The Academy Awards have historically ignored anime despite the many Oscar-worthy anime films released each year. In the ninety years since the Oscars started, only one anime film has actually netted an Oscar, and with some years forgoing nominating any anime movies at all, that is unlikely to change any time soon. Still, that doesn't mean there isn't a veritable cornucopia of anime films beloved by viewers and critics alike. From standalone stories like the filmography of Studio Ghibli to spinoff movies of existing shows, anime deserves more recognition in the world of film.
Though the term "Oscar-worthy" might conjure images of weighty and dramatic films, the anime films that most deserved recognition span a wide variety of genres and tones. Optimistic slices of life and fantastical tales like Howl’s Moving Castle are just as deserving of the Academy's favor as are heart-sinking tragedies like Grave of the Fireflies. More than just contenders for best Animated Feature, each one of these are just straight-up Best Picture worthy.
10 My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
When young sisters Mei and Satsuki move to the country to be closer to their ill mother’s hospital, they throw themselves into exploring their new home. The girls meet and befriend several iconic forest spirits, chief among them the massive and friendly Totoro. The spirits not only show them wonder and fun, but are there to help when the family comes into crisis.
Modern viewers might be shocked to learn that Hayao Miyazaki’s third film was originally released as a double feature alongside another 1988 powerhouse of a movie: Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies. One hopes that the theaters had the good sense to screen Grave of the Fireflies first. Totoro’s comparatively gentler story of two siblings in an idyllic rural Japan recovering from World War II was probably just what audiences needed to recover from Takahata's harrowing wartime tragedy. My Neighbor Totoro is a cultural juggernaut for good reason, and its impact and historical significance alone merit recognition from the Academy Awards.
9 Akira (1988)
Neo Tokyo is a rough place to grow up. Orphaned boy Tetsuo Shima grew up idolizing his stronger friend Kaneda, but resents living in Kaneda’s shadow and relying on his protection. Everything changes when the influence of the psychic child Akira awakens new and horrifying powers in Tetsuo, transforming him, Kaneda, and all of Neo Tokyo forever.
Akira was a major turning point in growing anime’s popularity among Western audiences. Its shocking story and visuals created by cutting-edge new animation techniques, impressive even today, took the world of film by storm. Its influence is still seen in both animation and live-action film today, with the famous “motorcycle slide” moment just the tip of that iceberg. With its unparalleled animation and literary themes, Akira was one of 1988's most important films.
8 Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon A Time (2021)
Unlike many of the best anime remakes and reboots, the remake of nineties classic Neon Genesis Evangelion came in a series of feature-length films. The Rebuild of Evangelion film cycle came to a stunning finale with this fourth film. In its original theatrical run, it became director Hideaki Anno’s highest-grossing film of all time.
Shinji Ikari and his companions wander the ruined Earth after the barely averted Fourth Impact. He and Asuka, the last Eva pilots remaining, must use their newfound powers to bring an end to the chaos and to Gendo Ikari, who is still trying to rend the world to get his way. Even if it means everything they know is destroyed, Shinji is still determined to free them all from their painful cycle. While not as impactful as the anime series its remaking, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 is a staggering artistic achievement that deserved at least a nomination for the Oscars' best animated feature list in 2021.
7 Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Sophie’s quiet life is upended when she runs afoul of the Witch of the Waste and is cursed into an elderly body. Though she’s not terribly bothered by the curse itself, she reasons that it must be broken, and travels to the wizard Howl for help. Inscrutable and overdramatic Howl is not at all what Sophie imagined, and as she’s drawn into his world of magic, she slowly realizes that she may be the key to saving him.
The movie is based on the award-winning 1986 novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2005 Oscars ceremony, but lost to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Though that loss stung for fans of anime and Studio Ghibli, that does nothing to lessen the beauty of Miyazaki's take on Diana Wynne Jones' beloved novel.
6 Princess Mononoke (1997)
The last prince of the dying Enishi tribe, Ashitaka is forced to leave his home forever when he is cursed defending it. His exile brings him to Iron Town, a new industrial village. Before he can free himself of his curse, he must find a way to make peace between Iron Town and the forest spirits outraged over the destruction of their land, namely San, the fiercely protectively human raised among them.
Princess Mononoke was notably the first Studio Ghibli film to receive a PG-13 rating in the United States for scenes of violence and gore. Viewers shouldn’t let this put them off, however: the film is far more famous for its sweeping beauty and the complexity of its conflict. The English dub provides an extra treat with a screenplay written with renowned fantasy author Neil Gaiman's take on one of Ghibli's greatest films.
5 Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)
1988 was a big year for anime films, and Grave of the Fireflies is among the medium’s most celebrated offerings. Young siblings Seita and Setsuna are orphaned in the last years of World War II. As the bombs fall on Japan and food runs short, Seita struggles to keep himself and his baby sister alive.
The film is based on the semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. It sticks closely to Nosaka’s commentary on how the behaviors of wartime and peacetime youth contrast, families’ obligations to one another, and the trauma of war that innocent children are subjected to. Still one of the toughest anime films to watch, Grave of the Fireflies would be right up the Academy's alley with its deeply empathetic take on the human cost of war.
4 Perfect Blue (1997)
Idol singer Mima Kirigoe dreams of breaking free of her pretty and innocent image and pursuing a real acting career. But when she actually goes for it, what she has to do to be taken seriously is worse than she expected. And as if that weren’t enough, the obsessed fan furious that she’s abandoned her former self is about to launch a vengeful killing spree.
A masterpiece from celebrated director Satoshi Kon, Perfect Blue ranks among the best anime psychological thrillers of all time. The stress and anguish that Mima experiences are harrowing and relatable to anyone struggling in an artistic career. What this movie does so well is escalate it to an intense, mind-bending struggle for her to rebuild and reclaim not just her identity but her very sanity as well. The greatest proof that Perfect Blue is Oscar-worthy is how its director Satoshi Kon has inspired Academy Award nominees like Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan.
3 Revue Starlight: The Movie (2021)
Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight is a delight to any fan of theater and music. Childhood friends Karen Aijo and Hikari Kagura are reunited as young adults in pursuit of their shared dream to the legendary theater group Starlight. However, even getting to audition will be the greatest challenge of their lives.
While Revue Starlight’s first movie was technically a recap of the series, just from a different character’s perspective, this second movie ranks among the best in animation with a fresh and new story. Karen, Hikari, and their classmates go through an emotional rollercoaster of a final year of high school. As they look to the future for the first time, they rely on the friendships they’ve built for strength and inspiration.
2 The End Of Evangelion (1997)
To end Neon Genesis Evangelion the way he always envisioned, Hideaki Anno needed more time than two television episodes allowed. So then came this movie, which served as an alternate ending to the original show. Traumatized after being forced to kill Kaworu, Shinji has shut down mentally, but as Third Impact looms, he is forced to act, and his final choice will decide the fate of humanity.
The End of Evangelion was competing hard with Perfect Blue to be the most mind-meltingly surreal and disturbing anime film of 1997. Its famous action scenes and apocalyptic imagery are thrilling, and while some audiences found its philosophical segments shallow or confusing, just as many find them profound. After so much buildup, Shinji’s acceptance of life for all it is can be incredibly cathartic.
1 Spirited Away (2001)
Possibly the most famous of Hayao Miyazaki’s groundbreaking films is this story of growing up, humans’ relationship to the natural world, and traditional Japanese folklore. When her parents unwittingly trap the family in the spirit world, young Chihiro must find a way to free them all. She befriends some spirits and outwits others, becoming a stronger and more confident person by the end of her journey.
Spirited Away’s breathtaking visuals and beautifully written character relationships make it one of the most beloved and successful animated movies of all time. It remains the only non-English language film to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, and was Japan’s highest-grossing film ever made for nineteen years, until another fantasy anime film — Demon Slayer - The Movie: Mugen Train — shockingly dethroned it in 2020.
Anime is a legitimate artform, and provides an opportunity to tell powerful stories that other mediums simply can't. While the Oscars have only given out an Oscar to one anime film, that does nothing to diminish the beauty and significance of the medium's most powerful stories. The Academy Awards would be wise to recognize the many Oscar-worthy anime films that release every single year.
