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The Best Japanese Animated Movies, from Ghibli to Akira

The essential anime films — Spirited Away, Your Name, Grave of the Fireflies and more — with honest age guidance for family viewing.

Japanese animation gave the world some of its most beloved films, full stop. If you’re looking for the best Japanese animated movies — whether for a family night or a proper film-buff deep dive — these nine are the essentials, and they’re not interchangeable: some suit a six-year-old, one is rated R, and one will wreck you no matter your age.

Why these films travel so well

The great anime films take animation seriously as filmmaking: hand-painted worlds with weather and weight, stories that trust kids with real emotions, and imagery no live-action budget could buy. That’s why Spirited Away won the Academy Award, why Your Name broke box-office records worldwide, and why “it’s animated” has never meant “it’s minor” in Japan.

The essential nine

  • Spirited Away (2001) — a girl works in a bathhouse for spirits to save her parents. Miyazaki’s masterpiece and the best first step into all of anime.
  • Your Name (2016) — two teenagers mysteriously swap bodies across Japan. The modern classic: funny, gorgeous, then quietly shattering.
  • Grave of the Fireflies (1988) — two siblings survive wartime Japan. One of the most moving films ever animated; keep tissues within reach and young kids elsewhere.
  • Princess Mononoke (1997) — a cursed prince walks into a war between industry and the forest gods. Epic, violent by Ghibli standards (PG-13), and magnificent.
  • My Neighbor Totoro (1988) — two sisters befriend the forest spirit next door. Pure, G-rated comfort; the best choice for small children.
  • Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) — a cursed hatmaker joins a wizard’s walking home. Peak Ghibli romance and invention.
  • Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) — a young witch starts a flying courier business. A gentle story about burnout, decades before we called it that.
  • A Silent Voice (2016) — a former bully seeks out the deaf classmate he tormented. Tender, serious, and best for teens and up.
  • Akira (1988) — the R-rated cyberpunk landmark that put anime on the world map. Not for kids; essential for everyone else.

A quick age-rating map

This genre spans every rating, which is exactly why we flag them. G / all ages: Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service. PG: Spirited Away, Your Name, Howl’s Moving Castle. PG-13: Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies (rated for thematic weight, not content — it’s a war tragedy). R: Akira. Every movie page shows the official certification with a plain-English explanation of what it means for your household.

Where to go next

We rank the whole field — not just these nine — on our best Japanese animation list, updated as ratings evolve. From there, branch into the Top 10 movies from Japan (live-action included), our Studio Ghibli ranking, or the site-wide Top 10 animated movies to see how Japan’s best stack up against Pixar and the rest of the world.

Movies mentioned

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Japanese animated movie?

Spirited Away (2001) is the consensus pick — Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar winner rates 8.6 on IMDb and regularly appears on lists of the greatest films ever made, animated or not. Your Name (2016) is the standout of the modern era.

Is Spirited Away OK for kids?

Generally yes — it's rated PG in the US. A few sequences are intense or strange for very young children (the parents' transformation, No-Face's rampage), but most kids around 8 and up handle it well. Our movie page shows the official rating and what it means.

Are anime movies for kids?

Not all of them. My Neighbor Totoro is rated G, but Akira is rated R and Grave of the Fireflies, though beautiful, is a devastating war story most parents wouldn't show young children. Always check the individual film's age rating — every pick below links to a page that explains it.

What's the difference between Studio Ghibli films and anime?

Ghibli films are anime — the studio is simply the most famous maker of them, known for hand-drawn animation and gentle, layered storytelling. Anime as a whole spans every genre and age rating, from family fantasy to adult science fiction.