My Top 10 Anime Movies

It’s about time I make a list of my top 10 favorite anime movies. Generally, anime movies bore me because of their relatively predictable plot and boring, cliched and over-used action sequences. Still, there are a handful of anime movies that, for some reasons, got me staring at the monitor all throughout.

Here are my top 10 favorite movies.

1. Vision of Escaflowne: The Movie (2000)

I love the anime series so much the movie has to top my list. Hence, I’m bias.

Who wouldn’t fall in love with Hitomi during the rooftop scene with Yukari.  The scene was like a breather to the next 60+ minutes of pure action. Despite the movie seeming rushed, it still takes on the main conflict between brothers – Van and Folkien. Plus Yoko Kanno’s beautiful soundtrack laid out through scenes in the movie. Escaflowne is a masterpiece.

2. Spirited Away (2001)

This is almost the boundary of how otherworldly anime can be. Hayao Miyazaki’s mastery in storytelling and depiction of characters emotions will keep you at the edge of your seat. Not to mention, the colorful cast that supports the protagonist creating a world where any story is possible.

3. Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (2001)

Cowboy Bebop the tv series is now considered a classic. Who wouldn’t love the futuristic wild wild west where duels are done with spaceships and the mysterious crew of Bebop. The movie continued to build on the success of the series by adding a terrorist’s biochemical weapon to the equation. Talk about being relevant and cool at the same time.

4. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

Lupin at its best. Playful yet dangerous. I consider this a must-see because of the car chases. Smooth for traditional cell animation at its time and revolutionary for the camera angles used.

5. Origins: Spirit of the Past (2006)

Origin: Spirits of the Past

I first watched this movie 4 years ago, loved it but forgot the title. Since then, it has always been on the tip of my tongue. Until I found it at www.kumby.com. I love this movie because of its depiction of a post-apocalyptic world as much as its overall animation. The world as we know it didn’t end because of nuclear war, it saw it demise in the hand (or root) of genetically enhanced plants.

6. Steamboy (2004)

Steampunk can never be this literal. Set a world where steam is the main source of energy, Steamboy creates an eerie, damp and foggy atmosphere for pressure-packed adventure.

7. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Another Ghibli masterpiece. Princess Mononoke is a beautiful tale of the people and nature. It depicts the world through different views yet masterfully interwoven to create a solid plot tied down by colorful characters.

8. One Piece Movie 6: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)

The dark side of One Piece. A reaction to One Piece’s children following, Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island gives a better and brutal view of the world that Ohda has created.

The final action sequence when Luffy is pierced with hundreds of arrows is the best One Piece scene I ever saw.

9. Akira (1988)

This movie will always be part of anyone’s top 10 list of best anime movies of all time. It’s one of the few animes that defined a genre and opened doors to a whole new world of anime. There are too much articles written about Akira that I’ll choose not to right anything lest I might ruin it for you. *winks

10. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

From  zero to hero. Tokyo Godfathers is a happy tale of 3 homeless people bound by one abandoned child. The warmth of this movie is enough to melt the snow of its setting, a cold winter Christmas in Tokyo.

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