30 Best Anime Movies in History (& There to Watch Them)
Anime has been climbing the popularity ladder with the agility of a ninja, reaching new heights each year, and becoming as much a part of global pop culture as superhero movies and meme-worthy TV shows.
You'll find tales that tug at heartstrings and others that are just a wild ride from start to finish.
30. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
Set between episodes of the original series, the crew of the spaceship Bebop pursues a terrorist planning a major attack on Mars.
Watch on: Tubi.
29. Redline (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 70%
In the distant future, racers compete in a high-speed, dangerous car race across the galaxy.
Watch on: Freevee.
28. Barefoot Gen (1983)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%
A young boy's life is turned upside down by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II.
Watch on: Cineverse.
27. Angel's Egg (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 82%
A young girl wanders through a desolate world, protecting a large egg, in this atmospheric and enigmatic film.
26. Perfect Blue (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
A pop singer turned actress experiences a breakdown as reality and delusions blur in this psychological thriller.
Watch on: Shudder.
25. Paprika (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
A therapist uses a device that allows her to enter her patients' dreams. When it's stolen, reality and dreams start to blur.
Watch on: Tubi.
24. Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
A visual realization of Daft Punk's album "Discovery" as an anime film that tells the story of an alien band's abduction and rescue. No specific platform listed.
23. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
A young woman cursed with an old body seeks the help of a vain but kind-hearted wizard in his walking castle.
Watch on: Max.
22. Metropolis (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet. No specific platform listed.
21. The Wind Rises (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
This film explores the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of Japanese fighter planes during World War II.
Watch on: Max.
20. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
This film serves as an alternative ending to the Neon Genesis Evangelion series, with a more in-depth look at the characters' psyches.
Watch on: Netflix.
19. Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
A surreal night out in Kyoto sees a young woman experiencing the nightlife, with various bizarre encounters.
Watch on: Max.
18. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
In a post-apocalyptic world, a young princess becomes embroiled in a struggle with giant insects and warring kingdoms.
Watch on: Max.
17. Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
A young woman makes a pact with the devil to gain magical powers and seek revenge.
Rent on: Vudu.
16. Akira (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
In post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, a teenage biker gang member gains uncontrollable telekinetic powers, leading to a military and political escalation.
Watch on: Hulu.
15. Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer (1984)
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Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 91%
The characters from the Urusei Yatsura series find themselves trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over.
Watch on: Tubi.
14. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Three homeless people discover a baby on Christmas Eve and embark on an adventure through Tokyo to find its parents.
Watch on: Tubi.
13. Princess Mononoke (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
A young warrior finds himself caught in a battle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources.
Watch on: Max.
12. Millennium Actress (2001)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
A documentary filmmaker interviews a retired actress about her career, blurring the lines between her movies and her real life.
Watch on: Hoopla.
11. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Two sisters move to the countryside and discover magical creatures, including the friendly forest spirit Totoro.
Watch on: Max.
10. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
In a futuristic cybernetic world, a cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
Watch on: Prime Video.
9. Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Master thief Lupin III seeks to rescue a princess and uncover the secrets of the Cagliostro Castle.
Watch on: Hoopla.
8. Porco Rosso (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
In 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot, cursed to look like a pig, fights air pirates for a living.
Watch on: Max.
7. Castle in the Sky (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
A young girl with a mysterious crystal pendant falls out of the sky into the arms of a young boy; together, they search for a legendary floating castle.
Watch on: Max.
6. Your Name (2016)
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Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 97%
Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, swap bodies intermittently and form a unique bond as they navigate each other's lives.
Rent on: Amazon Prime Video.
5. Spirited Away (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 98%
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a mysterious and magical world, working in a bathhouse for spirits to free her parents who have been turned into pigs.
Watch on: Max.
4. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Set in World War II Japan, this film follows two siblings struggling to survive the harsh realities of war, highlighting the human cost of conflict.
Rent on: Vudu.
3. Mind Game (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
After a deadly encounter, a young man goes on a surreal journey through time and space, encountering various odd characters.
Watch on: Shudder.
2. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
A tiny girl found inside a bamboo stalk grows into an exquisite young lady, courted by many, but she holds a secret.
Watch on: Max.
1. Only Yesterday (1991)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
A 27-year-old woman recounts memories of her childhood as she visits her family in the countryside.
Watch on: Max.