1. From Up on Poppy Hill (コクリコ坂から)
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.
It has an average vote of 7.534 on TMDB.
2. Porco Rosso (紅の豚)
In Italy in the 1930s, sky pirates in biplanes terrorize wealthy cruise ships as they sail the Adriatic Sea. The only pilot brave enough to stop the scourge is the mysterious Porco Rosso, a former World War I flying ace who was somehow turned into a pig during the war. As he prepares to battle the pirate crew's American ace, Porco Rosso enlists the help of spunky girl mechanic Fio Piccolo and his longtime friend Madame Gina.
It has an average vote of 7.797 on TMDB.
3. Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ)
When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.
It has an average vote of 7.746 on TMDB.
4. The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ)
14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.
It has an average vote of 7.655 on TMDB.
5. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語)
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
It has an average vote of 8.08 on TMDB.
6. When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー)
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
It has an average vote of 7.944 on TMDB.
7. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ)
After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.
It has an average vote of 7.938 on TMDB.
8. Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓)
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
It has an average vote of 8.464 on TMDB.
9. Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便)
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
It has an average vote of 7.828 on TMDB.
10. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女)
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.
It has an average vote of 7.778 on TMDB.
11. Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ)
The Raccoons of the Tama Hills are being forced from their homes by the rapid development of houses and shopping malls. As it becomes harder to find food and shelter, they decide to band together and fight back. The Raccoons practice and perfect the ancient art of transformation until they are even able to appear as humans in hilarious circumstances.
It has an average vote of 7.2 on TMDB.
12. Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し)
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
It has an average vote of 8.537 on TMDB.
13. Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫)
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
It has an average vote of 8.34 on TMDB.
14. Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ)
On a trip to the countryside to pick safflowers, a young Japanese woman recalls her life when she was ten years old.
It has an average vote of 7.358 on TMDB.
15. Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城)
After a successful robbery leaves famed thief Lupin the Third and his partner Jigen with nothing but a large amount of expertly crafted counterfeit bills, he decides to track down the forgers responsible—and steal any other treasures he may find in the Castle of Cagliostro, including the 'damsel in distress' he finds imprisoned there.
It has an average vote of 7.527 on TMDB.
16. The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し)
Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.
It has an average vote of 7.173 on TMDB.
17. Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば)
Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: 'Seiji Amasawa'.
It has an average vote of 7.935 on TMDB.
18. Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ)
A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
It has an average vote of 7.979 on TMDB.
19. My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ)
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
It has an average vote of 8.073 on TMDB.
20. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
A young nurse takes care of an elderly author who lives in a haunted house.
It has an average vote of 4.5 on TMDB.