Countless great anime productions often fall under the radar in the wake of other, more popular works. This is especially so considering the massive amount of anime that gets released every year. As a result, potential classics don’t get the recognition that they truly deserve. However, not everyone has the time to give every underrated anime series a go, no matter how much it may be worth the effort.

Films, on the other hand, are easier to get into after a grueling and busy day. Although not a lot of anime films make it to the level of fame that’s been obtained by the most esteemed Studio Ghibli productions, so many can enrich an anime lover’s experience, and they’re available across every streaming platform there is.

10

A Silent Voice Is a Cautionary Tale About Bullying

Available to Buy or Rent on Youtube

Based on Yoshitoki Ooima’s award-winning manga, A Silent Voice is a heartbreakingly beautiful tale about the consequences of childhood bullying and the trauma that can still affect people, especially adolescents, for years. It has some of the best representation for deaf people in the form of Shouko Nishimiya. Shoko herself is a victim of bullying, and though her usually cheerful disposition hides it well, she’s an example of the emotional burdens that people with disabilities can often bear.

Many who watched A Silent Voice raised controversy around Shouko falling for her childhood bully, Shouya Ishida, who is actually the real protagonist of the story. However, Shouya’s story is all about remorse and redemption, exhibiting how people can grow from their once-limited worldviews and become better. Shouya eventually overcomes his depression and learns to open up to the friends around him, becoming a source of strength and support for the girl he once tormented.

9

Maquia Can Make Any Anime Fan Weep

Available to Stream on Crunchyroll

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms is a 2018 fantasy drama written and directed by Mari Okada. It’s full of gorgeous visuals that tell the story of the titular character Maquia, a girl from a clan of beings who possess the gift of eternal youth. One terrible night, Maquia’s home and people are nearly erased from existence after Mezarte raids their village. Maquia is left alone until she stumbles upon a human infant, whose parents were killed by passing thieves.

After Maquia takes it upon herself to raise the child on her own, she begins to experience the beauty and hardship of motherhood. At the time, she learns the importance of enjoying love and happiness while she has it, before she inevitably has to say goodbye to the people she outlives. Life’s most beautiful treasures don’t always last forever, and having gratitude for the blessings that happen is a lesson that Maquia teaches perfectly.

8

Tokyo Godfathers Gives Anime Fans a Tearful Christmas Comedy

Available to Stream on Tubi

Tokyo Godfathers is a Madhouse original and one of the few anime Christmas movies. It was directed by Satoshi Kon, who also directed Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress. Released in 2003, Tokyo Godfathers follows Hana, Gin, and Miyuki, a homeless trio who stumble upon an abandoned baby. Hana, who dreamed of being a mother, takes the infant under her care, much to the chagrin of her companions. Tokyo Godfathers is a tragic sort of comedy that repeatedly highlights the close bond between all three main characters in spite of the hardships that life has thrown at them.

Gin is an alcoholic man who made mistakes concerning his family, Miyuki is a teenage runaway who fled a difficult home life, and Hana — the kindest of them all—is a trans woman who never knew her own parents, which is why she feels so much sympathy for Kiyoko, the infant they find. Despite how often the film reminds viewers of life’s cruelty, Tokyo Godfathers is still quite the feel-good film that offers the perspective of characters from various backgrounds. It’s an enlightening tale that carries the uplifting tone prevalent in all Christmas movies, making it a perfect watch for anime fans needing a touch of warmth through the cold winter months.

7

Flavors of Youth Teaches a Lesson Through Nostalgia

Flavors of Youth is Available to Stream on Netflix

Flavors of Youth is a three-part anthology directed by Li Haoling, Yoshitaka Takeuchi, and Xiaoxing Yi. It’s one of the lower-rated CoMix Wave Films that is given much less credit than it deserves. None of the stories that the film presents are particularly eventful, nor do any of them paint anything fantastical. Instead, Flavors of Youth captures the realistic experiences of three adults and the mundane, yet relatable, problems they face.

Xiao Ming reminisces about the days of his childhood and the warm magic in a bowl of noodles that he can no longer find. Limo laments a lost childhood love, and Lin Yi tries to cope with her age in an industry where beauty and youth are paramount. Each tale offers its audience a punch of nostalgia as well as a chance to reflect on life’s blessings and shortcomings. Each character eventually comes to a resolution to keep facing the world head-on despite any remorse, fear, or desire to turn back the clock to simpler days.

6

The Imaginary Sees a Mother & Her Child Reconnect After Tragedy

Available to Stream on Netflix

The Imaginary is a beautiful Studio Ponoc film about, as the title suggests, imaginary friends. Following the ever-creative Amanda and her imaginary friend, Rudger, The Imaginary tells a story about how children cope with loss and the importance of retaining a childish spirit during adulthood. Amanda lost her father, resulting in the struggles that Amanda’s mother experiences to try to keep herself and her child afloat. With her mother busy, Amanda was left to carry herself through her grief, resulting in the creation of Rudger.

Throughout the film, Amanda and Rudger try to evade a man named Mr. Bunting, who eats imaginary friends to stay immortal. As the film progresses, the audience begins to realize that imaginary friends are beings who are meant to help children get through life difficulties. Rudger’s purpose is to aid Amanda in overcoming her grief and reconnecting with her mother. Being a Ponoc production, The Imaginary holds a kind of magic and wonder similar to Ghibli films. It’s perfect for anime fans who crave something wholesome and meaningful.

5

Pom Poko Is a Cultural Classic That was Lost on International Audiences

Available to Stream on HBO Max

Pom Poko is one of Studio Ghibli’s most underappreciated films, simply due to the cultural differences between Japanese and Western audiences. It was directed by Isao Takahata, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli as well as the director of Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. Takahata thrived in telling stories steeped in Japanese culture and history, and that is what Pom Poko is.

It’s a story about Japan’s urbanization and loss of tradition over the past century, told through the eyes of the mythical creatures that find home in the country’s natural grounds. Tanuki are said to be Yokai (supernatural beings) in Japanese folklore, and Pom Poko depicts them as a community that seems to follow older and more traditional aspects of Japanese life. Despite the film’s important themes of war and nature, Western audiences had a difficult time grasping its more meaningful elements or fully appreciating the comedy.

4

5 Centimeters Per Second is a Stunning Film About Long-Distance Love

Available to Stream on Netflix

5 Centimeters Per Second is one of the most referenced anime films, yet it’s often claimed to be uneventful and dull in comparison to Makoto Shinkai’s other works. The story doesn’t follow any supernatural phenomenon like Your Name or Suzume, but it still functions as a meaningful slice-of-life drama about love and growing apart. Main characters Takaki Toono and Akari Shinohara are childhood friends who try their hardest to stay in touch after Akari moves away.

Sadly, Takaki and Akari’s bond is unable to stand the test of time or the challenge of the distance. That much is seen in Takaki’s perspective as he carries on through his childhood and teenage years, trying to hold on to their relationships. At the same time, he’s missing out on life by doing so. 5 Centimeters Per Second is a more subdued drama; it’s a realistic film portraying a common struggle that anyone can connect with.

3

Ride Your Wave Gives a Unique Take on Coping With Grief

Available to Stream on HBO Max

Ride Your Wave is a film made by Science SARU, the same animation studio responsible for adapting seasons 1 and 2 of Dandadan. Although not nearly as hectic and unhinged, Ride Your Wave combines the silly with the supernatural in this surprisingly bright film about coping with grief and moving forward. Heroine Hinako Mukaimizu is a spirited young woman trying to find her footing after moving to a new place. She eventually falls in love with Minato Hinageshi, a kind and devoted firefighter.

Tragedy strikes despite their happiness, and Hinako finds herself mourning her lost love until she starts seeing Minato’s ghost in the water around her. Her days are filled with joy once more, and she begins living as though Minato were still alive, much to the concern of her friends and family. With Hinako’s bizarre story, Ride Your Wave frames the tragedy of loss as a hard lesson that comes with the natural course of life, showing its audience the importance of keeping one’s head above the water while amidst the most disorienting tides.

2

Her Blue Sky is a Heartfelt Film About Failed Dreams & Regrets

Available to Stream on Netflix

Her Blue Sky is a CloverWorks original anime that was created for fans by the same team that produced Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. Although it’s marketed as a romance drama, it’s more of a film that focuses on discarded dreams and the sisterly bond between Aoi Aioi and her older sister, Akane. After losing her parents, Akane, who was a teenager at the time, dedicated her life to caring for and raising her younger sister. This sacrifice is something that Aoi can’t help but hold over her own head, especially when she’s visited by the spirit of Akane’s old boyfriend.

The strange thing is that Akane’s boyfriend, Shinnosuke, never died. After Akane broke up with him in order to focus on Aoi, Shinnosuke moved to Tokyo to follow his dream of becoming a famous musician, which ended up falling apart as he grew older. Her Blue Sky is a film about regrets, not romance. It shows a realistic side to life that shows that not everything turns out the way that people want it to, and that’s fine. The important thing is to keep moving forward.

1

Josee, the Tiger & the Fish Inspires Its Audience

Available to Stream on Crunchyroll

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a touching romantic drama from Studio Bones, the same studio that made the fairytale-based shojo anime Snow White with the Red Hair. It adapts the novel written by Seiko Tanabe, following the story about pursuing dreams in spite of life’s hardships. Tsuneo is a young man whose passions lie with the ocean and marine biology. He eventually ends up looking after a young woman in a wheelchair, Josee, who’s been sheltered all her life.

Although it’s Tsuneo who helps Josee gain the courage to reach for her dreams in spite of the difficulties she’s faced, it’s Josee who ends up giving Tsuneo the most important lesson of his life during the film’s emotional climax. Their relationship starts out rocky, but their eventual dynamic is one even more endearing than Studio Ghibli’s Howl and Sophie. Tsuneo and Josee each have their own aspirations, but they find the light to chase after them in each other.