100 Best Anime Movies of All Time

100 Best Anime Movies of All TimeShow more

(Photo by Walt Disney/courtesy Everett Collection) The Tomatometer takes on the best anime movies of all time! That means we’re ranking everything from the feverishly dark 1980s/1990s films (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll), to the Studio Ghibli golden era (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies), and into today’s mainstream renaissance (Your Name, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen 0).
The list begins with Certified Fresh films first: Movies with at least 75% on the Tomatometer after enough critics reviews (40 or 80 reviews, depending on the type of release). These are movies seen by a wide swath of...

(Photo by Walt Disney/courtesy Everett Collection) The Tomatometer takes on the best anime movies of all time! That means we’re ranking everything from the feverishly dark 1980s/1990s films (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll), to the Studio Ghibli golden era (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies), and into today’s mainstream renaissance (Your Name, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen 0).
The list begins with Certified Fresh films first: Movies with at least 75% on the Tomatometer after enough critics reviews (40 or 80 reviews, depending on the type of release). These are movies seen by a wide swath of critics for potential wide audiences, including most films by Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Wind Rises), Isao Takahata (The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Only Yesterday), Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika), Mamoru Hosoda (Belle, The Boy and the Beast, Mirai), and Makoto Shinkai (Weathering With You).
After those are the Fresh movies, and a definitely rewarding dive for fans. Though anime has bubbled up in pop culture over the last two decades, many of these Fresh-rated films still need reviews to cross the Certified Fresh threshold. Though what reviews are there are pretty good! These Fresh movies include classics like The Castle of Cagliostro, Perfect Blue, and Vampire Hunter D, along with newer favorites Promare, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, and A Silent Voice. On the second page, you’ll find even more Fresh movies hovering on the fringe like the Cowboy Bebop movie, along with Rotten-rated anime, including from Studio Ghibli (Tales From Earthsea), Pokemon, and Final Fantasy.
We defined anime at its most fundamental — simply, movies that were drawn and animated in Japan. This includes earlier efforts like 1973’s Belladonna of Sadness, movies directed by non-Japanese folks (Tekkonkinkreet, The Red Turtle), anthologies (The Animatrix, Gotham Knight), and even for-hire international productions, like Topcraft (whose core members would go on to found Studio Ghibli) animating The Last Unicorn and J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations for Rankin/Bass. Most recently: We added 1987’s Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise  (which was scored by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, and a movie Roger Ebert called “a visually sensational two-hour extravaganza”), Shinkai’s Suzume (an action/fantasy set all across modern-day Japan), and Keiichi Hara’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror . —Alex Vo Page 1: Movies #1-#100 Page 2: Movies #101-#138 #1 Adjusted Score: 103186% Critics Consensus: Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal. Synopsis: A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors... [More] #2 Adjusted Score: 102539% Critics Consensus: Only Yesterday's long-delayed U.S. debut fills a frustrating gap for American Ghibli fans while offering further proof of the studio's incredibly consistent commitment to quality. Synopsis: A put-upon 27-year-old Japanese office worker travels to the countryside and reminisces about her childhood in Tokyo and what life... [More] #3 Adjusted Score: 102132% Critics Consensus: An achingly sad anti-war film, Grave of the Fireflies is one of Studio Ghibli's most profoundly beautiful, haunting works. Synopsis: A teenager (J. Robert Spencer) is charged with the care of his younger sister (Rhoda Chrosite) after an Allied firebombing... [More] #4 Adjusted Score: 105454% Critics Consensus: As beautifully animated as it is emotionally satisfying, Your Name adds another outstanding chapter to writer-director Makoto Shinkai's filmography. Synopsis: A teenage boy and girl embark on a quest to meet each other for the first time after they magically... [More] #...