1. Your Name
Crafted by the talented director Makoto Shinkai, the masterpiece Your Name captivates audiences not only with its imaginative and emotional storyline but also with breathtaking settings beyond description. The loneliness amidst the bustling modern Tokyo, where Taki resides, is vividly portrayed through towering buildings and serene, cool-toned train rides. Additionally, the film showcases the tranquility of nature and peaceful landscapes as a young girl, Mitsuha, seeks magic in her mysterious dreams.
Whether in the simple countryside or the lively city, the scenes in the movie look unbelievably beautiful and authentic. What sets Your Name apart from typical anime is its seamless integration of real-life scenes, leaving the audience in awe, exclaiming, 'This feels just like real life!' Another intriguing aspect is the collaboration of Makoto Shikai and Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, renowned classical painters assigned as graphic artists for this project, adding an interesting blend of tradition and modernity to the artwork.


2. Tale of Princess Kaguya
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is hailed as a masterpiece of Japanese anime, weaving a folkloric narrative imbued with cultural values and philosophies about humanity and life. It unfolds the story of the enchanting Kaguya, born from humble bamboo shoots, nurtured by a poor family. As she grows, her first stirrings of love coincide with a tragedy befalling her family.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya, a creation of the renowned Japanese animation studio Ghibli, authentically portrays human life and the fashion of girls in the 17th-century Edo period. A blend of delicacy and ease, Takahata, a skilled artist, paints scenes that are simple yet emotionally resonate with the audience—such as Kaguya amidst cherry blossoms in the rain or her hair billowing beautifully in the wind. The vivid depictions vividly capture the swift and powerful rhythm of the characters' life journeys, leaving a lasting impression on the viewers.


3. Spirited Away (Land of the Spirits)
A source of immense pride for Japan, Spirited Away consistently tops the list of the greatest animated films of all time. Spirited Away excels not only in its narrative but also in its unique, sophisticated, and detailed graphics. The visual success of Spirited Away is undoubtedly attributed to the talent of the artist/director Miyazaki and his collaborators. Alongside Chihiro's journey into the spirit world, the characters in the film are vividly constructed, and each scene carries allegorical meanings about societal realities.
Another intriguing aspect is that most scenes in the film are related to the famous tourist destination, Jiufen Old Street in Taiwan, China. The white dragon appearing in the film is modeled after the dragon painted on the roof of the temple entrance in Kubo. Lanterns scattered around, narrow stone-paved paths are faithful depictions. Gold mines, Japanese tea houses, market food, and even details of night life mirror the lives of Jiufen's residents. All contribute to creating vibrant, warm, and captivating scenes.


4. From Up On Poppy Hill (Hill of Red Poppies)
With a pure and gentle storyline about love and life, From Up On Poppy Hill is an anime worth watching for those with longing and romantic souls. Throughout the film, the urban images of Japan in the 1960s are portrayed with exquisite and dreamy simplicity, combined with purple, green, and orange tones, creating a nostalgic feeling unlike any other anime.
From grand scenes like the sunset over the sea to everyday moments like cooking, everything is vivid and authentically presented in the frames. While the film's content may not be as profound and philosophical as other Ghibli anime, From Up On Poppy Hill is crafted to help people appreciate the beauty in life's smallest details.


5. Garden of Words (Realm of Expressive Gardens)
Garden of Words may not be universally known or loved, nor is it for every age group, but it is undoubtedly an anime for those who appreciate beauty. With a melancholic and leisurely pace, it narrates the fateful encounter of two strangers under the rain. Shinjuku Gyoen Park is where Takao, an aspiring shoemaker, first meets Yukari. Rain, throughout the film, can be considered its emblematic motif.
The imagery in The Garden of Words is meticulously crafted, from raindrops gently falling to the surreal play of light through the rain, and cherry blossoms floating on the water's surface. These visuals evoke profound sadness and the deepest emotions within each viewer's soul. Despite its 45-minute duration, the detailed animation creates unforgettable scenes, such as Takao and Yukino sitting together in the park, surrounded by incessant rain. The lush green garden is both gentle and impressive.


6. Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light (Firefly Forest)
Firefly Forest is an anime set in the mysterious Shinkimi Kumanoimasu Shrine deep within the Takamori forest. On a romantic summer night, amidst a green space illuminated by fireflies, Hotaru encounters Gin, a lonely spirit dwelling here. However, Hotaru cannot touch him because he is not human; touching him causes him to vanish. Thus, their friendship begins, and they go through many joyful and blissful summers until it seems like a world disappears into the night.
Entering the Takamori forest, viewers will sense the mystery, nostalgia, and legend of summer in a cityscape covered in lush moss, with light filtering through leaves and towering, winding cedar trees. The forest scene is a sacred place, where miracles happen to experience a wonderful summer like a dream. This anime can be considered one of the legendary anime with the most beautiful graphics to date.


7. Nagi no Asukara (Treasure of Emotions Beneath the Ocean)
Nagi no Asukara will captivate you from the first moment with its vibrant and breathtaking underwater world. Once upon a time, humans lived beneath the sea, but they later left the water's surface to live on land. The story begins when four close friends—Hikaru Sakishima, Manaka Mukaidou, Chisaki Hiradaira, and Kaname Isaki—decide to attend high school on land after their maritime high school closes. From here, new encounters and people lead them on a new journey in life.
Nagi no Asukara uses soothing shades of blue as its main color palette, depicting the dazzling underwater scenery, such as jellyfish dancing on the surface, colorful schools of fish swimming around rooftops, and the refracted glow of sunlight. The vast and expansive ocean remains, but before the viewers is not a mysterious and potentially dangerous natural realm, but a friendly, beautiful, and magical panorama. Whether day or night, summer or winter, every scene is meticulously crafted and perfectly color-coordinated.


8. Uchouten Kazoku (Eccentric Family)
Eccentric Family is an anime adaptation of Tomihiko Morimi's novel of the same name. The story revolves around the Shimogamo tanuki family, who can transform into anything they desire, navigating through the ups and downs and endless challenges of their daily lives. The Shimogamo family constantly struggles to balance a free-spirited lifestyle with strong relationships with other tanuki families and proud tengu to avoid betrayal and falling into the hands of humans!
PA Works remains beloved among fans for meticulously crafted visuals, leaving behind dazzling images. Among them, Eccentric Family depicts the ancient capital Kyoto with enchanting beauty, resembling a watercolor painting. Eccentric Family is a snapshot of Japanese tradition, with silent temples, tea houses, wooden houses, and dimly lit residential areas, where lanterns illuminate the river at night. Intertwined with the sense of modern life in bustling shopping centers and lively crowds on the streets. The most beautiful autumn in Kyoto shines in the red hues of countless maple leaves. This anime provides audiences with a tranquil and uniquely immersive experience.


9. Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke is a Japanese period anime film from 1997, produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film boasts a rich and thought-provoking plot, involving complex elements related to family, friendship, war, and the contrast of power classes. It depicts the conflict between humans and nature in ancient Japan. The story revolves around the journey of Ashitaka, a young warrior god, and a girl named San, also known as Princess Mononoke - a girl raised by forest spirits.
The main material used to create this majestic scenery is the breathtaking landscape of Yakushima, a small island off the southern coast of Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu. The scenery here makes you forget the fatigue and worries of daily life, slowly immersing yourself in the enchanting, mystical greenery. Millennia-old cedar trees are the soul of the forest, surrounded by green moss and foliage.


10. Mushishi
Mushishi is a Japanese anime by Yuki Urushibara. It follows a silver-haired man, Ginko, who travels to rescue people from strange troubles caused by mysterious spirits known as mushi. Ginko, a calm individual with a spiritual connection, quickly perceives and effortlessly resolves most mysteries, helping people live harmoniously with nature and insects.
Mushishi is almost a cinematic poetry when it comes to the best anime depicting natural landscapes. It is closer to the poetic essence of cinema, from the smoky atmosphere to the subtle and gentle movements of the creatures. Mushishi's most familiar image is the forest. Not as vibrant as Disney animations, nor as mystical as Princess Mononoke, but dreamy and mysterious. The scenes in the anime not only change with the seasons but also evolve from month to month, day by day, and moment by moment. Each passing moment portrays a unique beauty: simple, profound, quiet, untouched, and mysterious.

