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Studio Ghibli has long established itself as the benchmark for anime films, capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide with its enchanting narratives and distinctive artistry. Each Ghibli production resonates with a unique emotional depth that transports viewers into vibrant realms of fantasy, leaving a lasting impression that feels like a cherished escape from reality.
Such is the magic of Ghibli that it often overshadows other remarkable films in the anime industry, despite their equally compelling storytelling and visual prowess. While Ghibli’s trademark animation style and unparalleled use of color have set a high bar, there are several non-Ghibli films that reach similar emotional and artistic heights. Unfortunately, these films frequently do not receive the recognition they deserve.
One such film is the 2024 adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, Look Back. This poignant tale captures the emotional evolution of its protagonists, Fujino Ayumu and Kyomoto, two elementary school students bound by their shared passion for art. Initially, Fujino’s jealousy of Kyomoto’s artistic talent spurs her to improve, transforming competition into a powerful partnership. Their collaboration in high school results in the creation of a manga that earns them a coveted spot in Weekly Shonen Jump post-graduation, marking the culmination of their artistic journey.
Look Back’s 100% RT Score Is All the Proof Anime Fans Need
Image via Studio Durian
Adapted from the Tatsuki Fujimoto manga of the same name in 2024, Look Back is an emotional journey from start to finish. When elementary school artist Fujino Ayumu finds a rival in her fellow student, Kyomoto, the resentment she feels at Kyomoto’s innate talent drives her to become better. When the two eventually join forces to create a manga together during high school, their success leads them to the chance of a lifetime: publication in Weekly Shonen Jump after graduation.
Even though Kyomoto doesn’t want that kind of notoriety, Fujino continues publishing the manga without her under their shared pen name and achieves success. Years later, when a man claiming plagiarism goes on a murder spree, Kyomoto is killed and Fujino spends years blaming herself. Had she not forced Kyomoto to pursue art, none of this would have ever happened. In a strange twist of fate, Fujino’s actions send her back in time to an alternate reality, where the two never became friends, but inevitably came into each others’ lives anyway when Fujino saved Kyomoto from the murderer.
Look Back is emotionally raw and real in ways that stick with anime fans long after the movie ends. Considering Fujimoto’s ability to take even the darkest material and make it emotionally resonate with anime fans, (Chainsaw Man, for instance) it’s no wonder Look Back packs such a powerful punch to the heart. Look Back‘s unique animation style, which deliberately retains its hand-drawn feel, is a major win with anime fans, contributing to the film’s success.
The Boy and the Beast Is An Emotional Journey to Find One’s Strength
Studio Chizu’s 2015 anime film The Boy and the Beast explores coming-of-age in ways reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s many Studio Ghibli projects with one stark contrast. Across his animation career, Miyazaki centered his focus on primarily female protagonists in that strange and confusing time between childhood and adolescence. The Boy and the Beast follows Ren, a male protagonist who becomes trapped in the Beast Kingdom after his mother’s funeral.
Written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda, The Boy and the Beast resonates on an emotional level on par with Studio Ghibli. When Ren becomes apprentice to Kumatetsu, an aloof, anthropomorphic bear, Kumatetsu renames him Kyuta, and the two spend years training together in the Beast Kingdom. Returning to his own world as a teenager, Ren reconnects with his estranged father, but it only serves to confuse and alienate him even more.
Pushing away his father and Kumatetsu, the void grows until it threatens to consume him. With no real sense of connection to his world or the Beast Kingdom, it isn’t until he meets Kaede, who helps him find himself and his place in the world again. The Boy and the Beast is a powerful anime film that leaves viewers breathless with its relatable characters and evocative emotional climax that feels both familiar and nostalgic.
Satoshi Kon’s Final Film Is an Unforgettable Explosion of Emotion & Color
One reason Studio Ghibli films tend to stand out is how easily they slip between worlds without romanticizing escapism, but Satoshi Kon often took that one step further with his films. Kon’s final film before passing away, Paprika, is an otherworldly dance through the realm of dreams. The lively visuals and stunning animation leave a lasting impression on viewers that makes it impossible for them to ever look at their nightly wanderings through the same lens.
Psychologically thrilling, Paprika is set in the not-so-distant future, where people can use a device known as the DC Mini to view the dreams of others. When the project’s head researcher, Doctor Atsuko Chiba, begins secretly using the DC Mini on her psychiatric patients, she adopts her dream-state alter-ego, a detective named Paprika. As Paprika and Atsuko begin to divide and the dream world becomes all but indistinguishable from reality, the breakdown forces Atsuko to face and come to terms with herself.
While many Studio Ghibli films are surprisingly dark in their underlying approach to popular themes like coming-of-age and environmentalism, Kon and Studio Madhouse aren’t subtle in their overt warnings regarding technology in Paprika. As the boundary between fantasy and reality blurs, one can’t help recognize the outright prediction of modern technology marketing itself toward everyday people seeking escapism.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Explores Themes of Fate and Acceptance
Director Mamoru Hosoda is a name that frequently comes up when anime fans are searching for impactful coming-of-age films that aren’t Studio Ghibli. With a collection of powerful anime movies under his belt, including the aforementioned The Boy and the Beast, Hosoda is a master at capturing the emotional resonance that is coming-of-age. With Studio Madhouse in 2006, Hosoda took a loose adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1967 novel, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and brought it to life in glorious animation.
Emotional and poignant, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time begins as an almost comedic look at Makoto Konno’s exploration of her newly-discovered time-travel capabilities. She’s using it to improve test scores, ensure she’s never late again, and avoid her friend Chiaki’s unexpected love confession. Though it seems harmless enough at first, Makoto doesn’t realize she has limited time-leaps until it’s too late to change an important mistake.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a not-so-subtle reminder that living life while constantly trying to second-guess one’s choices keeps a person from important growth experiences that shape their life. Daydreaming about how much better things might have been had they been approached differently keeps a person rooted in the past, instead of allowing them to move forward and actually live.
The Anthem of the Heart’s Focus On the Importance of Communication Is Magical
Released in 2015, A-1 Pictures’ The Anthem of the Heart’s focus on clear communication and the destructive consequences of carrying guilt easily make it one of the most touching non-Ghibli anime films this century. As a little girl, Jun never seemed to stop talking. She was always excited and amicable, but when she inadvertently reveals to her mother that her father is having a romantic affair, it destroys her family and Jun’s spirit.
Jun’s father blames her for running her mouth, and In her guilt, she imagines a magical fairy egg placing a curse on her that prevents her from ever hurting people with her words again. No longer able to speak without provoking agonizing stomach aches, she’s trapped in silence until she’s signed up for a school program by her homeroom teacher. When Jun overhears one of the students she’s to be working with singing, she feels compelled to tell him her story, which leads to her discovering that while she can’t speak, she can sing.
Amid this touching movie about not running away from one’s truth is a heartfelt love story. Romantic love isn’t something Studio Ghibli shies away from, but more often than not the focus leans more toward platonic love and rich bonds fostered through close friendship. With romance being a major part of life for many anime fans, non-Ghibli movies like The Anthem of the Heart allow romance to take center stage alongside the many powerful themes that raise them above Studio Ghibli.
