The 59 Best Anime Movies Ever

Anime isn't a genre. It's a medium, one that's still fighting for mainstream acceptance in the West. Its hold on American audiences is stronger than ever, with Studio Ghibli blockbusters and franchises like "My Hero Academia" earning critical acclaim and global adoration. However, too many people still associate animation with children's viewing. While there are plenty of great anime films that parents can show to their kids, this attitude still leads to confusion. Not only is some anime emphatically not child-safe, but if you dismiss it as kids' stuff, you're missing out on some great movies.

If you've never watched an anime film before, rest assured that it's not all sailor uniforms and jiggly bits, just like how action movies aren't all gravelly-voiced men and sexy ladies. There's something for everyone, although we also confess that you're going to see a lot of Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii here, and for good reasons. Whether your tastes lean towards science fiction or drama, or if you simply want to find the best classic anime films to start with, there's something on this list for you.

"5 Centimeters Per Second" is tragic, heart-wrenching, and beautiful. An early romantic drama from the director of "Your Name," this short film leaves fantasy behind in favor of a painfully real look at love. The bitter truth is on full display: You are not entitled to a happy ending, and it's easy to miss the beauty around you while you fixate on what you can't have. It's a harsh lesson, but, thankfully, the film is a treat to look at — or to cry with. "5 Centimeters Per Second" is the speed at which cherry blossom petals drop. Some of them go wasted. Watch this little beauty, and remember to cherish what you have.

• Starring: Kenji Mizuhashi, Satomi Hanamura, Ayaka Onuei

• Director: Makoto Shinkai

• Year: 2007

• Runtime: 63 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

"A Silent Voice" deals with tough topics, which may be difficult for some viewers. The film opens with Shoya Ishida's close call with taking his own life, and the film doesn't flinch as it explores his reasoning and his flaws. Shoya's a former bully, and director Naoko Yamada doesn't sugarcoat what he did to his deaf schoolmate, Shoko. The consequences send him spiraling into despair, but it's his choice to seek redemption when a chance presents itself.

Redemption is a hard thing to work towards, but Shoya's efforts have valuable results. Painful in places, all too real, and with so much to say, "A Silent Voice" is a beautiful reminder that what we do matters — and so does what we do next.

• Starring: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yuki

• Director: Naoko Yamada

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 130 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

The alphabet quickly blesses anime newcomers with the biggest blockade-buster animation to ever hit Western shores. "Akira" is densely plotted and detailed, compressing Katsuhiro Otomo's sprawling manga into a two-hour feature. Not a single frame gives away this cyberpunk classic's age, and the score is like nothing you've heard before.

Post-apocalyptic yet transcendently spiritual, the story focuses on Tetsuo, a biker gang brat with an axe to grind with everyone, be they friend or foe. An accident puts him face to face with a childlike figure who's trying to escape government authorities, and everything goes to hell from there. Blending the psychedelia of "2001" with David Cronenberg-esque body horror and social commentary, "Akira" is still a don't-miss masterpiece.

• Starring: Nozomu Sasaki, Mitsuo Iwata, Mami Koyama

• Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

• Year: 1988

• Runtime: 124 min

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

What "Begotten" is to religious horror, the elegant "Angel's Egg" is to ... well, you decide. A collaborative effort with Yoshitaka Amano ("Final Fantasy," "Vampire Hunter D"), Mamoru Oshii's dreamlike curio is either a thoughtful hit or a bizarre miss when it comes to understanding its layered visual themes, but it's absolutely worth the experience either way.

Mostly unvoiced, "Angel's Egg" puts its unnamed characters in a strange, apocalyptic wasteland. The titular egg is a metaphor, possibly for the broken hope God left behind as It abandoned this ruined world, which is flooding slowly, as Noah's Ark no longer sustains life. We think. Tarkovsky fans, this one's for you.

• Starring: Jinpachi Nezu, Mako Hyodo

• Director: Mamoru Oshii

• Year: 1985

• Runtime: 71 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Want to ruin your day and become an anti-war activist all at once? Watch "Barefoot Gen," an up close and personal look at what the bombing of Hiroshima did to the survivors. What America unleashed on this civilian town isn't the point, though we can't forget it. Instead, the film focuses on the inability of Japanese culture to cope with the tragedy and scale of human need in the wake of the bombing. It also delves into the absolute horror of what a radioactive explosion does to children's bodies. Animation doesn't dull the punch. A classic on the scale of "Threads."

• Starring: Issei Miyazaki, Masaki Koda, Tatsua Jo

• Director: Mori Masaki

• Year: 1983

• Runtime: 85 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

"Hatsune Miku meets 'Beauty and the Beast'" is a valid description of "Belle," but it doesn't do this fairy tale justice. Belle is the virtual persona of Suzu, a young woman drawn into a mythical online world full of music and magical beasts — and the real-life tragedies these digital masks are hiding. As Belle, Suzu is no damsel, and to save this Beast she's going to have to be stronger than any Disney princess. Survivors of abuse take note; our heroes earn a happy ending, but the real villain is the specter of parental violence.

• Starring: Kaho Nakamura, Takeru Satoh, Ryo Narita

• Director: Mamoru Hosoda

• Year: 2021

• Runtime: 124 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

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"The Boy and The Heron" is the perfect coda to Hayao Miyazaki's illustrious career — even if it isn't his final movie. A movie about a boy wracked with guilt and grief over the death of his mother who embarks on a journey through a magical world to re-discover himself and embrace life, this is a deeply personal movie to Miyazaki. Though as whimsical and fun as Miyazaki's earliest films, it's also a heartbreaking ode to friends long gone, as well as one of the maestro's weirdest, and most esoteric, films. Indeed, this is simultaneously a great movie to introduce Studio Ghibli newcomers to, but also a movie that's hard to decipher unless you've taken a deep dive into not just the history and filmography of the studio, but the personal lives of its co-founders. Indeed, there's a scene seemingly designed to traumatize both kids and adults, and enough parakeets to make you hate them forever — and then there's the titular Heron, a perfectly delightful Miyazaki character whose voice is even better when dubbed by certified weirdo Robert Pattinson.

"The Boy and the Heron" is both an ode to the past of Studio Ghibli and the medium of anime in its present form, complete with a marriage of animation styles that feels like no other movie the studio has made and a story that is all about legacy (and what we leave behind). This is a poignant masterpiece of animation, a movie about the inevitability of death that also delivers a colorful, fantastical adventure like the kinds Miyazaki has spent a lifetime crafting. (Rafael Motamayor)

• Starring: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Aimyon, Takuya Kimura
• Director: Hayao Miyasaki
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 124 min
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Every Miyazaki film is a winner, and his first under the then newly-formed Studio Ghibli banner is no exception. A young boy named Pazu catches a princess in his arms as she floats to the ground, putting himself in the middle of a mad scrabble of pirates and pursuers who seek the pendant the girl wears. See, Princess Sheeta is the last known resident of the mythic Laputa, a floating kingdom with advanced technology. It's up to her and Pazu to keep Laputa's secrets safe from those who'd use them to conquer.

• Starring: Keiko Yokozawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Kotoe Hatsui

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1986

• Runtime: 124 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

It may not be the best place to start watching "Cowboy Bebop," but this action-packed adventure does everything it can to ease in new viewers and make sure they experience the full impact of its jazz-fueled aesthetic. Set between two late episodes of the series, the film follows Spike Spiegel and his bounty hunter crew as they become entangled in a terrorist plot straight out of a good "Batman" arc. A former military man turned test subject is out of control, and he's about to drop a deadly nano-virus on the entire civilization of Mars. All that can stop him is the Bebop crew, which includes a corgi. He's the best.

• Starring: Koichi Yamadera, Uncho Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara

• Director: Shinichiro Watanabe

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 115 min

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%

Author Hideyuki Kikuchi is better known for "Vampire Hunter D," but "Darkside Blues" adapts one of his rarest manga into something equally lush and bizarre. A corporate dystopia rules most of the Earth, and the town of Kabuki-Cho is clinging desperately to its freedom. Between these neo-Gothic ruins, an equally Gothic figure rides an out-of-date carriage. Darkside is the only name he gives, and his gifts help inspire the remaining freedom fighters. It's not particularly coherent, but its eerie beauty and Kikuchi's themes of independence make "Darkside Blues" worth watching regardless.

• Starring: Akio Otsuka, Kotono Mitsuishi, Akira Natsuki

• Director: Nobuyasu Furukawa

• Year: 1994

• Runtime: 83 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

The folks behind "Dragon Ball" make their movies easy for anyone to enjoy, even if you haven't been following the plot for decades. You'll get more out of the experience as a long-time fan, sure, but "Broly" is a terrific entry point regardless. This slick blockbuster introduces you to the origins of Goku and Vegeta by way of the titular powerhouse's own story. Broly is an exiled Saiyan child, sent away to ensure the rise of Prince Vegeta. However, this feral brawler becomes the pet of two Frieza Force dorks; you know this is going to end in a throw down between Broly, Vegeta, and Goku himself. "Dragon Ball Super: Broly" is comfort food anime at its finest.

• Starring: Bin Shimada, Masako Nozawa, Ryo Horikawa

• Director: Tatsuya Nagamine

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 100 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

"Super Hero" is the second "Dragon Ball" movie we recommend for new viewers, for two reasons. For one, its plot is relatively divorced from the main canon, making it easy to follow. For another, it'll teach you why Piccolo is the best character in the series, bar none. Piccolo has long been the unwilling team dad, the guy who doesn't want pets or kids but will babysit them all — and secretly adore them — at a moment's notice. It's a movie that's not afraid to keep the spotlight off Goku, and the cheeky Western-style comic book plot benefits immensely from that courage.

• Starring: Masako Nozawa, Toshio Furukawa, Ryo Horikawa

• Director: Tetsuro Kodama

• Year: 2022

• Runtime: 99 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

It's okay if you don't watch all of the original "Neon Genesis Evangelion" series, or any of the reboots, before sitting down with this movie. You probably won't understand what the hell is going on at first watch anyway. Still, it's a wild, lurid experience worth savoring. 

Like "Akira," "End of Evangelion" earns its liberal comparisons to "2001." It's as sprawling and strange a commentary on alienation and the evolution of humanity as its peers. Despite its darkness and Shinji's painfully mortal flaws, the whole thing even ends on a note of hope. We're pretty sure it does, anyway.

• Starring: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi

• Director: Hideyaki Anno

• Year: 1997

• Runtime: 87 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

The "Evangelion" franchise is responsible for some of the best moments in the history of anime, whether it's the original bleak and experimental TV show or the spectacular "The End of Evangelion" — which is already on this list. But equally as masterfully crafted and told is the very final title in the saga — "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time." This is the last movie in the "Rebuild of Evangelion" quadrilogy that started as a remake of the original anime before diverging from the story and changing key events to make up an entirely new and original story that nevertheless commented on and resembled the show and first movie. Taking place over a decade after an apocalyptic event devastates much of the world, eternally depressed teenager Shinji Ikari has to finally face his father before he can kickstart the Human Instrumentality Project.

"Thrice Upon a Time" features some of the best visuals in the entire franchise and in anime in general. Using virtual cameras and production, Hideaki Anno brings live-action techniques to the animation, resulting in inventive camera work as innovative and new as the experimental animation in the "Evangelion" TV series. The highest praise one can give the movie, however, is that it feels like the actual conclusion Anno wanted to tell from the beginning. "Thrice Upon a Time" is more than a filmmaker revisiting and retconning his past glory, it's also a rather literal "rebuild" that takes what already existed and tells a new story that comments on the past while looking to the future. "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0" doesn't just justify its existence, it is essential to the story that started with "Neon Genesis Evangelion." (Rafael Motamayor)

• Starring: Megumi Ogata, Yūko Miyamura, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi 
• Director: Hideaki Anno
• Year: 2021
• Runtime: 155 min
• Rating: TV-MA
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Classic gonzo action anime "The Fist of the North Star" is "The Northman," but set in a bloody, post-apocalyptic world and featuring over-the-top martial arts. A deliberate love letter to George Miller's "Mad Max," the film is about Kenshiro, a broody traveler and violent fix-it artist on the search for his lost love, Yulia. It's also the source of one of the oldest memetic gifs in existence. The infamous Hundred Fist Rush leaves an opponent just enough time to wonder what happened to them before they explode into bloody giblets. It's also a surprisingly romantic film, if you consider violence a symphony.

• Starring: Kenji Utsume, Akira Kamiya, Yuriko Yamamato

• Director: Toyoo Ashida

• Year: 1986

• Runtime: 110 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

There's some stuff in "Galaxy Express 999" that's impenetrable without knowledge of Leiji Matsumoto's brilliant manga, but that's okay. This atmospheric fairy tale about a real boy who wants to become a robotic Pinocchio is something you feel your way through. Along the way, you'll get to meet some of Matsumoto's most famous creations, like Captain Harlock and Queen Emeraldas. But the mysterious Maetel is the heart of this tragedy — literally. This galactic train's strange journey is her longest road home.

• Starring: Masako Nozawa, Kaneta Kimotsuki, Masako Ikeda

• Director: Rintaro

• Year: 1979

• Runtime: 129 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

The keystone of cyberpunk anime, "Ghost in the Shell" wrings every drop of philosophy and violent delight out of Masamune Shirow's manga, creating something somber, thoughtful, and eerie. The Puppet Master is a sympathetic but terrifying antagonist, an AI terrorist that's trying to preserve itself as it ascends to its next evolution. Major Kusanagi is a hyper-competent cyborg cop out to stop the violence, ultimately resorting to some shocking means to do so.

• Starring: Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Otsuka

• Director: Mamoru Oshii

• Year: 1995

• Runtime: 82 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

They say time waits for no one, but Makoto Konno is the exception in "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," where she relives the same day in a dizzying time loop after suddenly gaining the power to travel through time. No, this is not a "STEINS; GATE" situation with inadvertent time travel spelling disaster for the world at large, but a more grounded, personal exploration for Makoto, who comes to understand the value in dealing with growing pains head-on instead of running away from her problems. Uncomfortable truths are realized; anguish and loneliness are often integral parts of the creative process — which Makoto's aunt, Kazuko, is deeply acquainted with — and the preservation of art can act as an extension for holding onto passion. The artistic and personal intermingle, as they always have, infusing Makoto with the maturity that allows her to bloom as a person.

These monumental changes in Makoto's life, propelled forward by her friend, Chiaki, are mostly filtered through laid-back, quiet summer afternoons spent in the company of loved ones, contrasted against the stark isolation of adults confined to their rooms and their hyperfixations. "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" is as beautiful as it is moving, nestling coming-of-age themes against inventive explorations of personal relationships that find a way to endure beyond the confines of time, making its presence felt in every iteration of these memorable moments. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

• Starring: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura

• Director: Mamoru Hosoda

• Year: 2006

• Runtime: 98 minutes

• Rating: TV-PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

If "Grave of the Fireflies" doesn't break you, you're not human. Similar to "Barefoot Gen," it explores the aftereffects of human brutality and the scars left by war. This time, the tragedy is the firebombing of Kobe, and the savagery is found in a selfish aunt who turns the children out of her home. The traditions and rigidity of Japan come under quiet assault as the kids die of starvation, forgotten by the living and embraced by the spirits of their ancestors. Born from the agony of survivor's guilt, this is a movie you must see — once. A single viewing is all most people can take.

• Starring: Tsutomo Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara

• Director: Isao Takahata

• Year: 1988

• Runtime: 89 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Based on the novel by Dianna Wynne Jones, "Howl's Moving Castle" skips over some of the source material's real-world elements to keep the focus on disaster wizard Howl and his attempts to avoid military service. Cursed hatter Sophie gets mixed up in Howl's deserter life and discovers that he's more heroic than he's letting on, all while the two of them find a way to stop the hostilities. All of that is background, however. The real story is the gentle love that builds between Howl and Sophie. Don't like romance movies? Don't care. You'll like this one.

• Starring: Chieko Baisho, Takuya Kimura, Tatsuya Gashuin

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 2004

• Runtime: 119 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

No, this isn't a Japanese version of that Timothée Chalamet cannibalism movie. In fact, it has no actual pancreas-eating at all. Behind the attention-grabbing title, "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" is a bittersweet coming-of-age tale in which our unnamed protagonist befriends a dying girl. Sakura is keeping her condition a secret, but the protagonist is determined to treat his new friend like an ordinary person, which endears him to her. Not a total tragedy — but not exactly a lark, either — "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" captures the melancholy of getting to experience something special, if far too transient.

• Starring: Lynn, Mahiro Takasugi, Yukiko Fujii

• Director: Shinichiro Ushijima

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 108 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Eat your heart out, pinball wizards. "Interstella 5555" is a companion piece to Daft Punk's "Discovery," bringing the album's beats and themes to life with the help of legendary artist Leiji Matsumoto. Its unvoiced tale is a visual sci-fi delight. Music makes the universe go 'round, so a villainous record executive abducts the blue-skinned Crescendolls from their home world and makes them churn out gold albums for his collection. With heroic rescues, joyful cooperation between worlds, and the rhythms of the best Daft Punk album ever, "Interstella 5555" is a good time.

• Starring: Daft Punk

• Director: Kazuhisa Takenouchi

• Year: 2003

• Runtime: 65 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos saga is already bleak, but this stand-alone movie is a perfect downer. In a world where the Nazis won, a fascist Japan uses special squads to maintain peace. Fuse, a Kerberos soldier, ends up embroiled in the politics between these squads, with a girl's life hanging in the balance. As Fuse and the girl realize they're living the story of Red Riding Hood, it's not clear who will survive: the girl, or the wolf? Hint: This is not a fun movie, but it is brilliantly designed and plotted.

• Starring: Sumi Motoh, Yoshikatsu Fujiki, Hiroyuki Kinoshita

• Director: Hiroyuki Okiura

• Year: 1998

• Runtime: 102 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%

"Jujutsu Kaisen 0" manages to both welcome new viewers and provide plenty of fanservice for devotees to enjoy. Protagonist Yuta is befuddled enough at his admission to Tokyo Jujutsu High to let the white-haired pretty boy Gojo explain the entire premise, laying out the details about these demon-cursed kids and their special training, without it feeling forced. Once the ground rules are established, the movie gets out of its own way and tells a fast-paced tale about new friends, old enemies, and Panda's badass martial arts skills. He's a giant undead puppet who can shape shift. Just go with it.

• Starring: Megumi Ogata, Kana Hanazawa, Yuichi Nakamura

• Director: Sunghoo Park

• Year: 2021

• Runtime: 105 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Little Kiki and her black cat familiar, Jiji, are the best witchy pair you could introduce your kids to. Kiki's undergoing some sympathetic crises about growing up, which impact her self-esteem and her magical abilities. Meanwhile, Jiji is simply adorable while he flirts with the pretty white cat up the lane. Forget that dry English boarding school and come to this bucolic village, where you'll find fresh bread and a reliable mail service. "Kiki's Delivery Service" is a delight you won't forget.

• Starring: Minami, Takayama, Rei Sakuma, Keiko Toda

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1989

• Runtime: 103 min

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Find out why Lupin is one of Japan's most beloved characters with Hayao Miyazaki's directorial film debut. Softer than the original French novels and far lighter than the manga, the grandson of infamous thief Arsene Lupin — if you've played "Persona 5," yes, that one — winds up in a grand political contrivance of counterfeit money and deadly assassinations. Forced into heroism, it's up to Lupin to uncover the real treasure of Cagliostro and keep it out of the Count's diabolical hands. Meet the film that inspired Pixar founder John Lasseter. It's great fun.

• Starring: Yasuo Yamada, Sumi Shimamoto, Taro Ishida

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1979

• Runtime: 100 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Inspired by Fritz Lang's silent masterpiece, "Metropolis" explores themes of humanity and social stigma. Robots suffer discrimination, but not for their inhumanity. Rather, the prejudice ensures division, allowing the elite to retain control while everyone else fights for scraps. Sound familiar? Yeah. This power structure begins to collapse as the two children of Duke Red, one human and one not, become the center of a greater struggle for the soul of Metropolis itself. "Metropolis" is intricate, thoughtful, and downright unforgettable.

• Starring: Kei Kobayashi, Yuka Imoto, Kosei Tomita

• Director: Rintaro

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 113 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

"Millennium Actress" is a good way to ease yourself into the dreamlike unreality of Satoshi Kon's filmography. A pair of documentarians sit down with the retired star of a shuttered film studio, but the tale they seek isn't the one Chiyoko needs to tell. Her life story is interwoven with scenes from her films. Emotionally, though, it's all true. The search is what matters. This beautiful romp through Chiyoko's memories is precious to behold; it's a gentle version of the third season of "True Detective," in a way.

• Starring: Mami Koyama, Shozo Iizuka, Fumiko Orikasa

• Director: Satoshi Kon

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 87 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

"Mirai" touches on the same themes that made "Labyrinth" such a touchstone for girls coming of age. "Mirai," however, focuses on a young boy: Kun, who's unhappy with the amount of attention his new baby sister gets. At first, the lad is understandably put out, but as his tantrums increase, he finds himself dealing with time-traveling versions of himself and his sister as a way to cope with his responsibilities as a big brother. It's a little arcane for the youngest viewers, but there's still a sweet, "Bluey"-style sensibility to be found in Kun's growth.

• Starring: Moka Kamashiraishi, Tasuka Hatanaka, Haru Karoki

• Director: Mamoru Hosada

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 98 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

No matter your age, "My Neighbor Totoro" is a feel-good experience. The smallest children might be startled by the big, fuzzy Totoro, or feel some concern for the characters — the gently-handled plot involves kids worried about their mother's health — but some parental guidance will see them through. They'll be fine. For everyone else, "My Neighbor Totoro" is a story about how, sometimes, things really are going to be okay. Until then, we have our imaginations to give us hope. Experience a classic, and get Nekobus and Totoro plushies afterward. You know you want them.

• Starring: Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1988

• Runtime: 86 min

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Post-apocalyptic and filled with adorable giant bugs, "Nausicaa" is an instant recommendation for fans of "Dune." Generations after a nuclear war, the environment has turned hostile towards humanity. Frankly, most humans aren't doing much to endear themselves to the Earth, either. Amongst this chaos rises Nausicaa, a princess from a realm that's clinging to a prophecy of a blue-robed savior, who discovers that the answer to the world's life-destroying riddle begins with kindness, shared freely.

• Starring: Sumi Shimamoto, Yoji Matsuda, Goro Naya

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1984

• Runtime: 117 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Cats in space! Or not, actually? Explaining too much of the beautiful confusion that drives "Night on the Galactic Railroad" would spoil the experience of understanding it for yourself. Somehow, a simple human errand turns into a journey alongside cats on a magical train, traveling through the stars and meeting a parade of others with tales to share. A similar theme runs through these stories: Make the best of the life you have. Hold onto that thread. It'll take you safely to your destination.

• Starring: Mayumi Tanaka, Chika Sakamoto, Junko Hori

• Director: Gisaburo Sugii

• Year: 1985

• Runtime: 113 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

"Ninja Scroll" is not remotely kid-friendly, but it was the introductory anime for many Gen-X teens regardless. Blending the real-life history of Edo-era Japan with supernatural horrors, it's the tale of Jubei, a warrior who finds himself defending the Tokugawa shogunate from ninjas empowered by a terrible darkness. The kunoichi Kagero becomes his ally, though it's not easy for her to love. Poison runs through her blood, creating a situation where both S/A and consent become important plot points. Despite her introduction, however, she's not a damsel in distress. An anime classic with strong art and rich color, don't watch this one with your parents.

• Starring: Koichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono

• Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

• Year: 1993

• Runtime: 94 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

It's rare to find a film that centers on women's emotional inner lives without using the gimmicks of romantic comedies or musicals. "Only Yesterday" is keyed into the wistfulness of Taeko, a single woman in her 20s who's unsure how she feels about her past, much less the value of her youthful dreams. Her journey is as symbolic as it is necessary. Taeko begins by leaving Tokyo for the countryside, looking to find the pieces of herself in a place she's hardly ever been. It's one of Isao Takahata's best films, although to be fair, he made nothing but masterpieces.

• Starring: Yoko Honna, Toshiro Yanagiba, Miki Imai

• Director: Isao Takahata

• Year: 1991

• Runtime: 118 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Most film fans have at least heard of "Paprika"; rumors suggest that Christopher Nolan borrowed from it liberally when he created "Inception." This complex film keeps its focus away from the melodrama of lost love. It's more interested in exploring the duality of our selves, using dreams and nightmares as a bridge. The science fiction elements are window dressing, allowing this exploration to happen in both literal and symbolic ways; Dr. Chiba and her alter ego, Paprika, scour the subconscious world for clues about dream "terrorists" who seek to use Dr. Chiba's work for their own ends.

• Starring: Megumi Hayshibara, Toru Emori, Katsunosuke Hori

• Director: Satoshi Kon

• Year: 2006

• Runtime: 90 min

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

The critics dismissed "Pokémon" as kids' fare — and it is. But there's a lot going on during a Pokemon trainer's journeys, and a surprising amount of it carries a Ghibli-level of respect for the environment and each other. The first "Pokémon" film delves into adult ideas like free will and evolution, with the genetically modified Mewtwo going about his business of revenge with as much reason and stoic drive as Magneto. It's also the film with one of the gnarliest third-act twists you can inflict on a preschooler. Don't worry, Ash will be okay.

• Starring: Rika Matsumoto, Ikue Otani, Mayumi Iizuka

• Director: Kunihiko Yuyama

• Year: 1998

• Runtime: 75 min

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 16%

Watch out, Ariel. There's another adorable redhead on the watery block. "Ponyo" is, vaguely, a riff on Hans Christian Anderson's classic story, but it's much more interested in cool fish and the delicate balance of nature. A little girl lives a peaceful life with her sisters under the sea, as well as her daffy wizard dad. But when an accident pushes her far away from home, a little boy rescues her and names her Ponyo. "Ponyo" is the gentlest of love stories, one built on innocence and hope, and it's a great introduction to the magic of fairy tales for younger viewers.

• Starring: Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi, George Tokoro

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 101 min

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

If Humphrey Bogart had been a pig, he would've played the ace pilot Porco Rosso. Porco is a bounty hunter, using the skills he honed during the First World War to turn his famous red biplane into a symbol of terror. But Porco has bittersweet secrets in his past, including both missed opportunities and lost loves, and his cynicism has cursed him with porcine features. It's a ride through the skies to see if Porco can make peace with himself and his history. Pair this one with a charcuterie board and "Casablanca" for a classy night in.

• Starring: Shuichiro Moriyama, Akio Otsuka, Akemi Okamura

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1992

• Runtime: 94 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Like "Paprika," Satoshi Kon's "Perfect Blue" is also linked to a Western filmmaker. Darren Aronofsky borrows Kon's cinematography in both "Black Swan" and "Requiem for a Dream," but again, the original stands alone. "Perfect Blue" is for Hitchcock fans and lovers of frightening psychological thrills. Young Mima is ready to leave the J-pop scene behind and become an actor, but her work is quickly derailed by a dangerous stalker so keyed into her personality that Mima begins suffering a psychotic break. Taut and terrifying, "Perfect Blue" hides some brilliant twists on the standard tropes surrounding women in danger.

• Starring: Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Maasaki Okura

• Director: Satoshi Kon

• Year: 1997

• Runtime: 81 min

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

Prince Ashitaka sets out from his small realm to discover why a deadly curse has struck down a deity and infected him. The answers take him through an untouched wilderness, one still walked by ancient gods, and to the walls of an iron-wielding woman who's ready to kill to protect her town of outcasts. Accompanying Ashitaka between these two worlds is Mononoke, a wild human girl raised by a wolf goddess. You've heard of it. Now watch it. It's a stupendous fantasy movie.

• Starring: Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yuko Tanaka

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 1997

• Runtime: 133 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

The more that you know about early '70s and '80s anime tropes, the funnier that sci-fi satire "Project A-Ko" is. It's all here: sailor uniform-wearing girls with way too much personality, gravity-defying armor, random mecha fights, and a plot that's more than a little reminiscent of "Jupiter Ascending." We promise it's not gross — It's too sweet-natured and self-deprecating for that. One note of warning, though: There's an alien race that's set up as an old-school transphobia joke. It's unfortunate that, in anime as elsewhere, this is a relatively common issue.

• Starring: Miki Ito, Emi Shinohara, Michie Tomizawa

• Director: Katsuhiko Nishijima

• Year: 1986

• Runtime: 84 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Also known as "Adolescence of Utena," this is, in fact, the movie where two girls turn into a car. Call it a vehicle of change. The movie, in its bizarre, "Evangelion"-like way, is about the road to adulthood, and the acceptance of the self. It's the apex of the series "Gundam" fans are binging during their season break, as Anthy and Utena's "Rose of Versailles"-styled relationship echoes in "Witch from Mercury." It's also incredibly, vibrantly beautiful, with the series' striking shojo style amped up to the max thanks to the increased feature-film budget.

• Starring: Tomoko Kawakami, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Takehito Koyasu

• Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara

• Year: 1999

• Runtime: 87 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

A bizarre but delightful anthology, "Robot Carnival" was the gateway anime for '90s teens watching Toonami at weird hours of the night. Bookended by a pair of bonkers shorts by "Akira" director Otomo that feature the titular Robot Carnival, the film explores the human condition in various ways. Of special note is the hand-drawn short "Cloud," a silent tale of a lone robot and its guardian angel, and "Presence," an "Ex Machina"-style ghost story that lingers long after it ends.

• Starring: Kei Tomiyama, Kohji Moritsugu

• Directors: Katsuhiro Otomo, Manabu Ohashi, Yasuomi Umetsu

• Year: 1987

• Runtime: 91 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Japan has faced a growing crisis around elder care for decades, and "Roujin Z," which features a script by "Akira" creator Katsuhiro Otomo, wants to talk about it. About as subtle as a lemon-flavored brick, the movie's central gimmick is that, in an advanced elder care system, a mechanized bed can do everything for its geriatric patient except provide actual human contact. That's a touching enough plot in its dark strangeness. Then, the mechanized care system reveals it was actually designed by government officials who want to remilitarize Japan, and things really pop off. It's a lesser-known work than "Akira," but still a powerful one.

• Starring: Chisa Yokoyama, Shinji Ogawa, Chie Satou

• Director: Hiroyuki Kitakubo

• Year: 1991

• Runtime: 84 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

With the child soldiers of "Gundam" and the aerial combat of "Top Gun," Oshii's "Sky Crawlers" is both psychologically unsettling as well as a spectacle to behold. There are no more wars in this alternate history, yet private military corporations run combat operations against each other to satisfy some perceived societal need for conflict. Like the Replicants in "Blade Runner," the Kildren are genetically engineered, disposable, unaware of the reality of the fight they're engaged in, and locked in a cycle of death and possible reincarnation. Melancholy weirdness aside, it's one of Oshii's most gorgeous films.

• Starring: Ryo Kase, Rinko Kikuchi, Shosuke Tanihara

• Director: Mamoru Oshii

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 122 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

It's moving day when Chihiro's parents park off the road for a break. Lured in by a fantastical trap, Chihiro's parents become pigs, and Chihiro herself winds up hustling in a yokai bath house just to have a place to stay. The cost of room and board is a fraction of her name, and thus her identity. A coming-of-age story wrapped in Japanese myths, "Spirited Away" fights eternally with "Princess Mononoke" for the title of "Best Ghibli Film Ever." Every frame offers something new to admire.

• Starring: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Yoomi Tamai

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 125 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

What happens if you strip all of the out-of-date fanservice garbage out of "Ready Player One" while also adding commentary about what might occur if Zuckerberg's VR dreams get out of hand? The "Summer Wars" happen, that's what. A young moderator for a virtual world doesn't think hard enough about why he's been sent a random cypher and creates a system exploit. The ensuing chaos brings both old family history and futuristic near-disasters to the forefront. It's wild stuff that makes more sense as an experience than an explanation.

• Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Nanami Sakuraba, Mitsuki Tanimura

• Director: Mamoru Hosada

• Year: 2009

• Runtime: 114 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Makoto Shinkai thrives in the realm of emotional profundity, which is complemented by his Ghibli-esque art style, infusing even the most mundane moments with a sense of the fantastical. His film "Suzume" is a beautiful, meandering meditation on grief and acceptance, where self-love is deemed equally important as the love shared between two people, with the pathos of a real-life event raising the stakes like never before. Although the film explores Suzume and Sōta's burgeoning relationship, and their intertwining paths pave the way for a more hopeful future, its impetus stems from the urgency of homecoming after the two stumble upon a doorway that feels magical and disastrous at the same time.

Shinkai infuses a sense of absurdity in the everyday humdrum of existence, where simmering longing or nostalgia is leisurely shared with inanimate objects retaining sentience and making way for levity amid melancholy. The fantastical aspects contain world-ending repercussions, and it is up to the central duo to avert such a catastrophe in exchange for a personal price. Of course, the cost for such an exchange is very high, but "Suzume" is about fighting against fate to assert the will to go on, and this life-affirming sentiment is realized in the most hard-hitting, boundary-pushing way. Much like Shinkai's "Your Name," "Suzume" relishes connections that defy the natural order of things, where a moment of comfort or unconditional loyalty is stronger than the most potent sources of chaos. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

• Starring: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Shota Sometani

• Director: Makoto Shinkai

• Year: 2022

• Runtime: 122 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Kaguya, a child found inside a bamboo shoot, becomes a bamboo cutter's treasure instead of the free-spirited girl she wants to be. Questions about mortality, free will, and materialism twine together in the tragedy of Kaguya's caged life. For Kaguya, what is a dream, and what is reality? Isao Takahata was a visionary with exceptional empathy for women's issues, and "Princess Kaguya" is his final love letter to us, a watercolor portrait of a history we can never experience for ourselves.

• Starring: Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, Atsuko Takahata

• Director: Isao Takahata

• Year: 2013

• Runtime: 137 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

If the eccentric crew from "Yakuza: Like a Dragon" tried to re-enact "Three Men and a Baby," it would look a lot like this classic Christmas film. Kicking things off with a heartwarming nativity gag, three homeless people find a newborn in the trash and promptly become its caretakers. Savvy fans will recognize strains of John Ford's "3 Godfathers" in the film, but this version of the story relies on Christmas miracles to get you through Tokyo's grimier side. With a transgender lead who's not treated like a joke and a worthy struggle that culminates in an honest happy ending, "Tokyo Godfathers" is a panacea against all the grimdark going around.

• Starring: Toro Emori, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Aya Okamoto

• Director: Satoshi Kon

• Year: 2003

• Runtime: 92 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

"Vampire Hunter D" is a minor phenomenon in Japan, where Hideyuki Kikuchi's light novels, packaged with illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano, are guaranteed bestsellers. Visually, the film splits the difference between Amano's delicate linework and director Ashida's ("Fist of the North Star") bolder outlines, but keeps Kikuchi's plot relatively intact. Doris Lang needs a vampire hunter to save her from the bite inflicted by Count Magnus Lee. However, she didn't expect her hero to be a dhampir — much less one with a personal reason to hunt down the vampires known as Nobles. Another Toonami gateway anime, this beauty holds up.

• Starring: Kaneto Shiozawa, Michie Tomizawa, Seizo Kato

• Director: Toyoo Ashida

• Year: 1985

• Runtime: 80 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri ("Ninja Scroll") frequently adapts Hideyuki Kikuchi's works, and this adaptation of his third "Vampire Hunter D" novel, "Demon Deathchase," shows off Amano's art style with a languid but violent beauty. D's after another Noble with a penchant for abduction, the vampire Meier Link. But this abductee, Charlotte, is a willing lover, despite what her father told the dhampir, and D ends up at odds with another pack of vampire hunters, the mutant town of the Barbarois, and a far deadlier vampire Noble — the Countess Bathory. A personal favorite.

• Starring: Hideyuki Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera, Megumi Hayashibara

• Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 102 min

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%

While this tragic love story is brief, it has enough emotion and vibrant visuals to count as a full meal. "Voices of a Distant Star" manages the rare feat of making a visual story successfully feel like an epistolary tale. Text messages between Sumi and Noboru are the only way these two lovebirds can connect as Sumi travels deeper and deeper into space to defend Earth from an alien attack. The war isn't the point, though. That's the increasing amount of time it takes these missives to travel, and the longing that comes with it. About as indie as anime can get, "Voices of a Distant Star" is 95% the product of one person: director, animator, and voice actor Makoto Shinkai.

• Starring: Mika Shinohara, Makoto Shinkai

• Director: Makoto Shinkai

• Year: 2002

• Runtime: 25 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

From small beginnings, director Shinkai became one to watch. "Weathering with You" brings more of his signature magical realism to the table with a story about social ostracization and environmental turmoil. Hodaka is a runaway who works odd jobs to avoid his troubled home. He eventually meets Hina, a fast-food worker with a powerful secret: She can control the weather. With the rainy seasons becoming longer than ever, that's a valuable gift. Unfortunately, reality is not as simple as either of our young protagonists would like.

• Starring: Nana Mori, Kotaro Daigo

• Director: Makoto Shinkai

• Year: 2019

• Runtime: 112 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Don't let the trailers fool you. "Whisper of the Heart" isn't as cat-centric as you hope. However, it's still a lovely film about love that's waiting for you where you might not notice it, if your heart isn't open. It's also about the terror and delight of creativity, and how much it matters to our lives, and it features the most beautiful use of John Denver's "Country Roads, Take Me Home" you'll ever experience.

• Starring: Yoko Honna, Issei Takahashi, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi

• Director: Yoshifumi Kondo

• Year: 1995

• Runtime: 111 min

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Hayao Miyazaki and Hideo Kojima have a weird similarity: Both respect the beauty of machines, including those built for combat, even as they really, really hate war and its aftereffects. Here, Miyazaki funnels his love of aircraft into the semi-biographical journey of real-life engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose Mitsubishi A5M and its successor, the Zero, sculpted the Pacific Theatre of World War II. The film doesn't ignore what the Zero could do in combat, contrasting its abilities with Horikoshi's pain that the beauty of flight has become a weapon of war.

• Starring: Hideaki Anna, Miori Takimoto, Hidetoshi Nishijima

• Director: Hayao Miyazaki

• Year: 2013

• Runtime: 126 min

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

Studio Gainax's debut film, sometimes styled as "Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise," uses alternate history to talk about the long-term effects of a space race that draws humanity together instead of deepening political and cultural divisions. Being Gainax, the film brings a lot to the table while it sets up that discussion. Less dry than it sounds — and a little heavy on gross, out-of-date '80s machismo, even if it has a surprisingly mature outcome — "Wings of Honneamise" is visually stunning, and its look at the science involved in achieving a stable space orbit is dead-on. It's a grand classic that delighted creators like Mamoru Oshii and Hayao Miyazaki.

• Starring: Leo Morimoto, Mitsuki Yayoi, Aya Murata

• Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga

• Year: 1987

• Runtime: 119 min

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

"Wolf Children" isn't furry bait. These half-werewolf children are a metaphor for the dirty realities of raising kids when you're on your own and feeling overwhelmed. It may not be the full truth of the human experience — you're rarely as alone as you think — but anyone dealing with a toddler at that age would buy that their kid is part wolf. Once you're past the "Bluey" years, parents, load this one up for yourself and take heart that you're doing your best. Then watch it with your older kids, because they'll like it, too.

• Starring: Takao Osawa, Aoi Miyazaki, Haru Kuroki
• Director: Mamoru Hosoda
• Year: 2012
• Runtime: 117 min
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

If you watch one Shinkai film, make it "Your Name." As funny as it is heartfelt, the movie takes the body-swapping formula to realistic — and sometimes bittersweet — extremes. As a result of village girl Mitsuha's innocent wish to live a different life, she begins to switch places with Taki, a Tokyo boy. Unfortunately, while they try to figure out how this is happening, the two kids realize they're also separated by time, and that a once-in-a-lifetime event involving a meteor has had more of an, um, impact than either of them expected. A bona fide Japanese blockbuster, "Your Name" is romantic, touching, and sweet all at once.

• Starring: Mone Kamashiraishi, Ryunosuke Kamiki

• Director: Makoto Shinkai

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 107 min

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%