10 Healthiest, Most Admirable Studio Ghibli Couples We Can't Get Enough Of

Whenever a Studio Ghibli film has a romance arc, it serves a particular purpose that adds to the story. They are thoughtfully written with complex and varied characters. Studio Ghibli films have varied kinds of relationships, from first love romance to an established married couple raising children together.

Many Studio Ghibli couples have very healthy romances. Depicting so many healthy romantic couples ties in well with common themes in Ghibli films, like community, family, acceptance, and the magic of everyday life. That's not to say that all Studio Ghibli couples are perfect; some of the studio's best romances are between two flawed and hurt individuals. The beauty in those relationships is how the couple grows together into better people.

Fujimoto & Granmamare Love & Respect Each Other Deeply in Ponyo

Fujimoto Raises Their Children While Granmamare Upholds Her Sea Goddess Duties

Fujimoto lived out the gender-bent version of "The Little Mermaid" in Ponyo , except he got his happily ever after with his sea goddess wife. He happily gave up his life on land to live in the sea, devoting himself to ocean restoration and to his wife. Fujimoto and Granmamare may come from completely different worlds, but they found a way to make it work.

As the goddess of the sea and compassion, and as a sorcerer-scientist, Granmamare and Fujimoto also share common goals and ethics. Granmamare trusts that Fujimoto is raising their daughters while she sees to her goddess duties, and Fujimoto has the space and ability to restore ancient creatures in the ocean. They don't spend every day together as husband and wife, but it's plain that both spouses are very fulfilled in their marriage and in their life purposes.

Gina & Porco Have a Steadfast Love for One Another in Porco Rosso

The Couple Waits for Each Other in a Complex Time

Madame Gina and Porco obviously have tender feelings for each other, but they remain unspoken and unactualized for the majority of Porco Rosso . It's understandable because they live in a complex, war-torn time. Gina and Porco have complicated concerns beyond romance, but the seeds of a love story are still there.

Gina and Porco have many opportunities, but they steadfastly wait for one another. The fact that they can both wait until the time is right really speaks to the sincerity of their mutual feelings. Porco Rosso is a highly metaphorical film about war, pain, and hope, and Porco and Gina are a lovely example of how love can grow fully after a person heals.

Prince Lune & Yuki Have a Gentle Love Story in The Cat Returns

Prince Lune Can't Wait to Announce His Future Bride

In The Cat Returns , the Cat King wants to find a bride for his song, Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom. Little does he know, Prince Lune has already found a bride for himself. Prince Lune's relationship with Yuki is a total love match and seems to have developed slowly and intentionally.

Yuki is technically far below Prince Lune's station, as a servant of the king's household. Prince Lune cares nothing about the class difference, of course. What makes them a perfect match is their similarly kind personalities. They share the same sense of compassion, responsibility, and respectful natures. Yuki and Prince Lune keep their relationship a secret for a short while, but Prince Lune finds ways to show Yuki that he cares by giving her tokens and signs of his affection. They carefully plan to bring their engagement public, and both seem very confident in their relationship.

Ashitaka & San Learn to Work Together in Princess Mononoke

Ashitaka Is Sure That San Is His Match from the Start

San and Ashitaka begin as enemies, of sorts, in Princess Mononoke . Since Ashitaka is a human loosely associated with the folk of Irontown, the daughter of the forest, San, considers him a direct threat to her and her home. Slowly, San realizes that Ashitaka's goal is to stop the violence, and though their methods and philosophies differ, their motives are the same.

San and Ashitaka have a subtle romance, mostly left to subtext. Minor characters mention Ashitaka's feelings for San, and Ashitaka doesn't deny those statements. Their relationship begins as contentious because of the war-ridden world they live in, but over the course of the film, they become allies and friends who truly trust each other. Princess Mononoke leaves off on a realistic note where they don't ride off into the sunset together, but San quietly accepts a token of engagement from Ashitaka , and the two promise to meet again after they settle their people post-war.

Shizuku & Seiji Share Creative & Artistic Ambitions in Whisper of the Heart

Seiji Finds a Creative Way to Get Shizuku's Attention

Seiji admires Shizuku from afar at the beginning of Whisper of the Heart . He likes that she's such an avid reader and that she's serious about honing her own creative writing skills. He finds an amusing way to get her attention by checking out all the books in their school library, giving her an amusing mystery to unravel.

When Shizuku mistakes Seiji's meaning at first and gets short with him, Seiji doesn't take it personally. He clears the air and makes his intentions clear, and Shizuku realizes how much the two of them have in common. Seiji and Shizuku are a meeting of like minds, as Shakespeare would say. For such a young couple, they have an easy way of speaking their minds and talking about the future without forcing the issue.

Howl & Sophie Grow Together Through Their Insecurities in Howl's Moving Castle

Sophie Falls in Love with Howl as He Matures

At the beginning of Howl's Moving Castle , Howl is a flawed and immature person, though he is rather charming and entertaining. Sophie Hatter is also immediately admirable, but she has insecurities that she needs to work through. Sophie and Howl grow as individuals when fate and a few curses throw them together in Howl's rambling, enchanted castle.

Howl loves Sophie from the very start, but he doesn't make his feelings plain until much later, when they establish a true friendship. Sophie begins to trust Howl when he finds his courage and a true sense of self. He grows as a person when he values more about himself than his looks. Sophie also works through her own insecurities, letting herself depend on others and trusting them with her feelings.

Taeko Learns from Toshio's Perspective in Only Yesterday

Taeko Goes Back to the Countryside to Find Herself

Only Yesterday is one of Studio Ghibli's most beautiful and underrated films. It's a very quiet, character-driven film, following a young woman named Taeko. Taeko lives in the city, which is very different from the traumas and frustrations of her small-town countryside childhood. Her life in the city is rather stressful, though, and when she goes back to her countryside home, she gains a new perspective.

Meeting a family friend her age named Toshio is integral to Taeko's new perspective. Toshio is a wise, kind, and self-actualized person who is very happy with the life he's established for himself. Only Yesterday is an introspective film about how Taeko takes account of who she is as a person, and who she was as a child when her dreams were the purest and least limited. Those dreams synthesize with her more mature adult self, leading her to fall in love with Toshio and want to build a life with him.

Fukuo & Osono Work Together Happily & Peacefully in Kiki's Delivery Service

The Baker Couple Enjoy Their Daily Routine

Fukuo and Osono aren't the main characters of Kiki's Delivery Service , but they are memorable, fan-favorite characters. Osono is integral to Kiki's story because she gives the young witch protagonist a place to stay and operate her delivery service out of. Fukuo is Osono's husband, and together they run their bakery every day.

Fukuo doesn't speak much like his expressive wife does, but it's clear by his expressions and deeds that he's a very happy, content person. Kiki meets Osono and Fukuo as they're about to welcome their first baby. By the end of Kiki's Delivery Service , Osono stands next to Fukuo as he feeds their newborn son his bottle. They are a sweet example of an established couple in a new phase of married life.

Yasuko & Tatsuo Raise Their Daughters Thoughtfully in My Neighbor Totoro

The Married Couple Find Ways to Connect

My Neighbor Totoro takes place when Tatsuo and Yasuko are going through a difficult health challenge. Tatsuo moves to the countryside along with their young daughters, Satsuki and Mei, so that they can be close to Yasuko while she recovers from a long-term illness in the hospital. The short scenes and bits of communication between Tatsuo and Yasuko are very telling, though.

Tatsuo and Yasuko raise their daughters with kindness and open-mindedness, encouraging the girls' creativity and curiosity. Even though the married couple doesn't get to see each other very often, they make the most of the time when they do get to see each other. Illness can happen to any person, but Tatsuo and Yasuko plainly gather strength from their relationship as they weather through Yasuko's illness together.

Jiro Joins His Life with Nahoko in The Wind Rises

Nahoko & Jiro Appreciate Every Moment Together

Jiro and Nahoko are very sure about their feelings for each other in The Wind Rises . The Wind Rises is a WW2 historical that doesn't shy away from the travesties of war, and its romance is a bittersweet highlight to the story. Jiro's propensity to love brings hope and humanity to a story of war and corruption.

Nahoko warns Jiro that she's sick and considers putting off marriage until she recovers. Jiro's acceptance of whatever comes sets a standard that everyone should look toward. Jiro and Nahoko communicate with each other beautifully and appreciate every moment that they have together.