Where I live it seems some rainy days are approaching, and if this is true for you too, you may be in need of some movie suggestions. Although we are all stuck inside most of the time regardless of the weather, it's still nice to relax and destress with a great movie and a cup of tea on a rainy day. My recommendation for today is not for just one specific movie, but rather a suggestion to watch all the movies created by Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is a filmmaker, a screenwriter, an author, a manga artist, an animator, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli and in my opinion, a complete genius.

Some people are turned off by the idea of watching anime or animation, but Miyazaki's films are unlike almost anything I have ever seen. His images are beautifully vivid, utterly peaceful, and wildly creative. His storylines draw you in, and most take place in fantastical worlds with Kings, Queens, Princesses, floating and walking castles, incredible airships, curses, witches, cute animals and brave heroines. Most of Miyazaki's leading characters are female, another aspect of his work that I love. Each movie contains layers of plot: romance and family love, war and battle, and at the heart of it all, tales of the difficulties of growing up and becoming independent.

My personal favorite is "Spirited Away," the story of a young girl who stumbles into a spirit world and must figure out a way to undo the curse on her parents that has turned them into pigs. She is guided by the help of a strangely familiar dragon boy named Haku as well as other friends she meets along the way. My favorite part of this movie is watching Chihiro, the young girl, transform from a whiny, needy young girl into a smart, mature, and independent young adult.

Another favorite of mine is "Howls Moving Castle." In this movie a young, shy, girl named Sophie is transformed into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste, and in horror she flees the only home she has ever known as she is too ashamed to face her family. Sophie begins to work as the housecleaner for a handsome and wild young Wizard, Howl, and seems more comfortable with her older body than she ever did with her young one. Meanwhile, a horrible war rages on between kingdoms, and the King demands that Howl report for duty. Sophie befriends Howl's roommates and even eventually the Witch who cursed her. She learns more about Howl's dark secrets of the past and begins to fall in love with him. This movie is the story of a group of people who become a family by circumstance, and explores the insecurities of a young girl as well as the morals of pointless war.

Other great options are "My Neighbor Totoro," "Castle in the Sky," "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Naussicaä of the Valley of the Wind," "Princess Mononoke," and more. Enjoy the experience.