Ever since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937, animated films have been a big part of cinematic history. While computer-animated movies have dominated in more recent years, traditionally animated hand-drawn films continue to prove their relevance. This list will focus on some of the best films in this category now, using the star scores on IMDb.
The movie and TV show website has given every hand-drawn animation a rating based on the reviews of registered site users. Those with more than 25,000 scores and the highest ratings will be showing up here. These are the greatest hand-drawn animations of all time, according to the voters at IMDb.
Wolf Children (2012): 8.1
The Japanese anime Wolf Children follows a Tokyo college student named Hana who ends up meeting and marrying a man who has the power to transform into a wolf. The two have children together, but one day while her husband is out searching for food, he is killed.
This leaves a matured Hana with two half-wolf children she is forced to raise on their own.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): 8.2
Though Studio Ghibli has produced many popular animations over the years, My Neighbor Totoro remains one of their most beloved.
This fantasy tells of two young sisters who move to rural Japan with their professor father. After the girls have settled in, they begin exploring the woods nearby. This is when they meet and befriend mysterious spirit creatures, including the giant Totoro.
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): 8.2
Another Studio Ghibli hit, Howl’s Moving Castle catches up with a girl named Sophie who is prematurely aged by a witch jealous of her youth.
In order to return to her original age, Sophie must team up with wizard Howl. However, doing so will not be easy as the kingdom gets mixed up in war.
Klaus (2019): 8.2
Though Klaus has the appearance of a computer-animated film, it is actually a hand-drawn holiday tale.
Klaus follows a postman-in-the-making who is sent to work in a cold, icy town after failing to put his selfishness aside. Though delivering letters to the village’s strange residents is difficult, the postman decides to work hard and get the mail system up and running. His plan intensifies after he discovers a reclusive toymaker hiding in the woods.
A Silent Voice (2016): 8.2
A Silent Voice catches up with teen Shoya as he considers suicide. Right after changing his mind, he remembers a deaf girl named Shoko, who was transferred out of his elementary after he bullied her.
Now in high school, Shoya hopes to come to grips with his past mistakes. He might just get the chance he needs after he returns a notebook to Shoko.
Princess Mononoke (1997): 8.4
Princess Mononoke takes place in 14th century Japan when the peace between humans, animals, and the gods is starting to fade. Though young Ashitaka hopes to bring unity to the land, his attempts at destroying the tension only cause more problems.
It also doesn’t help that he has been infected by an animal and is in desperate need of a cure.
Your Name (2016): 8.4
Teenagers Mitsuha and Taki have a problem: they keep swapping bodies.
Though the protagonists of Your Name have never met in real life, they continue to experience defining moments while living in each other’s worlds. This causes the pair to seek each other out and discover what’s happening in the process.
Grave Of The Fireflies (1988): 8.5
Grave of the Fireflies focuses on the struggles one brother and sister face after they are separated from their parents during a World War II bombing.
The pair, Seita and Setsuko, must find a way to overcome many hardships. Though hunger, money problems, and lack of shelter stand in their way, they will do whatever it takes to beat the odds and stay alive. Unfortunately, there is always a cost to war.
The Lion King (1994): 8.5
The highest-rated traditionally animated Disney film is The Lion King.
The movie musical follows lion cub Simba, who is next in line to become king of the Pride Lands. However, after falsely believing that he is the one who caused his father’s death, Simba runs away.
The lion must figure out who he is with a little help from an old friend. After he works up the courage, he must return home to save his kind and take his rightful place as ruler.
Spirited Away (2001): 8.6
Topping off the list as not only the greatest hand-drawn animation of all time but also the best animation of all time is Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away.
This Japanese fantasy follows ten-year-old Chihiro who, while on a journey to her new home, sees her parents transform into pigs. She meets someone named Haku who explains that her parents’ souls need a rest from the earth. It is up to Chihiro to free her mother and father.
