Go-to Ghiblis when I'm depressed AF

If you ever feel low because it seems like one person can't make a different, watch Princess Mononoke. The princess herself is feral and was raised by wolves whom she works with to protect the forest. But, like many Japanese anime movies, humans want to steal all the goodness from nature for their own needs. The princess has a few choice words and actions to turn the tides in the favour of nature.

This movie is so called because the elaborately named cat, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, returns from the prequel movie and the imagination of the main human character from that movie (Whisper Of The Heart). As a massive cat person, I love how beautifully drawn and animated cats populate this entire world. And the plot is perfectly ridiculous in the best possible way.

This is the Ghibli everyone has heard of, even if they aren't into anime. The main character, Chihiro goes down the rabbit hole to find herself in a whole world of trouble. But along the way there are fantastical animals, action sequences, love and a plot that satisfies. This one really calms my depressive itch with pure, escapist fantasy.

What to say about Whisper Of The Heart? It's just the perfect antidote to feeling down in the dumps because it lifts me up and celebrates imagination, creativity, and how to make the best decisions in life. And it's the prequel to The Cat Returns, which feels a little too polished and commercial in contrast but is awesome too.

PomPoko is one of Miyazaki's weirdest movies to date. It starts with a run of the mill battle between nature and humans, but quickly turns into racoons transforming into humans and lots of other weird stuff and using their ballsacks as parachutes. Who said the Japanese were weird?

Kiki's Delivery Service is my number 1 movie for the feel-good factor. The colours, the coming-of-age plot about a young witch trying to find her place in the world and the magic simply not coming naturally when it's supposed to is something we can all identify with in a weird way. And that scene where Jiji finds the cup with a picture of him on it never fails to make me smile.

I know I know... why is there such a brutally depressing movie in a list about trying to feel happier? Well, the heavy plot of Grave Of The Fireflies, whcih explores the journey of two brothers trying to find food and safety in post-WWII Japan is sad but also grounding. And a good story can provide the escapism I need to leave my pit of despair. So it goes on the list.