Top Ten Killer Anime Films That I’ve ever Seen

Studios over the years have created over ten thousand animes with hundreds more each year.

The constant wave of new anime can make the task of ranking them very difficult.

Today’s list is going to be a Top Ten Anime Films.

I have already written my top ten anime series so a top ten movies list seemed like the next logical choice.

I have watched over 50 anime films. There are movies that I tried to watch before making this list.

Unfortunately, an arbitrary cutoff point limited me to select from the films I had already watched.

The purpose of this list is to discuss the best anime films that have impacted me. Most of the films on this list should sound familiar.

Also, this list will be missing some heavy hitters.

This list will contain reflection for each film so expect spoilers. I organized the list in a way that should make skipping around to avoid spoilers easier. Other than that, this list will follow the same format as the others.

Now I present to you Top Ten Killer Anime Films That I’ve ever Seen

Plot

Ash, Misty, and Brock travel to an island that holds the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time Mewtwo. The film is most known for the scene where the clash of both Mewtwo’s and Mew‘s physic blasts turn Ash into stone.

If you were a child watching that scene it would have been so hard to not shed tears when Pikachu starts crying. Some grown men to this day still cry during that scene.

Besides the usual crew in Pokémon which includes: the nurse joys, officer Jennies, Ash, Misty, Brock, and team rocket, you also have Giovanni and Mewtwo.

Favorite Scene

My favorite scene is when Mewtwo’s clone versions of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise defeat their counterparts. The Charizard battle was the most entertaining.

First Anime Movie

I have been trying to figure out what my first anime was with very little success. At this point, it has to be Pokémon, Sailor Moon, or Digimon.

I do know that Pokemon the First Movie was the first anime film that I watched. My brother and I along with my grandmother watched it in theaters when it came out.

MewTwo is so Awesome!

Mewtwo always stood out to me in this film because he was the only Pokémon who could talk.

Technically there was also Meowth. Everything from Mewtwo’s birth, training, and fighting Mew are the best moments in this movie.

I stopped watching the Pokemon films after Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys but from what I watched Mewtwo was the best villain in the Pokémon series.

He was actually very relatable in the idea of not understanding why you exist and how other people were always manipulating him.

I have only seen the film twice in my life and I did not require another re-watching because I still remember the film.

It taught me that fighting is not always the answer and sometimes to find your purpose you first need to find yourself. If you were ever curious about Pokemon this would be a great place to start.

It is my first anime film so of course; it makes the list.

That alone earns it the 10 spot on my Top Ten Anime Films

The combination of three separate films in one plot is confusing.

It attempts to tie all the plots together by connecting to all plot points to Willis, who is only in the third story.

First Story

The first story takes place when the DigiDestineds were children and lived in the same apartment complex.

Koromon appears in Tai’s and Kari‘s bedroom and evolves to Agumon and then Greymon. A huge fight breaks out in the middle of the street between Greymon and Parrotmon.

Greymon‘s victory would be the moment that connected all eight of the DigiDestineds together.

Second Story

The second story is about a virus Digimon named Diaboromon. He hacks the internet and takes control of crucial software.

When the Digimon starts to fight back he launches nuclear warheads at major locations.

The Digimon only have a small amount of time to stop him and save the world.

Third Story

The third story is about Willis and Terriermon fighting against Lapmon an evil version of Terriermon.

This story involves the DigiDestineds from Adventure two only.

What The Movie is Known For

This movie is best known for the first appearance of Omnimon.

It is also a great reminder why combining three different stories into one film does not work.

Despite how corny it sounds the movie’s opening music is great.

The film has all the main characters from Digimon series 1 and 2.

My favorite scene is when Wargreymon and MetalGarurumon fused to form Omnimon.

I grew up watching Digimon and it is one of my favorite animes of all time.

This movie gave me more of what I loved in the original series.

The classic fighting songs from the English dub versions are just as corny as ever and I still loved them to this day.

First Appearances Of

This was the first time we got to see Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon on-screen together.

Until that point, the only Megas from adventure one was MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon.

However, if you ever played the card game then you know that all the DigiDestined’s Digimon had mega level forms.

The movie is terrible if I am being purely objective. That is what happens when you combine three stories that are not related into one movie.

I love Digimon and my nostalgia played a huge role in this decision. I was considering one of the Digimon Tri films but those films are more like a series.

So, it does not make sense to include one of them in this list without the rest.

Anyone who wants to watch one of the best kids shows during the 90’s needs to give Digimon a watch.

This film taught to never give up and don’t drink experimental smoothie drinks.

Any film that does this earns the ninth spot on the list.

The Plot

Unknown force captures Nunnally and Suzuki.

It will take the combined efforts from C.C, Kallen, and other returning characters to save them.

This movie is the sequel that fans had been waiting for over 11 years to see. It finally answers the biggest question did Lelouch die at the end of Code Geass? One important thing to note is that this film is from a series of films that are part of an alternative storyline.

So, it does not “really” answers the question.

This was something that I had wanted to see for a long time. The movie brings back the whole gang from Code Geass and introduces two new characters Shamna and Shalio.

Everything I had hoped for

This movie gave me everything that I wanted in a sequel to Code Geass.

The simplicity of the film disappointed some in the theater.

I only wanted Lelouch to come back and have one more awesome adventure.

This is the same reason why Trigun Badlands was enjoyable despite its obvious flaws. Plus, this movie made Lelouch and C.C officially a cannon romance.

The mech battles make a return and with 2019 animation look better than ever.

In fact, this whole movie was well animated.

The creation of the Zilkhstan empire that made money from the war worked in this movie. Because Code Geass ends with world peace so the only way to create conflict is if something requires war to exist.

Seeing Lelouch coming back was so great.

This movie gave me great closure with also the possibility of a new series.

Worth The Wait

It made waiting 11 years worth it! I understand that fans wanted more and I agree.

However, in anime much like life the important question to ask is what do you hope to gain from this.

In the context of this film, I merely wanted a simple story that reunites all the characters in one last hurrah.

This film delivered that and then some. Sometimes the only way to enjoy life is not set expectations too high.

I learned to not give up on someone, and it’s never too late to achieve something that you have dreamed of.

If you ever watched the original Code Geass series than you owe it yourself to watch this movie. For everyone else, this movie might be something to avoid because it caters to the fanbase.

For awarding a fan who waited over 11 years for the conclusion, Code Geass earns the number eight spot on the list.

The Plot

There is always something unusual happening in the Soul Society. In this story, an unknown foe steels an artifact known as the Ouin.

The Ouin is a powerful item that is a threat to the entire Soul Society if it fell into the wrong hands.

This movie is like the filler arcs in Bleach in that it ascertains a hypothetical scenario that could occur in this universe.

The scenario in this film is what would happen if two soul reapers shared the same Zanpakuto.

The entire cast from Bleach makes an appearance in the movie and three new non-canon characters are introduced as well.

The Best Fan Service

Of the four Bleach films, this one has the best action.

It also contains the highest amount of fan service.

During the climax of the movie, everyone uses their ultimate forms and attacks.

This film focuses on Toshiro Hitsugaya in a way not seen before. I always felt he gets lost in the shuffle due to the unique people on his teams.

Kenpachi Zaraki is one of my favorite characters in Bleach and has some badass moments in this movie.

He charges straight at Sojiro after he fused with the Ouin and used his spiritual pressure to raise the ground that buried him.

I make no apologies when I state that Bleach is one of my favorite animes of all time.

[fusion_one_page_text_link link=”Read Bleach Impact” class=”” id=””]Read Bleach Impact[/fusion_one_page_text_link]

It is one of the few anime universes where I will watch almost any story that takes place in it.

Speaking objectively none of the films are groundbreaking or profound.

I was very bias in choosing this movie.

The movie taught me two lessons that go together which are don’t run from your problems and do not be afraid to ask for help.

For anyone who wanted to understand why people love Bleach this movie for you.

The great action, story, and another dive into Bleach earns this film the seventh spot on the list

The Plot

Mima is a famous pop singer who transitions to life as an actress. Not everyone takes this change too well and a stalker emerges.

Mima also discovers that a website exists that has private intimate details about her life.

Mima’s Internal Struggle

Mima has to deal with an identity crisis, a crazy stalker, and life as an actress.

This film is famous for being considered the greatest psychological horror anime of all time.

Mima is the focus of the film which is why it has small cast of characters.

A Relatable Protagonist

It has a great protagonist in Mima.

She is very relatable because the movie shows both her life as an actress and an average person who commutes on the train.

I personally relate to the scenes where her manager and others make decisions for her and she goes along with it.

Mima’s transition from sweet innocence pop singer to mature actress is both disturbing and uncomfortable to watch.

The Blurring of Fantasy and Reality

The movie is great at blending the lines of reality and fantasy.

Mima’s identity crisis becomes so bad that the viewer joins her confusion as she blends fantasy and reality.

In one scene Mima is playing a character in a TV show that is diagnosed with a split personality.

The reason why this scene is great is that as the viewer you are not sure if this is about Mima or the character she is portraying. It is hard to say because even Mima is unsure.

She also believes herself to be an imposter and the real her is stalking her.

The opening of the movie is excellent.

Mima is trying to announce her retirement and the crowd is getting into a fight with some punks.

It is a very sad moment in the movie and the catalyst for the events that take place soon afterward.

Perfect Blue is the benchmark of how suspension horror anime should be made.

This film was hard to find a spot on this list simply due to all of the great films that I have seen.

Satoshi Kon hit a home run in his first film.

The Grass is Always Greener

This film has many lessons to learn and is more relevant today than it was in the ’90s.

The big lessons for me are do not meet your idols.

The other is that even though the lives of celebrities are great to keep in mind they are people as well and they might also be going through a tough time.

I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys the great psychological drama that looks at the dark side of celebrity status.

Perfect Blue depiciton of the dark side of fame is something we can all learn from which is why it gets the number six spot.

The Plot

Marco, who is now referred to as Porco (because he looks like a pig) is a famous bounty hunter and former military pilot who needs to regain his honor by defeating the pilot that “shot” him down.

Many consider this to be Miyazaki‘s most unique film as it strays away from the more traditional stories that he likes to tell.

The film is very funny and features some excellent characters.

The main ones include Gina, Porco, Curtis, Fio, and Mamm Aruto Gang Boss.

I wanted to keep the amount of Miyazaki films on this list to two.

This ensures that the list stays fresh and remains unique.

So, I picked one of my favorite Miyazaki films Porco Rosso. It is funny and does not take itself seriously.

The duel between Curtis and Porco Rosso is one of the best scenes in the movie.

The film taught me to not judge people by appearances.

For example, Fio is a young girl who Porco did not want help from due to her age and gender.

She proved him wrong after she designed his plane and made it even better than before.

It’s a funny movie with great characters, a great look at the time period.

Fio earned his respect and Porco even defended her against the pirates.

For staying true to a Miyazaki film while also being different Porco Rosso gets the number five spot.

The Plot

Hana, Miyuki, and Gin are three homeless people who find a baby in a trash pile.

They decide to spend their Christmas Eve to search for the baby’s parents.

This is a great example of a movie that at first glance is simple but in reality, is actually very complex.

There will always be a debate which of Satoshi Kon’s film is best.

For me, it is this one.

It is Very Funny

I have read many great things about this film but none of it truly did the comedy justice.

This movie is hilarious. Some of the situations are so random but work because of the nature of the story.

I enjoyed how the three main characters are all running from their past and it eventually catches up to them.

This Movie has the Most Random Scenes

I love the random coincidences that happen in this film.

My favorite scene is where Gin spends time with a homeless man moments before he dies.

The scene left me in laughs and also tears it was well done.

Originally I was a Skeptic

The majority of books and articles written on anime always mention this film as one of the best animes you will ever see.

Regardless of the positives reviews for a film, my experience trumps the mainsream view.

However, after watching the film I understand why this movie is held with such high regard.

It has great characters, who are interesting and their journey to finding the baby’s parents leads to some of the most interesting scenarios.

It has so Many Good Life Lessons

It’s not a preachy movie by any means but it does teach important lessons.

Do not run from your problems is the first one.

All three characters were running from something but eventually faced their problems.

All three characters learned that there is always a second chance.

Life is sacred regardless if it is a newborn baby, a person with debt, or a homeless individual.

The one that always gets me is to not judge people by their appearances.

Three homeless people including a transvestite homosexual risked their lives for a child that they did not know.

Kon does a great job of humanizing a group of people that we often forget exists.

This is a must-watch by all, truly the anime equivalent to It’s a Wonderful Life and earns the number four spot on the list.

The Plot

A year after the events of Steins Gate the whole gang meets up to have a party.

Something happens to Okabe and now it is up to Kurusu and Suzaha to figure out how to save him before it is too late.

This movie continues the romance between Kurusu and Okabe.

This relationship adds a strong emotional weight to the movie.

Takes Place in The Steins; Gate Universe

Much like the Bleach universe, the Steins Gate universe is another place that I love to watch any adventure that takes place in it.

The movie shares many of the characteristics that made the original classic excellent.

I love the continuation of the romance between Kurusu and Okabe. The film touches on the hard subject of dealing with loss.

It Discusses The Uncomfortable Reality of Death

Okabe throughout the film appears and disappears from the Steins Gate timeline.

Okabe is against the use of time travel and request to be let go. He would rather no longer exist than use time travel to fix another mess.

However, it is very hard for his group of friends to let him go. It reminded me of the situation when someone on life support wants to be off life support.

The friends and family want to keep the person alive as much as possible but it is also important to respect the person’s wishes.

Okabe accepted his fate and wish that his friends did the same.

In both of these cases there is no right or wrong answer which is why these cases are complex.

I had a Strong Emotional Connection to This Film

This caused me to have a strong emotional response to this movie.

Despite the majority of people who did not like having Kurusu take over as lead, I enjoyed that part of the film.

It was a nice change of pace and offered a different perspective of what Okabe went through.

My favorite scene is when Kurusu in a drunken state and express her feeling towards Okabe in a very out of character way.

I was on the edge of my seat for this one

This movie was so good and it’s hard to put into words.

I was hooked from the beginning until the end.

This film’s difficult topics had an emotional impact on me.

Much like the original series watching this movie made me reflect on my own life.

This film taught me the lesson to not take life for granted and say your piece with someone while you still can because you may never get the chance again.

This a fantastic movie anyone could watch but only Stein Gate fans will fully appreciate it.

For another wonderful dive into the Steins Gate universe, earns this film the number three spot on the list.

The Plot

After Tokyo is destroyed by an explosion caused by Akira the city is rebuilt into New Tokyo.

In this city terrorism is rampant and biker gangs terrorize the streets.

One gang member named Tetsuo is captured and experimented on because he shares psychic powers with Akira.

This film is known for being one of the first anime that American audiences watched.

In this respect, it was responsible for changing people’s perspective on anime.

Until that point most people only associated anime with Speed Racer or Astroy Boy.

The ending is somewhat of an enigma and is one the most interesting of all time.

The World is like Ours

The world of Akira might look different than today’s world by appearance but not the underlining problems.

We share the same issues: corruption in corporation and politics, gang violence, terrorism, and scientists dappling into things they shouldn’t.

For a film made in the ’80s the animation still holds up to this day.

It has Great Scenes

I enjoy how the film escalates after Tetsuo is taking hostage by a crazy rogue faction of the military.

I was always impressed when Tetsuo flies out of the hospital (not as much as he was).

I love the scene where Nezu is running away with a large suitcase of cash but has a heart attack while trying to getaway.

The symbolism is just amazing.

It is a Classic Anime that Paved The Way

Akira is a benchmark film that I compare all other cyberpunk stories to.

The film has very strong messages about modern society and that a warning we can learn from today.

It has great visuals and excellent characters.

The climax of the movie is incredible and one of the most memorable things in anime.

It Teaches Great Life Lessons

I was reminded that money cannot save someone from death and even the most innocent can become corrupted.

One of the best cyberpunk anime and earns the number two spot on the list.

The Plot

Nausicaa the princess from the Valley of the Wind must sacrifice everything to save the toxic jungle and the living things that dwell in it.

But her biggest obstacles are not the giant bugs that now rule the world after The Seven Days of Fire but rather a war between other surviving factions.

This is Miyazaki’s first film, that would lead to the creation of Studio Ghibli.

Nausicaa’s design became a template that Miyazaki would use to create every lead female character.

It is The Best Miyazaki Film

This is my favorite Miyazaki film.

The pro-environment message never reached the hand fisted levels of Princess Mononoke.

I have already discussed this film twice so I do not want to sound too reptitive.

Also Read: Is Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Wind a Masterpiece?

Here is the Review of: Get The Run Down #1 Nausicaa of The Valley of The Wind

It was progressive for its time have two female protagnist in positions of authority.

The enviromental message is great and something that we need more today.

It is a Great Film with Strong Messages

Its timeless classic with great characters and voice acting.

I learned many lessons from this movie.

Revenge consumes people and should never be the motivation for anything.

Never lose sight of the bigger picture. The Tolmekians and Pejites learn this when they were fighting each other instead of working together.

I think everyone can think of the situation nowadays where this message applies.

This is a great film and like most of Miyazaki’s films, is a great place to start in your journey into anime.

This is the best anime film that I have ever seen which is why it ranks number one on the list.

Even after writing this list I still think I got it wrong.

I need to watch even more films to have a better basis of what the cream of the crop is.

This list will serve as a starting point, a place that I look back to when comparing what I knew then vs now.

I am sure many of you reading are wondering why A Silent Voice or Your Name was not on here.

The reason is that this list contains movies that had the biggest impact on me not the best anime movies period.

This is why Pokemon the First Movie made an appearance which you will not find on many top ten anime movie lists.

It is also possible as I get older maybe some of those films will appear on the list.

Whats Next

So now that I have done favorite series, and films, a top character’s list is the next logical step.

I will, of course, make different lists if there is a popular demand for a certain topic.

I hope you enjoyed this list. If you have not seen any of the films listed, I highly suggest you give them a watch all the films listed are of the highest quality.

I would like to read your comments and let me know what anime films had the biggest impact on you.

Until then take care