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An error has ocurred. Please try again#1 - Spirited Away: The first entry on this list comes from the world-renowned Studio Ghibli. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who is regarded as one of the greatest animated filmmakers of all time, Spirited Away is a film about a young girl, Chihiro, who becomes trapped in the spirit world after she and her parents wander into an apparently abandoned theme park. Widely thought to be the best animated film ever made, it held the #1 spot for being the highest grossing Japanese film in Japan from 2001 to 2016. Spirited Away occupies the first spot on this list due to it's ease of accessibility to westerners and universal appeal. It is also the only traditionally animated and foreign film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature (if you care about that). Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Drama
#2 - Princess Mononoke: The second entry again comes from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. Princess Mononoke is an epic about a young prince who is cursed by a demonic boar while defending his tribe and is subsequently exiled. He then embarks on a quest in search of a fabled forest god who he hopes can remove his curse, while encountering spirits warring with a faction of iron-wielding humans along the way. This film is notable for being arguably the most violent on this list, but it also maturely handles meaningful themes such as man vs nature, egalitarianism, and pacifism. It was also the #1 highest grossing Japanese film at the Japanese box office until Spirited Away released in 2001. While Spirited Away is often considered the best animated film ever made, some argue that Princess Mononoke should hold that title. Regardless, it is a grand and beautiful film that everyone should see. Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy.
#3 - Kiki's Delivery Service: Yet another entry from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki's Delivery Service takes a step back from the spectacle of Spirited Away and the epic story of Princess Mononoke. Instead, the film opts for a more grounded and realistic approach to its story, though it still has some supernatural elements in the form of Kiki, a young witch leaving home for the first time, and her talking cat, Gigi. The film follows Kiki during her life in a new city and her journey in becoming an independent adult while working for a local bakery. The film deals with themes such as adolescence, depression, and self-discovery. While not as bold as the previous two entries, it is a thoroughly heart-warming and emotional journey that should certainly not be overlooked. Especially recommended for young adults who have moved-out of their parents' home within the last few years. Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance.
#4 - Howl's Moving Castle: The final film on this list from Hayao Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle is about a young hat-maker, Sophie, who is cursed to appear like an old woman by a jealous witch. Sophie then works as a housekeeper for a wizard, Howl, while trying to undo her curse. Howl's Moving Castle is an unusual Ghibli film in that it based on a book and occasionally feels like a story that tries to do too much as a result, but at the same time has a wonderful atmosphere and extremely memorable characters. Despite its couple flaws, it is beautifully animated, incredibly imaginative, and does a great job of balancing its comedic moments with its drama. A must see for anyone beginning to explore anime. Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance.
#5 - Wolf Children: The first entry on this list not from Studio Ghibli, Wolf Children is a lovely film from director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu. The film is about a young woman named Hana who marries a man with the ability to turn into a wolf at will (vaguely similar to a werewolf). The couple start a family with two children who also share their father's ability, but Hana ends up having to raise the children alone in the Japanese countryside. The film is very sweet though poignant at times and deals with themes such as motherhood, single-parenting, and family. The scenery of Japan's countryside is also impressively gorgeous. This is at #5 because it serves as a good transition/bridge between the heartfelt flair of Hayao Miyazaki and the emotional, yet stylistically different, films remaining on this list. Genre: Drama, Fantasy.
#6 - A Silent Voice: Directed by Naoko Yamada and produced by Kyoto Animation, A Silent Voice is a heart-wrenching film about a middle-school boy, Shoya, who brutally bullies the new deaf girl, Shoko, in his class. The majority of the film takes place five years later at which point Shoya has become a social outcast and is overcome with guilt due to his past actions. The film is ultimately a story about acceptance, forgiveness, redemption. It also deals with many serious themes such as self-harm, suicide, disability, and hatred. It is a film that will have you in tears, especially in light of a recent arson attack at Kyoto Animation that tragically killed many of A Silent Voice's animators. Despite the film's very sad tone, it ultimately steers towards conveying an overwhelming feeling of hope and happiness that will warm your heart and touch your soul unlike any other. Genre: Drama, Romance
#7 - 5 Centimeters per Second: From director Mokoto Shinkai and CoMix Wave Films, 5 Centimeters per Second is a bittersweet film about doomed and unrequited love. It takes place over two decades from the 90s to 2008 and follows a boy named Takaki and his relationship with his schoolmate Akari over three chapters. Although a little rough around the edges compared to Shinkai's newer works, the film is a visually impressive and a surprisingly emotional work. I recommend watching 5 Centimeters per Second before watching the next entry, Your Name. Genre: Romance, Drama
#8 - Your Name: Another entry from Mokoto Shinkai and CoMix Wave Films, Your Name improves upon Shinkai's previous works in every way and has become nothing short of a phenomenon within the anime community. The film follows two high school students, Taki and Mitsuha, who discover they are randomly switching bodies each day. Despite the silly sounding premise, Your Name is an incredibly well-polished, emotional, and beautiful story about love and one's relationships to others. Its animation is a sight to behold and it is easily one of the best-looking animated films ever made. It also has a wonderful score which fits the film amazingly well and has even been translated into English for the dubbed version. So trust me - give Your Name a watch. Even if the premise does not sound interesting, even if you do not normally like anime, whether you are young or old, everyone falls in love with Your Name. It is truly an emotional experience that affects you to your core. Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
#9 - Grave of the Fireflies: Another entry on this list from Studio Ghibli yet one that is not directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Grave of the Fireflies was directed by the late Isao Takahata. The film explores life in Japan near the end of World War II from the perspective of two children trying to survive. Of all the films on this list, this one is by far the most heartbreaking. It is a tremendously difficult film to watch, one that will leave you in tears, and one that will likely haunt you for years afterwards. While the film is extremely hard to watch, I've included it on this list because it serves as the quintessential example of the impact an animated film can have on a person and that animation is certainly not something for children's films only. If you can think you can endure the masterpiece that is Grave of the Fireflies, give it a watch, but do not say you were not warned. Not recommended if you suffer from depression. Genre: Drama, War
#10 - Tokyo Godfathers: For the final entry on this list, we have Toyko Godfathers, directed by the late Satoshi Kon. If you have been following this guide's recommended order and, you will be pleased to know that Toyko Godfather's is a remarkably uplifting film in contrast to Grave of the Fireflies, despite first appearances: The film follows three homeless people who find an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve and try to find its parents. Tokyo Godfathers boasts impressively fun and well-written characters along with a contagious sense of optimism and camaraderie. It's a very fun time and definitely an unusual anime film. Genre: Drama, Comedy
That's the whole list! If you're new to anime, or just need some recommendations, I hope this list serves as a good starting point for you.
Note: This list is in order of total IMDb votes by default.
Note: Not including short films less than 30 minutes long.
Reviews
Bug Bites: An Ant's Life (1998)
Nothing short of terrible
The poster says it all. Mercifully short yet feels hours long.
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)
Magnificent, Even a Century Later
Now this is more like it! After watching Griffith's The Birth of a Nation, I was worried Intolerance might also be irrevocably marred with similar messages. Thankfully, not only is that not the case, but Intolerance improves upon the already hugely impressive technical aspects featured in The Birth of a Nation.
Whereas The Birth of a Nation features two directly connected main plot lines in the form the Stonewall and Cameron families over the course of a few years, Intolerance's storytelling is even more ambitious in its portrayal of four separate stories that span more than two millennia of human history, linked by the common theme of intolerance.
The "Modern" story takes place in 1914 and primarily deals with the various troubles of the working class along with crime, justice, and motherhood. This is arguably the primary plot line and I found much of the film's emotional weight here.
The "French" story takes place in the 1500s and deals with strife between the royally-supported Catholics and an opposing Protestant faction - with a young couple caught in-between.
The "Judean" story takes place during the final days of Jesus and is mostly used for symbolic purposes and to help solidify the film's main theme. It is has relatively little screen time but is still effective.
The "Babylonian" story takes place in the 5th century BC and details life inside Babylon during the time of a Persian invasion. The film shares most of its screen time between this story and the Modern story. What truly makes this plot line stand out though, are the absolutely mesmerizing sets and battle scenes.
We are first introduced to Babylon via an iris shot that slowly opens to reveal the bustling outer wall of the city and it looks just magnificent! From the Lamassus adorning the gate to the hundreds of extras, you can tell a massive amount of artistry and thought went into creating this world. Then we are treated to a beautiful shot from a building or tower overlooking the city, and I'm honestly not quite sure how this was accomplished. I'm sure matte paintings were used, but there are also people visibly moving in the distance. Regardless, it looks fantastic.
Later on we see shots from the walls themselves, along with the main gate and the king's palace - it's all hugely impressive. The cherry on top doesn't appear until halfway through the film though, where we look upon Babylon during the Feast of Belshazzar and the camera moves down and towards the action. I can not stress enough how amazing this looks. Without a shred of exaggeration, I can honestly say that this is one of the best-looking scenes I have ever encountered in a film, old or new.
The feast itself is impressive as well. As the guests enjoy themselves, the king pets an actual cheetah lying on the arm of his throne. Then we see a shot of a servant offering a bowl of fruit to a pet bear amidst a crowd of rowdy guests. We also see a soldier with a tiny monkey sitting on his shoulder which the surrounding people are clearly enjoying immensely. It all looks like great fun and it the sheer extravagance of it all is something to behold.
Naturally, the battle scenes are a spectacle too. We see hundreds of extras, people falling off the walls, rocks flying, people being stabbed, heads being cut off, siege towers spectacularly collapsing, and even a flame-spewing tank-like machine of some kind. It's all surprisingly violent! While The Birth of a Nation had some very impressive Civil War battle scenes, I think the madness that unfolds here is even more praiseworthy.
Of course, there are other aspects of the film to commend. In terms of camerawork and editing, the aforementioned iris shot that was used quite a bit in The Birth of a Nation is also used extensively in Intolerance. Likewise, Griffith's famous close-ups, along with occasional pans and tracking shots, are also used and make the film such a visual treat. I would say my favorite close-up is either the one used on that little monkey or the extreme close-up during the introduction of Brown Eyes in the French story, which was unexpected.
As for the music, the version I saw had an orchestral score by Carl Davis which I thought added immensely to the mood and atmosphere of the film, especially as the emotional climaxes of the third act are occurring in tandem. I am aware there is a version with an organ score by Gaylord Carter and a version with a synthetic score by Joseph Turrin, but I think Carl Davis' score fits the film perfectly.
If you couldn't tell, I really love this film. I don't know a single person in my circle of friends and family that has seen it though, and I find that pretty unfortunate because even 103 years later, Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages has in many ways stood the test of time. It is an epic and grand film that is hugely ambitious and I believe it succeeds in following through with those ambitions.
Glancing at other reviews on this site and others, it seems that a fair few people find Intolerance boring, but I found it to be the complete opposite. The visual presentation, actors (Mae Marsh is really great), and story initially drew me in very quickly and by time the magnificent third act rolled around I was completely glued to the screen. The race against time in the Modern story interlaced with the endings of the other three stories was legitimately one of the most enthralling sequences I've seen in a film in quite a while.
So if you haven't seen Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages, I say give it a watch. I had put it off for several years now and upon finally giving it a chance I was not disappointed. As far as silent films go, this one is my favorite at the time of writing. Hopefully Broken Blossoms will be just as good!
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
A Horrific and Important Piece of History
This film was like watching someone discover fire for the first time in history but then immediately use it to burn down a village.
So how the hell do I rate this? Do I look purely at the film's extremely impressive technical achievements and innovations? Or do I only look at the horrific racism that the film presents?
Instead I'll rate The Birth of a Nation based on its historical significance, which is undeniable. Whether it was the film's huge influence on the film industry or severe consequences for American society, it certainly made its mark on history. That it is still so controversial and argued about to this day is proof.
Remember, history is not all good. It is filled with hatred, violence, and endless wars. However, that is a large part of why it is essential to have knowledge of history: so that when new history is made, it might not be as bleak as the time period in which The Birth of a Nation was produced. For that reason, this is an important film, and one that should be seen by anyone with an interest in cinema. It, at the very least, can serve as a warning for the hatred that can be propagated when art is used maliciously or irresponsibly.