The anime industry has given us several gems to cherish, and that includes countless movies. Whether it’s a standalone movie like Suzume or an anime movie part of an anime franchise, the content is just unending. So, if you’re an anime fan who is also looking for some great anime movies that could be worth your time, here are some of the best ones.
10. The Boy and the Heron
- Release Date: July 14, 2023
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Shōhei Hino, Ko Shibasaki, Takuya Kimura
- Studio: Ghibli
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.4/96%
The Boy and the Heron is a special anime film because it comes from the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who worked on the project after retiring. Besides that, it’s the breathtaking visuals and the mature story that grabbed the attention of the global fandom. The film also ended up bagging an Academy Award in 2024.
The film follows Mahito, a 12-year-old boy, who faces difficulties moving on with his life after his mother’s death. However, when a speaking Heron approaches him one day and informs him that his mother is alive, Mahito enters a tower, which surprisingly turns out to be a portal that connects different times and realms.
9. Weathering with You
- Release Date: July 19, 2019
- Director: Makoto Shinkai
- Cast: Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori
- Studio: CoMix Wave Films
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.5/91%
Weathering With You is one such anime movie that will not let you blink your eyes, not even once; that’s how beautiful it is. The anime will also hook you with the supremely relatable and likeable characters and the touching story about love and friendship.
Weathering With You takes place in a rain-drenched Tokyo, where a high school boy, Hodaka Morishima, befriends Hina Amano, a middle school girl who has a mysterious ability to alter the weather.
8. Suzume
- Release Date: November 11, 2022
- Director: Makoto Shinkai
- Cast: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Shota Sometani, Sairi Ito, Kotone Hanase, Kana Hanazawa, Matsumoto Hakuō II, Ryunosuke Kamiki
- Studio: CoMix Wave Films
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.6/96%
Suzume’s popularity stems from a couple of things– Shinkai’s signature tempting visuals and amazing landscapes. Besides that, the chemistry between Suzume and Souta, the soundtracks enhance the adventurous tone of the anime film.
Suzume revolves around Suzume, a 17-year-old girl, who crosses paths with Souta, who is searching for the mysterious doors that start appearing across Japan, out of nowhere. The former mistakenly opens a door, allowing a mysterious cat to enter the world through the portal, connecting different realms. Suzume and Souta must work together to close all the gates across Japan to prevent the unforeseen disaster.
7. Ghost in the Shell
- Release Date: December 8, 1995
- Director: Mamoru Oshii
- Cast: Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, Iemasa Kayumi
- Studio: CoMix Wave Films
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.9/95%
Ghost in the Shell was released in 1995, but it would be fair enough to say that the anime film was way ahead of its time. It explored futuristic themes similar to those found in Cyberpunk, portraying an intellectually engaging storyline that provokes you to think about technology’s impact on humanity.
The film takes place in 2029, where we meet a cyborg police officer tasked with capturing the hacker, also known as the Puppet Master. The hacker infiltrates the minds of humans with Cybernetic consciousness. The film is full of action-packed sequences and events that make us realize what would happen when technology merges entirely with humanity.
6. A Silent Voice
- Release Date: September 17, 2016
- Director: Naoko Yamada
- Cast: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yūki, Kenshō Ono, Yūki Kaneko, Yui Ishikawa, Megumi Han, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Mayu Matsuoka
- Studio: Kyoto Animation
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.1/95%
A Silent Movie isn’t an ordinary anime film; it features some of the very crucial elements and explores such themes that people rarely pay attention to. The film depicts what depression actually looks like, what social anxiety is, and what people who get bullied feel like.
Shōko Nishimiya, a deaf girl, is bullied by Shōya Ishida and his friends. When the school principal learns about it, Nishimiya is transferred to another school. The duo cross paths again years later, but this time, Ishida is entirely a different person who wants nothing but forgiveness. So, he learns sign language to rectify his mistakes.
5. Howl’s Moving Castle
- Release Date: November 20, 2004
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast: Chieko Baisho, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa
- Studio: Ghibli
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.2/88%
When Miyazaki is involved in a project, it never disappoints. With its lush animation and adorable characters, Howl’s Moving Castle received heavy praise upon its release. Critics and the audience alike call him one of the most beautiful films ever made. However, some also criticize it for the predictable story.
Howl’s Moving Castle revolves around Sophie, a young hatmaker, and Howl, an enigmatic wizard. As the two begin to develop a good friendship, a jealous witch curses Sophie, turning her into a 90-year-old woman. Following that, Howl uses all his magical skills to fight the witch and turn Sophie to her original self.
4. Princess Mononoke
- Release Date: July 12, 1997
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast: Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yūko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori, Hisaya Morishige
- Studio: Ghibli
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.3/93%
Princess Mononoke is one of the anime films that no one should miss. The film is a true gem; be it the riveting storytelling or the character development, everything makes it a great movie of all time.
The film follows a prince named Ashitaka, who travels to Irontown to find a cure for the curse that he received from a demonized boar god. However, there he gets stuck in a conflict between the mining colony’s leader’s forces and the forest’s spirits, including San (princess Momonoke), who would not let anyone destroy the forest.
3. Your Name
- Release Date: August 26, 2016
- Director: Makoto Shinkai
- Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi
- Studio: CoMix Wave Films
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.4/98%
Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name is a treat to the eyes of every viewer, and it will also leave you teary-eyed with the emotional weight of the narrative. The film is packed with jaw-dropping animation and an original story that balances romance, tragedy, and longing in a perfect manner.
The story revolves around two teenagers- Mitsuha Miyamizu, a girl residing in the mountains, and Taki Tachibana, a boy from Tokyo. Miyamuzu and Tachibana start swapping bodies, waking up in each other’s bodies. However, things get complex when the body swapping stops abruptly, forcing both of them to face each other in person.
2. Grave of the Fireflies
- Release Date: April 16, 1988
- Director: Isao Takahata
- Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi
- Studio: Ghibli
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.5/100%
Grave of the Fireflies is an emotionally devastating anime film that is sure to bring tears to every viewer’s eyes. It moves you to the core with the empathetic characters and the hardship that follows a war.
The animated masterpiece follows two siblings- Seita and Setsuko. They lose their mother in a firebombing, and their father is away serving in the Navy. So, they have no one else to rely on except each other. The film leaves no stone unturned in evoking strong emotions in you by making you witness what a war exactly does to innocent lives.
1. Spirited Away
- Release Date: July 20, 2001
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, Bunta Sugawara
- Studio: Ghibli
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 8.6/96%
Spirited Away is undoubtedly one of the most magical anime films of all time that leaves you speechless, no matter how many times you watch it. It was released in 2001 and received an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.
The film follows a 10-year-old girl who gets stuck in a world of gods, witches, and beasts after her parents mysteriously disappear one day. Anime fans often claim that this medium has the ability to tell the best stories, and Spirited Away is a prime example that solidifies this assertion.
So, these are some of the best anime movies out there. If you think other notable mentions deserve a place in this list, do mention them in the comments.
