I'm willing to bet that there’s a large swath of Studio Ghibli fans who have never seen a film (besides maybe Grave of the Fireflies ) from the studio that didn't read, “Directed by Hayao Miyazaki” at the start of the movie. And, look. That’s fine.
A lot of the most iconic Studio Ghibli movies were helmed by the famed director. In fact, my favorite Studio Ghibli film, Porco Rosso , was directed by Miyazaki. That said, not every Studio Ghibli film was directed by him.
Such is the case with Pom Poko , which was directed by company co-founder Isao Takahata, and might just be the best film from the studio that you likely haven't seen. Here's why it's so good. Oh, and minor spoilers up ahead.
It's Such An Oddball Movie That Feels Unlike Any Of The Miyazaki Studio Ghibli Films When our very own Alexandra Ramos watched every Miyazaki movie in succession , she kept mentioning how emotionally resonant most of the movies were for her, and yes, that does seem like a hallmark of Miyazaki’s work. But, I can tell you with certainty that not every Studio Ghibli film tugs at the heartstrings, at least not to the extent that a Miyazaki film might. For example, The Cat Returns , while humorous, and pretty fun, isn't likely going to make anybody cry (though, it is one of the films that I imagine somebody might mistake for a Disney movie ).
The same goes for My Neighbors the Yamadas , which is a unique film that is a great departure from something like the lovely The Boy and the Heron .