Original anime movies, “original” meaning their content isn’t based on an existing series, don’t seem to get as much attention or produce as big a fan following as other forms of anime among English-speaking fans. The obvious reason for original anime films being less spotlighted than anime TV series is simply because much fewer of them are produced, so there’s just a lot less of them in total. But wouldn’t having less make each one more valuable?…
It’s actually quite the opposite in Japan, where the average original anime film is better known among Japanese than the average anime series. Most anime movies not based on an existing otaku-aimed franchise are targeted to the general Japanese public. Studio Ghibli is like Japan’s version of Disney and just about every Japanese person, young and old, has seen a Ghibli film or at least heard of them. And of course, movies based on kids anime such as Pokemon, One Piece, and Naruto get the mainstream treatment as well.
Among English-speaking fans however, even when a new original anime film come out, I rarely find people cosplaying the characters or rabidly discussing the movies among general online discussion. I think there are a few reasons why original anime films don’t seem to get as much love as TV series among Westerners. First, like I mentioned before, there’s just fewer of them in existence, thus fewer fans. But I also think there’s another, less obvious reason that has to do with what draws Western fans to anime in the first place – namely, character development amidst plots and settings that are complex and fleshed out. While original anime films can certainly have these things, TV series have the advantage of length, which can be important when dealing with a media title’s staying power. A movie might not get the chance to develop its cast of characters while simultaneously advancing its plot and fleshing out its setting all in just two hours, while a 13-episode anime series might be able to do this more effectively with its longer length of five hours (22 minutes per episode). And longer series of 26 or more episodes might be able to do this better, until we reach the point where we’ve been following certain characters and their world for so long we can’t help but get attached. Of course, this isn’t so in all cases as plenty of anime films can fully solidify their characters and stories in less than two hours while plenty of anime TV series fail to do this. But generally speaking, a title with a longer length has more time to pull us into its world.
Similarly, especially in our modern days of non-Japanese fans being able to watch all the newest airing anime from Japan, watching an anime weekly adds a factor of suspense that movies don’t have. Following 22-minute bits of a series over many weeks may provide more suspense and more opportunities for speculation and discussion than finishing the whole story up in two hours. Novelty might also be a minor reason, since good animated movies aren’t hard to find among Westerners (Pixar for example) but good animated TV shows are.
And lastly, one thing non-series based anime movies tend not to provide is, well, things that pander to otaku. The kinds of bishonen, moeblobs, tsunderes, yanderes, etc., you find in the late-night anime that most of us watch are rare in original anime films. Again, since most of these movies have the general Japanese audience in mind rather than the otaku audience, tropes specific to otaku aren’t necessitated. Fans who are sick of otaku pandering and anime cliches often praise and admire this aspect of original anime films, while other otaku might respect these films for that but still prefer the anime tropes they know and love.
However, there is one thing that just about all original anime films excel at more than TV series – animation quality. All anime films, original or series-based, tend to have a much higher animation budget than your standard TV anime. So whether the movie itself is to your taste or not, if you like good animation you can at least enjoy that in anime movies =)
So, now that my examination of the appeal of original anime films among Westerners is out of the way, what would be my top favorites of these films? I’ll admit that I’m not as interested in original anime films as TV series, for some of the reasons I’ve mentioned above. But I have great respect for them and love some very much. But since I really haven’t seen that many, and Studio Ghibli movies make up over half of the ones I’ve seen, I’m only listing my top 5 rather than top 10:
5. Tokyo Godfathers
This movie is so much fun. The three main characters are very entertaining and the story has a great mix of heart-warming moments, comedy, drama, and even mystery-solving to it. I’ve only seen three of the late Satoshi Kon’s films but Tokyo Godfathers is my favorite =)
4. 5 Centimeters Per Second
While this movie may be too slow-paced and uneventful for some, I personally found it to be a beautiful and bittersweet portrayal of its theme of distance forcing young love to fall apart. Its three story arcs get this theme across almost perfectly in my opinion. It’s other main driving point is obviously its gorgeous scenery, which director Makoto Shinkai is famous for.
3. Summer Wars
Good characters, unique story, and a fantastic theme that juxtaposes advancing technology with traditional family lifestyles. I’ve already written a post about Summer Wars so I’ll leave it at that =)
2. Nausicaa
Nausicaa is Hayao Miyazaki’s first movie before Studio Ghibli was officially established (based on an original manga of his) and is still one of my favorites. Nausicaa is a very appealing protagonist, being kind and compassionate but also strong and brave. Miyazaki is known for the environmental messages in his movies and I think he does one of the best jobs with that in this movie, especially putting it through rather ugly looking creatures like the Ohmu.
1. Princess Mononoke
The first original anime film I’ve seen is still my favorite. Probably the darkest Ghibli film with a diverse cast of characters, gorgeous animation, and a brilliant representation of conflict without any clearly defined hero or villain. Mononoke’s only flaw to me is its abrupt, but still tolerable, ending. Also has one of my favorite English dubs, which I actually prefer to the Japanese version.
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Feel free to share your thoughts on original anime films or recommend any I haven’t seen =)
Awesome choices! The only one I don’t like is 5CPS. Personally I thought it was aesthetically pleasing, but dreadfully boring. Glad to see a Satoshi Kon movie made the list! I started watching his films this year.
Good point about the non-otaku pandering thing. I honestly never even thought about that until now.
My top 5 anime original films in order:
1. Spirited Away
2. Millennium Actress
3. Tokyo Godfathers
4. Princess Mononoke
5. Howl’s Moving Castle
Perfect Blue, Paprika, and Grave of the Fireflies also would’ve made the list if I continued it.
I have yet to see Akira, but heard extremely positive things about it. Redline was extremely flashy and fun, as is Summer Wars. (I don’t understand why everyone thinks the Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a masterpiece, though. Terrible storytelling at the end.)
Spirited Away, Howl, and Millennium Actress would have been on my list if I had continued to 10, but the rest would have been just about all Ghibli movies =P
Yeah, I figured mainstream vs otaku-pandering is why the average anime fan isn’t as into anime original films as TV series. But it might also just be the nature of movies in general when compared to series that are ongoing. Grave of the Fireflies is great but just too sad for me to consider a favorite.
I saw Akira once during my senior year of high school in 2004. I thought it was…interesting I guess but also weird and very disturbing. I should watch it again now that I’m older and a more experience fan since I’ll probably understand it better. Also heard about Redline but I can’t find motivation to watch it since I don’t like cars/racing.
I personally don’t have that much of a problem with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and thought it was an overall great movie. But yeah, maybe the ending wasn’t the best.
I don’t care for cars or racing either. Honestly, there’s hardly any plot at all. You watch for the flashy visuals and glorious Madhouse animation.
All Makoto Shinkai and Satoshi Kon movies are masterpieces, i would recommend all of their movies.
In other news:
– Origin, spirits of the past: It has an awesome opening!
– The girl who leapt through time: Good movie, bad ending
– Summer wars: I enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed “our war game” years ago, because they are the same movie!
– Welcome to the space show.
Also, I’ve never seen any Ghibli movie! D:
The only other Makoto Shinkai films I know about are The Place Promised in Our Early Days and the one that came out this year. I’ll have to give them a watch, as well as more Satoshi Kon =)
You should watch a Ghibli movie ^_^
I used to be a big fan of anime movies and OVAs, but I’ve heard OVAs have gone the way of the dodo, and anime movies don’t really make a big splash in North America any more. Or, only a few do. The two (or three, if one counts Solid State Society) Ghost in the Shell movies are hallmarks of anime’s cyberpunk genre, and the first movie actually came out before the TV series. The first two movies (directed by Mamoru Oshii) are more philosophical and brooding than the more action-oriented TV series, so it’s as if they exist in parallel / alternate universes, which is great! I love the late Satoshi Kon’s work, of course, and I also recommend Makoto Shinkai’s movies. Other than that, I’m drawing a blank on anime movies, because there aren’t very many of them, as you rightly point out.
The Ghost in the Shell movie you showed me was pretty cool. But yeah, there just aren’t many original anime movies so it’s hard to find ones to get really into, especially if you prefer the standard anime tropes you see in TV series.
“Other than that, I’m drawing a blank on anime movies,”
So you haven’t seen any Studio Ghibli movies? We’ll have to watch some…I think you’d enjoy them very much =D
I didn’t see The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on your completed anime list – I know there are some people who didn’t particularly love the ending, but I personally didn’t mind it, and if nothing else, it has gorgeous artwork and animation. In that respect, it comes close to the likes of 5 Centimeters Per Second.
Actually, I have seen The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. If you looked on my MAL list that I linked, it’s under its Japanese name, Toki wo Kakeru Shojo, so you may have missed it. I’m with you on the ending in that I didn’t mind it and it didn’t ruin the rest of the movie for me.
I just recently watched Eve no Jikan (Time of Eve). The movie is essentially a compilation of a short 6 ONA series with a few added scenes. Though technically it doesn’t make it an original run movie, the story is told in such a away that it felt like one.
I really enjoyed that movie. It was a great story with a wonderful cast. The music was fantastic. And even though the story took place in a cafe, the scenery was great. Just an an overall well done movie/short series.
You can watch the ONA version on Crunchyroll. It’s free to stream.
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I’ve always considered checking on 5 centimeters. I’ve heard good things about the story. But, the fact that the story seems to be about losing love I just can’t seem to bring myself to watch it. Shows like that often make me depressed and put me in a melancholic mood for like a week afterward.
Eve no Jikan is ranked very highly on MAL so I may have to give it a watch =D
I think the ending of 5cm/second is more bittersweet than depressing. It may leave you feeling melancholy but the gorgeous scenery might make up for it =)
It’s a shame there aren’t so many movies. I like them. But I think you are right on all those reasons. Also, I believe movies expect much higher production values, so they could also be more expensive to produce than a 13 ep series (I’m guessing here, but movies tend to look really good). I have not seen 5cm per second, or Tokyo godfathers, so I’ll check those out :)
I was going to recommend the girl who leapt through time, but you have already seen it. That is one of my favorite animated movies :) Well, I love time travel plots in general, so that helps :P
Yeah, anime movies tend to have a much higher animation budget than TV series. They’re being released in the theater after all, so they have to look good! XD As for total costs compared to a 13-episode series, that I don’t know.
I loved the time traveling in The Girl Who Leapt Through Time too :3 Can’t match Haruhi, but still fun!
I’ve thought for a long time now that television series are just a better format for storytelling than cinema; you can have as much time as you want for your story, (dependent on where you’re broadcasting, but in principle), and yet you can break it down into bite-sized chunks for greater digestability; films have to exercise a certain amount of restraint due to the long exposure, TV can go right out there because it’s only for 25 minutes each time. Having to tell all your story in one go is a limitation films have and TV gets around.
But even so, I find it surprising how little anime films attract me. I’m lukewarm on Ghibli, (Nausicaa and Totoro are class, but after that it starts to seem a bit repetitious and unambitious) and I don’t even sync well with Satoshi Kon, even though he did the sort of things I’m normally strongly attracted to. The only guy who works primarily in films whose work I really get on with with any consistency is Mamoru Oshii. And my favourite anime film unrelated to television is, rather oddly, Angel’s Egg. Behind films associated with Eva, Utena and Haruhi; part of various greater narratives.
Films should be elaborations of single ideas, TV series create worlds. Maybe when you have the greater freedom and abstraction which animation gives you; something inherently removed from reality, you need to build worlds to get enough “linkage”, things in animation need context from more things in animation. You need the world because if you’ve only got the idea, it’s all pictures and it’s too far away from everything else. Well, I’m rambling.
Good points. Now that you mention it, that’s probably why I enjoy watching anime series much more than movies, any movies. Like I said in the post and you elaborated on in your comment, there’s just more time for a TV series to build its respective world and characters for us to get attached to while movies are limited to telling their full story in just one set time frame. But some people don’t have the time or motivation to get “engrossed” in the world of an ongoing series, which I assume is the average person, so that’s why the average person loves movies and isn’t “geeky” about an ongoing franchise.
But yeah, great thoughts, and also why I get more into the Haruhi movie and Pokemon movies than even Satoshi Kon’s work. While I have great respect for his films and enjoy them, I just prefer that attachment that comes from ongoing series and their respective tropes.
I couldn’t understand 5cm per second – really great directing, but too slow-paced and to romantic for my Death-godly tastes. If I have to choose my five favourite (not a top5) manime movies there will definitely be Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbour Totoro and probably Akira. Though, I do believe many (if not all) of the full movies of Japan are worthy of some kind of an appraisal be it for directing, story, script or voice acting.
Perhaps my review (and its comments) of 5cm/second might help you better understand it?
Good choices for five favorites (all Ghibli except for one!) For some reason Totoro isn’t one of my favorite Ghiblis despite its immense popularity in Japan. I think I just prefer Miyazaki’s more mature movies rather than his cute, kiddy ones like Totoro and Ponyo.
Spirited Away will definitely be on my list but yeah, great choices though I still haven’t watched Summer Wars. Grr… I’ve been neglecting the OVAs/Special/movies too much >_<
I would probably included Sword of the Strangers as well…
Yes, Spirited Away is great. Saw it twice when it was in theaters in the US =D It’ll always be special for being the only anime thus far to win an Academy Award.
Haven’t seen Sword of the Stranger but I heard it’s good.
I was thinking what about the Haruhi movie!? I thought it was your favorite then remembered this was original works lol. #1 for me would have to be 5cm per second because I related and it was BEAUTIFUL in many aspects.#2 The girl who leapt through time, I loved how they play with idea of messing with time and it was tragic. #3 Grave of Fire Flies tore me up because it is utter hopelessness and what a human is willing to do to save someone. Not to mention it was around the same time I knew I’d have to euthanize my dog so I related again very well with the protagonist realizing there’s nothing left you can do. #4 Perfect Blue because the idea of acting and turning on a switch to be a completely different person and then return to reality and how that could mess with your psyche, I loved it!#5 would have to be… Undecided. I can’t choose since Miyazaki and Shinkai and Satoshi Kon have created so many master pieces like Voices of a distant Star and Tokyo God Fathers and Princess Mononoke, I can’t possibly choose lol. Can’t wait to see Shinkai’s new movie.
LOL, yeah if we’re talking series-based movies, Haruhi would be #1 XD But for original films, it would be Mononoke.
Glad to hear you liked 5cm/second so much. I can imagine it would be more impacting to someone who can relate to the situation it presents. Grave of the Fireflies is a great movie but just so darn depressing -_- (sorry to hear about your doggie…I’ve had to euthanize many cats over the years and it’s tough but I’ve grown accepting of it over time). And haven’t seen Perfect Blue but it sounds interesting from your description.
Nice post. I saw 5 Centimeters Per Second, because I found your summary of it to be interesting. I agree with you that the aesthetics are absolutely gorgeous, but I feel that The Great Gatsby carries a similar story, but goes one step further. There was always the possibility that whatever the main couple had in common was only significant in their childhood and that without a deeper connection, the relationship could have gone either way. This then cheapens the emotional response the ending elicits. And the whole idea of “being in love with the idea of being in love” as opposed to actually being in love with the other person.
Anyways, I find it interesting that Japanese works seem to really romanticize the idea of love and how there’s one destined pair. This can probably be seen in Ano Hana and other shows. A common theme seems to be a third person who loves a character in the destined pair, but is either rejected or remains stoic in her suffering never revealing her true feelings. I don’t know how I feel about this theme (i.e. if it’s good or bad). It makes for good drama and tear-jerkers (which I’m a sap for), but after thinking it over, it seems to be a lot more detached from reality than Western works where dating seems to be the norm as far as relationships go. Maybe it’s just a throwback to more traditional times, but I really dislike the movie giving you the sense of there being one right person for you out there and that if you miss him or her, you’re stuck being sad or somehow incomplete for the rest of your life. I think the old man from My Sassy Girl said it the best: “Destiny is the bridge you build to the one you love.”
Anyways, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Interesting thoughts on 5cm/second. I’ve actually never read The Great Gatsby so I’ll have to one day =) I know it’s a classic.
I think the way young love is portrayed in anime is again a reflection of Japanese culture. Relationships are very formal so being open about your feelings for someone, especially for a teenager, is viewed differently than dating and stuff in Western countries. So I feel that in a way, anime often tries to convey the tragedy in this – that unless one party is open about their feelings, the person they love will never know or be taken by someone else, and that person will forever live with the regret. Adding that third person also creates the famous love triangle that’s great for romantic drama. As for there being only one right person for you, that might have to do with the idea of soul mates, which may be connected to reincarnation in Buddhism but I’m not sure on that.
Anyway, great thoughts.
Yeah, you’re probably right.
1. Spirited Away (Ghibli)
2. Princess Mononoke (Ghibli)
3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Ghibli)
4. The Place Promised in Our Early Days (Makoto Shinkai)
5. Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon)
I came to anime through Ghibili films, so it’s understandable why I’m so biased on them. And though you say that the film of Nausicaa was based on the manga, I was under the impression that Miyazaki wanted to make the film first, but was asked to make a successful manga version before the film could be approved.
As for Shinkai films, The Place Promised in Our Early Days easily trumps out all the others for me. 5CM was definitely beautiful, but I did find a tad slow, and not as well crafted as Early Days. I also really like Voices of a Distant Star.
And I have to agree with you on Tokyo Godfathers. It’s my favorite of Satoshi’s works by far, although I have a very high opinion of Paprika.
Great choices! Spirited Away would be my next Ghibli favorite if I continued my list.
I think Miyazaki made the Nausicaa manga as a way to promote the film. So I guess they kind of went together rather than one being based on the other.
The other two Satoshi Kon films I’ve seen so far besides Tokyo Godfathers – Paprika and Millennium Actress – were very good, but I just enjoyed the heartwarming-ness and comedy that Godfathers had to offer. His stories are great but I’m not a huge fan of his character designs – they look too much like real people and not enough like anime characters XD But that could just be the style he’s going for.
I’ll have to watch The Place Promised in Our Early Days sometime =)
No love for Voices of a Distant Star which Shinkai did almost everything himself on? Granted, it is a short movie, but there is gorgeous scenery and some of the same themes as 5 cm/s.
Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell will always be one of my favorite anime movies. I loved the philosophizing and the way Oshii tells a story. The scene where the Major is in a boat going through the canals of the city is masterful. No dialogue and just great music.
Princess Mononoke is the only Ghibli film I’ve seen, and I love that film too. I will have to try to watch Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart and Ocean Waves as these films sound interesting.
I think Voices of a Distant Star counts as an OVA, but I’ll try to check it out one day =)
I found Only Yesterday a tad boring but a nice movie nonetheless (doesn’t seem as kid-catering as Miyazaki’s other movies). It’s been years since I watched Whisper of the Heart but I remember liking it. Haven’t seen Ocean Waves.
I’ve seen two Ghost in the Shell movies – one about a decade ago when I was brand new to anime and barely remember anything about it, and Laughing Man, which I watched recently and was very good =)
Among your top 5 list of original anime films, I only saw 5cps and Summer Wars. I enjoyed the two films very much, and thought they are well made. I’ve been meaning to watch Tokyo Godfathers. Should get to it sometime soon.
Yes, 5cm/second and Summer Wars are great. And you’ll like Tokyo Godfathers =)
I can agree that original anime movies don’t get that much attention when it comes to the already anime fans of the west, but I do believe that they manage to reach a wider audience. People who don’t normally watch anime, are much more likely to have heard of and even seen a Ghibli film, while still never having even known something like Ouran high School Host Club (random choice) even exists.
In my city, I recall seeing previews for Ponyo in theatres and I’ve already seen some posters for “The Secret World Arrietty”. I think the community of fans for these films are past the “anime fan” market and are more targeted towards a much bigger audience. Of course, my whole argument is based mostly around Ghibli films because they do get the support from Disney (with the exception of Princess Mononoke), its a bit of a different story outside that studio, I’ll admit.
Anywho, good list! I actually have still not seen Tokyo Godfathers. I’ve been wanting to for years, and its not like I have a good excuse either. I should get to watching it soon! I’m one of the people who didn’t really like 5cm per second. I’ll admit it has some gorgeous animation, but I felt the story to be weak….Summer Wars is awesome and of course Miyazaki deserves to be top of any list because his films are perfection.
That’s a good point that anime films often reach a wider audience. Spirited Away won an Academy Award and other Ghibli films have made it to US theaters. Besides universal appeal, I think another reason they’re good at this is because they don’t require the commitment of watching a series of episodes. You can introduce someone to anime in one afternoon with a Ghibli movie as opposed to getting them to watch an entire series.
I haven’t watched any new Ghibli movies since Ponyo came out so I really should get back to them ;)
I can highly recommend Voices from a Distant Star and Paprika. Tekkonkinkreet is also very good. Another good one that always gets overlooked is Vexille.
But my No. 1 favorite original anime feature film is Sword of the Stranger. It manages that sublime trick of being deeply moving and completely unsentimental at the same time, and the action sequences are to die for – they’re like poetry. Just a fantastic, entertaining movie.
I haven’t heard of Tekkonkinkreet or Vexille. I’ll have to check them out =)
I’ve heard good things about Sword of Stranger. I’ll have to consider watching that one too ^.^
Mononoke Hime is my favourite as well :)
I had mixed feelings about 5cm per second. I think because it ranked so high in so many people’s lists I had too high expectations for it. I should view it again. It does stick in the mind.
I think the general Western public is more likely to be aware of anime films rather than anime series. For example, Ghost In The Shell, Akira, Ghibli. I browsed through a “Top 100 anime” book in an art gallery bookstore, and it is all films, not series. The rare film does make it through to public awareness.
However, among anime fans, they tend to watch series every week. Films are less commonly available than series, because they best ones tend to make it over, years later, on DVD in the West.
My top five favorite original movies are thus:
1. 5 Centimeters Per Second
2. My Neighbor Totoro
3. Whisper of the Heart
4. Redline
5. Kiki’s Delivery Service
It may not be your cup of tea, but I’ve noticed on your list that you haven’t seen Redline yet. Redline is one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve ever seen, and although the plot was lacking, the animation quality was really high, if not higher than any other anime movies I’ve seen (apparently it took 7 years to make this movie). If you’re interested in watching it, then best to go into this movie with your mind turned off and just enjoy the pure, adrenaline-packed romantic movie. ^_^
I love that first image in this post!
Also kudos for Tokyo Godfathers. I struggle to get people to watch that film so much – I don’t know why everyone seems to resist when they love all of Satoshi Kon’s others.
I’m a fan of films that are based on novels, especially quirky ones. The pre-Ghibli Takahata work Gauche the Cellist, though not quite feature-length, comes highly recommended.
Yes! So glad Tokyo Godfathers is only on list. I remember when I first watched it, I then re-watched it…and then re-watched it…and then re-watched it^^