Anime movies cartoon

When comparing Japanese to Western cartoons, it’s easy to see the visual differences between the two. Anime puts more effort into the drawings, and even in their movies, there’s still an adherence to hand-drawn characters and movements. Western cartoon movies just don’t have the same spirit, and they embrace a different aesthetic since the majority utilize 3D animation.

Top 30 Anime Movies of All Time: The Ultimate Must-Watch List

This list brings together what we consider the very best anime movies of all time, based on reviews, fan favorites, and, of course, our own picks. Let’s jump into the countdown, starting at number 30!

What are the 10 best anime movies of all time? It’s an impossible question: the world of Japanese is home to some of the most visually stunning, emotionally captivating films ever made. While juggernauts like Studio Ghibli often take up any ‘best-of’ anime movie lists (and rightfully so), there’s more to the rich canon of brilliant animated films from Japan whose legendary influence deserves to be celebrated, too.

This is a contentious topic, we know (and everyone has the right to go to bat for their fave Ghibli! They’re all great!). But here are 10 of the most innovative, experimental, ambitious, and emotionally devastating anime films of all time – a smorgasbord of artistic innovation, thematic brilliance, and utter transportation into breathtaking new worlds. If you’ve ever wondered what the best anime movies are, hopefully this offers more than a few pointers.