Top 20 Must-Watch Anime Movies

Wolf Children is a Japanese animated fantasy film released in 2012, directed by Mamoru Hosoda who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film features voice work by Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa, and Haru Kuroki. It tells the story of a single mother raising her two half-human, half-wolf children, Ame and Yuki, after their wolf father passes away.

To create this film, director Hosoda established Studio Chizu in partnership with Madhouse. Character design was done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who is known for his work on Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (1990) and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995). Wolf Children had its world premiere in Paris on June 25, 2012, and was released in Japan on July 21, 2012. Funimation Entertainment acquired the rights for North America, and the movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 23, 2013. In Vietnam, the film was featured at the 2013 Japanese Film Festival under the Vietnamese title Wolf Children. Hosoda also adapted the story into two light novels and a manga, one of which was published in Vietnam under the title Ame and Yuki – The Wolf Children.

DETAILS:

• Title: Wolf Children
  
• Director: Mamoru Hosoda
• Duration: 117 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
• Metacritic Rating: 65/100
• Tomatometer Score: 88%

Paprika is a 1993 science fiction novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, later adapted into a highly acclaimed animated film. Many may be familiar with the animated film directed by Satoshi Kon. This visually stunning movie has been regarded as an inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

The plot centers on a struggle between two factions within a psychiatric research institute. On one side is Dr. Atsuko Chiba, a leading Japanese psychologist and Nobel Prize contender. On the opposing side is Seijirou Inui, the institute’s vice-director. Inui steals the DC Mini, a device that allows multiple people to enter and interact within each other’s dreams—a device created by Chiba’s team. Aware of the dangerous potential of the DC Mini, Chiba and her colleagues embark on a perilous mission to recover the device, risking their lives both in the real world and in the dream realm.

DETAILS:

• Title: Paprika
• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Duration: 90 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
• Metacritic Rating: 81/100
• Tomatometer Score: 85%
• Watch the film: https://vieon.vn/ke-trom-giac-mo.html

Millennium Actress (2001) is another remarkable film by Satoshi Kon (the director of Perfect Blue). If you've seen Perfect Blue, you’ll recognize Kon's exceptional storytelling skills. With Millennium Actress, his talent is taken to new heights. The story begins when a current manager discovers an old key at a rundown film studio about to be demolished. He realizes the key belongs to a former famous movie star whom he greatly admires. After abruptly retiring, the actress has secluded herself and refuses to give any interviews. The manager decides to return the long-lost key to her, which sets the stage for a journey that delves deep into the past.

The narrative unfolds in a uniquely captivating style. Past and present events, both in the film's script and in real life, intertwine in ways that can be a bit challenging to follow. However, for those who stick with it until the end, the rewards are plentiful, as the story gradually reveals its mysteries and the protagonist's journey shifts from despair to clarity. Ultimately, what is real and what is imagined becomes less important than the journey of discovery itself. While Perfect Blue explores darker themes of obsession and mental turmoil, Millennium Actress is a story of strength and resilience, as a woman pursues a distant dream, no matter how impossible it seems.

DETAILS:

• Title: Millennium Actress
• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Duration: 87 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
• Metacritic Rating: 70/100
• Tomatometer Score: 88%

Grave of Fireflies is a 1988 Japanese animated film produced by Studio Ghibli and released by Toho. Directed by Isao Takahata, the film is based on Akiyuki Nosaka's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, which the author wrote as an apology to his younger sister. Like many other Ghibli films, it’s celebrated for its high artistic and visual quality.

Some film critics, including Roger Ebert, consider Grave of Fireflies one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made. Film historian Ernest Rister compared it to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List, calling it “the most humane animated film I’ve ever seen.” In Japan, the film is often viewed as a parable about self-respect, rather than solely an anti-war statement. It was shown at the 2013 Japan Film Festival in Hanoi under the official Vietnamese title Mộ đom đóm.

DETAILS:

• Title: Grave of Fireflies
• Director: Isao Takahata
• Duration: 89 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
• Metacritic Rating: 94/100
• Tomatometer Score: 97%

A Letter to Momo is an animated film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura and produced by Production I.G. The story revolves around an 11-year-old girl named Momo, who struggles to adjust to her new life after her father unexpectedly passes away in a work-related accident. Before his death, her father left behind an unfinished letter with only two words addressed to her. As Momo tries to decipher the meaning of these words, she navigates her new life away from Tokyo, in a quiet rural town.

Her life becomes even more complicated when three yōkai, mythical creatures, appear to protect her. Each yōkai has its own unique personality, making things more chaotic than helpful for Momo. However, over time, she begins to realize that the yōkai’s presence is connected to the mysterious letter she is trying to understand. The film was released in 276 theaters across Japan on April 21, 2012, but had its international debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2011. It won the Best Anime award at the 2011 Japan Media Arts Festival and has been dubbed in multiple languages for international distribution.

DETAILS:

• Title: A Letter to Momo
• Director: Hiroyuki Okiura
• Duration: 120 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
• Metacritic Rating: 65/100
• Tomatometer Score: 81%

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) is an anime adventure film set in a post-apocalyptic world, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and based on his own manga series. Produced by Takahata Isao at Top Craft, this film is one of Japan’s most famous hand-drawn animated works. It was first released in theaters on March 11, 1984.

The film takes place a thousand years after humanity’s industrial civilization collapses, destroyed by giant warriors—massive weapons of mass destruction that incinerated the planet in just seven days. A new world has risen, and it is now dominated by a toxic jungle inhabited by giant insects that threaten the survival of mankind. The story follows Nausicaä, the young princess of the Valley of the Wind, a skilled glider who dreams of peaceful coexistence between humans and the insect inhabitants of the toxic forest. However, other survivors from neighboring nations disagree and seek to destroy the forest. Their plan involves awakening a dormant giant warrior, forcing Nausicaä to stop them.

The film was a commercial success, drawing millions of viewers to theaters during its initial release, with long lines of people waiting to see it. Although made before the founding of Studio Ghibli, the film is considered the precursor to the studio and remains an integral part of its legacy. It won the 1984 Animage Anime Grand Prix and received several other accolades.

DETAILS:

• Title: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Duration: 117 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
• Metacritic Rating: 86/100
• Tomatometer Score: 90%
• Film Link: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/70019062

Spirited Away is a Japanese animated fantasy film directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 2001. Produced by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho, the film features voices by Hiiragi Rumi, Irino Miyu, Natsuki Mari, Naito Takeshi, Sawaguchi Yasuko, Kamijō Tsunehiko, Ono Takehiko, and Sugawara Bunta. The story follows Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl who, while moving to a new home, becomes lost in the world of spirits tied to Japanese Shinto beliefs. After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro must work in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to save her parents and return to the human world.

Miyazaki was inspired to create this film after spending time with the 10-year-old daughter of his friend, Okuda Seiji, who often visited him during the summer. At the same time, Miyazaki was developing two other projects, but both were eventually canceled. With a production budget of $15-19 million, Spirited Away began development in 2000.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English, hand-drawn animated film to win this honor. It also won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and was included in the British Film Institute's list of the top 50 films to watch at the age of 14. In 2016, it was ranked the fourth-best film of the 21st century by 177 film critics worldwide. The New York Times also placed it second on their list of the best films of the 21st century in 2017.

DETAILS:

• Title: Spirited Away
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Duration: 124 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
• Metacritic Score: 96/100
• Tomatometer: 97%
• Link: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/60023642

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Gake no Ue no Ponyo) is a 2008 Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. This marks the eighth film Miyazaki created for Studio Ghibli and his tenth overall. The story follows a golden fish named Polumisharudin, who desires to become human. She befriends a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke, who names her Ponyo.

The plot centers on Polumisharudin, the daughter of the sea king, who escapes her underwater home in search of a life on land. She is discovered by Sōsuke, who finds her trapped inside a jar. Recognizing her as a magical fish, he takes her in after she heals his wound. As they grow close, Ponyo gains extraordinary powers but starts to lose her fish abilities as she transforms into a human.

The film won several awards, including the Japanese Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was released in Japan on July 19, 2008, North America on August 14, 2009, and in the UK on February 12, 2010. Upon its U.S. release, it ranked as the ninth highest-grossing film of the opening weekend.

DETAILS:

• Title: Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea)
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Duration: 101 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
• Metacritic Score: 86/100
• Tomatometer: 91%
• Link: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/70106454

The Secret World of Arrietty tells the story of Arrietty, a tiny girl living beneath the floorboards of a house owned by a boy named Shawn. Arrietty's parents have always warned her to never reveal the secrets of the tiny world they inhabit to humans, but when she meets Shawn, she forgets these rules. Shawn, who suffers from a heart condition, finds solace in his encounter with Arrietty just before undergoing a major surgery. The film follows the adventurous journey of these two young souls as they learn to trust, protect, and find meaning in each other's lives.

The film is a gentle, heartfelt, and magical experience. It presents a romantic, whimsical world of tiny beings, offering peace and tranquility as viewers follow Arrietty and her friend Sho. The secret of the 'borrowers' helps Sho overcome his illness and find new hope and strength, turning his lonely, difficult days into a renewed sense of optimism. The movie leaves a lasting emotional impact on audiences with its soothing, poetic tone.

DETAILS:

• Title: The Secret World of Arrietty
• Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
• Duration: 94 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
• Metacritic Score: 86/100
• Tomatometer: 91%

Princess Mononoke is an epic fantasy anime film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Studio Ghibli, and released in 1997. The term "Mononoke" is a Japanese word meaning spirit or monster, often interpreted here as the "vengeful spirit". The film was first released in Japan on July 12, 1997, and in the United States on October 29, 1999.

Set against the backdrop of vast, mysterious forests during the late Muromachi period (1392-1572), where guns and firearms begin to replace swords and samurai dominance fades into lawlessness, the film explores the humans’ growing desire to conquer nature using their strength and intellect. However, their reckless exploitation of the environment has angered nature, which retaliates by causing destruction. Despite being an animated film, Princess Mononoke is best suited for adults and young adults, as it addresses the timeless and urgent issue of environmental conservation.

DETAILS:

• Title: Princess Mononoke
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Duration: 134 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
• Metacritic Score: 86/100
• Tomatometer: 93%
• Link: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/28630857

Weathering with You is a Japanese animated film that mixes fantasy, romance, and psychological drama. Directed and written by Makoto Shinkai, it is his seventh animated feature, produced by CoMix Wave Films and distributed by Toho. The film follows Hodaka Morishima, a young man who, disillusioned with life on a remote island, moves to Tokyo, and Hina Amano, a girl who can control the weather. The J-Rock band RADWIMPS returns to score the music, with voice actors Daigo Kotaro and Mori Nana, and other members of the previous team involved in production. Weathering with You debuted in Japan on July 19, 2019, and reached Vietnam on August 30, 2019. It went on to become one of the most awarded films in Japan and quickly became the highest-grossing film in the country after just three days of release. The film was selected as Japan's entry for the 92nd Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, though it did not make the final nomination list.

DETAILS:

• Title: Weathering with You
• Director: Makoto Shinkai
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
• Metacritic Score: 72/100
• Tomatometer: 91%
• Link: https://vieon.vn/dua-con-cua-thoi-tiet.html

Your Name is a Japanese animated film that blends romance, fantasy, and drama, directed by Makoto Shinkai. Produced by CoMix Wave Films and distributed by Toho, it features character designs by Masayoshi Tanaka, animation by Masashi Ando, and a musical score by the rock band RADWIMPS. A light novel of the same name, written by Shinkai, was released a month before the film's premiere.

The story follows Mitsuha, a high school girl frustrated with her mundane rural life, and Taki, a Tokyo boy. For reasons unknown, they swap bodies during the approach of a millennial comet. The film had its world premiere at Anime Expo 2016 in Los Angeles, California, on July 3, 2016, and was released in Japan on August 26, 2016. It opened in Vietnam on January 13, 2017.

Your Name became a massive success, grossing ¥17.9 billion in Japan, and was the highest-grossing anime film of 2016. It remained at the top of the box office for several consecutive weeks and won numerous awards since its release.

DETAILS:

• Title: Your Name
• Director: Makoto Shinkai
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
• Metacritic Score: 86/100
• Tomatometer: 91%

5 Centimeters Per Second is an anime film directed by Makoto Shinkai and produced by CoMix Wave Films. The film premiered on March 3, 2007, at a theater in Shibuya, Tokyo. It focuses on the relationship between a boy named Tōno Takaki and a girl he knew from school in the 1990s, and explores the emotional distance between them, as they maintain their connection through letters and phone calls over the years. The film won the Best Animated Film award at the 2007 Asia Pacific Film Awards.

Shinkai also adapted the film into a novel, which was published by Media Factory on November 19, 2007. The Vietnamese edition, titled '5 Centimeters Per Second,' was released by IPM Publishing and the Literary Publishing House. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Yukiko Seike, was serialized in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from July 2010 to June 2011.

5 Centimeters Per Second received the prestigious Lancia Platinum Grand Prize at the Future Film Festival for its outstanding visual effects and animation. It also won the Best Animated Film award at the Asia Pacific Film Awards in 2007. The film's limited-edition DVD ranked third on the Tohan sales chart from July 18 to 24, 2007, while the standard edition reached seventh place. The film was also ranked fourth among the top anime of 2008.

DETAILS:

• Title: 5 Centimeters Per Second
• Director: Makoto Shinkai
• Runtime: 63 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
• Metacritic Score: 72/100
• Tomatometer: 81%

Howl's Moving Castle is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, based on the 1986 novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones. Produced by Toshio Suzuki with animation by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho, the film features voice acting by Chieko Baisho and Takuya Kimura in the Japanese version, and Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, and Christian Bale in the English dub. Set in a fictional kingdom where magic and early 20th-century technology coexist, the story follows Sophie, a young hat maker who leads a quiet life until a witch casts a spell on her, turning her into an elderly woman. Sophie meets Howl, a powerful wizard, and together they defy the king, who demands Howl's involvement in a war against a neighboring country.

Howl's Moving Castle had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2004, and was released in Japan on November 20, 2004. The film grossed $190 million in Japan and $236 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing Japanese films in history. It received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its visuals and Miyazaki's thematic storytelling. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards and won several other awards, including four Tokyo Anime Awards and a Nebula Award for Best Screenplay.

DETAILS:

• Title: Howl's Moving Castle
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
• Metacritic Score: 86/100
• Tomatometer: 91%

The Wind Rises is a historical animated film directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, released in the summer of 2013. Based on the manga of the same name, which itself is adapted from a short story written in 1936-1937 by Tatsuo Hori, a Japanese author and poet from the early 20th century. Miyazaki declared this film as his final directorial work. The English title of the film is The Wind Rises.

The Wind Rises tells the story of the protagonist’s dream to conquer the skies. The film features an iconic scene of flying a plane that evokes deep emotions for viewers. However, the character faces the challenge of severe myopia, making his dream difficult to achieve. Inspired by an Italian engineer, Jiro overcomes adversity to become a designer of fighter aircraft and eventually finds love with Naoko, a delicate but cheerful woman.

The film became the highest-grossing film in Japan in 2013. It received critical acclaim and won several prestigious awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation, and nominations such as the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

With Hayao Miyazaki’s extraordinary talent, The Wind Rises made a lasting impact and is considered one of the most renowned films in Japan. In addition to being the top-grossing film in Japan for its release year, it also won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation and received numerous prestigious nominations from international bodies.

DETAILS:

• Title: The Wind Rises
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Runtime: 126 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
• Metacritic Score: 86/100
• Tomatometer: 91%
• Link: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/70293674

Doraemon is an anime television series for children, created by Fujiko F. Fujio, based on the manga of the same name. A successor to the 1973 anime series, Doraemon was produced by Shin-Ei Animation and began airing on April 2, 1979, on TV Asahi. This anime series is sometimes referred to as the Ōyama Version in Asia, named after Nobuyo Ōyama, the voice actress who voiced Doraemon in the show.

Doraemon is a famous manga series by Fujiko F. Fujio and is considered a cultural icon in Japan. The animated series adapted from the manga is also highly popular and was distributed by various Japanese animation studios. Each episode follows the adventures of Doraemon, the magical robot cat, alongside his friends Nobita, Shizuka, Suneo, and Jaian. The series not only includes full-length episodes but also has shorter films that depict the everyday lives of a group of children living in Tokyo, surrounded by futuristic gadgets from the future, sparking a sense of wonder for children imagining a magical world. The anime series has deeply influenced the childhoods of many young people in Vietnam and around the world.

The series has two main English-dubbed versions. The first, titled The Adventures of Albert and Sidney, was produced in Canada by CINAR and aired exclusively in Barbados in 1985 and 1996, while a second version was produced in Singapore and aired on Channel i and Kids Central from 2002 to 2003. Additionally, an unofficial English dub by Speedy Video was released in Malaysia on various VCDs. In the 1990s, several episodes of the anime were released in Vietnam on VHS and VCD, primarily dubbed from the Chinese version. In the 2000s, these episodes were aired on Vietnamese TV channels, including VTV1 (with Northern Vietnamese voiceovers) and VTC1. From 2010, newer episodes were licensed for broadcast on HTV3 with Vietnamese dubbing, including 185 episodes with two stories each. Starting December 2015, HTV3 aired episodes from the 2005 series, later distributed digitally by POPS Worldwide.

DETAILS:

• Title: Doraemon
• Creator: Fujiko F. Fujio
• Release Year: 1980 - Present
• IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
• Metacritic Score: 75/100
• Tomatometer: 81%
• Link: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/80158156

Pokemon is an animated series that first aired on April 1, 1997, on TV Tokyo in Japan. It is part of the broader Pokémon franchise, based on the video game series by The Pokémon Company. In Vietnam, some seasons of the show have been broadcast.

The Pokémon anime has been divided into seven distinct series that follow the releases of various video game versions, including Original, Ruby & Sapphire, Diamond & Pearl, Black & White, XY, Sun & Moon, and the latest, Pokémon Journeys. These seven series are split into 25 international seasons for worldwide broadcast. The first four seasons used traditional cel animation, while the fifth season switched to digital animation starting with episode 263, 'Nanako and Elekid!'.

The show takes place in a fictional universe inhabited by creatures with supernatural abilities called Pokémon. Humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, train their Pokémon to battle other trainers' Pokémon in contests that resemble competitive sports. The battles continue until one side can no longer compete. The main character, Ash Ketchum, along with his first Pokémon Pikachu, travels the world to become a Pokémon Master, meeting various friends and overcoming challenges along the way.

Pokémon is often credited with popularizing anime worldwide, particularly in the United States, where two of the highest-grossing animated films were Pokémon films. It is considered one of the first anime series to achieve mainstream success in Western markets, helping boost the popularity of the video game franchise and vice versa. The show has aired in over 124 countries globally and is regarded as one of the most successful anime adaptations of all time, with more than 1,000 episodes. Pokémon has also been one of the most-watched shows on Netflix since 2016.

In a 2018 interview, the creators of the Detective Pikachu game, which features a talking Pikachu, revealed that the original concept of the anime was to focus on the world of Pokémon, but OLM, Inc. could not agree on a concept with Game Freak. The upcoming anime series will introduce a completely new protagonist, separate from Ash Ketchum, and will premiere on April 14, 2023.

DETAILS:

• Title: Pokemon
• Director: Kunihiko Yuyama
• Release Year: 1997
• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
• Metacritic Score: 70/100
• Tomatometer Rating: 88%
• Watch here: https://www.netflix.com/vn/title/81223075

Tokyo Godfathers is a 2003 anime comedy film directed by Japanese filmmaker Kon Satoshi, produced by Madhouse. The movie is based on Peter B. Kyne's novel, *Three Godfathers*. This was Kon's third film as a director and his second as both director and writer, with Nobumoto Keiko (known for her work on *Urufuzu Rein* and *Cowboy Bebop*) co-writing the screenplay.

The plot revolves around three homeless individuals who find an abandoned baby near Christmas and set out on a mission to reunite the child with its parents. The film explores themes of homelessness and the relationships between strangers in a world full of hardships.

Tokyo Godfathers received the Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and won the Best Animation Film award at the 58th Mainichi Film Awards. The anime was broadcast across Animax Asia in Southeast and South Asia. Sony Pictures acquired the English-language rights and released the film internationally, with additional versions in German, French, Spanish, Italian, and other languages.

DETAILS:

• Title: Tokyo Godfathers
• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Duration: 92 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
• Metacritic Score: 73/100
• Tomatometer Rating: 91%

"Perfect Blue" follows the story of Mima Kirigoe, the lead singer of the J-Pop group 'CHAM,' who announces her sudden departure from the band during a live performance, leaving her fans shocked. Determined to become an actress, Mima hopes to find greater success and fame, despite her childhood dream of being a singer. However, her life takes a dark turn as she begins receiving threatening phone calls and letters, and her private life is eerily documented on a fake website impersonating her. She is torn when her management offers her a controversial role as a barmaid in a rape scene.

Blinded by the lure of money and career advancement, Mima reluctantly accepts the role, only to find the boundary between reality and illusion blurring dangerously. A series of gruesome murders unfold, including the deaths of a screenwriter and photographer who had worked with her on the explicit scenes. Mima begins to suspect that she might be involved in these killings, though she has no memory of them. With relentless harassment from an unknown stalker, Mima’s grip on reality weakens, and she struggles to differentiate who she truly is. Eventually, she uncovers the truth and fights to reclaim her true self.

This gripping and disturbing film becomes more unsettling with time, as it reflects on the evolution of identity in the social media age. When it was released, director Satoshi Kon depicted only celebrities having 'avatars,' but now, with social media's rise, everyone has their own digital persona and becomes both spectator and performer.

DETAILS:

• Title: Perfect Blue
• Director: Satoshi Kon
• Duration: 81 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
• Metacritic Score: 73/100
• Tomatometer: 91%

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a 2006 Japanese anime film blending science fiction and romance, directed by Mamoru Hosoda and written by Satoko Okudera. It is loosely based on the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui. Produced by Madhouse and distributed by Kadokawa Herald Pictures, the story follows Makoto Konno, a high school student who discovers she has the ability to leap through time. Her aunt, Kazuko Yoshihara, reveals the secret to Makoto, and she begins using her newfound power to solve problems for the people around her.

The film explores the confusing and contradictory emotions that arise in adolescence, such as loneliness and uncertainty, and presents a subtle yet powerful message about cherishing the present moment while not clinging to the past or future. Released on July 15, 2006, it won numerous awards, including Best Animated Feature at the Japanese Academy Awards. It was also featured at the Japan Film Festival: A New Breeze of Japanese Cinema 2013 and aired on SAM-BTV11 in Vietnam on May 29, 2016.

DETAILS:

• Title: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
• Director: Mamoru Hosoda
• Duration: 98 minutes
• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
• Metacritic Score: 65/100
• Tomatometer: 88%