Favorite Ghibli heroine/leading lady?

For some reason this morning I thought it would be fun to get people's opinions on this. I'll list all the heroines and give my opinions on them and then pick a favorite since I pretty much love all of them, but if you know who your favorite is right away, just say so.

Nausicaa (from "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind") - She is kind, brave, physically strong, and very emotionally sensitive to others and the environment around her. Above all, she is a born leader. I also get the impression that she is beautiful. Her one fault is that she acts rashly sometimes, and that just makes it harder for her to get things done, but I'd have a temper too if people acted as obnoxiously as they sometimes do in this movie (for example, the Pejites locking her up and not respecting the fact that there were innocent people in the Valley whose lives would be lost when the ohmu stampeded).

Sheeta (from "Castle in the Sky") - She is very, very brave, pretty, and smart, but she is emotionally a little too weepy - she has trouble keeping her cool in frustrating or dangerous situations (like being trapped at the fortress or in Laputa's throne room), unlike Pazu. However, she survives those situations with her braveness and can really take action when she wants to. As for her relationship with Pazu, I like it. It's a friendship that works well and is believable because they go through so much together.

Satsuki (from "My Neighbor Totoro") - Very mature for her age. She runs for who-knows-how-many miles to find her lost little sister and isn't afraid to ask for help when she really needs it. She is also intelligent and will probably be considered a beauty when she is grown. However, she did overreact to the telegram about her mother, even when her father told her it probably was not a big deal. I also don't like how she takes her fear out on her little sister. I'm a little sister, and that can really hurt. Other than that, I like the relationship she has with Mei.

Kiki (from "Kiki's Delivery Service") - She is very independent but perhaps a little too much so - she is afraid to ask for help from anyone. Independence does not and should not come too suddenly - it is something that has to come gradually, and Kiki unfortunately wants it all at once. Another fault of hers is that she is a little bit clumsy - she flies so high that that gust of wind causes the toy she's delivering to fall out of the cage. That wouldn't have happened if she had had better judgement. As for her good points, one of them is that she does not expect to live at the bakery for free - she agrees to earn her keep. She also is generally very friendly to others but has a little bit of trouble adjusting due to the culture shock of being in a big city. Speaking of which, I like the way her relationship with Tombo develops. It goes from awkward to not-at-all awkward.

Taeko (from "Only Yesterday") - She is spoiled and bratty as a child but turns out to be a hardworking, friendly, independent adult who is just still trying to figure out who she is as an adult - whether she belongs in the country or the city. Overall, a great character. Maybe not the most attractive woman, but I can certainly see what Toshio (I think that's his name???) sees in her.

Fio (from "Porco Rosso") - Hardworking, friendly, loyal, VERY smart and talented. Her weak points are her stubbornness, although that really ends up working in her favor, and her impulsiveness. In terms of her personal relationships, I like how she is able to befriend just about anyone, even the pirates!

Rikako (from "Ocean Waves") - Arrogant, spoiled, and a bit of a liar (if I remember correctly - I've not seen this movie as much as I would like due to it not being widely available in the U.S.), but beautiful. I do not see much to like about her, but I guess it is hard being a teenager trying to adjust to a totally new environment. But to me, that does not excuse the way she treated the two leading men, expecting them to care about her when she insults them and their hometown.

Shizuku (from "Whisper of the Heart") - Impulsive and tempermental, but learns her lesson in the end. She's full of love and loyalty and is hard-working, but can be a little mean sometimes. I like that she follows her dreams and the way she comes to respect Seiji. I think the romance came on a little suddenly, though.

San (from "Princess Mononoke") - Very physically adept and absolutely respectful of nature, but unable to see both sides of the conflict and how violence just begets more violence. She's also suicidally brave, which I take as a negative trait because it does no good to die and accomplish nothing. I don't like the fact that she and Ashitaka fall in love - I feel like they should just be good friends; they seem too different to be lovers.

Chihiro (from "Spirited Away") - Spoiled and whiny, but very brave. She is also loyal to her friends and family and sees the best in everyone, even if they're a mean old witch or a man-eating monster. She tries to help them bring out the best in themselves. I also like her relationship with Haku.

Haru (from "The Cat Returns") - Smart, loyal to her mom and to her friends, but not the bravest of these women. Perhaps a little too cutesy. And the fact that she has a "crush" on the Baron at the end is just weird (at least, in the English version)!

Sophie (from "Howl's Moving Castle") - Possibly the bravest of the Ghibli women, she forces herself not to panic when the Witch of the Waste turns her into an old lady and instead takes action by leaving home. She also displayed her courage when she went alone to the palace to visit Madame Suliman, and to tell her bad news, no less. She's also beautiful and secretly a romantic. She's very loyal to Howl and Michael as well as to her family, but she's a little stubborn. Her stubbornness is really the heart of her negative traits - if she's ever not friendly, it's for a good reason (except with the scarecrow - she should have been more friendly there). I LOVE her relationship with Howl and totally buy their falling in love.

Therru (from "Tales from Earthsea") - She doesn't even thank Arren for saving her life! As with San, I respect her love of nature and life in general, but I think she's a too distrustful and angry. I'll have to watch this movie again sometime...it's been a while. Anyway, I'm glad that she doesn't become the prince's love interest.

Ponyo (from "Ponyo") - From what I can remember, she doesn't actually have much dialogue, but among her good traits are friendliness, gentleness, and curiosity. Her negative traits are stubbornness and disobedience. I don't think buy her relationship with the little boy and his mother, either. Why did she pick them? Again, It's been a while since I've seen this, so I'll have to watch it again to see if I feel any different now.

It's a hard decision, but I'd say my favorite Ghibli leading lady is Sophie. I don't relate to her the most out of all of them, but she just seems like the perfect heroine to me - she helps Howl, Michael, and Calcifer just as much as they help her. I understand why she would want to stay with them forever.

Thoughts? Go ahead!

Dare you trust the music of the night?