When most people think of themost important anime of all time, they probably think of the laundry list of game-changing shows the genre has produced, likeDragon Ball,One Piece, andNeon Genesis Evangelion. However, there are more than a few films that have impacted anime in a major way, as well.
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Anime moviespack much of the action, drama, and unforgettable storytelling that their small screen counterparts provide over many episodes and many years into one single feature that is presented to the world on a gigantic screen with top flight sound in a large group setting. For this reason, certain films have had an impact on both anime and pop culture that matches or even beats the impact of some of anime’s biggest TV productions.
8The Dull Sword
It may not be a feature length production, and it may not even have any sound, but Jun’ichi Kōuchi’sNamakura Gatana, orThe Dull Sword, is among the earliest known Japanese animations ever produced and therefore it is an incredibly important piece of anime history.
This short silent film depicts the comedic story of a would-be samurai purchasing a dull katana and then repeatedly attempting to test its capabilities on random strangers (a real practice known as tsujigiri) to no avail. Though it was produced in 1917, the seminal piece of animation would remain mostly unknown until it was discovered in an Osaka antique shop in 2008, nearly 100 years after its creation.
7Momotaro: Sacred Sailors
The first feature length anime movie was actually a World War II propaganda film.Momotaro: Sacred Sailorswas created in 1945 by one of the founding fathers of anime, Mitsuyo Seo, at the behest of the Japanese military for viewing by the Japanese public. It depicts a cast of anthropomorphic animals as they join the Japanese navy and go on to great success as they lead their country to victory in the war effort.
Though it was designed to sway public opinion regarding their nation’s ongoing military operations, this film inspired at least one Japanese creator in an artistic rather than nationalistic way: theFather of Manga, Osamu Tezukawho createdAstro BoyandKimba the White Lionfound the film’s message of hope so moving that he was brought to tears upon viewing it.
6Legend Of The White Serpent
By the 1950s, Japanese animated films had comfortably entered the commercial sector and were starting to become a popular form of entertainment. 1958’sLegend of the White Serpentstands out among the most significant of that era for multiple reasons. It was the first color anime film ever created, one ofthe first anime movies to make it to American screens, and it broke new ground with both the scale of its production and the technology it utilized. It was alsorenowned studio Toei Animation’sfirst film.
The passion (and money) put into this Disney-inspired adaptation of a Chinese folktale is strikingly clear. The art and animation are absolutely gorgeous and they stand as early examples of anime’s massive potential for bold and imaginative storytelling.
5Lupin 3: The Castle Of Cagliostro
In the 1960s, much of the greatest innovation and influence that anime offered came from small screen productions, and while the commercial success and popularity of anime films was on the rise it wouldn’t be until 1979’sLupin III: The Castle of Cagliostrocame around that the medium would make a truly notable global impact.
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This film was master of the art form Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature length production. Pair that with one of the most popular and enduring figures in anime (gentleman thief Lupin III) and some of the finest animation ever produced andThe Castle of Cagliostrocouldn’t do anything but stand tall among the most important entries in the medium.
4Akira
When it comes to influence, there aren’t many anime (or manga) creations that rivalAkira. This dark and thrilling cyberpunk action movie had a grim and gritty tone and it dove into far more adult subject matter than just about any other globally-known animated film that existed when it came out in July of 1988.
Akirais credited with helping make anime a global phenomenon and its fingerprints can be found throughout countless subsequent creative works across various mediums. It’s also consistently ranked among the greatest films ever made, which makes its importance as a piece of Japanese animation more than undeniable.
3Perfect Blue
There really is no film byacclaimed director Satoshi Konthat wasn’t an important contribution to the anime medium, butPerfect Blueis probably the most important of them all. The surreal mind-melter of a psychological thriller follows a J-pop star on a terrifying journey along the border between sanity and madness.
The animation inPerfect Bluealone would earn it a spot in the anime hall of fame, but there’s much more to this movie than just stunning craftsmanship. It has gone on to inspire many creators since its 1997 release, perhaps most notably Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky who has two different films that unmistakably display more than a littlePerfect Blueinfluence.
2Spirited Away
There’s no debate about the impact that the biggest anime film fromthe most revered anime studiohas had on the world. There are several Studio Ghibli productions that rank among the most important in all anime, butSpirited Awayhas to rank at the top. The record-breaking, Oscar-winning story of a young girl’s journey through a colorful supernatural world has played a tremendous role in popularizing and legitimizing anime all across the planet since its 2001 release.
Beyond the warehouse full of awards and the Scrooge McDuck swimming pool full of money it earned,Spirited Awayis simply a fantastically imaginative, exceedingly heartwarming, timeless tale that offers something to viewers from all walks. It’s not just one of the most important anime films ever, it’s one of the most important films, period.
1Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train
Anime is now more globally popular than it has ever been, a fact evidenced by the roaring success of 2020’sDemon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train. Sure, there were some other factors involved in thisfairly humble shonen’sdecimation of box office records that extend beyond the quality of the film or the popularity of the medium, but that doesn’t take all that much away from its undeniable cultural impact.
Spirited Awaystood atop the list ofhighest-grossing anime movies of all timefor nearly 20 years before it’s more than $383 million in box office takings got one-upped byMugen Train’s estimated $506,523,013. Any movie that smashes a long-standing record like that is more than a little noteworthy and undeniably important.
