Best Anime Films of All Time

While some don't want to sit around watching subtitles flash consistently across the screen, anime makes for some of the greatest stories ever put on screen. Even more simply deplore the art of it in the first place. More accurately, anime movies just aren't appreciated in the same capacity as they may have been when we were kids. It's an acquired taste, one that is often ignored or under-appreciated (unless you're a kid, since a common misunderstanding lies in the fact that they're cartoons). Let's be clear, anime movies are not cartoons.

Anime movies will also depict the coolest characters, like a vampire hunter or high school student with superpowers. This hero will often face off against a supremely evil and extraordinary foe with capabilities that seem far reaching in comparison to our protagonists's. There are things in the best anime movies of all time that which normal feature films could never explore, like Grave of the Fireflies and its exposition of the human condition in the aftermath of war. Most often, these themes range from exploration of the mind, to extreme technological advancement. These are the underlying factors that which make the best anime films so appreciated and enjoyable for any sort of audience, so don't miss these masterpieces of the animated feature world.

If you're a huge fan of Dragon Ball Z, or hell even Dragon Ball, for that matter, you'll appreciate this addition to the best anime films of all time. It's one of the most watched and anticipated anime series ever invented, one that is still running under the guise Dragon Ball Z: Super.

The legend of Goku alone goes back years, even summed up in one of the internet's still most debilitating arguments ever asked: in a one-on-one battle, would Goku or Superman win? As such, the father of this legendary being must be extremely powerful, if not superior to all others among him. Somewhat true, this underlying factor in this anime series can only be attributed and unearthed from Bardock: The Father of Goku.

In one of the best anime movies of all time, audiences watch in wonder as a ninja turned assassin must face his own inner demons in order to topple a terrorist group of likeminded individuals. Meet Jubei, a highly intelligent and sophisticated ninja warrior who submits to an unnatural will that makes him murder his entire clan. For these heinous acts, he is left willfully destroyed and must turn to contract assassination as his newfound job title.

In an effort to restore his honor, while also in some ways relinquishing his painful regret from the past, Jubei attempts to thwart a highly powerful band of ninjas, the Devils of Kemon, from overpowering the Japanese government. If you're a fan of swordplay, Japanese tradition and ninjas, than Ninja Scroll is right up your alley.

Though it's not necessarily connected with the silent film of the same name made back in 1927, it still carries much of that heightened futuristic and robotic sense of tomorrow. Many claim that the manga it is based on, Osamu Tezuka's masterwork of incredible dimensions, holds some qualities reminiscent of Fritz Lang's film. Still, while both urban settings share some similarities, they tell drastically different stories.

This amazing movie tells the tale of detective Shunsaku Ban's search for Dr. Laughton. With his trust sidekick, Ken-ichi, by his side, Shunsaku must peddle through an urban setting filled with anti-robot factions and cybernetic humanoids, making for one of the best anime films of all time, in addition to being among the best anime for beginners. So, if you're just getting into this genre, start out with Metropolis.

Launching the most awarded place on earth for anime into a world of stardom, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind literally created what we now know as Studio Ghibli. This, alone, should make it one of the best anime films of all time, but there's so much to it that can't be ignored. Living in an apocalyptic world set in the future, Nausicaä tries to bring peace back to the world with the help of an elder named Lord Yupa and her own abilities that allow her to speak to the massive insects inhabiting the world.

If you're looking for an animated feature film that tests your imagination while also harkening on the precipice of artistic concepts, try out Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It's got the legendary mind of Hayao Miyazaki behind the magic and is produced by none other than Isao Takahata (known for his directing skills on Grave of the Fireflies and many other anime films), plus the voice of Patrick Stewart as Lord Yupa. Who wouldn't want to step into this futuristic toxic jungle?

Another Miyazaki creation, Spirited Away tells the story of young Chihiro as she, along with her parents, find an abandoned amusement park that which caters the supernatural. After her parents turn into giant pigs, Chihiro must find a way to change them back, but Haku, a mysterious guest among the park, tells her that the only way to escape is by literally working there.

It's an intriguing story that blends themes of the supernatural with sci-fi and brings some of the greatest aspects of anime to the silver screen. For these very reasons, it's an obvious inclusion among the best anime films of all time.

Simply put, Princess Mononoke is unlike anything you've ever seen. Set amidst the struggle between the advancing technologies of a mining colony named Tatara and that of forest gods, this addition to the best anime films of all time shows us heart, friendship, forgiveness, and a multitude of similar themes in its protagonist, Ashitaka.

As he searches to cure himself of Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka also stumbles across San, the Mononoke Hime, a young girl raised by a wolf god. It's a rather interesting tale that never lets up and is as heartwarming as it is unconventional, making it a must-see anime feature.

Now that it's a major live action motion picture, one that has several people reeling for its commitment to the overall theme previewed in the 1996 anime series, Ghost in the Shell finds a home among the best anime movies of all time.

For its devotion to the future of biological engineering and technological advancement, Ghost in the Shell is breathtaking to say the least. You are dropped into a futuristic world in which people are enhanced by technological features, like cybernetic minds, eyes, or limbs. Known by her friends and coworkers simply as Major, Motoko Kusanagi undergoes a deep investigation to find what people are calling "The Puppet Master," a futuristic hacker that can penetrate the minds of the biologically enhanced.

It's Hayao Miyazaki's best work yet, involving a giant bunny-teddy bear like creature, a cat bus, and a young schoolgirl named Satsuke. It's honestly one of the best anime films of all time, one that even employs the voices of Dakota and Elle Fanning, plus Tim Daly as their in-movie father!

In traversing the forest and landscape of their new home, plus adapting to their mother's illnesses (having left her incapacitated for some time), Satsuke and her sister, Mei, unravel the secrets that surround them. Journey with spirits, like Totoro, and other crazy-looking creatures of unimagined scope in the most spellbinding anime feature film, My Neighbor Totoro.

After creating the heart stopping Akira, Katsuhio Otomo went on to dabble with storytelling in a whole new way, which gave us Memories.

He's not the only one to join the list, though, seeing that there's three different movies told by three different directors, it's not so difficult to understand it's placement among the best anime films of all time. "Magnetic Rose," "Stink Bomb," and "Canon Fodder" make up this exceptional and enlightening anime feature about various considerations of our most misunderstood human quality: the art of reminiscing.

It's the anime version of Inception, or a story about traversing and unearthing the world of one's dreams. It's actually a rather heartbreaking story, but with an even more powerful twist that makes the audience look to themselves more so than at the movie's creators.

As an instant classic among the best anime movies of all time, Paprika tells the story of a young girl who works as a dream detective. Spending her life split between the worlds may seem like a truly difficult task, but Dr. Atsuko Chiba makes it look easy, until the dream world is plunged into decay and destruction by one of her fellow scientists gone rogue. It's not only up to her, but to Paprika, to save reality from falling into the ether of the dreamscape.

Katsuhio Otomo's Akira is a legend of an anime feature, loved all over the world, critically acclaimed, plus it's remarked as one of the best anime films of all time for these very reasons. Some of you may be confused how the world fell in love with an incomplete masterpiece, and the answer obviously lies within Otomo's exceptional storytelling and overall career as an anime legend.

In an effort to cover up their mistakes from adapting ESP projects on children, the Japanese government bombs Tokyo amid 1988. In 2019, 31 years after the city was nuked, Kaneda traverses the streets as the leader of a biker gang and attempts to save his friend, Tetsuo, from a despicable and secret government project. It's obviously interesting, adaptable, and so much fun that you won't be able to look away for one second.