When good anime movies are discussed, what comes to mind most often is Studio Ghibli, and rightfully so. In the 36 years of its existence, this studio produced many visually gorgeous and intellectually riveting films, which became some of the best anime of all time, as well as gaining critical acclaim and box office success worldwide. Ghibli has crafted its own distinct brand of magical realism and sentimental, intimate portrayals of everyday activities, like cleaning and cooking. Even 'Ghibli food' has its own topic on Twitter, each post easily gaining 35-50k likes!
The wonderful world of anime should not be narrowed and defined through Ghibli only, though. There are a plethora of genres, from rom-coms to horror, beautifully represented and pioneered by anime studios, less known to viewers outside Japan. Some, such as Paprika, Perfect Blue, and Ghost in the Shell, even came to inspire Hollywood blockbusters from the likes of Nolan, Aronofsky, and the sisters Wachowski.
Update June 9, 2023: This article has been updated to include even more great animes by Danilo Raul.
Japan long parted with the misconception that animation is a medium aimed solely at children. Anime’s target audiences are teenagers and adults in equal measure because they understand that sometimes live-action, no matter how good, simply cannot achieve such fluidity of motion, rich facial expressions, and surreal and varied visual eccentricities that are available in animation. Anime can blend amazing visuals with such a refined storytelling capability. Each shot is stylized perfectly, be it a tale about raging Tokyo gangsters or a high schooler experiencing first love. With such an abundance of masterful creations, the question arises: where to start? Take a look at the best standalone anime movies not from Studio Ghibli.
15 Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984)
Directed by Noboru Ishiguro and based on the story by Shōji Kawamori, Macross: Do You Remember Love? retells the original Macross series but summarizes the main storyline into a more cohesive story. The SDF-1 Macross is trying to evade the Zentradi after the ship has been folded into space. Valkyrie pilot Hikaru Ichijyo rescues Lynn Minmay during the incident, and they seem to have feelings for each other.
On their trip back to Earth, they discover that most of the population has been wiped out. The crew discovers an ancient city holding the secrets of Protoculture, which changes the warrior nature of the Zentradi and the Meltrandi, the sworn enemies of the latter. Protoculture turns out to be the best weapon to end the conflict, as the SDF-1 Macross must make one last stand to defeat Boddole Zer, who seeks to wipe out humanity and Protoculture once and for all.
14 Barefoot Gen (1983)
Barefoot Gen is one of the greatest Japanese films ever made. Directed by Mori Masaki with a script by Keiji Nakazawa, the film tells the story of Gen Nakaoka and his family as they survive the blast of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb. Gen and his family are doing their best to survive through the food scarcity and numerous air raids during World War Two. From Gen's point of view, we see how bad the war is going for the nation, but somehow Hiroshima has been spared.
One day as Gen goes to school with his friend, a single B-29 unleashes hell on Earth for the entire city. Gen is buried in rubble, so he manages to survive the impact. After getting free, he runs to get his family, but his brothers die trapped in a fire. Gen manages to rescue his mother and does his best to survive the chaos. It's a crushing film that doesn't fall for the traps of misery and sadistic displays to shock the audience.
13 Jin-Roh The Wolf Brigade (1999)
Jin-Roh has been a popular staple in the world of anime for many years. Hiroyuki Okiura directs the gripping story with a script written by Mamoru Oshii. The story is a complex mix of alternate realities and historical placements. In 1950, Nazi Germany won WWII and conquered Japan, later recaptured by the Allies. Tokyo's Self-Police is dealing with the fallout of left-wing riots. The Kerberos Special Armed Garrisk is pursuing the rioters in the sewers until one of them immolates himself to prevent capture.
Shocked by the events, Kazuki Fuse, the operative who witnessed the suicide, visits the victim's grave and meets Kei Amemioya, the older sister of the bomber. The plot delves into a web of conspiracy as Kei is used to infiltrate the Public Security Division and dismantle the Kerberos unit. At the end of the story, the tables are turned for the conspirators, as they are the ones being played by more competent people seeking to flush out any form of dissent against public order.
12 The Princess and the Pilot (2011)
The Princess and The Pilot is a stylish military romance directed by Jun Shishido and written by Satoko Okudera, based on the light novel and manga created by Koroku Inumura. The story revolves around Charles Karino and Princess Juana del Moral. As the best pilot of the kingdom, Charles is a respected warrior, but he's dismissed by foot soldiers who regard him as a coward for fighting in the air. His time shine comes up when his superiors ask him to rescue the Princess after being attacked by the Amatsuvian Empire.
It's a great story, exploring multiple themes about military conduct and love. Charles is not above criticizing the commands of his superiors, and the Princess does not receive well his reckless attitude. As they get to meet each other, they grow close. Sadly, politics play their role in the story. While Charles is rewarded for accomplishing his mission, he never gets to see the Princess again, and it's still dismissed after single handily managing to save the line of succession.
11 The Empire of Corpses (2015)
One of the best genres in entertainment is speculative fiction. Taking established fictional elements and placing them in uncanny situations has excellent results, as we see familiar characters in new scenarios and imaginary situations that go beyond their established lore. The Empire of the Corpses is a film directed by Ryoutarou Makihara, with a screenplay by Midori Got, based on the works of Project Itoh.
In this story, Victor Frankenstein discovers the means to reanimate a corpse with a soul. His work is lost, but he devises a way to keep corpses compliant called The Necroware. John Watson replicates the process, which puts him in the eyes of the British Secret Service with M, tasking him to retrieve the original works of Frankenstein from Alexei Frodorovich Karamazov. The conspiracy is filled with Victorian literary figures, some of which are very obscure, to tell an action-packed and intelligent story.
10 A Silent Voice
An unflinching look at the reality of bullying — from the point of view of the bully. This adaptation of Yoshitoki Ōima’s manga A Silent Voice is moody and sensuous, not shying away from teenage angst: fractured friendships, longing for love and acceptance, and self-hatred. Ambient music and delicate hand-drawn visuals help convey the fragile inner world of Shoya, who tormented a deaf-mute classmate. Having become a social pariah, he faces his victim — and his conscience.
Shoya decides to mend the relationship with her, but the quest for forgiveness is far from easy. This uplifting story about growing up and redemption, one which utilizes the anxieties of youth in order to create something motivational about self-improvement, quickly became a hit in Japan, grossing $20 million in the year of its release.
9 Summer Wars
Scorching sun, sticky melted ice cream, and the whiff of an adventure — a quintessence of the beginning of a perfect summer break. Kenji is a math genius who is forced to pretend to be the boyfriend of a girl he secretly likes. He follows his crush to her ancestral mansion and accidentally stumbles upon an artificial intelligence demon, Love Machine — the chaos ensues. Summer Wars director Hosoda Mamoru is a legend in the world of animation. Hosoda has a knack for stories centered around multigenerational families and well-thought-out intricate virtual worlds.
8 Perfect Blue
Satoshi Kon's filmography is famous among not just anime fanatics but also film buffs in general. His Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller that explores the dangerous depth of obsessive fandom. It critiques the pop-culture industry, its entire network of greedy consumption, and talent exploitation. The story follows Mimi, a member of a J-Pop idol group, who desires to change her image into that of a mature actress — futilely trying to find herself in the process. Filmmakers have paid homage to the fantastic and disturbing visuals of Perfect Blue, most notably Darren Aronofsky in his Requiem for a Dream (which has exact shot-for-shot remakes of the film) and Black Swan.
7 The Anthem of the Heart
The Little Mermaid meets Speak in the gorgeous film The Anthem of the Heart. It is a sincere fairy tale about a girl cursed to be silent — learning to communicate with the world without words. It is not saccharine, though, as the Anime News Network wrote: “There's a quiet loneliness to many of the sequences here that really sells them, and the film also isn't afraid to step into key spaces that many adolescent dramas avoid.” The movie lets these teenagers, who don’t know how to tell each other about their feelings, show everything through their expressive character designs and body language.
6 The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl
A winner of the 41st Ottawa International Animation Festival in the category of animated features, The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl is a bonkers anime that follows a student who decides to go all out — she will drink to her heart’s desires and have a taste of nightlife. Her secret admirer follows her into the night streets of Kyoto, and they find themselves in various comical, drunken, and outright magical situations in the ancient city. This movie, described by The Guardian as “a hallucinogenic trip down a rabbit hole,” is a love letter to Kyoto. A particular allure of this feature is the uniquely dynamic and whimsical character designs, not typical of anime. They were created by Yusuke Nakamura, one of Japan’s most popular modern illustrators.
5 Penguin Highway
This upbeat kid-friendly movie is full of heart and fan service. Penguin Highway is a fun summer detective story with science-fiction elements, cute but refreshing, as the viewers can never be sure where the story will take them next. One day a group of Adele penguins suddenly appear in a small island town. Only Aoyama, a science-loving preteen, can solve this mystery of where they have come from. Not without the help from his friends, of course.
Director Hiroyasu Ishida wanted to emulate hand-drawn aesthetics with digital techniques to create a radiant, crisp, multidimensional feel, with the backgrounds of forests and fields is the most visually stunning. The movie proved to be successful both among critics and audiences.
4 Tekkonkinkreet
Tekkonkinkreet has an ethereal and derelict, futuristic universe of underworld Yakuza, narrow alleys, and sharp corners, a fantastical, colorful setting to a story that at its core celebrates family love and loyalty. Brothers Black and White parkour their way through Treasure Town and try to protect it from cruelty, crime, and corporate greed, craving to tear their beloved city apart.
Director Michael Arias approached the adaptation of Taiyo Matsumoto's manga without the intention to copy the visual style but instead create an experience. The end result is sensory bewilderment that takes the viewer's breath away. Rough-hewn visuals, skewed angles, and odd movements work wonderfully with the world-building and the storyline given. Tekkonkinkreet received numerous awards, including the Mainichi Film Award and the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.
3 Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
A laidback romance that feels like the sweetest soda sip during a hot, sweaty summer, Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop is a soft and earnest tribute to first love. This movie intelligently introduces genre and romance movie clichés, only to elevate them with visual and verbal poetry: slow-motion shots, subtle glowing, supple neon accents, and the character’s fascination with music and haiku.
Such a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of a teen love story (their meet-cute and the impending separation that comes with the end of summer) brings home the film’s message of celebrating love and art. With a 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, this film can be considered an instant classic of the melodrama genre.
2 Old Man Z
Many animes from the early '90s are a pinnacle of aesthetics. Every image is deliciously detailed, all the characters are strong and one-of-a-kind, and the plots are positively absurd. The dark comedy Old Man Z is a great representation of the period. A haywire computer seems to have been inhabited by the spirit of an old man’s wife and, in a desire to visit the sea, breaks out of the hospital and wreaks havoc around the city.
The only one who can stop him is a gentle young medical student who always stayed kind and loving to the elderly in her care. While bright and satirical, this story is as much about compassion as it is about colorful mecha. Old Man Z won the Mainichi Film Award for animation in 1991. In 2001, Wizard Entertainment included the film in its top 50 anime to be released in North America.
1 Miss Hokusai
Miss Hokusai uncovers the story of one of the most notable figures of Japanese culture — Hokusai… or rather, his daughter Ōi. Due to the position of a woman in the society of that time, she had to show her works under her father's name. This intellectual biopic is a patchwork of episodes from Ōi’s life, subtly showing her growing into herself, talented in her own right, even when compared to her genius father.
The use of natural light gives delicate visuals close to the aesthetic of Hokusai paintings. This contrasts with fiery electric guitar music on the soundtrack, modernizing the story. A great compliment to the honest, feminist review of Japanese history and culture. The movie has a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for Annie and Satellite Awards.