10 Best Anime Movies To Watch Twice – CNET

The world of Japanese animation is vast, intoxicating with its vibrant cinematography and boundary-pushing storytelling, offering international audiences a spotlight on some of cinema’s most gifted filmmakers of all time.

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There’s only one job every movie sets out to do when it hits theaters around the world, and that’s to fill seats to meet the weekend’s opening screenings. But a film’s revisibility is contained in its traits that go beyond entertainment value and cut through the layers of themes and provocations that, even after a single two-hour viewing, leave the viewer wondering and wondering. want more.

Updated November 16, 2022 by Hannah Saab:

Recent versions like Bubble, susumeand Drift home highlight the enduring interest in well-crafted animated films. There’s no shortage of the best animated movies, but only a few of them are enjoyable on second viewing. Audiences looking for more reusable animated movies should consider some classics essential viewing.

“Akira” (1988)

Available to stream on Hulu.

A bomb is about to be dropped on 1988 Neo-Tokyo after ESP experiments performed on children fly south. But our story is set thirty-one years after the explosion when Kaneda, a member of a motorcycle gang, struggles to save his friend Tetsuo after he is captured by the government and subjected to a mysterious experiment. and twisted.

It doesn’t take more than a brilliantly executed opening sequence featuring almost no words of dialogue to let the viewer know they’re in for a treat when Akira begins, and the journey does not stop until it has reached its true maximum potential, which is astronomically high. Through revolutionary hand-drawn cellular animation, the world of Akira is richer and fuller of more character than its stripped down reputation gives it.

“Ocean Waves” (2016)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

Taku Morisaki returns to Tokyo to attend an intimate high school reunion as he recounts memories of his high school days, focusing on a summer that spurred a love triangle between him and his two closest friends.

ocean waves reflects on the naivety of the high school experience through the memory of an altered adult, with characters so full of life that it is frustrating to spend time with them. Through a soft color palette and eighties gloom, ocean waves tells the timeless story of a young man torn between desire and anger while navigating a friendship.

“Your Name” (2016)

Available for rent on Vudu.

When two teenagers find themselves bound by a cosmic bond, their mundane life becomes infinitely complicated when they decide to meet.

There have been few anime achievements in recent memory that have brought the anime director’s fans together like what Makato Shinkai accomplished in your name, which takes the delicate beauty of hand-drawn cellular animation to a whole new level. But the awe-inspiring cinematography is just the canvas on which this emotionally complex and truly epic story is painted.

“The Case of Hana and Alice” (2015)

Available to stream on Kanopy.

When fourteen-year-old Tetsuko moves into a new school, she is bullied after being given the seat of a student who was murdered and embarks on a low-key investigation into his mysterious death.

The case of Hana and Alice could be a great entry into the slice-of-life genre thanks to its little passing moments that make the film stand out in the genre. The watercolor palette aligns with the rest of the film’s quirky qualities and reflects beautifully as the two main characters embark on an emotional and at times very comedic journey.

‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)

Available to stream on AMC+ Amazon Channel.

When famed singer Mima abruptly ends her career to continue performing full-time, the lines between fact and fiction begin to blur as she follows a grotesque stalker.

Fiction and reality are indeed separated by an increasingly blurred distinction, even after the credits. perfect blue. A masterclass on modern horror and the vicious relationship between Hollywood and its top talent, perfect blue is as gorgeous as it is truly disturbing and chilling and takes the viewer on a ride that only gets more gruesome with each watch.

“The Remedy” (2008)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

When a goldfish princess escapes her exclusion from the outside world and befriends the little boy Sosuke, who gives her the name Ponyo, the two become inseparable as Ponyo’s desire to become human grows rapidly.

A watch is not enough to grasp the true extent of Healingwhether through his environmental commentary on ocean pollution or the sheer realization of infinitely detailed hand-drawn animation. Healing is as artistically deep as it is almost adorable.

“Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

When thirteen-year-old witch-in-training Kiki and her talking cat Jiji move to a new port town in accordance with her village’s training traditions, she finds her purpose in an unknown location using her flight abilities to deliver for a local bakery that gives her a place to live.

On several watches, the true heartbeat of Kiki’s Delivery Service can be found in the timeless struggle of artistic liberation and the journey of finding yourself in order to find your purpose in the world you live in. And this world is presented in great detail by the writer/director Hayao Miyazakiwhich once again proves its status as a master of storytelling through an endless supply of fleshed-out characters and an animation style that never ceases to impress.

‘Paprika’ (2006)

Available for rent on Vudu.

In a world where therapists use a machine to enter their patients’ subconscious, a psychologist becomes the titular dream detective when the all-important device disappears into Satoshi Konit is Paprika. What follows is a mind-bending journey that takes the protagonist to dangerous places in pursuit of criminals who spread nightmares.

Before Creationthere was Paprika, which explored the idea of ​​staging a daring heist and depicting the ensuing chaos in the minds of dreamers. Its intricate story and overwhelming visuals warrant more than one viewing, as audiences will no doubt want to immerse themselves back into the unique world of the oft-overlooked film.

“Ghost in the Shell” (1995)

Available to stream on the Roku Channel.

Those who love noir anime aesthetics have probably seen ghost in the shell. Set in the (now) not-so-distant cyberpunk future of 2029, the film follows cyborg agent Motoko Kusanagi, who is tasked with tracking down a notorious hacker known as The Puppetmaster.

The dark, gritty film isn’t shy about tackling hard-hitting themes like technology’s relationship to humanity, morality, and identity in the face of cybernetics. These convoluted subjects definitely make the movie reviewable, as they’re incredibly well explored through its gripping crime story.

“Spirited Away” (2001)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

Taken away as if by magic is a Ghibli movie that needs no introduction. Arguably Miyazaki’s most popular masterpiece, even those who have never seen the film will recognize ten-year-old Chihiro Ogino, who embarks on a dangerous adventure through the spirit world in an attempt to rescue her parents. .

Its iconic creatures and gorgeous graphics are more than enough to make you watch it twice, but it’s the surprising emotional depth of Chihiro’s story that really calls for a second viewing. More than just a tale of misadventure, it’s a film that invites viewers to recognize their own independence and bravery, just as the protagonist does at the end of her journey – it’s a unique and wonderful feeling that the movie can bring out every time.

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