When comparing Japanese anime to Western cartoons, it's easy to see the visual differences between the two. Anime puts more effort into the drawings, and even in their movies, there's still an adherence to hand-drawn characters and movements. Western cartoon movies just don't have the same spirit, and they embrace a different aesthetic since the majority utilize 3D animation.
Anime's embrace of traditional 2D animation helps build an enthusiastic fandom around the medium. Even poor storylines or characters can easily be saved by impressive animation. The majority of anime movies have a lot to offer die-hard animation fans, but there are certain movies that go the extra mile with their visuals.
Updated on April 3, 2023 by Kennedy King: High-quality animation has been a major part of the anime landscape since the 1980s, but as of late, the visual standard for theatrical releases has reached an all-time high. Each year, countless new films debut that challenge the conventions of the medium, resulting in a constant stream of increasingly impressive titles — many of which have earned international acclaim for their artistic contributions.
20 Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Runtime: 100 Minutes
The Dragon Ball franchise has produced over 20 movies, but until the 2018 release, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, none of these films were considered part of the series' canon. Unsurprisingly, Toei Animation went all-out in celebration of this milestone, and as a result, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is easily the best-animated product in Dragon Ball history.
Many long-time fans of the Z Fighters remember the group's battle against Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan, in the berserker's original trilogy of films. However, given the gorgeous fight sequences seen throughout Dragon Ball Super's reimagining of the character, these older films pale in comparison.
19 One Piece Film: Red
Runtime: 115 Minutes
One Piece is an anime staple for many anime fans, and after more than two decades, the anime has led to the release of over 1000 episodes and 15 feature films. Despite how One Piece movies are a regular occurrence, 2022's latest entry, One Piece Film: Red, has broken box office records and redefined what a One Piece film can be.
Focused on Shanks and his idol daughter, Uta, Film: Red is more of a concert film than the standard action extravaganza. That being said, Uta's musical performances feature dazzling visuals that subtly incorporate 3D CG into the film in ways that accentuate her bold performances.
18 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Runtime: 99 Minutes
Loosely based on a 1967 novel of the same name, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a charming coming-of-age drama that immediately won over audiences upon its release in 2006. The film focuses on the story of Makoto Konno, a 17-year-old high school student who mysteriously gains the ability to time travel — albeit only a limited number of times.
Madhouse Studios has made a name for itself by animating syndicated television programs like Death Note, One-Punch Man, and Hunter x Hunter, but there's a strong argument that The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is their most impressive work to date. Although the film's character designs are fairly understated, the detailed cityscape of its setting (Tokyo, Japan) is nuanced enough to justify an immediate rewatch of this movie.
17 Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time
Runtime: 155 Minutes
Popular anime series regularly get remade as movies, but Hideaki Anno's Rebuild of Evangelion has become an atypical entity that's fitting for the challenging mecha series. Audiences were waiting close to a decade for Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time, the fourth and concluding chapter in this saga.
Thrice Upon A Time provides satisfying closure and a surprisingly optimistic ending for Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. Furthermore, the animation is incredible and the best that Evangelion has ever looked. The final battle between Shinji and Gendo is a meta celebration of the series that works as well as it does because of the top-tier animation.
16 Promare
Runtime: 111 Minutes
Studio TRIGGER has become one of the biggest names in animation and the studio always strives for exaggerated excellence when it comes to its anime's visuals. TRIGGER has over a decade of groundbreaking anime series under its belt, but 2019's Promare is the studio's first feature film and it does not disappoint.
Promare follows superhero-like firefighters who literally fight fire with fire when they take on combustible competition known as the Burnish. These fiery explosions are dazzling sights to behold, and Promare's unique color palette allows these characters' flames to cover a full rainbow of possibilities. The film's chaotic action never loses its momentum.
15 5 Centimeters Per Second
Runtime: 63 Minutes
Many anime films rely on high-octane combat or otherworldly fantasy environments to showcase their visual splendor. However, 5 Centimeters Per Second demonstrates that an understated, realistic setting can be just as awe-inspiring. The beloved film follows a pair of friends, Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara, as they grow up in a modern-day version of Japan.
5 Centimeters Per Second's two main characters eventually develop romantic feelings for one another, only for time and circumstances to tear them apart from one another. Their yearning for one another defines the narrative of this film — a touching story whose beauty is only rivaled by the quality of its animation.
14 Paprika
Runtime: 90 Minutes
Most of Satoshi Kon's anime movies could easily be singled out as visually stunning, but his most popular is usually Paprika. It's the sci-fi dreamscape anime that inspired Hollywood mind-rackers such as Christopher Nolan's Inception. Paprika's story revolves around the same premise of toying with dreams.
In Paprika, dreams can be viewed or manipulated using a prototype scientific device. The device, however, got stolen, as it has the potential to be used for crime and other destructive acts. Under normal narrative circumstances, Paprika's animation doesn't really stand out much, but when dream sequences kick in, it easily becomes a wonderland carousel of colors.
13 Bubble
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Of all the products in Wit Studio's extensive library, Bubble is possibly their highest achievement — at least in terms of animation quality. Released in 2022, Bubble explores a universe where mysterious, gravity-defying bubbles rained down on Earth, providing its inhabitants with a strange host of powers.
However, this event (referred to as the Bubble Fall) leaves Tokyo quarantined by a giant bubble and full of oddly gifted orphans. Hibiki, Bubble's protagonist, is one of these orphans, and he eventually begins an adventure to discover the secrets of the disastrous event that changed his world forever. The film's Tokyo-inspired setting, along with its recurring bubble motif, make for some incredible scenery that speaks to the potential of new-age animation.
12 The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl
Runtime: 92 Minutes
Masaaki Yuasa is a masterful visual storyteller who's been incredibly busy over the past decade, both in television and film. All of Yuasa's projects break the boundaries and expectations of what people and action should look like. Fluid movements become emotional expressions of sensitive characters.
Inu-Oh, Yuasa's latest movie feels like the director's swan song, but The Night is Short, Walk on Girl has the best reputation among audiences. The movie's simple story chronicles one wild night that's full of possibilities and different pockets of humanity. It's slice-of-life storytelling at its best, with unpredictable and beautiful animation that drives this adventure forward.
11 Howl's Moving Castle
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Although there are numerous anime studios with a reputation for beautifully animated products, none have earned the same level of name recognition as Studio Ghibli. Given their role in breathtaking projects like Howl's Moving Castle, it's easy to see why many consider the studio a cut above their peers.
Howl's Moving Castle follows the story of Sophie Hatter, a young woman who is turned into an old crone after a run-in with the malevolent Witch of the Waste. With the help of Howl, the wizard responsible for the movement of the film's titular castle, Sophie embarks on a journey through their war-torn kingdom. Like most Studio Ghibli films, the movie's protagonists explore a variety of meticulously drawn environments, showcasing Hayao Miyazaki's artistic talent.
10 Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Runtime: 115 Minutes
Cowboy Bebop is a gorgeous anime, but the animation peaks in its complimentary feature film, Knockin' on Heaven's Door. The Cowboy Bebop movie has a higher frame count and greater attention to detail than the TV anime. Knockin' on Heaven's Door treats every animated frame with the same respect, and it's hard to believe that some sequences aren't rotoscoped.
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door pits everyone's favorite space bounty hunter, Spike Spiegel, against a rogue soldier named Vincent. Vincent's extreme terrorism plans hit even harder once this devastation comes to life through breathtaking visuals. Whether consumed after the anime or as a standalone story, Knockin' on Heaven's Door is a hit.
9 Garden Of Words
Runtime: 46 Minutes
For some, Makoto Shinkai's involvement as Garden of Words' director is enough of a reason why it deserves an achievement in animation. Garden of Words is a dream come true for those who long to see beautifully animated renditions of spring and summer rainfall. Shinkai has released several films following Garden of Words, but it's been hard for him to top the animation in this film.
Garden of Words couples its initially somber rainy backdrop with the bittersweet energy shared between its two central characters. The emotions and mood transform in tandem and there are brief moments when Garden of Words is so meticulous in its animation that it feels like it's real life.
8 Kizumonogatari Part 1: Iron-Blooded
Runtime: 64 Minutes
There is always that one anime that makes it hard to focus on the narrative or story thanks to gorgeous art that becomes distractingly hypnotic. Kizumonogatari tells an epic coming-of-age vampire story that's presented across three anime movies — all of which are impressive — but Kizumonogatari III has the best rating of the trilogy.
Kizumonogatari combines multiple art styles into one vigorous 2D chimera that sometimes throws 3D environments into the mix. Kizumonogatari also plays around with different shades of dusky colors in order to convey its characters' moods. The animation in these movies is a delight to watch as every detail tries to surpass expectations.
7 Redline
Runtime: 102 Minutes
Redline is a racing anime movie that pays service to the genre's classics, like Speed Racer and Initial D. Redline, however, doesn't confine itself to the monotony of a single art style and each of its many characters are anachronistic visual anomalies. These jarring animation decisions make sure that Redline feels distinct and makes its mark beyond a fast-paced movie about a race.
It's easy to recognize just how much work has gone into Redline's animation. The movie's unique and energetic 2D art even makes an impression through mundane backgrounds and crowd scenes. Redline's animation can match the level of hyperbole that its story engages in, but all of this is heightened through a blaring soundtrack that keeps the audience's adrenaline pumping.
6 Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train
Runtime: 116 Minutes
Anime features that are based on existing television series have polarizing reputations, especially when they ostensibly function as recaps or the corresponding series covers the same events across multiple episodes. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is an example of the latter, but it's hard to begrudge this self-contained demon battle when it looks as gorgeous as this.
Animation studio Ufotable surpasses its stellar work in the anime with stunning animation that captures the intensity of Tanjiro and Rengoku's fight against the demonic Enmu. Any future Demon Slayer movies have a high standard to match.
5 Ghost In The Shell
Runtime: 82 Minutes
The original Ghost in the Shell helped launch cyberpunk heavyweights like The Matrix and the anime movie remains unparalleled by any of its many spin-offs and expansions. Live-action remakes have attempted to recapture the magic of Mamoru Oshii's original, but Ghost in the Shell is proof that exceptional animation just can't be replicated.
Ghost in the Shell's bewildering Hong Kong chase sequence should be enough to prove to any skeptics just how much the movie brings to the table. It's one of anime's finest action setpieces. There are even innocuous exchanges between pedestrians in Ghost in the Shell's Hong Kong market that are flooded with a level of detail that's since become a lost art in animation.
4 Spirited Away
Runtime: 124 Minutes
Any of Hayao Miyazaki's films are transcendent works of art, but Spirited Away has practically become emblematic of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki puts tremendous work into Chihiro's expressions and the many oddities that she encounters during her "detour." There are even scenes where beautifully rendered feasts could put other movies' action sequences to shame.
Everything in Spirited Away is just magical, from No Face's translucency to Haku's dragon form. True to its title, any viewing of Spirited Away feels akin to being transported away to a mystical world. Lackluster animation would ruin this effect.
3 Violet Evergarden: The Movie
Runtime: 140 Minutes
Violet Evergarden made its mark as a manga and anime series, and many agree that Violet Evergarden: The Movie is the pinnacle of the property. It's hard to make it through this melodramatic movie without breaking out in tears, but the refined 2D animation emphasizes the beauty that fills the world and inspires individuals like Violet to keep moving on.
Violet Evergarden: The Movie doesn't indulge in visual spectacles as much as some of the other impressive anime movies, but it's this level of restraint that makes the movie work. Violet is a humble, modest character who often surprises people through her bottomless empathy. Violet Evergarden: The Movie works the same way with its gorgeous animation.
2 Your Name
Runtime: 106 Minutes
Makoto Shinkai is now a brand of his own thanks to consistent excellence in 2D animation and emotional storytelling. Your Name remains Shinkai's magnum opus and one of the highest-rated anime movies ever. The simple story is about two lonely individuals who long for more and experience the full range of life's beauty when they literally walk a mile in each other's shoes.
Subtle storytelling and realistic characters make Your Name succeed as a modern love story that indulges in fantasy. However, Shinkai's animation helps showcase the full nuance of Your Name's world. Meticulously recreated neighborhoods and a celebration of minutiae help audiences better understand the freedom that characters in Your Name seek.
1 Akira
Runtime: 124 Minutes
New anime movies come out each year, but Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira remains the gold standard of 2D animation. There's an attention to detail that's just not possible in modern anime productions. Akira is older than most popular anime films, yet it can still easily compete with the decades of technological advancements that modern anime have since explored.
Akira excels as a formative cyberpunk story that isn't afraid to dabble in radical ideas. Akira is full of motorcycle chases and automatic weapons, but there are also psychically enhanced mutant children and corrupt government authorities. All of this ricochets within a futuristic Tokyo that's on the brink of riot and destruction. Akira is deeply nihilistic, but it's also a true innovation in animation.