If you have been online for the past 72-hours on social media, chances are you’ve come across a lot of Studio Ghibli-like artwork of real-life memes, live-action movie scenes, or pop culture-slash-political figures. Well, you can thank OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o for that bout of trending nonsense.

While we’re not stopping you or forbidding you, just keep in mind that doing and sharing these AI-generated pictures means you’re supporting copyright infringement and plagiarism of all existing art and the true owners/creators of said art, as well as disrespecting the works of Studio Ghibli and founder Hayao Miyazaki. It may be indirect, but it is true.

So instead of making AI slop and inadvertently promoting art theft, you could instead go watch original Studio Ghibli films or by physical media versions of them. Or you could use a streaming service you subscribed for like Netflix.

Here are our top 5 picks of Studio Ghibli films you should tune into, most of them on Netflix. Truth be told, all of Miyazaki’s work are worth watching (even the controversial The Wind Rises), but off the top of my head, these 5 capture the nuances and core values, heart, and spirit of a Ghibli film that no AI can ever generate or capture.

#1. Spirited Away

A story about a spoiled kid who learns humility as she tries to turn her parents back from being cursed into pigs. How? By working at a spirit bathhouse full of fairy folk and magical nonsense. Miyazaki wanted to make a magical world not unlike Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, but using Japanese Shinto-Buddhist folklore that would be alien to people outside of Japan.

That adds to Spirited Away’s mystique and charm as you watch the rollercoaster ride of the weird, wild, and endearing happening in the magical bathhouse. It’s simply a visual treat that’s better than most films around that period.

#2. My Neighbor Totoro

A 1988 classic about the whimsy and grace of childhood sprinkled with bouts of animism. Two sisters meet an animal spirit called a Totoro; stuff happens. It’s not the most complex of plots, but the beauty of it lies in what happens, all the imaginative wonders happening around the two sisters, and the aesthetics that just focus on the experience with little to no conflict tying it all down.

#3. Kiki’s Delivery Service

A young witch opens up a delivery service, much to the delight and chagrin of many in the town. It’s also a remarkable tale of growing up, as Kiki has to go out on her own and make her own living while being a witch. She also has to overcome her shyness and gain confidence to make her delivery business work. It’s really a simple tale when you look at its big picture idea, but the animation, charm, and personalities surrounding Kiki (and even the witch herself) make it a treat to watch over and over.

#4. Princess Mononoke

Arguably the deepest of Miyazaki films and the most “adult”, Princess Mononoke’s central theme is environmentalism. There’s not much black & white/good & evil going on here in the grand scheme of things: just human, forest creatures, and nature gods surviving and fighting for their piece of the proverbial mystical land pie.

But don’t worry: all the philosophizing and talking are balanced out with the most gorgeous action scenes & bouts of animation that even lasts until now. Even the 3D portions added into this 2D animated film blend in so well you won’t even notice it upon first or second viewing.

#5. Castle In The Sky

The ultimate anime adventure epic and one of the pioneers of the steampunk genre. A kid named Pazu crosses path with a mysterious girl named Sheeta, which then has him go on an expedition to find a lost civilization, with the military and sky pirates giving them chase. It’s uplifting, full of visual splendour, and filled to the brim with a likeable cast and dubious villains. In fact, all video game plots revolving around amnesiacs and lost civilizations should thank Castle In The Sky for creating that very trope in storytelling history.

There’s a ton more Studio Ghibil films you can check out like the recent The Boy and the Heron, Nausicaa, and even his son Goro Miyazaki’s work like From Up On Poppy Hill. Watching these is sure as hell better than supporting an AI program funded by rich executive c*** who want to get profit from stealing other people’s work to feed into its algorithm machine. Know that by tuning into these films, or supporting other animated movies and shows, you’re rewarding actual animators and creators for their hard work and showing actual appreciation for their work instead of supporting pale imitations generated by code meant to plagiarize existing works.