A lot of people have been introduced to Anime because of Spirited Away. Many movies like Spirited Away have stunning aesthetics, a fascinating setting, and an exciting story.
Spirited Away is one of the finest movies from Studio Ghibli, and it’ll make you wish you were a kid again.
Although some viewers may find the content disturbing, this anime’s overall effect is warmth and safety.
If you’re looking for more movies like Spirited Away, below is a list.
1. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
- Director: Isao Takahata
- Star cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, James Marsden, Aki Asakura, Kengo Kôra, and Takeo Chii
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Princess Kaguya is one of Studio Ghibli’s lesser-known movies, but it’s also one of its best.
In this fantasy, a young princess is sent to be a commoner to learn about her people and grow into a wise and understanding leader.
She ends up at the home of a hardworking farmer and his daughter, who tries to help her adjust to her new life and the responsibilities that come with it.
This movie has a similar feel to Spirited Away; the fantasy setting, the mysterious spirit, and the themes of sacrifice and development.
It’s a subtle and beautifully-made movie, so if you’re looking for more movies like Spirited Away, this is a good option.
2. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
- Director: Makoto Shinkai
- Star cast: Hisako Kanemoto, Miyu Irino, Kazuhiko Inoue, Junko Takeuchi, Fumiko Orikasa, Sumi Shimamoto, and Tamio Ôki
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
The top anime director Makoto Shinkai is a crucial figure for modern anime fans all around the world when it comes to choosing their favorite anime.
His fourth feature-length anime movie, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, takes place in a fantastical and mythical environment, whereas Your Name and Weathering with You are set in actual places like Tokyo.
In Children Who Chase Lost Voices, a little girl called Asuna embarks on a journey during which she encounters a teenager named Shun who has traveled from the underworld Agartha.
She goes to Agartha to figure out what’s happening with a mysterious crystal named Clavis. If you like Spirited Away, you should also watch this.
3. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
- Star cast: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, Álex Angulo, and Manolo Solo
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Pan’s Labyrinth is one of Studio Ghibli’s most famous and well-known movies.
The movie follows a young girl named Ofelia who lives in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
Her father is a military man who goes off to fight when the war spills into her town.
In the middle of all this, she discovers a mysterious world inside a labyrinth; this world is full of mythical creatures, and it seems like it might be the only place where her father can be safe. This movie is surreal and magical.
The fantasy elements, the mythical creatures, and the Labyrinth setting all create a fantastical world that feels real.
This is a great option if you’re looking for more movies like Spirited Away.
4. My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Star cast: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Tanie Kitabayashi, and Hiroko Maruyama
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
My Neighbour Totoro is one of the most famous Studio Ghibli movies.
The movie follows a family called the Sathers, and their cat Totoro is their only friend.
The Sathers move to a new house and find a giant, furry, magical being living inside their closet.
This movie is so sweet, cuddly, and full of magic; it would be great for anyone looking for more movies like Spirited Away.
5. A Whisker Away (2020)
- Director: Jun’ichi Satô and Tomotaka Shibayama
- Star cast: Mirai Shida, Natsuki Hanae, Johnny Yong Bosch, Bob Buchholz, Kira Buckland, Reba Buhr, and Griffin Burns
- IMDb rating: 6.7/10
The anime movie A Whisker Away was produced by Studio Colorido and was released globally on Netflix in 2020.
The movie is similar to Spirited Away in many aspects since it is also a fantasy animation.
A Whisker Away follows Muge, a middle school student who falls for her teacher Kento.
A strange mask-selling cat gives her a mask with magical powers that turns her into a cat.
Muge’s personality and bond with Kento are reflected in many ways throughout the narrative.
6. Castle in the Sky (1986)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Star cast: Mayumi Tanaka, Keiko Yokozawa, Kotoe Hatsui, Minori Terada, Fujio Tokita, Ichirô Nagai, and Hiroshi Ito
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Castle in the Sky is another popular Studio Ghibli movie, but it’s less well-known than Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro.
The movie follows two young boys who find a treasure map that leads them to a mysterious castle.
The castle is full of fantasy elements, like a giant robot and a group of people with wings on their backs that use their magic powers to help the boys on their journey.
This is your classic “children get whisked away to another world” story, but with a sci-fi twist. This is a great option if you’re looking for more movies like Spirited Away.
7. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Star cast: Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura, Tatsuya Gashûin, Akihiro Miwa, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Mitsunori Isaki, and Yô Ôizumi
- IMDb rating: 8.2/10
Howl’s Moving Castle is another of Studio Ghibli’s most famous movies, but it’s also one of its best.
The movie follows a shy young woman named Sophie, a big fan of a wizard named Howl.
When he appears at her window, she finds out that he’s a powerful wizard with an unusual power: he can change anything he looks at into whatever he desires.
This movie has many interesting and imaginative fantasy elements, like a moving castle and a wizard who can make whatever he wants.
This is a great choice if you’re looking for more movies like Spirited Away.
8. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Director: Yoshifumi Kondô
- Star cast: Yoko Honna, Issey Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana, Shigeru Muroi, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, Keiju Kobayashi, and Yorie Yamashita
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Whisper of the Heart follows a girl named Shizuku who loves reading and writing, but her parents disapprove of the things she likes.
When she overhears them talking about getting rid of something, she realizes they want to get rid of her.
She runs away, and when she meets a boy who loves reading and writing, she decides they can help her escape her family.
This movie has a similar feel to Spirited Away; the fantasy setting, the mysterious spirit, and the themes of sacrifice and development.
It’s a subtle and beautifully-made movie, so if you’re looking for movies like Spirited Away, this is a good option.
9. The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
- Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
- Star cast: Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Mirai Shida, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Tomokazu Miura, and Shinobu Ôtake
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
The movie follows a young girl named Arrietty who lives with her parents in the woods.
One day, a strange little monster comes and takes her outside the house, and she ends up in a house on the other side of the forest.
This movie has a similar feel to Spirited Away; the fantasy setting, the mysterious spirit, and the themes of sacrifice and development.
10. The Cat Returns (2002)
- Director: Hiroyuki Morita
- Star cast: Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda, Takayuki Yamada, Hitomi Satô, Kenta Satoi, and Mari Hamada
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
The Cat Returns follows a girl named Haru who finds a talking cat and decides to help it find its owner.
This cat has magical powers and can help her find her long-lost father, but it’s dangerous because it might hypnotize people.
This movie has a similar feel to Spirited Away; the fantasy setting, the mysterious spirit, and the themes of sacrifice and development.
It’s a subtle and beautifully-made film, so if you’re looking for movies like Spirited Away, this is a good option.
11. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
- Director: Mamoru Hosoda
- Star cast: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido, and Utawaka Katsura
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Mamoru Hosoda directed the popular 2006 anime movie The Girl Who Leaped Through Time.
Cartoon Network adapted Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1965–1966 science fiction book of the same name into a fantasy movie that takes place on a planet around 20 years later.
Makoto, a high school student, and her two best friends, Chiaki and Kosuke, are at the center of this story.
She has a great time in high school every day, thanks to her time-traveling abilities, which help her to solve a wide range of difficulties.
12. Princess Mononoke (1997)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Star cast: Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yûko Tanaka, Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver, and John DiMaggio
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
Princess Mononoke is a dark and harsh movie, but it has a lot of deep and interesting themes and ideas.
One of those themes is the idea that humans can be cruel to other humans.
You see humans fighting humans, tearing up forests for cities, and attacking other humans for no reason.
The movie shows how humans can be cruel to other humans when they don’t need to be.
One of the best parts of this movie is when the humans try to hunt down the titular Princess Mononoke.
The humans try to hunt down the Princess for revenge, but she doesn’t feel the need for revenge.
The Princess is a symbol of what it could be if humans knew how to get along with each other.
The Princess Mononoke movie is a great movie like Spirited Away.
13. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Star cast: Kirsten Dunst, Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma, Kappei Yamaguchi, Keiko Toda, Mieko Nobusawa, and Kôichi Miura
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Many people worldwide, not only in Japan, consider Kiki’s Delivery Service to be one of the best family-friendly anime movies ever made.
Produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1989, the fantasy movie was based on a book by Eiko Kadono published in 1985.
The story of Kiki, a 13-year-old girl running a delivery service in a made-up Europe. The young witch decides to mature on her terms by seeing the world.
Spirited Away shows how Chihiro triumphs over the challenges she encounters throughout her journey. This is one of the amazing movies like Spirited Away.
