Top 10 Anime Movies of all Time

'Anime' in Japanese means animation, so this term is used to refer to any animated film. It is not to be confused with manga, which means Japanese comic book. So, many times you will hear people saying anime based on manga. The earliest drawn anime was produced circa 1907, which consist of fifty frames drawn on a strip of celluloid. However, anime became popular worldwide during 1970s. Today, there are many anime film filmmakers like Hayao Miyazaki, Shinichiro Watanabe, Akitaro Daichi, etc., who have made greatest and top anime movies. Here is a list of top anime movies of all time, compiled by me.

Top 10 Best Anime Movies of All Time

My Neighbor Totoro (1988): This is a very cute and one of the best anime ever made. In this movie a father and his two daughters move to a new home, which is in the forest. Then the two sisters meet Totoro, the forest spirits and their adventures begin.

Ghost in the Shell (1995): This is a Sci-Fi anime movie which is always present in the top anime movies list. In this movie a female cyborg is a cop and with her human partner she is trying to track down a hacker, called Puppet Master. Watch part 2 of Ghost in the Shell called Innocence, if you like this 1995 movie.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984): This is a beautiful movie and one of the best anime, that will make you wonder the damage humans have done to the planet. In this movie Nausicaa is desperately trying to save two planets which are continuously dying.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006): This is a hilarious movie, which has a great concept as well. In this adventures of a girl who discovers time travel are shown.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988): This is one of the best anime movies of all time which will bring tears to your eyes. In this movie, a young boy is struggling to save his baby sister's life during World War II.

The Animatrix (2003): This is an unusual movie, which is a combination of several animated short films, that provide a backstory to the Matrix universe, depicting war between human and machines.

Akira (1988): This is a famous classic anime, in which a secret military project jeopardizes Neo Tokyo, and changes a gangster biker into a rampaging psychopath; and the only two children and a group of psionics can stop him.

Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1998): This is an amazing thriller movie, in which a traumatized member of an elite para-military police force falls in love with the sister of a female terrorist courier who dies in front of him.

Spirited Away (2001): This is an Oscar winning, and world acclaimed anime movie. In this film, a girl finds herself in a strange land where her parents turn into pig, her identity gets changed, and she is living in a bathhouse with spirits.

Perfect Blue (1998): This is a great horror-suspense anime movie. In this movie a retired pop singer who has started acting in films, is shaken when she is stalked continuously by an obsessed fan and seemingly ghost from her past.

Other Honorable Mentions

• Neon Genesis Evangelion (movie is based on top 10 anime series by the same name)
• Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
• FLCL (another classic anime film)
• Vampire Hunter D
• Ponyo (another great Hayao Miyazaki film)
• Ninja Scroll
• Princess Mononoke
• Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
• Castle in the Sky
• Steamboy
• Cowboy Bebop
• Death Note (watch the DN top anime series too, if you like this movie)
• Howl's Moving Castle
• Barefoot Gen
• Tokyo Godfathers
• 5 Centimeters per Second (a moving movie)
• Porco Rosso

These were the top anime movies of all time, and some other honorable mentions of movies that missed their place in the top ten anime movies of all time list. You can find the above-mentioned movies online. However, not all the movies mentioned above are available English dubbed. But, you can find a subtitle file of the movie in English easily, and upload it in a movie player, to watch the movie with English subs. Enjoy!