Anime Movies You Need To Watch

By Ester.

Watching anime series as a whole is amazing, but anime movies have a whole different dynamic to it and unlock a different experience whilst you are watching it. So this post is my personal list of anime movies that I recommend you to watch.

Studio Ghibli Movies

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio, that is known worldwide especially for its unique style of animation and memorable soundtracks.

The first Studio Ghibli movie that I have ever watched was Howl's Moving Castle (one of my personal favourites). This movie is about a love story between a girl named Sophie, cursed by a witch (turning her into an old woman), and a magician named Howl. Under the curse, Sophie sets out to seek her fortune, which takes her to Howl's strange moving castle.

The animation is very artistic and soft, alongside with the famous soundtrack (merry go round of life) that adds to the aesthetic and the dreamy effect. Other Studio Ghibli movies that I highly recommend are: Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, From Up the Poppy Hill and Grave of the Fireflies. It is also something that you can watch with the family and all of them are on Netflix! (except the Grave of the Fireflies).

Your Name (2016)

Your Name is about two teenagers (one of them living in rural area and the other one living in the city of Tokyo). They share a thoughtful and extraordinary connection upon discovering that they have swapped bodies. But things become more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person. The storyline is Shoujo oriented with light-hearted comedy making it enjoyable to watch.

The animation of this movie is immaculate, the detail and the colours are aesthetically pleasing. This is also available to watch on Netflix.

Akira (1988)

This movie takes place in the post-apocalyptic city of Neo-Tokyo. A teenaged boy named Tetsuo Shima is exposed to a mysterious energy source and develops telekinetic powers that place him at the centre of a conflict that may destroy the world.

It’s a fast-paced and an exciting movie, with high level of suspense, constant action and a gory theme which made me fall in love with this movie instantly. It also has a good animation for an old school movie. If you are into sci-fi and action anime this one was made for you!

Ride Your wave (2019)

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, who is a firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, he loses his life in an accident at sea. Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water.

If you are into shoujo and sports anime I would advise you to watch this movie. The plot is captivating, and it has a unique art style, which engages the watcher even more.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019)

Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they get to do some real hero work. Everything is peaceful and quiet until they are attacked by a villain with an interesting quirk. His power is strangely familiar, and it looks like Shigaraki was part of the plan. But with All Might retired and citizens' lives on the line, there is no time for questions. Deku and his friends are the next generation of heroes that can protect and save the island.

When it comes to movie about an anime series, they get a moderate rating compared to the series itself, however, this movie shocked me and other MHA fans. It was exciting and breath-taking. We got to see another side of Deku and of Bakugo, which is not seen in the anime and that is what made me enjoy this movie even more.

If you are into shonen then this is definitely a movie for you.

Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (1995)

The Z Warriors discover an unopenable music box and are told to open it with the dragon balls. The contents turn out to be a warrior named Tapion, a legendary hero who, along with his brother Minotia, sacrificed themselves to seal themselves inside along with a monster called Hildegarn. Goku must now perfect a new technique to defeat the evil monster.

I saved the best for last, this is also one of my favourite anime movies. It is enlightening, and the fights will keep your eyes locked on the screen. Dragon Ball movies tend to have interesting fights; however they can drag sometimes making the movie boring and static. That is not the case for this movie. It’s definitely worth the watch.

Well that concludes the end of this post. I hope you've found some anime movies to add to your 'to watch list'. Let us know on our Twitter or Instagram accounts which film you're looking forward to watching next.

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own.