10 Near-Perfect Beginner Anime Movies No One Ever Talks About

They also feature high production values that ensure a seamless transition from high-budget live-action films. Additionally, they include stunning visuals with less experimental animation that is much easier on the eye for beginners. Over time, some of these films have faded into obscurity despite their undeniable quality, and this piece stands to bring them to the fore.

10 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a loose sequel to Yasutaka Tsutsui’s science fiction novel of the same name, released in 1967. It follows a high school girl named Makoto Konno who discovers time travel completely by chance. Like your average high schooler, she employs time travel mostly for petty, everyday inconveniences, with little regard for possible consequences.

Things inevitably start to go wrong when Makoto realizes her leaps have deadly consequences for those around her, and so she resolves to return everything to how it once was. The movie serves as a profound coming-of-age story, detailing Makoto’s journey from a carefree, reckless teen to an empathetic character willing to face life’s challenges head-on.

9 Weathering With You

Weathering With You is a romantic drama that serves in part as a follow-up to Your Name and the second entry in Makoto Shinkai’s Disaster Trilogy. It is set in a Tokyo plagued by endless torrential downpours and centers on sixteen-year-old runaway Hodaka Morishima, who plans to make a living on his own in Tokyo.

He soon encounters the orphaned Hina Amano, thinking up a lucrative plan after finding out about her special powers to clear the skies and bring about small patches of sunlight. Their venture is largely successful at first, but they soon discover the divine implications of Hina’s powers and how they threaten to take her away forever.

8 Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke is a standout Studio Ghibli film directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. The story is set in the far distant past and follows the afflicted prince Ashitaka on his journey to dispel a curse placed on his right arm. On his travels, he comes across the prosperous Irontown, thriving at the cost of its surrounding forests.

The forests are inhabited by spirits and gods who resist the town's expansion, aided by the titular princess Mononoke. The film puts both forces against each other with Ashitaka in the middle, highlighting relevant themes of environmentalism while not necessarily portraying one sole group as being explicitly right or wrong.

7 Sword of the Stranger

Sword of the Stranger is a thrilling samurai story that depicts the evolving, special bond between a wandering ronin and a persecuted child. It centers on the young orphan Kotaro, accompanied by his loyal dog Tobimaru, who is relentlessly pursued by expert Ming Dynasty swordsmen. After encountering the troubled but skilled samurai, Nanashi, Kotaro enlists his help as a bodyguard.

The movie is set in the Sengoku period of Japan and showcases breathtaking action sequences with realistic sword fights. It also features a compelling score composed by Naoki Sato that elevates the quality of the film greatly. It is a grounded story, perfect for fans of gritty historical fiction looking to branch into anime.

6 A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice is a poignant film that expertly deals with heavy themes and sensitive topics while retaining a highly intriguing narrative. It follows the young Shoya Ishida and his friends who persistently bully Shoko Nishimiya, a transfer student with a hearing disability. This culminates in a scene where she is significantly hurt and forced to transfer schools.

Shoya solely bears the brunt of the repercussions, leading to a future where he develops severe anxiety and views suicide as atonement. His attitude changes, however, after meeting Shoko again at a sign language center. He subsequently embarks on an emotional journey involving both his new and old friends to make amends and look hopefully to the future.

5 Tokyo Godfathers

Tokyo Godfathers is a tragicomic tale centered on three homeless people, each with special circumstances. The group is made up of the passionate Miyuki, gruff Gin, and melodramatic Hana. While rummaging through the garbage on one Christmas Eve, they discover an abandoned newborn baby, alongside certain clues that could lead to her parents.

They temporarily name her Kiyoko and commence a city-wide search that turns into a wild adventure. The movie is deeply empathetic in its messaging, offering a wide range of perspectives from each member of the trio and others they encounter on their quest. While it touches on several delicate matters, it generally retains a lighthearted vibe perfect for holiday viewing.

4 Perfect Blue

Perfect Blue is an enthralling psychological thriller that deeply explores the dark side of the Japanese entertainment industry. It follows Mima Kirigoe as she abandons her idol career to focus fully on acting. This decision is met with intense backlash from her core fans, especially when she is featured in scenes that tarnish her innocent idol image.

The backlash eventually evolves into stalking and repeated threats from an obsessive fan. Key figures related to her new role are also targeted one after the other, and Mima’s mental health takes a significant hit. She is also forced to tackle her internal demons, fiercely pondering her career choices and striving to come to terms with her fracturing reality.

3 Wolf Children

Wolf Children is a bittersweet story about the struggles of motherhood and the difficulties that come with being different. It tells the story of Hana, a university student who falls in love with a wolf man, whom she eventually marries. They have two children, Ame and Yuki, but Hana is forced to raise them alone after his sudden death.

This naturally comes with extreme difficulty, as she is completely new to raising half-wolf children. She ultimately chooses to move with them to the remote countryside, making her plight a little easier but still quite challenging. The film focuses heavily on the growth of the siblings as well as Hana’s development into a resilient and independent parent.

2 Spirited Away

Spirited Away is another of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s standout works. It follows the whiny ten-year-old Chihiro as she and her parents happen upon a strange town on the way to their new home. It turns out that they’d crossed over to the spirit world, where her parents are turned into pigs after greedily indulging in unattended food.

Chihiro subsequently has part of her name taken by the powerful witch Yubaba, running the risk of being trapped forever if she completely forgets it. While in the spirit world, she develops several relationships that broaden her perspectives and help her grow. Though the situation is dire, she musters the courage needed to rise above it and save her family.

1 Your Name

Your Name is a visually immaculate body-swapping romantic comedy that served as the first entry in Makoto Shinkai’s Disaster Trilogy. It focuses on Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, the former living in bustling Tokyo and the latter in rural Itomori. The story kicks off when they suddenly begin switching bodies, trying their hardest to make sense of this unbelievable predicament.

They find several ways to communicate, and while both parties are initially apprehensive, they grow extremely close over time. Beyond this point, the story features multiple twists that often leave audiences awestruck while pulling at their heartstrings. Since its release in 2016, its hype has faded somewhat, but it still stands as one of the quintessential anime movies for beginners.