(Photo by Warner Bros. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM.)
100 Best Anime Movies of All Time, Ranked by Tomatometer
The latest: Making a splash is The Colors Within, directed by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice). This list was also getting a bit unwieldy so we’ve implemented a 10-review minimum for inclusion.
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 Studio Ghibli golden era (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies), and into today’s mainstream renaissance (Your Name, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen 0).
The list begins with Certified Fresh films first: Movies with at least 75% on the Tomatometer after enough critics reviews (40 or 80 reviews, depending on the type of release). These are movies seen by a wide swath of critics for potential wide audiences, including most films by Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Wind Rises), Isao Takahata (The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Only Yesterday), Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika), Mamoru Hosoda (Belle, The Boy and the Beast, Mirai), and Makoto Shinkai (Weathering With You).
After those are the Fresh movies, and a definitely rewarding dive for fans. Though anime has bubbled up in pop culture over the last two decades, many of these Fresh-rated films still need reviews to cross the Certified Fresh threshold. Though what reviews are there are pretty good! These Fresh movies include classics like The Castle of Cagliostro, Perfect Blue, and Vampire Hunter D, along with newer favorites Promare, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, and A Silent Voice.
On the second page, you’ll find even more Fresh movies hovering on the fringe like the Cowboy Bebop movie, along with Rotten-rated anime, including from Studio Ghibli (Tales From Earthsea), Pokemon, and Final Fantasy.
We defined anime at its most fundamental — simply, movies that were drawn and animated in Japan. This includes earlier efforts like 1973’s Belladonna of Sadness, movies directed by non-Japanese folks (Tekkonkinkreet, The Red Turtle), anthologies (The Animatrix, Gotham Knight), and even for-hire international productions, like Topcraft (whose core members would go on to found Studio Ghibli) animating The Last Unicorn and J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations for Rankin/Bass.
Critics Consensus: Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal.
Synopsis: A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors [More]
Critics Consensus:Only Yesterday's long-delayed U.S. debut fills a frustrating gap for American Ghibli fans while offering further proof of the studio's incredibly consistent commitment to quality.
Synopsis: A put-upon 27-year-old Japanese office worker travels to the countryside and reminisces about her childhood in Tokyo and what life [More]
Critics Consensus: A heart-pumping, breathtaking, wonderfully crafted manga adaptation, The First Slam Dunk shoots and scores.
Synopsis: Shohoku's "speedster" and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while [More]
Critics Consensus: As beautifully animated as it is emotionally satisfying, Your Name adds another outstanding chapter to writer-director Makoto Shinkai's filmography.
Synopsis: A teenage boy and girl embark on a quest to meet each other for the first time after they magically [More]
Critics Consensus:Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie offers a thrilling, beautifully animated gift for fans of the anime -- and a story that holds up as a standalone effort.
Synopsis: When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, [More]
Critics Consensus:Demon Slayer's visually stunning animation and masterful action set pieces serve a heartfelt plot that is sure to satisfy fans.
Synopsis: Falling forever into an endless dream... Tanjiro and the group have completed their rehabilitation training at the Butterfly Mansion, and [More]
Critics Consensus:In This Corner of the World offers a unique ground-level perspective on an oft-dramatized period in history, further distinguished by beautiful hand-drawn animation.
Synopsis: As she combats her daily struggles In Hiroshima during World War II, an 18-year-old woman gets married and has to [More]
Critics Consensus: Soulfully exploring thought-provoking themes through a beautifully animated lens, The Boy and the Heron is another Miyazaki masterpiece.
Synopsis: From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes a new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure. After [More]
Critics Consensus:Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them.
Synopsis: 10-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. After taking a wrong [More]
Critics Consensus:Suzume sees director Makoto Shinkai falling just a bit short of the bar set by previous outings -- but when the results are this visually thrilling and emotionally impactful, it's hard to find much fault.
Synopsis: 17-year-old Suzume's journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu when she encounters a young man who tells her, "I'm [More]
Critics Consensus: A remarkable story brought to life with dazzling animation, Belle finds writer-director Mamoru Hosoda setting a brilliant new benchmark.
Synopsis: Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a [More]
Critics Consensus: A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the medium.
Synopsis: In this Japanese animation, cyborg federal agent Maj. Motoko Kusanagi (Mimi Woods) trails "The Puppet Master" (Abe Lasser), who illegally [More]
Critics Consensus: Visually lush, refreshingly free of family-friendly clatter, and anchored with soulful depth, The Secret World of Arrietty lives up to Studio Ghibli's reputation.
Synopsis: Arrietty, a tiny teenager, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban home, unbeknown to the homeowner and [More]
Critics Consensus: The story of an aging movie actress' complicated personal saga unfolds in this sophisticated anime film that deftly blurs memory and make-believe into a meditation on the nature of cinema itself.
Synopsis: In this animated movie, filmmaker Genya Tachibana begins work on a documentary about famed Japanese actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. Now well [More]
Critics Consensus:Miss Hokusai illuminates the life and creative legacy of its brilliant subject with a beautifully animated biopic whose absorbing visuals are matched by its narrative grace.
Synopsis: The daughter of a famous artist is constantly overshadowed by him. [More]
Critics Consensus:The Red Turtle adds to Studio Ghibli's estimable legacy with a beautifully animated effort whose deceptively simple story boasts narrative layers as richly absorbing as its lovely visuals.
Synopsis: A massive sea turtle destroys a stranded man's raft every time he tries to sail away from a tropical island. [More]
Critics Consensus: Beautifully animated and narratively engaging, Weathering with You further establishes writer-director Makoto Shinkai as a singularly talented filmmaker.
Synopsis: The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly [More]
Critics Consensus:When Marnie Was There is still blessed with enough visual and narrative beauty to recommend, even if it isn't quite as magical as Studio Ghibli's greatest works.
Synopsis: A tomboy (Hailee Steinfeld) explores a long-abandoned villa and meets a mysterious blonde girl only she can see. [More]
Critics Consensus:My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising sends fans of the saga on an exhilarating adventure that ends the series on a beautifully animated high note.
Synopsis: Deku and the rest of Class 1-A must save a group of islanders from a villain with an unfathomable quirk. [More]
Critics Consensus: A visually splendid and emotionally resonant anime film that appeals to the child in everyone, The Imaginary is a flight of fancy that audiences won't mind getting swept up in.
Synopsis: Rudger is a boy no one can see, imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger, [More]
Critics Consensus: Masaaki Yuasa fans will come to Inu-Oh expecting a visual feast -- and this musical animated extravaganza won't leave them disappointed.
Synopsis: From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa, hailed by IndieWire as "one of the most creatively unbridled minds in all of modern [More]
Critics Consensus:Akira is strikingly bloody and violent, but its phenomenal animation and sheer kinetic energy helped set the standard for modern anime.
Synopsis: In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019, [More]
Critics Consensus:Mary and the Witch's Flower honors its creator's Studio Ghibli roots with a gentle, beautifully animated story whose simplicity is rounded out by its entrancing visuals.
Synopsis: Young Mary follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest and discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower, [More]
Critics Consensus: Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well.
Synopsis: Sophie (Emily Mortimer) has an uneventful life at her late father's hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends [More]
Critics Consensus:The Boy and the Beast combines familiar parts to create a gripping, beautifully animated adventure with inventive storytelling to match its visual appeal.
Synopsis: Kyuta slips into an alternate universe where he is raised by a bear-man, Kumatetsu. Kyuta is eventually thrust into an [More]
Critics Consensus: Gentle and nostalgic, From Up on Poppy Hill is one of Studio Ghibli's sweeter efforts -- and if it doesn't push the boundaries of the genre, it remains as engagingly lovely as Ghibli fans have come to expect.
Synopsis: Yokohama teens try to save their school's clubhouse from being demolished. [More]
Critics Consensus: A remarkable technical achievement, Metropolis' eye-popping visuals more than compensate for its relatively routine story.
Synopsis: Visually stunning Japanese anime interpretation of Fritz Lang's classic film, also based on Osamu Tezuka's outstanding 1945 illustrations. A Japanese [More]
Critics Consensus:Dragon Ball Super: Broly may seem like colorful chaos to newcomers, but for longtime fans, it represents this long-running franchise near its action-packed apogee.
Synopsis: Goku and Vegeta encounter Broly, a Saiyan warrior. [More]
Critics Consensus:Lu Over the Wall can be more fun to watch than to follow, but director Masaaki Yuasa's distinctive visual style offers colorful compensation for an occasionally scattered story.
Synopsis: Kai is a lonely teenage boy who lives in a small fishing village. One day, he meets and befriends Lu, [More]
Critics Consensus:Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms anchors its colorfully imaginative fantasy setting in universal -- and deeply poignant -- real-world themes.
Critics Consensus: With its characteristic boldness, Evangelion:3.0+1.01 more than thricely rewards fans with a cathartic finale to the 26-year-old iconic anime tale.
Synopsis: From legendary director Hideaki Anno, EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME is the fourth and final installment of the REBUILD OF [More]
Critics Consensus: It may not be the best entry point for newcomers, but One Piece Film Red offers everything fans of the franchise will be looking for.
Synopsis: Uta -- the most beloved singer in the world. Renowned for concealing her own identity when performing, her voice has [More]
Critics Consensus: Visually dazzling and narratively exhilarating, Promare is a colorful thrill ride that should entertain adult anime enthusiasts as well as the teens in its target audience.
Synopsis: Thirty years has passed since the appearance of Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings, who destroyed half of the [More]
Critics Consensus: With a storytelling palette as rich and brilliant as its animation, Castle in the Sky thrillingly encapsulates Studio Ghibli's unique strengths.
Synopsis: Young orphan Sheeta and her kidnapper, Col. Muska, are flying to a military prison when their plane is attacked by [More]
Critics Consensus: Featuring visually striking CGI animation of its famed characters, Lupin III:The First is a charming and old-fashioned adventure romp.
Synopsis: A master thief and his underworld companions race against time to uncover the secrets of a dark diary. [More]
Synopsis: Wolf Children is a staggeringly beautiful animated feature film from director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars). This epic cinematic achievement follows [More]
Critics Consensus: As beautifully crafted as it is powerfully written, A Silent Voice looks at teen bullying from a soberingly hard-hitting perspective that's uncommon for the animated medium.
Synopsis: After transferring into a new school, a deaf girl, Shoko Nishimiya, is bullied by the popular Shoya Ishida. As Shoya [More]
Critics Consensus: Blending beautifully animated action with fresh character development, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is everything fans of the franchise will be looking for.
Synopsis: The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate [More]
Critics Consensus: Exuberant in both its palette and sound, The Colors Within gets the band together to deliver a kaleidoscopic celebration of human connection.
Synopsis: Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and [More]
Critics Consensus: While it could stand to be a lot more enlightened in its treatment of its protagonist, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is also a sensitive and refreshingly honest look at adolescence.
Synopsis: Brash single mother Nikuko is well-known for her bold spirit, much to the embarrassment of Kikuko, her pensive yet imaginative [More]
Critics Consensus: Inventively animated, boldly creative, and refreshingly ambitious, The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl should resonate deeply with fans of outré anime.
Synopsis: A young girl embarks on an insanely long night of partying where she interacts with an increasingly eccentric cast of [More]
Critics Consensus: Fun for newcomers and existing fans alike, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission is an entertaining interlude between seasons of the series.
Synopsis: Japan's greatest heroes must track down the mastermind behind a deadly chemical attack. [More]
Critics Consensus: An imaginative and thoughtfully engaging anime film with a highly effective visual design. This coming-of-age comedy drama has mad inventiveness to spare.
Synopsis: A teenage girl tries to use her newfound ability to travel through time to her advantage. [More]
Synopsis: Mari Illustrious-Makinami pilots Provisional Unit-05 to defeat the excavated Third Angel. Asuka Langley-Shikinami and EVA-02 defeat the Seventh Angel. The [More]
Critics Consensus:Vampire Hunter D's gothic charms may be lost on those unfamiliar with the anime series that spawned it, but the crisp action and nightmarish style will satiate horror aficionados' bloodlust.
Synopsis: In a dark and distant future, when the undead have arisen from apocalyptic ashes, an original story unfolds. Ten thousand [More]
Critics Consensus: The animation is lovely, but the plot is complex to the point of inscrutability, leaving Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence both original and numbing.
Synopsis: A mostly mechanical cyborg and his human-looking partner track robotic sex dolls that have murdered their masters. [More]
Critics Consensus: An animated adventure perhaps best appreciated as a visual experience, Children of the Sea is strikingly lovely if less than satisfying on a narrative level.
Synopsis: When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she [More]
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