The 25+ Best PG Anime Movies For Kids And Families

Updated August 26, 2023 1.3K votes 355 voters

Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 25+ Best PG Anime Movies For Kids And Families

Voting Rules

Anime films rated PG-13.

The best PG anime movies are great for audiences of all ages, unlike super violent animes such as Attack on Titan. They provide a great introduction for viewers that have never seen anime ever before, and don’t require a big time commitment like TV shows. When it comes to which PG anime movies are the best, the general consensus is that Hayao Miyazaki creates some of the best PG anime films of all time. But are his works really the best? See what anime and film fans think in the rankings below.

Certainly, Miyazaki is a prolific creator, with plenty of classic anime movies under his belt over the last three decades. If you’ve ever heard of the movies Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, or Castle in the Sky, then you’ve heard of Miyazaki’s works. He typically both writes and directs his movies, which gives him much more creative control than other film directors.

In fact, there’s a story of Miyazaki sending Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein a samurai sword accompanied with a note saying “No cuts” in regards to the North American adaptation of Princess Mononoke. The reason being that Weinstein has a reputation of heavily cutting and editing movies for the sake of budget. When Miyazaki was asked whether or not the sword story was apocryphal, he responded that it was true with the exception being that it was his producer that sent the sword and not himself. No matter who sent the sword though, at least American audiences had the opportunity to see the movie as it was intended.

But this list isn’t just about Hayao Miyazaki—there are plenty of other gifted anime film producers and directors. One in particular is Satoshi Kon, who unfortunately passed while in the prime of his career. If you are a fan of Kon’s films, then vote for his best movies below.

If you don’t see a particular film listed below that you think qualifies as being among the best PG anime movie of all time, then please add it. Also, use this list if you're looking for some new anime movies that are rated PG. Between Netflix, Hulu and other services there are thousands of great anime movies rated PG, so get out there and start watching.

Hayao Miyazaki and Satoshi Kon have both directed a Anime PG film, as have other really creative and talented directors.

Most divisive: Digimon: The Movie

Ranked by

1
Spirited Away
215 votes
In this animated feature by noted Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, 10-year-old Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) and her parents (Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi) stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku (Miyu Irino), who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.
2
Howl's Moving Castle
183 votes
A young girl is forced to toil in her parents' hat shop and her only joy is in her occasional meetings with a handsome stranger, Howl the wizard. When a witch sees her happiness, she curses her to become old in a jealous rage. Ashamed and afraid, she flees to Howl's magic moving castle. Will Howl see her for who she really is?
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3
My Neighbor Totoro
94 votes
This acclaimed animated tale by director Hayao Miyazaki follows schoolgirl Satsuke and her younger sister, Mei, as they settle into an old country house with their father and wait for their mother to recover from an illness in an area hospital. As the sisters explore their new home, they encounter and befriend playful spirits in their house and the nearby forest, most notably the massive cuddly creature known as Totoro.
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4
Castle in the Sky
116 votes
Castle in the Sky is a 1986 Japanese animated adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and is also the first film produced and released by Studio Ghibli. The film was distributed by Toei Kabushiki Kaisha. Laputa: Castle in the Sky won the Animage Anime Grand Prix in 1986.
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5
Ponyo
84 votes
During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess encounters a human boy named Sosuke, who gives her the name Ponyo. Ponyo longs to become human, and as her friendship with Sosuke grows, she becomes more humanlike. Ponyo's father brings her back to their ocean kingdom, but so strong is Ponyo's wish to live on the surface that she breaks free, and in the process, spills a collection of magical elixirs that endanger Sosuke's village.
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6
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
98 votes
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Spirited Away

Howl's Moving Castle

My Neighbor Totoro

Castle in the Sky

Ponyo

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind