The best anime movies currently available on Netflix will please all kinds of palates. From classics to new releases to spin-offs of popular series, movies make up a considerable amount of the streaming service’s anime section. For viewers who shun the commitment of a show, these movies are great for a night’s entertainment.
Like its library of shows, Netflix’s anime movies vary greatly by genre. It runs the gamut from epic fantasy to romantic drama to nightmarish horror. Viewers can revisit old favorites and catch up on new releases alike.
10 The End Of Evangelion Is Famously Horrifying
Studio Gainax
In an alternate take on Evangelion’s ending, Third Impact begins as SEELE and NERV fight over the fate of the world, but they aren’t the ones who will make the final decision: it’s Shinji Ikari, currently immobilized by the trauma he’s suffered throughout the show. Ultimately, Shinji must either accept life for all that it is and summon the will to move on, or succumb to despair and take all of humanity with him.
This movie serves as the alternate finale to one of the most influential anime of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Many fans consider it the true ending for following through on the character arcs set up throughout the show. Though the show’s finale is notably surreal in its concluding exploration of Evangelion’s psychological themes, End of Evangelion takes this up to eleven in its third act.
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9 Flavors Of Youth Is A Comforting Slice Of Life
CoMix Wave Films/Haoliners Animation League
2018’s Flavors of Youth is a shared production between the Japanese CoMix and Chinese Haoliners. This slice-of-life anime anthology film centers around the basic needs of living beings: namely food, clothing, and shelter. A short and sweet 75 minutes, Flavors of Youth is split into three short films about each need and what they mean to the protagonists.
All three shorts take place across China. Through the centuries, young people step into adulthood the same way, uncertain and fearful. However, they are grounded by the simple loves and pleasures from their childhood — a bowl of noodles from Grandma, the gift of a handmade dress, a cassette tape made by an old friend — and given the confidence to move forward.
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8 Violet Evergarden: The Movie Concludes The Series Beautifully
Kyoto Animation, based on the light novels by Kana Akatsuki
The original series follows ex-soldier Violet Evergarden’s quest to discover herself after the war ends. Though she finds a new identity in becoming a letter-writer and connecting people across the country, she still feels a void inside her. She lingers on her commanding officer Gilbert’s last words to her before dying: “I love you.”
The subsequent movie, which clocks in at an impressive 140 minutes, adds a new twist to Violet’s quest to understand the love Gilbert wanted to leave her with. Upon finding out that Gilbert may still be alive, Violet is overcome by the desire to be with him. However, this leaves Violet with a choice between him, and the life she has painstakingly built for herself after his loss. These themes of healing from trauma are part of what make Violet Evergarden: The Movie a beautiful conclusion to a remarkable series.
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7 Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop Tells A Cute Romance Story
Sublimation and Signal.MD
Communication is vital to beginning and maintaining a thriving relationship. So what are two insecure, nervous kids to do when they realize that they have feelings for each other? Cherry and Smile must work to overcome the barriers they’ve put up around themselves to finally find happiness together.
This movie boasts not only stylish animation but a story that revolves around how art brings people together. Cherry and Smile meet at their local mall but grow closer in their quest to help an old man find the rare record he wants to listen to once more before he dies. Cherry in particular expresses his feelings through poetry, determined to do it perfectly to confess to Smile. All of this makes Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop a cute time that fans of anime romance will love.
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6 The Witcher: Nightmare Of The Wolf Is The Show’s Anime Companion
Studio Mir, based on The Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski
Geralt is an infamously powerful witcher, but even he had to learn from someone. This prequel film tells the story of Geralt’s mentor Vesemir. In his boyhood, Vesemir sought to become a witcher for wealth and glory. But decades later, he discovers that not only does his kingdom detest him for what he is, but that the entire witcher system is irreparably corrupted.
While the television show is live-action, The Witcher’s showrunner, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, insisted that Nightmare of the Wolf could only be animated. For a standalone story, it was the best way to bring the Witcher’s fantasy and horror to life. Helming the production was director Kwang Il Han, who was an animator on Avatar: The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, and The Death of Superman. The series is well-animated and might scratch an itch for anime fans in need of a little epic fantasy.
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5 Kuroko’s Basketball: Last Game Is An Epic Finale
Production I.G., based on the manga by Tadatoshi Fujimaki
One of the best sports anime ever made centers around Tetsuya Kuroko, a basketball player who has zero presence on the court but is an invaluable support to his teammates. With his high school team, he takes on his scattered former middle school teammates — five prodigies known as the Generation of Miracles —to prove the worth of his play style.
Last Game takes place after the show’s ending, when Kuroko and Kagami have successfully befriended the Generation of Miracles. As such, the film introduces the Jabberwocks, an arrogant American team that becomes their new common enemy. In one ultimate game, all Kuroko’s Basketball’s heroes finally combine their powers and work together to claim their greatest victory yet. Fans of the anime series will undoubtedly get the most out of it, but at its heart, Last Game is a truly great sports movie that uses animation to its most.
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4 Ni No Kuni Is A Sequel To The Famous Games
OLM Inc., based on the video games by Bandai Namco and Akihiro Hino
Ni No Kuni: The Movie takes place centuries after the game series’ second entry, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. After being attacked by a mysterious figure, Haru and Yuu are transported to the mystical kingdom of Evermore. To break the curses plaguing both Evermore and Earth, the boys will have to risk everything they hold dear.
Yoshiyuki Momose, the film’s director, also designed characters for Revenant Kingdom and provided layout and key animations for several Studio Ghibli films. His style is evident in the soft and gentle character designs of the main trio and in the sweeping fantastical environments of Evermore. Even anime fans who have never heard of the original Ni No Kuni games can easily get into this movie.
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3 A Whisker Away Is A Modern Fairy Tale
Studio Colorido/Toho Animation/Twin Engine
Between family and romantic troubles, Miyo Sasaki doesn’t see any reason to keep living as a human. So she trades her human form to a mysterious mask salesman and transforms into a cat. But when she realizes she made a mistake, Miyo races against time to regain her humanity before the transformation is permanent.
The film has a similar tone to the previous work of the director Junichi Sato, a director and storyboard artist on shoujo anime such as Sailor Moon and Princess Tutu. Its fans love it for its stunning animation and charming story. Though Studio Colorido is a relatively new studio, feature films such as A Whisker Away are promising for their future work.
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2 Guardians Of The Crescent Moon Kingdom Is The Best Naruto Movie
Studio Pierrot, based on the manga by Masashi Kishimoto
Instead of summer break, Team 7 (with Rock Lee along for the ride in Sasuke’s absence) is sent on a mission to the Land of the Crescent Moon. At first, Naruto doesn’t get along with the spoiled, wealthy princes they’re assigned to protect. But as they uncover a plot to usurp the throne, all three will have to show everyone what they’re really made of.
Naruto has some of the most spin-off movies in anime. Its third movie, Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, isn’t just beloved by fans for our heroes’ brand-new summer outfits. Guardians of the Crescent Moon offers a strong standalone story and intense action sequences, as expected from Studio Pierrot, who also animates the main Naruto series.
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1 Adam By Eve: A Live In Animation Is Surreal And Beautiful
Khara
This may be one of the most unique anime movies available on Netflix. The Biblical legend of Adam and Eve — the first humans created by God who lived in paradise but were tricked into disobeying and were forever exiled for this transgression — is told through dialogue-less animation and music. Intriguing and surreal, it is more like a dream than a narrative film.
Clocking in at only 58 minutes long, this short film is directed by Hibiki Yoshizaki and Nobutaka Yoda, the latter of whom also wrote the screenplay. While it isn’t widely known, its fans enjoy it for the musical storytelling, beautiful animation, and the way it skillfully weaves some live-action sequences into the anime. These elements mean Adam By Eve is the best anime movie currently streaming on Netflix.
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