There’s endless creativity and innovation produced by the anime industry and each year brings more exciting projects to life. There are hundreds of new anime series to consume, which might seem like an exhausting prospect, but there’s a more reasonable selection of content that’s present in anime feature films. Larger budgets, talent, and storytelling scope often allow anime movies to connect on a greater level than television series, but some genres are easier to translate to the screen than others.
The biggest anime movies usually embrace more dramatic narratives, but there are still lots of anime feature films that make comedy their priority. There are some truly hilarious anime movies that are out there, but some of these projects generate even greater laughs for older audiences.
10 Osomatsu-San: The Movie Finds Strength In Pushing Its Characters Towards Change
Osomatsu-san is a delirious update of the Osomatsu-kun anime series from the 1960s and ‘80s, with a more adult perspective as the central Matsuno sextuplets are pushed into their late teen years. Osomatsu is perfectly content to follow the aimless activities of these brothers as they embrace their uselessness. Osomatsu-san: The Movie forces these sibling slackers to reckon with their future selves and decide once and for all what they want to do with their lives. There’s non-stop lunacy on display in this feature film, but it’s also not afraid to explore deeper territory when it comes to these characters.
9 Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya Is Pure Comedy Chaos
Gintama will forever hold the title as one of the most hilarious and consistent anime series of all time. Its extensive run has very few weak spots. Gintama’s first movie recaps events from the anime, while the third film functions as the series’ grand finale, which allows the second movie, Be Forever Yorozuya, to stand out as the funniest and purest distillation of Gintama’s insanity. The movie utilizes a fantastic time jump formula that turns Gintoki into an outsider. A lot of surface level jokes occur, but there’s a more eccentric tone that will connect with older audiences, like the film’s extended introduction on movie piracy.
8 The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl Celebrates The Spontaneity Of Adulthood
Every single one of Masaaki Yuasa's anime productions are staggering works of art and The Night is Short, Walk on Girl feels like his most unrestrained feature film. The movie innocently follows a university student's night out on the town, which gradually includes a wider net of eccentric characters and unexpected surprises.
There's such a wholesome energy to the movie and it's a beautiful encapsulation of embracing an evening's energy and seeing where it will lead. The motives that drive the movie’s characters will resonate more with older audiences who have experienced similar malaise and excitement.
7 Tokyo Godfathers’ Tender Humor Benefits From Those Who Have Lived A Long Life
Tokyo Godfathers may not be traditionally viewed as a comedy, but it shines a light on a fascinating trio of individuals who have been discarded by society, yet the movie constantly reinforces their humanity and the odd optimism that surrounds them. Tokyo Godfathers comes from Satoshi Kon, who is known for more psychologically draining narratives like Perfect Blue or Paranoia Agent, which helps turn this gentle Christmas movie into one of his sweeter stories. There’s an inherent darkness that surrounds these three vagrants, but the way in which they’re all enchanted after they find a missing baby opens the movie up to such a tender and earnest comedy.
6 Mind Game Is A Sprawling Descent Into Madness
Mind Game is technically an anime anthology film, but it's distinctly its own entity. It applies a visually dissonant and unconventional approach to its storytelling, all of which turns the bewildering experiment into a mandatory piece of anime. An earnest man's night out spirals out of control to the point where it seems like the whole world is after him. Mind Game tells one ongoing story, but it's presented through wildly unique animation styles, which give the film its true charm. It's this heightened sense of artistry that also complements the movie's comedy, both of which require multiple viewings to properly deconstruct.
5 Porco Rocco Uses Friendly Figures To Explore Mature Themes
Hayao Miyazaki's contributions to the anime industry are nothing short of incredible. Miyazaki has an amazing capacity to tell universal stories that are full of friendly characters and fantastical concepts that appeal to children, yet are often filtered through mature themes.
Porco Rosso tows this line exceptionally well with a story set in 1930s Italy where a World War I pro pilot takes on a skybound menace, only he's been turned into a pig. Porco Rosso's swine nature works to bring in the children, but the heavier jokes that the movie makes about identity, helplessness, and the war, certainly resonate more with an older crowd.
4 Lupin III Vs Detective Conan: The Movie Relishes Its Spy Versus Spy Chaos
Crossovers have become more popular in recent years, with no end in sight. Lupin III and Detective Conan are two of Japan's longest running series, both of which apply unconventional approaches to detective work and crime fiction. Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie sets Conan Edagawa's sights on the notorious gentleman thief and the results are extremely satisfying for fans of both franchises. There's an engaging mystery at the core of the film, but the jokes that dig deep into the lore of both franchises are meant for the older crowds that have grown up with these series.
3 Hayate The Combat Butler!: Heaven Is A Place On Earth Gets To The Bottom Of Love
Hayate the Combat Butler! is an entertaining mix of action and comedy. Hayate Ayasaki gets dealt an incredibly poor lot in life after his parents abandon him and leave him with a hefty debt that seems impossible to repay. The trajectory that this pushes Hayate down is so much fun and the series' movie, Heaven is a Place on Earth, specifically focuses on the bond between Hayate and Nagi. The summer vacation aesthetic to the movie makes it feel like it's designed for young audiences, but there are some surprisingly heavy ideas in play as supernatural forces work to separate Hayate and Nagi.
2 Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint it, White! Introduces A Hefty Extraterrestrial Threat
Hetalia Axis Powers is an extremely weird anime series where different nations become anthropomorphic figures in order to present wars and global conquest in a thoroughly strange manner. The broad nature of the anime's characters and humor make the program accessible, but it also expects a certain level of understanding when it comes to global geography and world history. The anime's corresponding movie, Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint It, White!, sets the different nations up against whitewashing aliens. The movie's aliens generate some excellent laughs, but it's still a story that adults will get more from.
1 K-On! The Movie Allows The Light Music Club To Go Out With Class
K-On! is a humble anime series that was able to win over audience's hearts by its warm and considerate look at five girls who form their school's Light Music Club. The K-On! anime is an elegant look into the quaint nature of this recreational club. K-On! The Movie sends the Light Music Club to London for their final performance and it's such a glorious celebration of their friendship. The concluding nature of the movie does make it skew a little older and a lot of the jokes and story beats work better for those that have gone through their own rites of passage in the past.