Best 20 Japanese Anime Movies

By Vlad Zakh · February 14, 2026

Japanese animation ranges from Studio Ghibli fantasy to futuristic cyberpunk, and this list covers the classics and some newer gems. Spirited Away traps Chihiro in a mysterious spirit world, My Neighbour Totoro lets two sisters meet creatures in the countryside, Akira follows two friends in a futuristic Tokyo, and Grave of the Fireflies shows siblings struggling to survive. Princess Mononoke, Ghost in the Shell, Perfect Blue, Your Name, The End of Evangelion, Paprika and Howl’s Moving Castle round out the list.

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) (2001)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 96% Metacritic 96

Chihiro, a young girl, finds herself in a spirit world and must work to free her parents.

"Once you've met someone you never really forget them." - Spirited Away

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 2h 05m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar58 wins & 31 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video YoutubeTV

My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro) (1988)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 94% Metacritic 87

Two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move to the countryside and befriend the gentle forest spirits living nearby.

"Trees and people used to be good friends." - My Neighbor Totoro

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 1h 26m · Rated G

6 wins & 2 nominations

Where to watch

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video YoutubeTV

Akira (アキラ) (1988)

In a futuristic Tokyo, two friends, Kaneda and Tetsuo, are changed forever when Tetsuo gains psychic powers.

"I am Tetsuo." - Akira

Directed by Yuichi Shintani

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video Hulu

Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka) (1988)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 100% Metacritic 94

An emotional film about two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, trying to survive in wartime Japan.

"September 21, 1945... that was the night I died." - Grave of the Fireflies

Directed by Isao Takahata · 1h 29m · Rated NR

3 wins

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Amazon Prime Video

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 93% Metacritic 78

Prince Ashitaka gets caught in a conflict between forest gods and an industrial mining town.

"You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose." - Princess Mononoke

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 2h 14m · Rated PG-13

14 wins & 6 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video HBO Max YoutubeTV

Ghost in the Shell (Kôkaku kidôtai) (1995)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 95% Metacritic 76

In a cyberpunk future, Major Motoko Kusanagi pursues a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master.

"Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you." - Ghost in the Shel

Directed by Mamoru Oshii · 1h 23m · Rated NR

5 wins & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video HBO Max Hulu YoutubeTV

Perfect Blue (Pâfekuto burû) (1997)

TMDB ★ 8.3

A former pop idol, Mima, moves into acting but faces a disturbing stalker and a slipping sense of reality.

"I just want to be myself. I don't want to be anybody else." - Perfect Blue

Directed by Satoshi Kon · 1h 21m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Amazon Prime Video

Your Name (Kimi no na wa) (2016)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 98% Metacritic 81

Taki and Mitsuha, two strangers, find themselves mysteriously swapping bodies, and try to find each other.

"I wanted to tell you that... wherever you may end up in this world, I will be searching for you." - Your Name

Directed by Makoto Shinkai · 1h 46m · Rated PG

17 wins & 27 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video HBO Max YoutubeTV

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro wo, kimi ni) (1997)

TMDB ★ 8.3

The film that concludes the series, as humanity's fate is decided in an apocalyptic final battle.

"Thank you." - The End of Evangelion

Directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki & Hideaki Anno · 1h 27m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Criterion Channel, Netflix Standard with Ads · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video YoutubeTV

Paprika (Papurika) (2006)

TMDB ★ 7.8

In a world where therapists enter patients' dreams, a device is stolen and the line between dream and reality begins to blur.

"You're not dreaming. You're remembering." - Paprika

Directed by Satoshi Kon · 1h 30m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video YoutubeTV

Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro) (2004)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 88% Metacritic 82

Sophie, cursed into an old woman's body, takes refuge in the walking castle of the wizard Howl.

"I feel terrible, like there's a weight on my chest." - Howl's Moving Castle

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 1h 59m · Rated PG

Nominated for 1 Oscar14 wins & 20 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video YoutubeTV

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika) (1984)

TMDB ★ 7.9

Nausicaa, a princess in a post-apocalyptic world, strives to bring peace between humans and nature.

"An insect's life doesn't compare to a human's." - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · 1h 35m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video HBO Max YoutubeTV

Redline (Reddo rain) (2009)

TMDB ★ 7.5

JP, a racer, competes in the deadly Redline race on a planet hostile to outsiders.

"Whether you win or lose, you'll have fun. If you give it your best shot, you won't regret it." - Redline

Directed by Takeshi Koike · 1h 42m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Amazon Prime Video HBO Max YoutubeTV

Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba) (1995)

TMDB ★ 7.9

Shizuku, an aspiring writer, discovers a cat figurine that leads her on a journey of self-discovery.

"It's so hard when I have to, and so joyous when I can." - Whisper of the Heart

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo · 1h 51m · Rated G

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video HBO Max YoutubeTV

Millennium Actress (Sennen Joyū) (2001)

TMDB ★ 7.9

Through the story of a retired actress, this film explores the intertwining of reality, memory and cinema.

"Do you remember the way you were when you were fifteen?" - Millennium Actress

Directed by Satoshi Kon · 1h 27m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Retrocrush, AsianCrush, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Amazon Prime Video

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o kakeru shôjo) (2006)

TMDB ★ 7.8

Makoto discovers she can leap through time and uses it for small things, until the consequences catch up.

"I want to fix that mistake. But I don't know how to use this power." - The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda · 1h 38m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Amazon Prime Video

Tokyo Godfathers (Tôkyô goddofâzâzu) (2003)

TMDB ★ 7.9

On Christmas Eve, three homeless people find an abandoned baby and set out to find her parents.

"The snow is beautiful because it has the power to make almost everything disappear." - Tokyo Godfathers

Directed by Satoshi Kon · 1h 32m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Amazon Prime Video HBO Max

A Silent Voice (Koe no katachi) (2016)

IMDb ★ 8.2 Metacritic 78

A former bully, Shoya, seeks redemption after reconnecting with Shoko, the deaf girl he mistreated at school.

"I want to apologize for everything." - A Silent Voice

Directed by Naoko Yamada · 2h 09m · Rated NR

6 wins & 9 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime no monogatari) (2013)

TMDB ★ 8.1

Based on a famous Japanese folktale, the film follows a girl found inside a bamboo stalk.

"I already belong to another world." - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Directed by Isao Takahata · 2h 17m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video YoutubeTV

Weathering with You (Tenki no ko) (2019)

TMDB ★ 8.0

Hodaka, a young boy, befriends Hina, a girl with the ability to control the weather.

"I won't let go of another thing I hold dear." - Weathering with You

Directed by Makoto Shinkai · 1h 52m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd Netflix Amazon Prime Video HBO Max YoutubeTV

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

Best 20 Japanese Anime Movies

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) (2001)

My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro) (1988)

Akira (アキラ) (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka) (1988)

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997)

Ghost in the Shell (Kôkaku kidôtai) (1995)

Perfect Blue (Pâfekuto burû) (1997)

Your Name (Kimi no na wa) (2016)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro wo, kimi ni) (1997)

Paprika (Papurika) (2006)

Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro) (2004)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika) (1984)

Redline (Reddo rain) (2009)

Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba) (1995)

Millennium Actress (Sennen Joyū) (2001)

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o kakeru shôjo) (2006)

Tokyo Godfathers (Tôkyô goddofâzâzu) (2003)

A Silent Voice (Koe no katachi) (2016)

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime no monogatari) (2013)

Weathering with You (Tenki no ko) (2019)

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