Summary
Animefilms come in all different forms, whether that be original feature-length productions, mashed up episodes of a TV series, or direct adaptations of manga and light novels. For decades, through movies likeAkira,Ghost in the Shell, orSpirited Away,the big-screen boasted the absolute pinnacle of the medium.However, the 2010s saw a substantial boost in anime popularity in the west, leading to greater awareness of film releases outside the expected Ghibli powerhouse every few years.
The boom in popularity alongside the rise of talented directors like Makoto Shinkai and Naoko Yamada led the 2010’s to produce some of the greatest anime films in history.
Some experimented with everything animation had to offer, others provided commentary on important social matters, and a few films acted simply as great additions to their long-running franchises.From drama to action, romance to sci-fi, the decade boasts a wide array of top-notch movies.
10Mirai (2018)
Produced by Studio Chizu
Miraiis a heartwarming film focusing on the importance of family. Kun, a four-year-old boy, lives with his architect parents and dog in an interestingly designed home in Yokohama. He’s a happy child when his sister, Mirai, meaning “future”, is born. But when he learns that his parents' attention becomes divided between himself and his little sister, he becomes extremely jealous and somewhat of a tyrant.
Throughout the rest of his magical journey, Kun learns about the youthful experiences of his own parents and grandparents, coming to understand the importance of being a good son, grandson, and big brother. The film is a bit of a rollercoaster, with beautiful visuals painted over a simple, yet highly emotional tale of familial love.
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9Weathering With You (2019)
Produced by CoMix Wave Films
Following the massive commercial success of 2016’sYour Name, director Makoto Shinkai undoubtedly felt the pressure of needing to follow up his most successful film. WithWeathering With You, he was able to do just that. Hodaka Morishima, a high school boy from the country, runs away to Tokyo when his ferry is hit by a freak, torrential rainstorm.
What follows is a moving coming of age story about children having to survive in the big city, neatly tucked underneath supernatural elements and romance. A fugitive and a girl that can control the weather are put through the ringer, and eventually must spend time apart before finding each other again.Weathering With Youis the best looking Makoto Shinkai film yet, which is an achievement in itself.
8Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018)
Produced by Toei Animation
Following the events ofDragon Ball Super’s Universe Survival Saga,Dragon Ball Super: Brolybrings back and canonizes an old, fan favorite character in a new, reimagined storyline. The film is a showcase of everythingDragon Ballcan and should be in the modern landscape of anime.While still being able to capture the fun and whimsy which defines the series, fighting takes center stage with the spotlight shining brightly on Goku, Vegeta, and Broly. Impressively animated with a tastefully nostalgic art style,Brolyis an absolute visual delight and the best the franchise has ever looked. If there is one single entry in theseries which encapsulates everything that definesDragon Ball,Brolyis it.
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7In This Corner of the World (2016)
Produced by MAPPA
In This Corner of the World, based on the original manga by Fumiyo Kono, is a wartime story following the life of a woman named Suzu. Despite the film’s bright color palette and gentle art style, it is a harrowing tale set in Japan during World War II, featuring some of the darkest and most disturbing events put to animation since Ghibli’sGrave of the Fireflies.Serene moments and setpieces are consistently contrasted with wartime brutality, carnage, and devastating loss.
The film is a not-so-gentle reminder of how ugly the War in the Pacific was for civilians, living in constant fear of enemy raids and the uncertainty of never knowing if they would see their loved ones again.Suzu does not get a happy ending, and instead survives the war with major injuries, feeling as though her sacrifices and the deaths of those she loved were ultimately in vain.
6Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (2019)
Produced by CloverWorks
Based on the original Light Novel series by Hajime Kamoshida, and serving as a direct continuation of 2018’sRascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai,Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girlties up all the loose ends of the aforementioned TV anime.In what is the most dramatic and emotionally taxing section of the series to date, all focus is drawn onto main characters Sakuta and Mai, who share a wonderful, and at times devastating, chemistry in the film.
When Sakuta’s first love, Shoko, mysteriously appears one day, all his secrets, as well as the mystery behind the large scar on his chest, are revealed. Now tasked with having to choose between saving either his own life or someone else’s, Sakuta must make a decision that will have major consequences for everyone around him.
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5Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
Produced by Studio Khara
The third entry inEvangelion’s"rebuild" series is wherethe modern films seemingly abandon any resemblance to 1995’sNeon Genesis Evangelion. Set fourteen years after the Third Impact was caused by Shinji’s rescue of Rei, the perpetually downtrodden pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 is fitted with an explosive choker that will detonate if he threatens the world again.In a rather unsubtle move from creator Hideaki Anno, the pilots all appear as teenagers, despite the time which has passed between the2.0 and 3.0films.
WhileEvangelion’s Rebuild series plunges the franchise into an even stranger world than the original, the films act as a more digestible, alternate timeline of events.The closing sequences of3.0hold some of the most tense, high-stakes action the series has ever seen, threatening an impossibly fatal Fourth Impact on the planet. Nothing could ever replace the originalNeon Genesis Evangelionor its film companion,The End of Evangelion, but the Rebuild films are excellent entries to the series regardless.
4The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Produced by Studio Ghibli
Despite the 2010s being a relatively weaker decade for Studio Ghibi, the titans of the industry were still able to pump out extremely high quality films, albeit on a less consistent basis.The Tale of Princess Kaguyais an emotionally charged retelling of a centuries-old Japanese folk-tale, incorporating themes of feminism and beauty found in suffering.Kaguya, a life form originating from the moon, is reborn on Earth and forced to experience all the beauty and pain of living a mortal life.
Though being discovered in the countryside by her adopted, bamboo-farming parents, her father’s insistence of her status as a princess banishes Kaguya to a life of isolation she never wished for. With a typical high quality soundtrack from the legendary Joe Hisaishi, alongsidewhat is perhaps the most unique animation and art style in Ghibli’s catalog,The Tale of Princess Kaguyastands among the studio’s very best works.
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3The Wind Rises (2013)
Studio Ghibli’s second, more commercially successful film of 2013, is a fictional story based on the real-life airplane engineer, Jiro Horikoshi.The Wind Riseswas intended to be the legendary Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, laiden with themes of the joy and pain of creation, as well as creation outliving the creator. Jiro Horikoshi is largely unsuccessful in his field, during the wildly unstable political environment of World War II.
Despite being a wanted man and losing nearly everything, including his lover who becomes sick with tuberculosis, he finally designs a successful aircraft that goes on to be used heavily during the war. His creation eventually brings him regret for having been used as a weapon, but he is assured that his accomplishment outweighs its use. The film offers a very tangible sense that Miyazaki had come to terms with his art living on after he eventually leaves it all behind.
2Your Name (2016)
Your Nameis not only Makoto Shinkai’s highest grossing film,but also the second highest grossing anime film of all-time, trailing onlyDemon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Trainin box office sales. Hitting all the usual notes of a Shinkai directed movie,Your Nametakes all the emotional highs and lows which define his work, and packages them into the director’s tightest work yet.
A supernatural, body-swap, time-travel romance connects two high schoolers, Taki and Mitsuha, through different locations and time periods. In anticipation of an oncoming natural disaster, the two must find a way to survive so they can meet each other again sometime in the future. The film received multiple awards, and has been celebrated by critics and fans alike since its initial release.
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1A Silent Voice (2016)
Produced by Kyoto Animation
A Silent Voice, based on the original manga by Yoshitoki Oima, is the greatest anime film of the 2010s. The coming of age story following high schoolers Shoya and Shokofeatures elements of mental health, forgiveness, disability, maturation, and friendship in a highly moving, emotionally charged 130-minute runtime. Shoko, a girl with a hearing impairment, and Shoya, her former bully, attempt to move on from their troubled past and build a friendship as they enter adulthood.
Redemption is not so easy, however, and the two must contend with their own feelings of guilt while learning to understand one another’s voices.A Silent Voice, though often overlooked due toYour Namein discussions centering on 2016 releases, offers superb pacing, visual storytelling, and an excellent, sparse soundtrack. The film arguably stands as the legendary Kyoto Animation’s best work.
