Film Junk Poll: What is the Best Anime Film?

Posted by on October 29th, 2009   Filed under: Animation, Polls

pollbestanime

Over the years I’ve tried to get into anime but I’ve never really managed to get beyond a few of the so-called classics. However, in light of my recent trip to Japan and all of the upcoming Hollywood live action remakes, I thought this might be an interesting topic for this week’s poll. I’ve selected a handful of the movies that seem to be the most well-regarded among fans, but I’m hoping to see suggestions for some lesser known picks from all of you as well. Keep in mind, we’re talking about feature films here as opposed to anime series. And yes, I know there are a lot of Miyazaki films missing from the list, but I opted for variety! Go ahead and cast your vote in this week’s poll, then discuss your favourites in the comments below.

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  • Bob The Slob

    That’s like asking what is the best pile of uninteresting badly drawn fecal sprayed puke chunks.

    I don’t like anime, if that isn’t obvious.

  • Primal

    I’ve had a long love-hate relationship with the Anime genre. I remember anime in its prime in the late 90’s even mediocre stuff was way better than anything US(Disney) could produce. Films like Dinosaur, Mulan, Tarzan, Hunchback of Notre Dame were all shit compared to the anime or manga as many call it.

    If we are including stuff like Akira, then I’d even put Vampire Hunter D, Fist of the Northstar and even the Transformers: The Movie up there as anime.

    I do like most of the ones listed, but I haven’t seen Metropolis yet. Perfect Blue is best mind-fuck anime film you’ll ever see, more so than Paprika. Ninja Scroll is my favorite one of the list, endlessly watchable and will never get dated. Spirted Away was cool, but I’d probably choose Alice in Wonderland over it on some days. Grave is really good, but depressing as fuck and probably won’t watch that again.

  • Love Miyazaki, love Metropolis, Grave of the Fireflies is a masterpiece but is also one of the saddest films ever. Akira is horribly overrated.

  • asdasd

    Why not ask: The least worst anime film?
    Anime sucks, and thats a fact. At least as much of a fact as whoever of an idiot it was in here who claimed the same actors are connected to the movie characters no matter what…

  • Gaylord!

    Hero Supreme, why do u put in ”but is one of the saddest film ever”? Since when was masterpiece a contrast to sadness in films?

  • Primal

    I’m sure Hero was saying it as more of disclaimer, but you won’t enjoy the experience of the film even though everything about the film is on a masterpiece level.

    Anyone who says they don’t like anime im fine with. It’s like people say they don’t like watching horror films for obvious reasons. It’s limiting their taste in film and haven’t even seen many of the hidden gems that that genre holds.

  • chewrog

    Concerning Miyazaki my personal favourite 3 would be 1) Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, 2) My Neighbour Totoro, 3) Spirited Away… Can’t go wrong with post-apocalyptic feudal societies, giant insects & toxic fungal forests.

  • tonci

    I can see the point in not including all of miyazaki’s output, but Totoro really should be on that list…

  • hungSolo

    As someone who is put off by a lot of anime, especially some of the well-regarded television shows I’ve sampled, I can wholeheartedly recommend Paprika. It begins as neo-now sci-fi pop and becomes so much more, including a commentary on pop sci-fi.

    Also, many of the films mentioned in the poll are fun regardless of whether you go crazy for them. Excepting Fireflies, natch, which is the Schindler’s List of animated film.

  • swarez

    Totoro rules them all IMO.

  • Falsk

    Yes, swarez. Yes indeed.

    Ignoring all the haters up there…

    Asking what anime movie is the best is literally asking what ‘animated movie’ is the best. There’s so much out there. For instance, you put the Cowboy Bebop movie, but to watch that without investing in the 26-episode TV series is kind of pointless (and the TV series is fantastic assuming you can get into it). There’s a lot of great shows and movies and none of them are really the same in tone, story, or design aside from the fact that they are animated (“anime”) so don’t expect just because you like one you’ll go for the other. Just for the reason that Joe Shmoe up there got tired of “Pokemon” and has gone on to assume everything is exactly the same. Sigh.

    That being said, you’re a damn fool if you don’t see “Mononoke Hime”. Now. NOW NOWNOW. Okay, and “Totoro”. And “Porco Rosso”. And maybe “Laputa”.

  • Falsk

    Also, does it make me heartless bastard if I was bored and unmoved by “Firefly”? Because, man, was that shit boring.

  • bullet3

    I’ll say the cowboy bebop movie since I generally despise anime and cowboy bebop is the only one I’ve tracked down that’s at least mostly normal and not fucked up retarded.
    Bonus points for the show having probably the most awesome jazz soundtrack of anything ever.

  • Ovenball

    Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

  • alechs

    Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is my favourite since I was a child. My uncle from Hong Kong had taped it (so film was dubbed in Cantonese) for me on VHS and I watched it to pieces. I still have the tape but its pretty unwatchable: there were some scenes missing because I accidentally recorded over them as a child.

    One of my favourite things was the corvette because the plane boarded the enemy frigate by landing on top of it. The ensuing battle on the ship was also fun. You just can’t convince henchmen to give up that easily anymore.

    That being said I chose Mononoke Hime.

  • Xu

    Laputa a.k.a. CASTLE IN THE SKY
    Ghibli’s first 2 projects are still my favourite

  • Anthony Macedo

    Live Action: Oldboy, Battle royal, Death Note, and Initial D.
    Animated: Lupin the third, Grave of the Fireflies, and Gundam films

  • Alex

    Why was Howl’s Moving Castle not an option?

  • alpoc

    “ghost in the shell” should have been on the list. but my fave is mononoke!

  • alpoc

    my bad, it is on the list!!!

  • James

    you should consider “the girl who leapt through time” to put on that list. According to animenewsnetwork.com it’s the 8th best rated anime and 3rd anime film (under spirited, and mononoke).

    aside from the stats, TGWLTT is one my favourite films, beacuse it shatters all the stereotypes attatched to the “anime” label.

    and HEY! since it’s anime, that means it’s ALL OVER THE INTERNET! free to watch if your lazy to buy