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3 days ago · The Tomatometer takes on the best anime movies of all time! That means we’re ranking everything from the feverishly dark 1980s/1990s films ( Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll ), to the...
Top 100 Greatest Animated Films of All Time. by timcanada77 • Created 6 years ago • Modified 6 years ago. In the making of this list, 13 lists online were given points from 100 (rank 1) to 1 point (rank 100), these lists range from top 10s to top 100s.
From instant classics to lesser known gems, we've curated 150 of the best Anime movies for you. Find something to stream now or something to watch later.
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- 49 'Pom Poko'
- 48 'When Marnie Was There'
- 47 'Ride Your Wave'
- 46 'Suzume'
- 45 'Kiki’S Delivery Service'
- 44 'Memories'
Directed by Isao Takahata
On the surface, you might not expect Pom Poko to be a particularly sad Studio Ghibli movie, because it’s about shape-shifting raccoons waging war on the human race due to how the latter decimates the land the former lives on. It gets pretty strange and goofy at times, but it also unpacks environmental themes seriously, and doesn’t shy away from highlighting the environmental devastation the main characters deal with. At two hours long, and with some strangely paced moments, it’s not the most...
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
When Marnie Was There begins a little like The Secret World of Arrietty, with an unwell young character going to live in a new place and meeting someone unexpected, kicking off something of a fantastical adventure. But with When Marnie Was There, there are no tiny people, with the person here instead – the titular Marnie – being someone mysterious who may be real, or could just be a figment of the protagonist’s imagination. It's up there as one of the best anime films of the past couple of de...
Directed by Masaaki Yuasa
Showing that Studio Ghibli isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to anime movies, the Science Saru-produced Ride Your Wave is creative and visually distinct, not to mention novel when it comes to the story it tells. In fact, describing that story feels like doing the movie a disservice. It’s something of an animated romantic dramedy, and does contain some interesting fantasy elements, though describing them would force one to wade into spoiler territory. It's very good in the end, and su...
Directed by Makoto Shinkai
Suzume was an immensely successful anime film from 2022, and deservedly so, clearly having a massive amount of appeal owing to its striking visuals, moving thematic content unpacking grief and loss, and entertaining narrative. Said narrative involves a teenage girl getting involved in saving Japan from a large worm that causes earthquakes. Also, her would-be companion is turned into a chair that can walk, staying that way for most of the movie. It has some unusual elements and can be funny an...
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
An excellent fantasy movie by Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki’s Delivery Servicemight not get quite as much love as other films by the legendary Japanese filmmaker, but it’s still worthy of its classic status. It’s about a young woman dealing with life on her own for the first time… and she’s also a witch, which makes her stand out and adds further to the feelings of isolation she has. Kiki’s Delivery Service, despite its fantastical elements, also works as a surprisingly grounded narrative about coming...
Directed by Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Tensai Okamura
There are a total of three stories featured throughout Memories, a unique and rather underrated anthology film from 1995. The first leans toward horror/mystery, the second is a darkly funny science fiction story, and then the third also feels like sci-fi with a satirical spin, only in a bleaker and more unnerving way. No one could fault Memories for being derivative or predictable, and even though each of its three segments can be defined as belonging to the sci-fi genre, each part offers som...
- Jeremy Urquhart
- 50
- 2 min
- Your Name (Kimi no Na wa.) (2016) Director: Makoto Shinkai | Studio: CoMix Wave Films. MAL Score: 9.39, Ranked: #1. It may be very new, but the fact that Kimi no Na wa is already the #1 rated anime of all time shows what a phenomenon this new movie has been.
- A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi) (2016) Director: Naoko Yamada | Studio: Kyoto Animation. MAL Score: 9.07, Ranked: #12. It's not just Kimi no Na wa that has been making waves in Japan.
- Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) (2001) Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Studio: Studio Ghibli. MAL Score: 8.93, Ranked: #15. Might as well get the obvious one out of the way first.
- Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka) (1988) Director: Isao Takahata | Studio: Studio Ghibli. MAL Score: 8.58, Ranked: #71. Although I have my rule of only one movie per director, that doesn't mean I can't pick another Studio Ghibli movie.
Browse the highest-ranked anime movies on MyAnimeList, the internet's largest anime database.
Looking to dive into Japan's best anime movies? Explore fantasies for adults and kids from directors like Spirited Away's Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
