There are a lot of movies on Netflix that can fascinate not only my daughter, but also myself. Then, of course, I'm not talking about Peppa Pig whether Paw Patrol, but something much better: the Studio Ghibli movies. The animation studio, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, among others, could easily be described as the Japanese Disney.

Since all 21 Ghibli movies came to Netflix, my daughter and I watched 12 of those movies together. Because Netflix often incorrectly set almost all movies to 7+, it is a bit difficult to find out which movies are and are not suitable for a child of two. Some of those films may not contain violence, but deal with very adult themes (Only Yesterday country Ocean Waves) or are just too weird (Castle in the Sky) country Spirited Away).

These are the movies that we both really enjoyed, in several viewing sessions, of course:

My Neighbor Totoro

This is perhaps Studio Ghibli's best-known movie. The movie is about two children who move to a dilapidated house in the countryside with their father. There, in their garden, they meet magical creatures, the Totoro, that are especially visible to those who believe in them. My Neighbor Totoro is a perfect first Ghibli movie and immediately immerses you in a completely different style of animated movies. One where, unlike most Disney movies, it's not about a beginning, middle and epic end, but where you, as a viewer, are just a casual passer-by.

Kiki's Delivery Service

Since we saw this one, “watching Kiki” has become synonymous with “watching a movie.” Almost every female character in every animated movie is now also named Kiki, after the little witch Kiki's Delivery Service that moves to a new city with her cat Jiji.

Arrietty

What if there were little people who secretly live in our house? It is a question that has already caused endless movies and books, including David The Leprechaun and The Borrowers. The latter tells exactly the same story as Arrietty, although the Ghibli movie is, of course, a lot more magical. One of the strongest scenes is the one where a bird flies at such a tiny person and suddenly looks none sound is more. Any other studio would have just opted for an intense string orchestra here, but director Hiromasa Yonebayashi just omitted that completely. That's got balls!

The Cat Returns

The 'cat' referred to in the title is Baron, a character from the beautiful Whisper of the Heart. The film tells the story of Haru, who saves a cat on the way to school and is promptly named their new queen by all cats. A bit of a strange approach, which at times is somewhat like Alice in Wonderland feels.

Ponyo

Another Ghibli movie that you could compare to a Disney classic is Ponyo. It tells the story of a little girl who lives in the sea but magically ends up in the human world and can stay there if she manages to win the boy Sōsuke's heart. Sound familiar?

My Neighbors the Yamadas

A bit of an odd man out, because not only is he drawn in a completely different style, but also has no coherent story. My Neighbors the Yamadas is a collection of short, funny gags that offer a glimpse into the life of the Yamada family.