Best Anime Movies

The best anime movies offer everything the best live action movies provide - believable characters, fascinating plots, captivating action, and emotional resonance. The use of animation allows for the creation of dazzling new realities and fantastic creatures, but it can also be used to create intimate worlds based on everyday life. Sample some of the best stories Japan has to offer with these anime movie selections.

Note:This list only considered movies distributed in the U.S. at the time of the article's publication.

1.

 After their home is destroyed in a WWII bombing, two children must struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. There are no fairytale happy endings here. With a score of 96, Grave of the Fireflies is the highest rated movie at Meta Anime Review Project (MARP), the Rotten Tomatoes of the anime world. Film critic Roger Ebert called it "an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation."

2.

 When Chihiro and her family stop by a beautiful hillside while driving to their new home, they stumble upon a magical world of spirits. With her parents turned into pigs, Chihiro must find a way to return to her own home while helping others along the way. Director Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese director who is frequently compared to Walt Disney for his widely-popular, family-friendly films. With an average rating of 8.97/10, Spirited Away is the fifth highest-rated anime, and the top movie, as ranked by users of Anime News Network. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003.

3.

 Princess Mononoke is another entry from Hayao Miyazaki on the list of best anime movies. More violent than Miyazaki's other work, it tells the story of a cursed warrior who must seek out the spirits of the forest for a cure. However, once there, he finds himself involved in a larger struggle of man against nature. The movie is the tenth highest-rated anime at Anime News Network, with an average score of 8.9, and it received a score of 96 on MARP.

4.

 A tale of amazing psychic powers in a future dystopia, Akira earned a score of 92 on MARP. Its animation was impressive for the time of its release, and while not as flashy as the best digital animation, it still holds up today. It is arguably one of the most famous of anime movies, a title nearly everyone familiar with Japanese animation has at least heard of, if not seen.

5.

 Mima is a top pop idol, but when she leaves her singing career behind to pursue acting, things don't go quite as planned. As stress builds, Mima is plagued by disturbing hallucinations that begin to blend with real life. A twisting psychological thriller, Perfect Blue received a score of 94 from MARP.

6.

 Boasting a rating of 95 at MARP, The Animatrix represents a unique marriage of Japanese animation and Hollywood. The movie is actually a collection of nine short films based on The Matrix and directed by some of the leading names in anime. Each director brings his own vision and artistic style to the piece while fleshing out the mythos of this complex world.

7.

 The master thief Lupin III is in the midst of planning another big heist when he becomes entangled in the plight of a lovely young woman imprisoned in a castle. The Lupin III franchise is a behemoth in Japan, with three television series and yearly movie specials, and the title character is a cultural icon. The movie is also an early directorial project of Hayao Miyazaki. The combination of these two famous names creates a compelling and action-filled story, one of the best anime movies available. Castle of Cagliostro holds a rating of 95 at MARP, making it one of the ten highest-rated anime on the site.

8.

 Two sisters discover the Totoros, furry magical creatures of all sizes who lead them on incredible adventures. A whimsical movie from director Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro received a score of 96 from MARP.

9.

 Three homeless men stumble across an abandoned baby, and try to find its mother in the hopes of changing her mind. While this may sound like a depressing tale, director Satoshi Kon proves himself as adept at creating a charming dramatic story as he was at creating a sense of fear in Perfect Blue. Tokyo Godfathers earned a score of 94 from MARP.

10.

 Keiichi is a fairly average college student, except for the fact that he has his own Goddess named Belldandy. However, their happy life of love is disturbed when an old friend arrives and erases Belldandy's memory. The third film earning a rating of 95 at MARP, Ah! My Goddess: The Movie will best be enjoyed by those familiar with the manga or anime series, but its plot easily allows new viewers to enter the world of Keiichi and Belldandy.

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