Highlights
- Studio Ghibli movies are often family-friendly, but some delve into darker topics and use frightening visuals unsuitable for children.
- “When Marnie Was There” explores the theme of forgiveness, teaching children that people are not infallible.
- “Porco Rosso” and “Tales from Earthsea” tackle more realistic and grounded fears, making them suitable for a more mature audience.
Studio Ghibli has become a household name, likened to the likes of Disney, as most of its films are seen as family friendly. They often have younger protagonists embarking on an epic and fantastical adventure, touching on some relatable preteen struggles such as moving to a new house and attending a new school.
RELATED: Darkest Animated Children’s Movies Ever
But not all Ghibli movies are all whimsy and light-hearted fun. Some of these movies delve into darker topics, or use frightening visuals that might not be suitable for children.
7 When Marnie Was There
Emotional Maturity
|
Release Year |
2014 |
|
Director |
Hiromasa Yonebayashi |
|
Rotten Tomatoes |
92% |
Learning the art of forgiveness is a tough pill for anyone to swallow, but especially for children. If they feel as though someone else has hurt or wronged them, they struggle to understand why another person would do that to them, as they have yet to learn that people, especially adults, are not as infallible as they believe. This lesson is one of the core themes of the emotionally mature movie When Marnie Was There, the movie adaptation of Joan G Robinson’s novel.
After moving to the countryside for the sake of her health, Anna meets Marnie, a mysterious girl around the same age of her who lives in a mansion across a lake, though things grow strange when a family moves in to Marnie’s mansion, though the girl who now stays in Marnie’s room finds an old journal that seems to be penned by her. Anna learns a revelation she was not prepared for; that Marnie is her grandmother who raised her until she died, and not a friend who abandoned her without a word.
6 The Wind Rises
Doomed Romance and Tools of Destruction
|
Release Year |
2013 |
|
Director |
Hayao Miyazaki |
|
Rotten Tomatoes |
88% |
The Wind Rises is a work of fiction that follows a real life historic figure, Jiro Horikoshi, the chief engineer of many Japanese WWII fighters. The movie has a rather hopeful and uplifting story, but it is the implication of Jiro’s career as a fighter engineer that is the dark part of this movie.
The plot follows the trials and tribulations of Jiro, who originally wanted to be a pilot but couldn’t due to his poor eyesight, making different fighter prototypes, striving for a fighter that is cas close to perfection as possible. Other aspects of Jiro’s life are marred by elements of darkness, as the woman he falls in love with tragically contracts tuberculosis, her impending death hanging heavily over their romance.
5 Porco Rosso
Facism and Pirates
|
Release Year |
1992 |
|
Director |
Hayao Miyazaki |
|
Rotten Tomatoes |
96% |
Set shortly after WW1 following a free-lance bounty hunter under the effects of a curse, Porco Rosso, Italian for Red Pig, is an unusual movie that follows the titular anthropomorphic pig hunting down air pirates over the Adriatic Sea. His efforts draw the attention of these air pirates that want nothing more than to shoot him down from the sky and kill him, marking themselves as dark villains.
RELATED: Unique RPGs Where You Play as a Non-Human Character
With the rise of a Fascist government and pirates flying over lands warring with bounty hunters, it certainly is different to the classic cutesy films this animation studio is known for, drawing on some more realistic and grounded fears. But, these elements are what make Porco Rosso such a treat to enjoy, though younger viewers might not be able to enjoy it as much as a more mature audience.
4 Tales from Earthsea
Dark Fantasy Plot
|
Release Year |
2006 |
|
Director |
Goro Miyazaki |
|
Rotten Tomatoes |
38% |
Though not the most beloved Studio Ghibli film, Tales from Earthsea tries something new and brave, taking place in a world of dark fantasy that would not be out of place in an RPG. With dragons, a plague-stricken kingdom, acts of regicide and bands of slavers, this movie doesn’t shy away from including dark fantasy themes that help to prop up the narrative.
After killing his father and stealing his sword, Arren flees from the castle and meets Sparrowhawk, who becomes something of a mentor to Arren. Their ensemble cast soon is joined by Tenar, a friend of Sparrowhawk, as well as Therru, the young girl who lives with her. The group find themselves becoming the enemies of Cob, an evil warlock with the lofty goal of gaining eternal life by lifting the veil between life and death. It ultimately falls to Arren and Therru to stop him before it is too late.
3 Princess Mononoke
Blood, Guts, and Gore
|
Release Year |
1997 |
|
Director |
Hayao Miyazaki |
|
Rotten Tomatoes |
93% |
Princess Mononoke presents itself as a dark Ghibli movies early into its run-time, despite its tame PG age rating. Parents should definitely be aware of showing children this movie, as there are depictions of gratuitous violence that end in some rather graphic gore, as well as some language and world-building elements that might not be suitable for them.
RELATED: Most Iconic Live-Action Princesses In Movies, Ranked
In this movie, the last Emishi Prince Ashitaki fights and kills a demon, but not before it places a painful death curse on his arm that will spread and eventually claim him, already opening with high stakes in stark contrast to Miyazaki’s usual works. He sets off west in hopes to find a cure, but instead finds himself caught in a war between the Forest God and his followers, and Iron Town, that is responsible for the recent deforestation, touching on some real-world issues.
2
1 Grave of the Fireflies
The Horrors of War
|
Release Year |
1988 |
|
Director |
Isao Takahata |
|
Rotten Tomatoes |
100% |
Haunting, harrowing, tragic. These are just a few words used to describe the Studio Ghibli masterpiece Grave of the Fireflies. Set in the city of Kobe during WWII, the story follows two orphaned children Seita and Setsuko as they struggle to survive the ravaged country that doesn’t seem to care for the two displaced children. Viewers see their struggle through the entire movie, interrupted only occasionally by very few fleeting moments that show the bond and love between the two siblings.
The movie makes the audience feeling intensely empathetic of their struggles as they move from place to place, often left to struggle on the streets with no food or money, and with Setsuko growing weaker and sicker, audiences know what is to come but still could not be prepared for the emotional punch it packs. With the horrors of war highlighted, this movie definitely set itself out as the most heart-breaking, as well as the darkest Studio Ghibli movie.
Leave a Reply