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2 days ago · The Tomatometer takes on the best anime movies of all time! That means we’re ranking everything from the feverishly dark 1980s/1990s films (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll), to the...
- Only Yesterday
Play trailer Only Yesterday Released Jan 1, 2016 1h 58m...
- The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Diptansu C Just completed watching "The Tale of Princess...
- Only Yesterday
- Your Name (Kimi no Na wa.) (2016) Director: Makoto Shinkai | Studio: CoMix Wave Films. MAL Score: 9.39, Ranked: #1. It may be very new, but the fact that Kimi no Na wa is already the #1 rated anime of all time shows what a phenomenon this new movie has been.
- A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi) (2016) Director: Naoko Yamada | Studio: Kyoto Animation. MAL Score: 9.07, Ranked: #12. It's not just Kimi no Na wa that has been making waves in Japan.
- Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) (2001) Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Studio: Studio Ghibli. MAL Score: 8.93, Ranked: #15. Might as well get the obvious one out of the way first.
- Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka) (1988) Director: Isao Takahata | Studio: Studio Ghibli. MAL Score: 8.58, Ranked: #71. Although I have my rule of only one movie per director, that doesn't mean I can't pick another Studio Ghibli movie.
- Spirited Away (2001) Film. Animation. Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland shot through with revealing economic anxieties, Hayao Miyazaki’s smash hit—the most commercially successful movie (animated or otherwise) in Japanese history—is dense enough to fuel a dozen dissertations.
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Film. Animation. Released in the U.S. in 1993, this instant animation classic about two sisters and their adventures with a goofy-looking forest spirit is the most kid-friendly Studio Ghibli film, as well as one of the most beautiful.
- Akira (1988) Film. Animation. In terms of influence, there may be no more important film in anime history than writer-director Katsuhiro Otomo’s adaptation of his own manga – it might even be the most significant non-Disney animated film of the ’80s.
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Film. Animation. One of the best-known Ghibli films, this somber drama examines the aftermath of WWII, following the plight of two orphaned kids seeking their family and a meal.
- 49 'Pom Poko'
- 48 'When Marnie Was There'
- 47 'Ride Your Wave'
- 46 'Suzume'
- 45 'Kiki’S Delivery Service'
- 44 'Memories'
- 'Evangelion: 2.0 You Can
- 42 'Tekkonkinkreet'
- 41 'Ponyo'
- 40 'On-Gaku: Our Sound'
Directed by Isao Takahata
On the surface, you might not expect Pom Poko to be a particularly sad Studio Ghibli movie, because it’s about shape-shifting raccoons waging war on the human race due to how the latter decimates the land the former lives on. It gets pretty strange and goofy at times, but it also unpacks environmental themes seriously, and doesn’t shy away from highlighting the environmental devastation the main characters deal with. At two hours long, and with some strangely paced moments, it’s not the most...
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
When Marnie Was There begins a little like The Secret World of Arrietty, with an unwell young character going to live in a new place and meeting someone unexpected, kicking off something of a fantastical adventure. But with When Marnie Was There, there are no tiny people, with the person here instead – the titular Marnie – being someone mysterious who may be real, or could just be a figment of the protagonist’s imagination. It's up there as one of the best anime films of the past couple of de...
Directed by Masaaki Yuasa
Showing that Studio Ghibli isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to anime movies, the Science Saru-produced Ride Your Wave is creative and visually distinct, not to mention novel when it comes to the story it tells. In fact, describing that story feels like doing the movie a disservice. It’s something of an animated romantic dramedy, and does contain some interesting fantasy elements, though describing them would force one to wade into spoiler territory. It's very good in the end, and su...
Directed by Makoto Shinkai
Suzume was an immensely successful anime film from 2022, and deservedly so, clearly having a massive amount of appeal owing to its striking visuals, moving thematic content unpacking grief and loss, and entertaining narrative. Said narrative involves a teenage girl getting involved in saving Japan from a large worm that causes earthquakes. Also, her would-be companion is turned into a chair that can walk, staying that way for most of the movie. It has some unusual elements and can be funny an...
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
An excellent fantasy movie by Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki’s Delivery Servicemight not get quite as much love as other films by the legendary Japanese filmmaker, but it’s still worthy of its classic status. It’s about a young woman dealing with life on her own for the first time… and she’s also a witch, which makes her stand out and adds further to the feelings of isolation she has. Kiki’s Delivery Service, despite its fantastical elements, also works as a surprisingly grounded narrative about coming...
Directed by Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Tensai Okamura
There are a total of three stories featured throughout Memories, a unique and rather underrated anthology film from 1995. The first leans toward horror/mystery, the second is a darkly funny science fiction story, and then the third also feels like sci-fi with a satirical spin, only in a bleaker and more unnerving way. No one could fault Memories for being derivative or predictable, and even though each of its three segments can be defined as belonging to the sci-fi genre, each part offers som...
Directed by Hideaki Anno
Anyone who enjoys fiction that explores existentialist themes is likely well aware of Neon Genesis Evangelion, a groundbreaking and endlessly compelling anime series that first aired in 1995 and 1996. Evangelion has since become a franchise that stretches well beyond the original series, and was reimagined/rebooted in the form of four movies released between 2007 and 2021 that are known as the Rebuild of Evangelionseries. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance isn’t quite the best of these, bu...
Directed by Michael Arias
An eye-popping animated crime movie, Tekkonkinkreetis strange, dizzying, and sometimes overwhelming as a viewing experience, but it’s nevertheless compelling and more than a little underappreciated. It’s about two young boys living in a giant metropolis, both trying to get by in their own ways and eventually clashing with a powerful corporation that wants to reconstruct much of the town, all in the pursuit of profit. The narrative sometimes feels secondary in Tekkonkinkreet, but the sensation...
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
By 2008, Hayao Miyazaki was well-established as a filmmaker who’d basically mastered the fantasy genre, with Ponyo just making that clearer than ever before. It’s a modern fairytale that’s perhaps the director’s most family-friendly movie to date, but not in a way that will turn off older viewers. There’s something to be enjoyed for everyone within Ponyo, regardless of age. Plot-wise, Ponyo revolves around a young boy meeting a strange goldfish with a surprising history, and the two end up go...
Directed by Kenji Iwaisawa
The plot of On-Gaku: Our Soundis gleefully simple, centering on three friends who don’t seem to be doing much in life, and one day collectively agree to start a band together. They do this despite not having much by way of musical experience, but take their inexperience and turn it into a strength, playing minimal, basic music that ends up feeling very punk, in a way. As a film, On-Gaku: Our Sound overall also has a punk spirit, with limited but striking animation, little concern about tellin...
- Jeremy Urquhart
- 50
- 2 min
Feb 14, 2024 · From Studio Ghibli classics to gems like Paprika: here's the best anime movies ever, including Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away and Makoto Shinkai's Your Name.
- 2 min
Oct 18, 2024 · Because anime isn't just big eyes and spiky hair – from psychological thrillers to folklore fantasies, historical biographies to post-apocalyptic futures, and sombre dramas to riotous adventures,...
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Feb 1, 2024 · Some of the most beloved and acclaimed anime films include Hayao Miyazaki's masterpieces like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children and Summer Wars, Makoto Shinkai's Your Name and Suzume and Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue and Paprika.
