Love Island USA's Jeremiah Ranks His Top 3 Studio Ghibli Films and Anime Series

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Love Island USA's Jeremiah Brown remembers visiting Cosmic Monkey Comics as a kid. His uncle Adam used to own the comic store in Portland, and it was a regular destination for Brown's family when they traveled from Washington to Oregon. For him and his two sisters, Cosmic Monkey Comics was also a personal kind of wonderland. "We'd get plushies, toys, comics," the former Islander recalled of the gifts from his uncle. "Amulet, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, even some manga like Naruto." Receiving manga frequently helped introduce Brown to the world of Japanese animation. That's why in Love Island USA Season 7, when fellow Islander Iris Kendall asked about his favorite movie, he didn't hesitate to say Ponyo. 

Kendall was the last contestant Brown coupled up with before he was dumped from the villa. For most of his time on Love Island USA, Brown was linked to Huda Mustafa. In fact, the pair coupled up on Day One and was criticized by the other Islanders for locking in too quickly. Yet when Brown decided to, in Love Island terms, explore new connections with Kendall and Andreina Santos, the other male Islanders continued to fault his approach. It was, to put it simply, a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. When Brown was announced as one of the contestants with the fewest votes from America on day 16, the boys on the island decided to eliminate him. 

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The elimination may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because Brown has received an outpour of love from Love Island fans since leaving the villa. He was surprised by this new popularity. "There was a couple days in [the villa] where I definitely was like, I'm probably getting cooked right now," he said. "Coming out, it's not about the numbers, but I would have never thought that it'd be this many people interested in my live[streams], interested in reading, interested in book club." 

He has launched the virtual book club "Jeremiah's Reading Room" on Instagram, which amassed more than 110K members and has set Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles as its first reading. "I read my whole life because of [my uncle]," he said. And thanks to the manga that were gifted, Brown has been a fan of anime since childhood. "I remember when it was so uncool to watch anime," he recalled. That changed in his high school years, when Brown noticed more of the "cool kids" embracing the medium. "I'm just happy that people can watch anime without being bullied for it."

After hearing Brown mention Ponyo on Love Island USA, TV Guide naturally had to ask the former Islander to rank his favorite Studio Ghibli films. "I have a top four, I don't even think I've seen five," he said. "I had a big three that I watched repeatedly as a kid, up 'til I was 16." 

Here are Jeremiah Brown's favorite Studio Ghibli films — and anime series. 

Top Studio Ghibli Films

1. Ponyo

"It's definitely Ponyo first, because that's the one I watched the most," Brown said. He adored the relationship between the titular character and Sōsuke. Plus, a number of the animation sequences from the 2008 fantasy live vividly in his mind. "I just remember the scenes of [Ponyo] trying the ham, or her running on water, or her trying to be a fish and a human at the same time," he said. "It's crazy, because she had a sorcerer father and a fish mom or something like that. And she went through trials and tribulations."

But there's another reason for this number one pick. "Honestly, it's also because I love Naruto," Brown said. And Ponyo's Sōsuke has a name that sounds similar to one of his favorite Naruto characters, Sasuke. 

2. My Neighbor Totoro 

Brown names My Neighbor Totoro, which released in 1988, as his second-favorite. "Because my uncle owned a comic book shop, we had Totoro candy, Totoro plush pillows, dolls, everything because I have two little sisters," he said. "So he would just give us Totoro care package[s]." There was no shortage of Totoro merch in their home — Brown even had a Catbus keychain.

3. Spirited Away

Widely considered as Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus, Spirited Away was also in Brown's rotation of repeatedly played films. That is, even though he was frightened by the 2001 coming-of-age story. "I remember being scared of Spirited Away for three years. I'd watch it be scared as hell," Brown shared. "And then watch it a year later, still be scared — like when the parents turn into the pigs, bro? Spirited Away still scares me." The character No Face also, in Brown's words, gave him the jitters. "The white mask. Yeah, I can't do it," he said with a shudder. The former Islander hasn't watched the film since high school, but hopes to revisit it soon. "I need to go back and watch it to actually, like, not be scared," he said. 

If Brown could include a fourth Studio Ghibli film on his list, it would be 1986's Castle in the Sky. "I've only seen [it] once. I know it was a sick concept — but I just can't remember much about it so I don't want to fake claim it," he said.

Top Anime Series

1. Naruto

Naruto is, according to Brown, the best anime of all time. He's watched all 220 episodes that aired between 2002 and 2007, and most of Naruto: Shippuden, which aired until 2017 and consists of 500 episodes. He emphasized having watched every single fight on YouTube.  

And of the show's ninjas, there is one he was particularly fond of. "I was Itachi for Halloween my freshman year of college and my sophomore year of college," Brown shared. "I had the Akatsuki cloak with the Naruto headband with a slash in it. There's pictures of me out there somewhere."

2. Hunter X Hunter

Growing up, Brown couldn't wait to go home to watch Hunter X Hunter. "The cast is literally perfect," he said of his number two anime. Brown loved the bond between main character Gon and his best friend Killua, and was also fascinated by the dynamic between the central Hunters and their enemies. Besides, many of the story's arcs left a strong impact on him. "The fighting [one] when they have to go through the towers, the Chimera Ant arc is phenomenal," Brown said. "And that game arc (Greed Island arc) was so peak."

3. Dragon Ball Z/One Punch Man

For third place, Brown named two shows. "I didn't see too much of Dragon Ball Z, but a lot of my lock screens were Dragon Ball Z," he said. "I'm gonna go, Dragon Ball Z slash One Punch Man because I love Genos. He's so cold, he just aura farms all day."

As for an anime series that is on Brown's watchlist? Jujutsu Kaisen, and he'd also like to watch Attack on Titan in its entirety. Brown has seen a few scenes, including Captain Erwin's exhilarating speech to the Scouts in the Return to Shiganshina arc. (Read about why Return to Shiganshina is one of the best anime arcs ever.) "When I go to the gym, there's an EDM mix of this speech," Brown said. "I listen to that when I work out."

Love Island USA Season 7 is available to stream on Peacock.