mjf314's Guide to Anime Movies
Created by mjf314.
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This is a guide for anyone who wants to learn about the history of anime movies, short films, and OVAs, from the 1920s to the present.
While creating the list, I took several factors into account:
1. Quality, based on a combination of critical acclaim and my personal opinion. This is the most important factor, because I want it to be a list that's enjoyable to work on.
2. Variety. This list covers a wide variety of genres, styles, and trends throughout the entire history of anime, and covers all of the most important anime film directors. Some unusual films are included mainly for variety, but I did take quality into account when making my choices. Additionally, I tried to avoid picking too many similar films or too many films by the same director. If your favorite Miyazaki or Takahata or Kon film is missing, it doesn't mean that I don't like it. I just thought it would be pointless to include every single one.
3. Popularity and historical importance. This wasn't a major factor, but it did play a role for some choices.
Most of the movies/OVAs are standalone, but I included a few that are based on series (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie), because I think you can understand them without watching the series. I included Hi no Tori: Uchuu Hen, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and You Are Umasou because I think they feel more like new adaptations rather than sequels.
I excluded some remakes such as Rebuild of Evangelion and Madoka Magica because I think it's better to watch the series first. However, I included Galaxy Express 999 and The Dog of Flanders even though they're remakes, because the movies are (arguably) at least as important as the series, and a lot of people have seen only the movies. I excluded the movie series Kara no Kyoukai because I didn't want it to take up so many spots on the list, although the 5th one is very good.
I included some short OVAs with (3 hours total or less). I wanted to include some OVAs because they're an important part of anime history and they don't take long to watch, but this list is just an introduction, so I don't want to overwhelm people with longer series. This means that I left out some important OVAs, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
I'm using a fairly broad definition of anime, so I included films which are mostly still images (Band of Ninja, Fantascope: Tylostoma). I also included Grim, which doesn't really look animated, but it was photographed frame by frame, so it sort of fits the definition of stop motion.
Missing from IMDb:
Hana to Mogura (1970)
If you want a list that's purely based on my personal taste, see this list.
Pssst, want to check out the mjf314's Guide to Anime Movies list in our new look?
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8 new
Hakuja den
1958 — a.k.a. Panda and the Magic Serpent, in 1 top list Check -
10 new
Wanpaku ôji no orochi taiji
1963 — a.k.a. Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon, in 0 top lists Check -
12 new
Taiyô no ôji: Horusu no daibôken
1968 — a.k.a. Horus: Prince of the Sun, in 0 top lists Check -
19 new
Chirin no suzu
1978 — a.k.a. Ringing Bell, in 0 top lists Check -
21 new
Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro
1979 — a.k.a. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, in 3 top lists Check -
22 new
Sekai meisaku dôwa: Mori wa ikiteiru
1980 — a.k.a. Twelve Months, in 0 top lists Check -
23 new
Unico
1981 — a.k.a. The Fantastic Adventures of Unico, in 0 top lists Check -
25 new
Jarinko Chie
1981 — a.k.a. Chie the Brat, in 0 top lists Check -
40 new
Tonari no Totoro
1988 — a.k.a. My Neighbor Totoro, in 23 top lists Check -
48 new
Mimi wo sumaseba
1995 — a.k.a. Whisper of the Heart, in 4 top lists Check -
52 new
Gekijôban Furandaasu no inu
1997 — a.k.a. The Dog of Flanders, in 1 top list Check -
62 new
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
2001 — a.k.a. Spirited Away, in 39 top lists Check -
76 new
Tsumiki no ie
2008 — a.k.a. The House of Small Cubes, in 3 top lists Check -
86 new
Ôkami kodomo no Ame to Yuki
2012 — a.k.a. Wolf Children, in 7 top lists Check -
93 new
Omoide no Mânî
2014 — a.k.a. When Marnie Was There, in 2 top lists Check
Last updated on Jun 23, 2015;