neighbor Totoro" is another more relaxing entry into Ghibli's line-up. The story is a family moves into a new house and discover they may be located close to a few forest spirits. One of these spirits is a giant creature named Totoro, voiced by voice acting legend Frank Welker. And the movie is mostly about the very small misadventures of the two daughters and these forest spirits. There's really not much to it. I was actually very much reminded of the original Winnie the Pooh when watching it. Not much happens in terms of conflict and it's just a bunch of small misadventures. And I like that. Nothing much else to say, but it's a worthy entry for #6.

5. Whisper of the Heart

Directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo, "Whisper of the Heart" tells the story of a young girl who takes the inspirations from her life to try and pursue her dream of becoming a writer, but finding that may not be the path in life she truly wants. All this goes on while she simultaneously deals with relationships with family, friends and a possible boyfriend. The film is another one that just focuses on the daily life of a specific character and that character is extremely likable. I also feel that her story of trying to find her path in life is something many people can relate to. The romance aspect of it is a little cheesy, but it's cheesy to a point where I can't help but smile during a lot of the moments between them. And yeah, the ending is very abrupt and doesn't do much in terms of closure, but if you can get past that, "Whisper of the Heart" is a very nice film to check out.

4. Castle in the Sky

The first film Hayao Miyazaki directed after Studio Ghibli was formed is a fun treasure hunt film about two kids, a government agent and a bunch of sky pirates on a quest to find Laputa, the castle in the sky. The film is very much an 80s adventure film in the same category as something like "Indiana Jones." It's fun, it's action packed and it has many moments of great character development. This film also has quite possibly my favorite Ghibli villain and Mark Hamill's performance as this guy is the biggest reason I love watching Disney's dub of it. If you're looking for a fun adventure, then take flight and give "Castle in the Sky" a watch.

3. Princess Mononoke

One of the biggest releases in Japanese cinema, "Princess Mononoke" is a very dark and atmospheric tale about man's struggle with nature. It tells the story of a prince who travels to a distant land to break a curse that will eventually kill him if left unchecked. Through this journey, he is dragged into a war between the industrial village of Iron Town and the forces of nature led by a girl named San, a princess of wolves. The film knows how to take a story of man vs. nature and tell it well without feeling too preachy. Complimenting it are some of the best visuals that Ghibli has ever drawn. It is quite a dark film, but at the same time it's not completely reliant on a dark tone like "Grave of the Fireflies." It's a great fantasy epic that still manages to tell a great story. I can't think of a better film for the #3 spot.

2. The Wind Rises

The supposed final film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this is a romanticized version of the story of a man who revolutionized airplane design in pre-World War II Japan. Under normal circumstances, this guy may be seen as the bad guy, but the film establishes that he sees creating airplanes as an art rather than a means for war. So it's kind of hard to fault him knowing this. The focus is kept mainly on this character and his passion and it's so great to see. One highlight is how whenever this guy is talking about airplane design, the animation will visually show you what he's talking about. So if you're completely clueless on this ins and outs of aviation, like I am, the visuals will help you understand what all the terms mean. The side characters are all very memorable and the dub performances are all perfect. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci all steal the show. If this is truly the last film Miyazaki ever makes, it's nice to know he ended on such a high note.

1. Spirited Away

You all saw this one coming. "Spirited Away," to me is such a good film, I struggle to come up with a way to talk about it without sounding redundant. It's likable, it's beautiful, it's pleasant, it can get dark at times, it's emotional, it's just "Spirited Away." I've seen this film a million times before. I'll probably see it many times again. I highly recommend you watch it. Personally, I feel nothing I say can do justice to my favorite Studio Ghibli film.