Netflix‘s library of movies and series is growing bigger and bigger every other month. It might be daunting for people who are starting to venture into the animation category. From robots to magical girl fantasies, there are hundreds of genre available on Netflix. It is just increasingly daunting to figure out which animated movie to start watching.
That is why I have created the best possible anime movies to watch on Netflix based on stories, visuals, and reviews. Whether you are an anime veteran or a budding newcomer who will soon be enchanted into the anime world, you need a place to start. You are lucky that you stumbled on this article. Read on to know more about what lies ahead for you in the world of anime movies on Netflix.
Read More: Top 25 Anime Series To Watch On Netflix
Top 25 Animate Movies To Watch On Netflix
1) Flavors of Youth
The 2018 anime movie, ‘Flavors of Youth’ was produced by the Chinese animation studio Haoliners Animation League and the Japanese anime studio CoMix Wave Films. The film is based on the legend of “four basic necessities of life”. It is divided into three storylines: ‘The Rice Noodles’, ‘A Little Fashion Show’ and ‘Love in Shanghai’. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 80% approval rating based on five star reviews with an average of 5.5/10.
2) A Whisker Away
This is a fairly recent anime movie released in 2020, distributed exclusively to Netflix. The fantasy film focuses on a junior-high school girl called Muge who falls in love with Kento. She has a magical mask that transforms her into a cat.
3) Spirited Away
‘Spirited Away‘ is the Studio Ghibli’s most successful movie. This even earned the studio a Best Animated Feature Academy Award at the time of its release. This beloved modern classic is the perfect showcase of everything Studio Ghibli is loved for—stunning visuals. It also showcases fantastical elements that are rooted in realism, and a coming-of-age story. In the movie, 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents accidentally enter the world of spirits while moving to a new neighbourhood. When an evil witch in the new realm turns her parents into pigs, it’s up to Chihiro to find a way to save her parents and return to the human world.
4) Kung Fu Panda
There is no way that you could have not lived in this planet without hearing about Kung Fu Panda. It’s the iconic animated movie to have ever graced the industry. Po the Panda’s life changes when he learns that he is the chosen dragon warrior. He must train in Kung Fu and pair up with the Furious Five to save the peace of the valley. Kung Fu Panda was nominated for the Best Animated Feature in the 2009 Academy Awards.
5) Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
It is my dream to have burgers rain from the sky, whenever I feel hungry. To see my dream animated in a movie is just what I need on a very hectic day to watch. In the movie, Bill Hader voices an awkward, unaccomplished scientist. The scientist tries to invent a machine that turns water into food when his town hits an economic crisis. Just fun and only fun!
6) How to Train Your Dragon
This one is a pioneer to ‘Game Of Thrones’. (Yes! I said it, and I don’t regret it!) For young Viking prince Hiccup and his hometown of Berk, dragons are a menace to be feared and destroyed. However, when he accidentally made friendship with a deadly dragon, his perception changes tremendously. He trains the Night Fury and names it Toothless. Hiccup has to convince his father and the rest of his people that dragons are more than the fearsome beasts they had imagined. Stunning animation and music ever for an animated movie.
7) The Mitchells vs. The Machines
This animated movie is just better in every possible way. I cried, I smiled and even threw my phone away when something went wrong in the movie. It’s so engaging! ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines‘ is about a film-loving teen who is about to fly to her her dream college. However, her dad decides to take the family on a cross-country road trip with aims of repairing their fractured relationship. Boom! Robot apocalypse happens and then eventually, the family is reunited thick and thin.
8) A Silent Voice
‘A Silent Voice‘ follows teenager Shōya Ishida, who spent his elementary school days bullying deaf classmate Shōko Nishimiya. As a result, he ended up being ostracized by his classmates throughout the rest of his school years. Now in his last year of high school, Shōya attempts to reconnect with Shoko and some of their other elementary school classmates. He then hopes to mend what has been broken and to find personal redemption.
9) My Neighbor Totoro
‘My Neighbor Totoro’ is on of the most famous and popular Studio Ghibli movies. It was directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1988. The setting is inspired by Tokorozawa, Saitama in Japan, which is a rural area near Tokyo, around the 1950s. The anime movie centers on a 12-year-old girl Satsuki and her little sister Mei who is 4 years old. Mei and Satsuki meet the mysterious creature known as Totoro in the forest and encounter strange happenings.
10) Ponyo
‘Ponyo’ was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 2008. It is one of the most recommended anime movies of all time. The family-friendly film is the anime movie with the 5th highest box office revenue of all time. It follows a main character Ponyo, which is a goldfish wishing to become a human and leaves the ocean. Ponyo is saved by Sosuke, a 5-year-old boy. Both Ponyo and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ have a similar plot: children meet a mysterious creature and the fantasy stories are unfolded.
11) Kiki’s Delivery Service
This anime movie is one of the classic popular Studio Ghibli animated movies. It was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released in 1989. ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ is set in Europe and revolves around a 13-year-old girl Kiki, a witch apprentice. The story starts when she leaves home for her independence with her pet black cat Jiji. She grows up visiting the unfamiliar towns, meeting new friends and facing her personal problems.
12) Howl’s Moving Castle
‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ is one of the most visually stunning Ghibli movies ever. It is heavily influenced by Miyazaki’s vocal opposition of US invasion of Iraq in 2003. The central theme revolves around the mindless destruction caused by war. In the movie, young Sophie falls for Howl, a wizard who is summoned to fight a war for his king, despite being against it. A witch curses Sophie for falling in love with Howl and transforms her into an old woman. The story follows their journey as they battle the odds they’ve come up against and find happiness.
13) Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
‘Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop’ is a romantic drama that follows the story of an introverted teenager named Cherry. He prefers to express himself through Japanese haiku poems. Although he mostly stays aloof, a chance encounter with Smile, a self-conscious girl, turns his life around. This leads to an unforgettable summer of adventure and self-discovery. After watching this anime, if you start writing haikus every now and then, I won’t be totally surprised.
14) From Up On A Poppy Hill
‘From Up On The Poppy Hill‘ tells the story of a high school girl Umi Matsuzuaki, who forms a friendship with Shun Kazama, a member of the school’s newspaper club. Their friendship later blossoms romantically. However, their feelings are put on hold due to circumstances related to their families. Keeping their romantic feelings aside, Umi and Shun work together to save their school clubhouse from being demolished. It is certainly worth the watch because of the memorable visual narrative set in 1963, Yokohoma, Japan.
15) Arrietty
This is the one movie, I would blindly ask anyone to watch if they are into fantasies. Visually stunning and this movie will melt your heart. The anime follows the life of a 14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family. They live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items “borrowed” from the house’s human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.
16) Whisper Of The Heart
Shizuku Tsukishima, an ordinary 14-year old teenager, discovers that a boy named Seiji Amasawa has a somewhat similar taste in literature to her. Unlike most people, she decides to look for this boy and luckily find him in an antique shop. The two immediately hit it off, but when Seiji shares his dreams and aspirations with her, Shizuku feels an emptiness in her heart. She realizes that she has found her true calling and, with Seiji’s help, embarks on a quest for self-discovery. One of the classic anime movies from the 90s, you can never go wrong with this one.
17) Garden Of Words
Takao Akizuki, an aspiring shoemaker, meets a beautiful woman named Yukari Yukino in a garden. She instantly draws his attention, and two begin to talk after Takao offers to make her shoes. Their rendezvous soon becomes a routine, and they continue to meet throughout the rainy season. However, Takao and Yukari’s personal struggles soon begin to cast a shadow on their relationship, and by the end of the rainy season, they realize that they will have to take a tough call. ‘The Garden of Words’ recounts a heartening story of love that no one should not miss out on.
18) Princess Mononoke
Another masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki is ‘Princess Mononoke‘. This is a fantasy film that follows the story of a young Emishi prince, Ashitaka. The prince has been cursed by a demon and has to find a cure before he dies. While travelling, he meets a young girl, San, who has been raised by the wolf goddess. He then gets entangled in a war between greedy humans and spirits who wish to protect themselves and the nature that they live in. Dealing with the theme of environment, the anime shows the effects of industrialization and the problems that can arise due to the imbalance of power between humans and nature. Since the theme of the movie resonates with the current world problems, it makes this movie worth a definite watch.
19) Castle In The Sky
‘Castle In The Sky’ is the first anime movie created by Studio Ghibli in 1986. This was directed by the famous Hayao Miyazaki. It is set in the world inspired by Europe around the late 19th century, following the two main characters: a young boy named Pazu and a young girl named Sheeta. One day, he sees her falling slowly from the sky. She is pursued by the air pirates and government agency, whose target is her crystal pendant. Her adventure with Pazu begins when they run away from the ones chasing.
20) Hotel Transylvania
This is a 2012 animated monster comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. The film tells the story of Count Dracula, the owner of the titular Hotel, where the world’s monsters can take a rest from human civilization. Dracula invites some of the most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his beloved daughter Mavis. The “human-free hotel” is unexpectedly visited by an ordinary 21-year-old traveller named Jonathan. Dracula must do everything in his power to prevent Mavis from falling in love with him. That too before the hotel’s guests learn a human is in the castle, which may jeopardize the hotel’s future and his career. Laughter is guaranteed!
21) Klaus
‘Klaus‘ is a 2019 Spanish-American animated Christmas film written and directed by Sergio Pablos. The story serves as an alternate origin story of Santa Claus independent from the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra. It uses a fictional 19th-century setting. The plot revolves around a postman stationed in an island town to the Far North who befriends a reclusive toymaker (Klaus). If you are in the feel of Christmas, then this would be a perfect animated movie to watch.
22) Angry Birds
‘Angry Birds’ is a fun, comedy animated movie. Flightless birds lead a mostly happy existence, except for Red, who just can’t get past the daily annoyances of life. His temperament leads him to anger management class, where he meets fellow misfits Chuck and Bomb. Red becomes even more agitated when his feathered brethren welcome green pigs to their island paradise. As the swine begin to get under his skin, Red joins forces with Chuck and Bomb to investigate the real reason behind their mysterious arrival.
23) Vivo
‘Vivo‘ is a 2021 American computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation. The songs in this animated movie were written by the ever-so-charming Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also voiced the title character and serves as one of the executive producers of the film. Vivo follows a one-of-kind kinkajou, who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively square with his beloved owner Andrés. Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duos through their common love of music. However, when tragedy strikes it shatters the peaceful life of Vivo. It’s musical, fun and pleasant!
24) The Willoughbys
‘The Willoughbys‘ is a 2020 computer-animated comedy film directed by Kris Pearn and co-directed by Rob Lodermeier. It is based on the book of the same name by Lois Lowry. This film will break your heart and also mend your heart like no other films could. It follows four kids trying to find new parents to replace their self-centred and neglectful ones. The animated movie was released on April 22, 2020, with 37 million people viewing the movie. It received critical acclaim for its animation, acting, story, and soundtrack. If you haven’t yet listened to ‘I choose you’ by Alessia Cara, you must!
25) The Cat Returns
This is such a fantastic fantasy for the cat-lovers. There is nothing more you could ask for! A young person who can talk to cats rescues one in this 2002 movie. It turns out that this particular feline is the Price of the Cats. Spectacular animation and beautiful writing!
Read More: Top 25 Anime To Watch On Amazon Prime Video
