Top 10 Underappreciated Anime Movies

One of a few films made as team effort between Japanese and American directors. “Little Nemo” took a few pieces of the comic strip “Little Nemo in Slumberland” and used it as a stepping stone for the big-screen movie. Following, you guessed it! A boy named Nemo’ nd his adventures in a mysterious realm called “Slumberland”, which is heavily influenced by a circus coming to town. The movie’s art and design look like something akin to Disney’s art but anime influence is unmistakable, leaving “Little Nemo” as a rather unique piece of art.

Making great use of friendship and love, “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” depicts the story of three friends from middle school, Takuya (Tah-Koo-Ya), Hiroki (He-Row-Key) and Sayuri (Sah-Yoo-Ree), over the course of four years. After Sayuri mysteriously vanishes during the summer, the two boys drift apart. Three years later, the story resumes, with the reunion of the two boys and a revelation regarding Sayuri. Despite the relatively relaxed build up, the end of the movie is intense and packed with feels, with memorable animation and a few unforgettable scenes one after another.

What do you do when your kids aren’t exactly…human? “Wolf Children” tells the story of Hana (like sauna), a normal human that falls in love with a wolf-man. Unfortunately, the joy is short lived, as he is killed while trying to help his family. Left with her two kids Yuki (You-Key) and Ame (ah-may), the story follows her kids’ journeys as they grow up, half human and half wolf, and their decisions on how to live. “Wolf Children” is a shining example of what a coming-of-age movie should look like. Animated in Mamoru (ma-mo-roo) Hosoda’s (hoe-soe-da) signature style, the humor and feels in this movie has viewers laugh-sobbing throughout.

A movie which many are aware of but very few have actually seen, “Grave of the Fireflies” tells the story of the siblings Seita (see-a-tah) and Setsuko (Set-Tsu-Co), as they try to survive the terror of the bomb raids over Kobe during World War II. Though the movie has a very desolate and futile atmosphere throughout the story, the animation is incredibly beautiful, and the story is as heart wrenching as they come. Unfortunately, despite the beauty of the film, “Grave of the Fireflies” is often avoided because, lets face it, who wants to be sad?

Many older anime movies are fairly unknown, but have a strong cult following. “Nausicaä” Is one such film, being released by the group that would become Studio Ghibli (jib-lee) before the studio was actually founded. It is, however, occasionally included in Ghibli Collections. The film follows Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, and follows her adventure in a post-apocalyptic setting in which a vast Toxic Jungle dominates the land. Despite still being one of the most memorable and beautiful of Ghibli’s productions, it’s often the one most people don’t even know exist.

Many studio Ghibli movies break new ground, but a few revisit older themes. “The Secret World of Arietty” (air-ee-et-ee) revisited “My Neighbor Totoro” (toe-toe-row). “The Cat Returns”, on the other hand, went back to the beloved “Spirited Away”. After saving Lune, the prince of the cat kingdom, Haru (har-oo) – a human girl – is offered his hand in marriage by the king. And, unable to say ‘no’ outright, she’s whisked away to marry him. Unfortunately, despite breathtaking animation and unforgettable characters like Haru and the Baron, “The Cat Returns” never saw the love that “Spirited Away” did.

Few Ghibli films include more adult themes, and fewer still are just simply not family movies. “Only Yesterday” is one such film that is made for adults, following 27 year old Taeko (tie-ah-koe) on her journey to the countryside to help with the safflower harvest. On her way, and while there, she reminisces about her times as a fifth grader, and what happened along the way since. The themes of being true to oneself and others are explored in a realistic, mature way with drama that is masterfully written for adults. And, though it hasn’t actually seen a release in North America, it is expected to sometime in 2016.

What would you do if you could literally leap through time? Dealing with all kinds of teenage drama from romance to friendship and awkward confessions, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” follows Makoto (mah-koe-toe) as she ends up with the ability to leap through time, and the adventures that follow. This film was the first of Mamoru (ma-mo-roo) Hosoda’s (hoe-soda) originals, and he has remained using the same artstyle ever since. Full of life and vibrant characters, the story told here is beautifully put together and has such a fitting bittersweet ending that you’ll never forget it.

An instant cult hit due to its absolutely off-the-wall style, “Mind Game” is a very unique anime film. The animation is fluid and trippy, but constantly changing. The style and design of the movie makes use of drastically different styles of animation, from super realistic to super deformed, and really pushes the bill on how to patch together different styles. The plot, though one continuous story, is also a bit crazy and off-the-wall, leaving viewers completely in the dark as to what will happen next. Mind Game’s style may push some away, but the movie is a real treat if you can get past the initial bout of crazy.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.

“Perfect Blue” (1997)
“Appleseed” (1988)
“5 Centimeters Per Second” (2007)
“Tokyo Godfathers” (2003)

With a beautifully unique style of art, reminiscent of watercolor paintings, “Princess Kaguya” is a standout anime film. The story follows Kaguya, a tiny girl who is found inside a glowing bamboo shoot at the beginning of the film. She grows quickly, and the story follows her growth into a princess, and beyond. The movie parallels a number of classic Japanese myths, making the painting-like art feel perfect. While it may end on a bit of a downer, Princess Kaguya is incredibly memorable and disserves more recognition.


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