6 Anime Movies Worth Watching

There’s something incredible and irrefutably beautiful about anime movies that no anime lover can deny. Anime movies are fantasies that are derived from realities. The interpretation of the various elements of fantasy present in the anime provides us with a deeper understanding of our inner self, the world around us, and the mysteries of life. Here’s a shortlist of the best anime movies that every person must watch at least once in their lifetime.

 

1. 5 Centimetres Per Second

The story takes place in Japan from the 1990s to 2008. It is fragmented into three interwoven parts and revolves around a boy named Takaki Tono. It is a beautiful journey of the protagonist from his childhood to adult days made even better by the incredible narration (almost poetic) of the love life of the central character beginning at a time when nobody had cell phones and ending in an era of advanced technological development when communication is no longer an issue.

In the words of the protagonist, Takaki Tono, “But I’m sure that even if we had written 1,000 text messages back and forth…our hearts probably wouldn’t have moved even one centimeter closer.” 

2. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

It is the story of a high school girl, Makoto Konno, who has the ability to leap through time. She uses her power to time travel to prevent unwanted events. She stops her best friend Chikai Mamiya from confessing his love for her to find out that he is from the future. The story unfolds beautifully as their love transcends time and space.

3. The Place Promised In Our Early Days

placeThe sci-fi film is set in post-war Japan. It revolves around the lives of three friends Hiroki Fujisawa, Takuya Shirakawa, and Sayuri Sawatari, who have always fantasized about going to the Hokkaido Tower. The twist comes when Sayuri disappears during the summer, and the elements of dream and separation, as well as the concept of parallel universes, come in.

4. Spirited Away

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This anime movie is about a ten-year-old girl, Chihiro Ogino. Along with her family, she mistakenly enters the world of spirits where her parents are transformed into pigs. She finds herself trapped, but a spirit named Haku helps her survive the non-human world and warns her not to forget her identity lest she might never get out of the spirit land just like him. In addition, Chihiro’s love for Haku reminds him of his forgotten identity, and they help each other escape the dreadful world of spirits. The film subtly draws on the concept of greed and masked identity.

5. Princess Mononoke

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The movie takes you on a historical journey adorned with many elements of fantasy. Ashitaka, the last prince of Emishi, ventures into an adventurous journey to find a cure for the curse of Tatarigami, only to get himself involved in a battle between the guardian spirits of the forest and Tatara, an iron mining society. In his expedition, he meets the wolf girl, Princess Mononoke. The film explores various themes such as environmental degradation, sexuality, disability, and social systems based on industrialization, institutionalization, and militarization.

6. My Neighbour Totoro

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The story is set in post-war rural Japan. The two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move with their father to the countryside to be closer to their mother in the sanatorium. In the old house and the forest, they have astounding adventures with the spirits of nature.

Whether you have watched anime movies before or not, make sure you add the aforementioned movies to your list. They’ll be worth your time and also leave you thinking about a lot of important topics.

Published by
Prachi Agrawal