Studio Ghibli's track record is impressive. The Japanese animation studio is known for producing several hit titles such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Castle in the Sky. Although many years have passed since the release of these anime, they are still loved for their touching stories and fantastical animations.
However, while the bar set by Ghibli is very high, not every Ghibli movie is flawless. Now that we've talked about the best films made by Ghibli, we'll now turn our attention to the worst. Here, we mainly rely on IMDb scoring.
It's worth noting that due to Studio Ghibli's large number of high-quality films, some of the films that make it to the "worst" list aren't actually that bad, just a little lower in the rating.
With all that said, let's take a look at Studio Ghibli's lesser-rated works. Here are the Ghibli movies with the lowest fan ratings on IMDb.
Ponyo on the Cliff (2008): 7.6 points
"Ponyo on the Cliff" tells the story of Ponyo, a goldfish princess, who befriends a boy named Sousuke on land. The more time she spent with him, the more human-like she became. However, this transformation was not without consequences, and soon Sousuke's hometown was in danger because of magic.
This simple and sweet fairy tale has fascinated fans, though the rhythm is occasionally a little out of tune.
"What kind of life do you want to live" (2023): 7.6 points
Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, How Do You Want to Live Your Life, is inspired by Genzaburo Yoshino's famous book of the same name, but the story is actually based on the director's own childhood experiences, and is as full of Ghibli-esque fantasy adventures as ever, though the plot may be too obscure for the average viewer.
"Flamined Sea Turtle" (2016): 7.5 points
Oscar-winning director Michael DudWitt's "The Red Turtle" tells a simple, vivid and allegorical story of survival on a desert island. In addition to the praise of the beautiful animation produced by the multinational team, another consensus is that the story of the film is too thin.
"Poppy Blooming Hillside" (2011): 7.4 points
The film is set in Japan in 1963, and Umi Matsuzaki, a high school girl living in a boarding house, and Toshi Kazama, a boy from the same school, meet him. The two decide to clean up the school's club together, but their plans are threatened by a businessman who plans to redevelop the building to fulfill his own quest.
Although "The Poppy Blooming Hillside" does not break through the narrative routine of a young campus love story, it is still sweet and nostalgic.
"Variety Tanuki" (1994): 7.3 points
Based on Japanese folklore, this comedy tells the story of tanuki who are able to transform into various shapes using illusions. As urban development threatens to destroy their forest life forever, these animals must find a way to save their homes.
"Variety Tanuki" is a colorful and weird movie, and some discerning critics find its storyline a bit boring.
"My Neighbor Yamada-kun" (1999): 7.1 points
This 1999 comedy film is arguably unique among all Studio Ghibli productions. Unlike other anime produced by the company, My Neighbor Yamada-kun uses the style of a comic book. The story follows the chaotic life of the Yamada family.
"My Neighbor Yamada-kun" stands out for its unique style. However, some critics felt that the story seemed disorganized and less engaging than similar works.
《猫的报恩》(2002):7.1分
In "The Cat's Kindness", Harushi Yoshioka, a shy high school student, has a hard time communicating with her peers, but she has no problem talking to cats. Koharu rescues a cat that was nearly run over by a truck, and then soon discovers that the cat is actually Elvis' son. As a token of gratitude, Elvis Presley invited Koharu to marry his son. However, after slowly turning into a cat herself, Koharu must find a way to escape her fate.
"A Cat's Kindness" isn't as evocative as Studio Ghibli's hit film, but its creative plot still attracts some fans.
Hearing the Waves (1993): 6.6 points
Based on the novel by Hiroko Himoguro, this 1993 TV movie focuses on a love triangle between two friends and a transfer student who comes to their high school.
"Hear the Waves" aims to appeal to a younger audience. While the film does capture a core audience, it is conspicuously lacking in depth and surprise.
"The Battle of the Earth and the Sea" (2006): 6.3 points
For a long time, Studio Ghibli's lowest-rated film has been Earth-Sea Wars.
Based on the first four novels of Ursula Le Guin's Tales of Earthsea, this 2006 fantasy film follows a wizard named Sparrowhawk who is on a quest to find out why the world is out of balance. As his power wanes, he teams up with a prince named Ablade, a former priestess, and the priestess's daughter to destroy the enemies that threaten the land.
The narrative of the film is very different from the original book. Although the film's aesthetic design was full of fantasy and fun, it didn't resonate with the audience as much as Studio Ghibli had hoped.
"Aya and the Witch" (2020): 4.7 points
For a long time, Studio Ghibli's lowest-rated film was "Earth-Sea Wars" until director Goro Miyazaki made "Aya and the Witch".
Although also based on the novel by Diana Wayne Jones, the original author of Howl's Moving Castle, the TV movie Aya and the Witch was not as successful as the former. As Ghibli's first 3DCG animated feature film, "Aya and the Witch" has been criticized for its 3D styling, and the story itself is a bit anticlimactic.