Studio Ghibli boasts a resume of animated features that can rival any in the history of the medium. Their contributions to the worlds of animation and storytelling add up to over 40 hours of viewing time over 23 feature films. Considering the incredible rewatch value many of them offer, that's enough to keep most fans occupied for a lifetime.
However, there are some fans out there who can’t seem to get enough of Miyazaki and company’s combination of unforgettable characters, breathtaking imagery, thought-provoking themes, and dazzling overall artistry. To scratch that Ghibli itch, it can sometimes take searching outside the confines of the studio’s filmography and into other works in other mediums that share a bit of the same storytelling magic. Fortunately, there are plenty of them out there.
8 Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind the film is not technically a Studio Ghibli production, but it is counted among them regardless. Any fan of the movie, or of Ghibli’s other more official films that are carried by a strong female protagonist and contain themes of conflict and humanity’s relationship with nature, should not miss out on the manga that that started it all.
The Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga is Miyazaki’s grandest pen-and-ink creation, and it is considered by some to be his greatest work. It was serialized between 1982 and 1994, predating Studio Ghibli by three years and ending months before it released its seventh film. The story is a massive epic that extends well beyond the events of the film adaptation and is just absolutely gorgeous to look at. It’s a must for any fan of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
7 Shuna’s Journey
Straddling the line between manga and illustrated storybook, Shuna’s Journey offers a unique storytelling experience that any Studio Ghibli fan is bound to appreciate. In fact, it may as well be the lost screenplay of an unmade Ghibli film: it was written and drawn by Miyazaki and it features imagery, ideas, and a storytelling style that are all hallmarks of the legendary creator’s animated work.
Although its 1983 publishing date makes it older than Studio Ghibli itself, Shuna’s Journey did not officially make it to American shores until late 2022, which means some fans had never even heard of it until recently. Anyone looking for a folktale-flavored adventure with notes of Nausicaa and some absolutely incredible watercolor artwork should take a look at this amazing book.
6 Wandering Island
Strong female protagonist? Check. Old school aircraft drawn with dazzling detail? Check. A mysterious location spoken of in local legend? Check. Delivery service? Check. Wandering Island by Kenji Tsuruta has a countless number of likenesses to the films of Studio Ghibli, as well as plenty of its own unique charm that makes it a great read regardless of whether you’ve seen Castle in the Sky or not.
There is a bit of a caveat, though: the story has been on standby since the release of volume two in 2017, and it’s unclear when Tsuruta will be releasing the next installment. More impatient fans may want to skip over this selection, but they will no doubt be missing out.
5 Wolf Children
While some Studio Ghibli films tell fantastical stories that are full of action and excitement and are absolutely brimming with imagination, there are others that offer a much more slice of life approach to storytelling. Movies like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service, for example, have their share of mystery, excitement, and imagination, but they are far more grounded in the everyday experiences of their characters than anything else.
The manga adaptation of Mamoru Hosoda’s 2012 film Wolf Children offers a similar kind of slice of life story that’s touched by the fantastic. In it, a single mother takes her two wolf/human hybrid children out to the country to start their lives anew. It’s peaceful and pretty, but it’s also got plenty of emotional impact that doesn’t require gigantic stakes to achieve.
4 Barefoot Gen
Grave of the Fireflies may be the most harrowing, heartbreaking animated tale ever told, so fans bold enough to look for something that can top it may wind up disappointed, but the Barefoot Gen manga does offer readers a similarly eye-opening look into the horrors of war.
This story of a young boy who survives the atomic bombing of Hiroshima is based on creator Keiji Nakazawa’s real experiences during World War II. No, it’s nothing like most Studio Ghibli movies, but for fans who place Grave of the Fireflies among their favorites, this manga should resonate heavily.
3 Mushishi
One of the most consistent themes of Studio Ghibli films is the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Few manga explore that theme as effectively as Mushishi, and perhaps no other manga does it in a way that’s as reminiscent of films like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away.
This serene and mysterious seinen story, which is in an episodic format, follows a man named Ginko as he travels through an imagined era between Edo and Meiji period Japan learning about the mysterious lifeforms known as Mushi and helping those who are negatively affected by them. No, it’s not as epic or action-driven as Mononoke or as grand and whimsical as the Oscar-nominated Spirited Away, but all three contain a sense of awe and wonder, and a reverence for the mystical powers of nature.
2 Flying Witch
Flying Witch is a gently paced coming-of-age story about a young girl who leaves home with her adorable black cat in order to learn how to become a witch. Studio Ghibli fans might be familiar with this basic premise as it is indiscernible from that of Kiki’s Delivery Service. Sure, the settings are somewhat different and the respective casts of characters are colorful in their own unique ways, but the basic elements of both stories are essentially identical.
Of all the Ghibli-esque manga, this one may be the most on the nose, but Flying Witch still manages to be a lovely tale of its own that can be the perfect selection for any fan who just can’t get enough Miyazaki.
1 A Letter To Momo
For a story with the same mixture of stranger-in-a-strange-land journey and serene slice of life offered by Spirited Away, there aren’t many better options than the manga adaptation of Hiroyuki Okiura’s film A Letter to Momo. This story of a grieving young girl’s attempts to acclimate to both a new reality and new surroundings that are filled with odd creatures and strange spirits is quite similar to that of Chihiro’s, but not so much that it feels plagiarized.
A Letter to Momo strikes a careful balance between lighthearted and dramatic, and it does a great job of making sure the more fantastical elements of the story manage to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground. Both the film and manga are worthwhile for fans of Studio Ghibli.