Animation has taken leaps and bounds forward over the past decades, but there are endlessly unique genres and styles of stories that are exclusive to anime. Anime has a tremendous capacity to combine emotional storytelling with stunning visuals and subversive themes, but the medium can become even more diverse when it’s split between anime feature films and television series.
Anime series can become the industry’s focal point since they accrue hundreds of episodes. However, anime movies can tap into a greater level of artistry in a more condensed manner. Some polarizing and controversial anime movies exist, but a lot of these powerful stories deserve to be experienced at least once before the audience makes up their minds.
10 Grave Of The Fireflies Explores A Brutal Topic Through A Sorrowful Structure
Studio Ghibli is one of the most revered animation studios. They've built a reputation for bright and colorful fantasy stories, largely because of Hayao Miyazaki's totemic cinematic contributions. Grave of the Fireflies is a Ghibli effort from the early 1990s from Isao Takahata that tells a gutting story, but one that deserves to be experienced at least once. The movie is a bleak tone poem on the needless nature of war and the horrors of humanity as two young siblings struggle to survive against the tumultuous backdrop of World War II. The earnest innocence that filters these children's understanding of all of this pain is heartbreaking.
9 Perfect Blue Hits Hard & Will Get Under The Viewer’s Skin
Satoshi Kon was a true anime visionary who passed away far too early, but was still able to leave an undeniable mark on the industry. All of Kon’s major pieces of work — Paprika, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and his anime series, Paranoia Agent — are held in extremely high regard. However, it’s Perfect Blue that’s left behind the biggest legacy. Many of Kon’s projects become haunting character studies that lean into psychological horror. Perfect Blue looks at a former pop idol who transitions into acting and feels her identity begin to unravel as a stalker closes in on them. Perfect Blue is a tense ride that’s too much for some, but its message and themes are incredibly powerful.
8 The Rebuild Of Evangelion Quadrilogy Is A Lynchian Masterpiece Of Storytelling
Neon Genesis Evangelion remains one of the most talked-about anime series of all time. It's proof of how a humble mecha series can transform into a nihilistic, introspective apocalypse of the soul. Part of the magic of Evangelion is how Hideaki Anno’s own crippling depression takes hold of the narrative.
Accordingly, the feature film conclusion, End of Evangelion, is an unconventional and personal expression of beauty. To go one step further, a quadrilogy of Rebuild movies retells the events of the anime series, but with a wildly different conclusion. These Rebuild of Evangelion movies might confound some newcomers, but they’re representative of an important journey.
7 Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Is A Strong Sampler For The Anime Series’ Magic
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has two seasons under its belt, but it’s already become one of the biggest shonen series of the decade. The anime’s first feature film, Mugen Train, broke box office records in Japan and became a breakthrough hit for both passionate fans and complete newcomers. There’s a tight, contained story that caters to exaggerated battle sequences, but Mugen Train is still entrenched in the deeper Demon Slayer lore. That being said, there’s amazing animation on display and the movie has turned into a cultural landmark.
6 I Want To Eat Your Pancreas Is A Gutting Tearjerker With A Human Message
One area in which anime movies are routinely able to excel is sad coming-of-age stories that push characters to their breaking points. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas doesn't hide its melancholy trajectory and there's a ticking clock that gets closer to grief with each second. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas embraces life’s somber tragedies, which makes it a deeply painful story. Haruki genuinely matures as a person and the lessons that he learns are beautiful, but it's also too sad for a lot of people to repeatedly watch.
5 The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl Is A Kaleidoscopic Fever Dream Of Passion
Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most exciting names who is currently working in the anime industry. All of Yuasa’s movies and TV series become anime events and he’s become a mainstream name thanks to feature films like Mind Game, Ride Your Wave, and Lu Over the Wall.
The Night is Short, Walk on Girl is easily Yuasa’s most complex and unconventional project due to its stream of consciousness-like structure. A delirious night of adventure plays out while passionate characters open up their minds and their hearts. The Night is Short, Walk on Girl is too strange and unpredictable for some, but its magical journey is one that everyone should take at least once.
4 A Silent Voice Tells A Savage Story That Slowly Turns Sweet
A lot of anime feature films get lost in sad stories that intentionally pull at the audience's heartstrings. This can sometimes feel manipulative, but there are also movies like A Silent Voice, which leave the viewer feeling inspired with newly opened eyes. A Silent Voice examines the tender friendship that forms between a girl with a hearing impairment and her former bully, who now wishes to atone for his immature past. The story in A Silent Voice is so pure that it has the power to turn any bully into an ally. However, it still deals with dark themes and suicidal thoughts, which turn it into a heavy ride.
3 Redline Is An Out-Of-Control Space Race That Dazzles With Its Visuals
The unique visual flourishes that dominate anime mean that they can sometimes produce beautiful projects that are more style over substance. Some of the most compelling anime movies are the ones that toe the line in this department as they bombard the audience with extreme images. Redline is an anime movie that’s about a high-stakes galactic race for incredible riches. Characters and plotting are content to lean into stereotypes while the visuals work overtime to create an adrenaline-pumping experience. Redline’s thin foundation keeps it from being an all-time classic, but it makes for an easy watch that explodes with passion.
2 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Is An Accessible Prequel To Shonen’s Next Big Hit
Jujutsu Kaisen is the latest shonen hit; the series effortlessly combines kinetic action sequences with terrifying monsters and a heavy horror influence. The runaway success of Jujutsu Kaisen makes a feature film come as no surprise, but the movie operates as a prequel to the anime series. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 thrives with its meticulous animation and the diverse powers that are in play, but the film’s prequel status also means that those with zero Jujutsu Kaisen experience can still appreciate its story. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is the perfect entry point for those who are curious about the popular new anime series, but it’s also a low-impact commitment if it happens to fall flat.
1 Akira Is An Important Piece Of Cinema That Everyone Needs To Experience
Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira is more than three decades' old, yet it features meticulous and stylized animation that allows it to easily hold its own against any modern anime movie. Akira has become one of the foundational anime cyberpunk stories and its future dystopia and the corrupt government feel more prescient with each passing year. Akira is the rare anime movie that's transcended the medium and even those that avoid the medium of animation have an awareness of its look and legacy. Akira has left such a mark on pop culture that it should be mandatory viewing even for those that hate action and science fiction.