Hayao Miyazaki movies, ranked from “nice and chill” to “this will ruin your day”

What is it? In , a girl named Sheeta, kidnapped by government agents, falls from an airship and is saved by her seemingly magical crystal necklace—and a young boy named Pazu, whose father was a pilot who believed he once saw the mystical flying city of Laputa (which Sheeta’s ancestors happen to be from). Together, they try to find a way to Laputa while dodging a power-hungry government agent named Muska.What’s the cutest little thing? They’re big and nice more than cute and little, but the winner is the friendly steampunk-y robots who come from Laputa (particularly the one guy who still cares for the now-abandoned city).What’s the most emotionally devastating part? Though it doesn’t hurt like some others on the list, the ultimate destruction of Laputa—which Sheeta and Pazu have to do to protect its power from falling into the wrong hands—is a tragic loss of ancient knowledge and history. Also, Muska dies, but he sucks.

What is it? , set in a world on the brink of civil war, follows a reserved and self-sufficient girl named Sophie, who inadvertently crosses paths with a charming wizard named Howl. A woman jealous of Howl’s power named The Witch Of The Waste curses Sophie by turning her into an elderly woman. Knowing that Howl is the only one who can help her (though she quickly begins to appreciate the lifestyle of a 90-year-old woman), she leaves home and tries to find his famous moving castle.What’s the cutest little thing? A tiny fire demon named Calcifer, played by Billy Crystal in the English dub (imagine Mike Wazowksi but more of a neurotic jerk), who is both Howl’s reluctant servant and equally reluctant best friend. He’s a top tier cute little guy. He’s on cute little Mount Rushmore.What’s the most emotionally devastating part? Howl’s Moving Castle has more moments of quiet awe than emotional devastation, even when difficult things happen to its main cast, but there are some harrowing war sequences, and some unsettling “ra ra patriotism!” moments that are consciously uncomfortable paired with the lighthearted fantasy fun within the walls of the castle.

What is it? In , a young witch named Kiki leaves home to try and start her own life upon turning 13. She starts a magical delivery service, but her esteem—and her magic—take a hit when she begins to lose confidence in herself.What’s the cutest little thing? Kiki’s talking cat Jiji, who is a lovably sarcastic little dude voiced by Phil Hartman in the English dub.What’s the most emotionally devastating part? Kiki loses her magic, including her ability to talk to Jiji, as she loses confidence in her ability to handle a life on her own. As she grows as a person, she regains her powers … but she can never hear Jiji speak again. It’s a coming-of-age thing, sure, but it’s terribly heartbreaking for a cat lover.

What is it? In , a young girl named Chihiro stumbles onto an abandoned amusement park with her parents, who greedily begin to eat a bunch of food that turns them into pigs. As night falls, the amusement park becomes a bathhouse for spirits and Chihiro gets trapped. Forced to take a job in order to survive, Chihiro must mature and grow to accept the people and things around her to rescue her parents.What’s the cutest little thing? The Soot Sprites, little dust balls with arms and legs, are great (and they appear in My Neighbor Totoro), but we have to give it up for the witch Yubaba’s giant baby Boh—once he gets turned into a very fun mouse, at least.What’s the most emotionally devastating part? The movie is about growth and change and learning not to fear them, so it naturally becomes less traumatic as it goes on. But the initial horror of seeing Chihiro’s parents begin to lose their humanity as they devour all of the spirit food and completely turn into pigs is still hard to take.

What is it? is set in a post-apocalyptic world that was devastated by an ancient war and rendered largely uninhabitable because of a gigantic poisonous jungle full of mutant bugs. A girl named Nausicaä discovers that it is possible to grow healthy plants and find clean water—though a kingdom called Tolmekia wants to burn down the jungle and kill all the bugs using the same genocidal weapons as their ancestors—specifically a humanoid monster called the Giant Warrior.What’s the cutest little thing? Nausicaä has a couple of animal friends, but the best one is something called a fox squirrel named Teto. The fox squirrel is so cute that a bunch of them even have cameos in other Studio Ghibli films.What’s the most emotionally devastating part? Nausicaä’s near death at the end of the movie is tough, and the many mutant bugs aren’t totally pleasant, but the film’s most horrific sequence is the birth of the Giant Warrior. Rendered with unsettling realism (and animated by Miyazaki protégée and Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno), the creature comes to life and then rapidly rots away in one of the most grotesque sequences ever committed to animation.

What is it? In a boy named Ashitaka is cursed by a rampaging boar god that has been corrupted by unnatural evil, and he must leave his village in search of a cure. Ashitaka finds San, a girl raised by wolves in the forest who is waging a campaign against a group of humans threatening to destroy the forest so they can loot its resources.What’s the cutest little thing? The Kodama are great little guys, with their funny faces and the jingling noises they make, but we’ve gotta give it to Ashitaka’s loyal elk/deer thing Yakul. A total bro.What’s the most emotionally devastating part? There are loads, including the prolonged death of the Forest Spirit, but the worst is most likely the murder of the boar god Okkoto. Rendered sick and blind by his curse, he tragically fails to recognize when his boar friends are replaced by disguised humans who force him to become a demon.