Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

The Top Anime Works of All Time? Read Our List!

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
2 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

Over the past year, I’ve become more of a consumer of YouTube videos than I thought possible, watching content on subjects as varied as random American history to how to create the perfect camper out of a Jeep Wrangler, complete with a pop-up roof tent. One channel I’m a fan of is CineFix by IGN, which breaks down films into top ten lists like “the best film openings” or “the best surprise endings.” When they did a video on The Top Animated Films of All Time, I took great interest, being a lifelong student of animation. I decided to write a “reply” post with my own picks of the top anime films and related works.

Akira Is One Of The Top Animated Films Of All Time

What Animated Films Did CineFix Include In Their List?

The way the CineFix format works is, they take an overall topic then slice it into ten sub-genres, then select one entry from several worthy candidates. While they tend to get a little overly esoteric, slipping a 1973 Polish-language film you’ve never heard of just to show how much they know about film history (something Mrs. J-List calls chin chin kurabe or “comparing dick sizes”), overall it’s a great format, and I always come away with some new films to track down and watch.

The categories they chose for the top animated films of all time video were:

  1. fairy tales
  2. adventure films
  3. sci-fi
  4. action
  5. horror
  6. musical
  7. comedy
  8. serious drama
  9. dramas for older viewers
  10. genre-defying mind-bending high-concept
Click the arrow to reveal the films IGN picked for each category (spoiler warning).
  1. fairy tales: Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli (though they pronounced it with a hard “g”), 2001
  2. adventure film: Boy and the World, a Brazilian animated film by Alê Abreu, 2014
  3. sci-fi: Akira, 1988
  4. action: Into the Spider-Verse, 2019
  5. horror: The Wolf House, a Chilean claymation film, 2018
  6. musical: Fantasia, 1940
  7. comedy: The Wrong Trousers, a claymation film by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park
  8. serious drama: Toy Story, 1995
  9. drama for older viewers: Persepolis, a dark film about the 1980 Iranian revolution seen through the eyes of a child living through it, 2007
  10. genre-defying mind-bending high-concept: It’s Such a Beautiful Day, by Don Hertzfeldt, 2012.

I Made my Own List of Top Anime Works of All Time… with Blackjack and Hookers!

Having one of my favorite YouTube channels throw down the gauntlet like that left me no choice but to counter with a list of my own, centered specifically around anime, because that’s what I know best. To discover the top anime works, I asked for help from J-List’s awesome customers. I hope you enjoy the list we came up with!

I’m going to cheat just a bit: while the original list is all about animated films, I’m trying to look at both traditional films and short-format OAVs. If there are no viable options in anime films or OAVs, I’ll look at traditional series.

Remember, this list is totally subjective and no one will agree with all of my picks. If you disagree with any of the choices I’ve made, tell me in the comments below!

Spirited Away 20 Years Meme

Top Anime Fairy Tale: Spirited Away, 2001

I’ll agree with IGN that Spirited Away works as an outstanding fairy tale-esque story of a character going on a grand adventure, as Chihiro is kidnapped into a world inhabited by spirits which she must find a way back from, by growing as a person. It’s also the top-ranked film by Hayao Miyzaki.

Castle In The Sky Laputa

Top Anime Adventure Film: Castle in the Sky Laputa, 1986

The second Studio Ghibli film has it all: a dangerous chase to find a mythical floating castle…great characters and story structure, and one of anime’s best villains…questions that are raised by the story then paid off to the great satisfaction of the audience. I consider Laputa (known internationally as Castle in the Sky for reasons) to be one of the best-written anime films ever.

Ghost In The Shell 1995

Top Sci-fi Movie: Ghost in the Shell, 1995

While Akira was a legendary film, I think Ghost in the Shell by Shirow Masamune and Mamoru Oishi is the more influential work, changing how Hollywood viewed anime forever, and defining the cyberpunk genre so perfectly, every other anime studio might as well pack up and go home.

Street Fighter Ii Chun Li

Top Action Anime Film: Street Fighter II – The Animated Movie, 1994

When I heard they were making a film based on the Street Fighter II characters, I guffawed at such a silly idea. But the film was done so well, with passion poured into it by character designer Satoshi Urushihara and the rest of the staff, that it became a beloved fan favorite.

Fight! Iczer 1

Top Anime Horror: Fight! Iczer-One, 1985

The mid-80s was a very exciting time to be an anime fan, and our horizons were being broadened with every new work. The influential horror/sci-fi OAV series Fight! Iczer-One introduced me to everything from the Cthulhu horror of H.P. Lovecraft to anime lesbians.

Your Lie In April

Top Anime Musical: Your Lie in April, 2016

Since nothing like a “musical” exists in anime, I had to interpret the category as “anime in which music is so important to the story, you could never separate the two.” To me, the anime series that best fits this is Your Lie in April, a lighthearted rom-com about a girl playing an April Fool’s joke on her crush. No, really!

(When I asked Mrs. J-List what I should put for this slot, she immediately replied, “That’s easy! It’s Beauty and the Beast.” This highlights the reality that, as far as Japanese people are concerned, all animation is anime, and they don’t obsessively separate animation into categories like Western fans do.)

Hataraku Maoh

Top Comedy: The Devil Is A Part-Timer!

Traditional comedy is another genre that isn’t specifically done in anime, so I had to go with the anime work that made me laugh more than any other…which was Hataraku Maoh!, a hilarious “reverse isekai” about a demon lord who comes you our world…and gets a job at McDonald’s McRonald’s. It’s full of hilarious jokes that only adults who work for a living can properly appreciate. Oh, and it’s finally getting a long-awaited second season!

Your Name Anime

Top Serious Drama: Your Name, 2016

One of the top-grossing anime films in history, Your Name became a social phenomenon in Japan, with theatres packed with moviegoers…even at the 3 a.m. showing. It had one of the most dramatic and exciting stories I can think of, and make director Makoto Shinkai internationally famous.

A Silent Voice

Top Anime Drama for Older Viewers: A Silent Voice, 2016

Have you ever been cruel to someone, and spent years regretting it? That’s the theme behind A Silent Voice, a gorgeous film by Kyoto Animation that everyone should see.

Perfect Blue

Top Mind-bending Anime: Perfect Blue, 1998

While any of Satoshi Kon’s works could go here, the film that gave me the chills more than any other was Perfect Blue, which provided dark commentary on Japan’s fascination with idol culture even before it assumed its current monstrous modern form.

Thanks for reading this blog post trying to cover the ten top anime films in each category. How many of my picks did you agree with? Let us know in the comments below or share them with us on Twitter!

Jlist Wide Adult Toys APR19 Email

Stress is bad for all of us, but thanks to Japan, we can do something about it. J-List has posted tons of amazing new ero products, from male stress toys to otokonoko cosplay to “scented” lotion. See all the new offerings here!

Tags: AkiraGhost in the ShellGhost in the Shell: SAC_2045Kimi no Na walaputaPerfect BlueYour Lie in April

More Posts Like This

What Are The Best Experimental Anime
Your Friend in Japan

What Are the Best Experimental Anime Everyone Should Watch?

by Peter Payne
2 months ago

One of the best things about anime is that it's a "big tent" filled with so many genres and sub-genres...

Futuristic Anime Timeline Blog Header
Your Friend in Japan

The Ultimate Futuristic Anime Timeline!

by Peter Payne
11 months ago

Ever since discovering the Ray Bradbury short story Frost and Fire at age ten, I've been an avid reader of...

Voice Actress Couples

Anime Seiyu Couples! Which Voice Actors are Married?

11 months ago
The Saddest Anime Deaths Blog

The Top 14 Anime Deaths! Which Ones Affected You the Most?

1 year ago
Grisaia Series Anime Masterpiece

What Makes an Anime Masterpiece? J-List Fans Respond!

2 years ago
Tokyo's Cursed Olympics

The Story of Japan’s Cursed Olympics

2 years ago
Next Post
Anime Fanservice And How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

What Do We Want? Fanservice! When Do We Want It? Right Now!

Trending Today

Why Is Umi Yatsugake So Popular
Your Friend in Japan

Why is Umi Yatsugake The Most Popular JAV Actress?

4 days ago
Roxy Migurdia Blog Post
Figures

This is the Roxy Migurdia Figure We All Needed!

6 days ago
Why Are There So Many Characters Named Sakura
Your Friend in Japan

Why Are So Many Anime Characters Named Sakura?

6 days ago
Tan Fighters List1 6
Featured

Lovely Tanned Fighters Who Need No Protection

1 week ago
What Autumn 2023 Anime Will J List Watch
Your Friend in Japan

The J-List Autumn 2023 Anime Guide! Which Anime Should You Watch?

4 days ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Ayakashi Triangle Blu Ray Censorship
Your Friend in Japan

Are the Ayakashi Triangle Blu-rays Uncensored? YES THEY ARE.

by Peter Payne
October 1, 2023

Are the Ayakashi Triangle Blu-rays Uncensored? YES THEY ARE.

TenPuru, Episode 12 [END]: Where Are You Looking?

Rurouni Kenshin, Episode 13: Sword vs. Gun

Comic Con Africa Is a Slice of Global Otaku Culture

Bibury Animation 100 Girlfriends Who Really Love You

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.