Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Great anime movie hits worth streaming

It arguably has never been a better time to be an anime fan outside the genre’s domestic audience. Anime TV shows and movies have become far more embedded into western pop culture, with the likes of Attack on TitanDemon SlayerJujutsu Kaisen, and more making the rounds on the international stage recently. However, anime movies becoming more accessible has arguably been the biggest development in the genre’s growth in recent years.

2021’s theatrical release of Demon Slayer: Mugen Train and this year’s Jujutsu Kaisen 0 are testaments to this, especially considering the impressive box office haul they pulled in the U.S. and elsewhere. And for those that are newer to the genre — or veterans simply looking for a reasonable way to watch their favorites — there are still plenty of great movies available to stream. The likes of Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Netflix in particular are some of the best mainstream places to look for anime movies outside of Crunchyroll.

Akira (1988)

Kaneda drifting on his bike in Akira.
Toho

Katsuhiro Otomo and animation studio Tokyo Movie Shinsha’s Akira is one of those anime from decades past that made such an impact that the rest of the world couldn’t ignore. It’s a loose adaptation of Otomo’s manga of the same name, and this cyberpunk epic was a major milestone for anime, as well as cyberpunk and sci-fi in Japan. Akira drew comparisons to other classics like Blade Runner — in the best ways — for how it tackled meta themes in a sci-fi dystopian setting.

It’s a bleak yet thrilling tale, centering on two young biker gang members named Shotaro Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo Shima as the latter becomes subject to a secret military experiment gone wrong that turns him into a psychopathic and telekinetic monster. Akira‘s dense thematic explorations of religious fanaticism, political and military corruption, and neglected youth make this movie an arresting experience.

Akira is available to stream on Hulu.

Princess Mononoke (1999)

San riding her wolf in Princess Mononoke.
Toho, Studio Ghibli

It’s practically impossible to point to a Hayao Miyazaki — or a Studio Ghibli movie in general — that wasn’t critically well-received. Princess Mononoke is one of the director/writer’s classics, taking place in a grandiose historical fantasy setting with all the emotional and sociopolitical themes longtime fans have come to expect.

The story revolves around a young Ainu prince named Ashitaka who’s on a quest to cure a curse inflicted upon him by a corrupted god who’s also ravaging the forest they all live in. He meets the titular princess San, who’s been raised by wolves and has hated humanity all her life for the destruction they left. There aren’t any clear-cut villains, just a compelling and introspective story about man’s conflict with nature, and vice versa.

Princess Mononoke is available to stream on HBO Max.

Spirited Away (2001)

Chihiro sitting with No-Face in Spirited Away.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Spirited Away is another all-time great from Miyazaki, as it’s become one of the director and studio’s definitive films. It’s veteran fans’ favorite Studio Ghibli movie in many circles of the fan base, and it’s easy to see why given its legacy and impact. The movie was the first anime to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, proving to be another landmark for the genre on the international stage.

Spirited Away is the story of a young girl named Chihiro, who’s on a mission to save her parents after they’ve been turned into pigs by a witch. Chihiro is accompanied by her curious spirit companion No-Face as she ventures through the spirit world. Spirited Away features social commentary critiquing modern Japanese society and Western consumerist greed through the nuanced lens of fantasy.

Spirited Away is available to stream on HBO Max.

Promare (2019)

Galo with the rest of the supporting cast in a colorful Promare character collage poster.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For those looking for an exciting shonen-action romp, director Hiroyuki Imaishi and animation studio Trigger’s Promare should satisfy. It’ll be a particularly fun ride for those that are fans of Imaishi’s critically acclaimed previous works Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill.

The art style and color palette are reminiscent of both, with protagonist Galo Thymos looking like a reinterpretation of Gurren‘s Kamina. Promare‘s story follows Galo as he fights and uncovers the mystery behind a terrorist group of mutants known as the Mad Burnish. Trigger is known for its colorfully vibrant anime, and this should satisfy new and veteran fans alike.

Promare is available to stream on HBO Max.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018)

Broly powering up in his Legendary Super Saiyan form in Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise is a pillar of anime’s global popularity, as it was one of the shonen that brought on the mainstream wave of the ’90s and ’00s. The Super anime TV series was the first canonical continuation of Z‘s story, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly was a memorable movie in the franchise’s catalog.

Likewise, it was a major development in the main timeline, as this was the first time that the titular villain of circumstance Broly was featured in canon. This will surely appease those looking for a violently colorful joyride, as all a Dragon Ball movie needs in terms of story is one serviceable enough to move the likes of Goku and Vegeta from one jaw-droppingly chaotic fight to the next.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly is available to stream on Hulu with the added STARZ plan.

Weathering with You (2019)

The protagonists of Weathering with You under the sunshine and rain in key art.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Taking things down to a more grounded and slice-of-life level is Makoto Shinkai and studio CoMix Wave Films’ Weathering with You. It’s another beautifully down-to-earth anime that Studio Ghibli fans will feel at home with, as it’s a touching romance with light elements of fantasy.

Weathering with You is similar to Shinkai’s previous movie Your Name in terms of themes, with the former centering on two teenagers from different walks of life. Hodaka is a young boy who runs away to live in Tokyo amid a never-ending rain, but he quickly struggles into poverty. While in the city, he meets and befriends a girl named Hina who has the power to control the weather — but at a steep cost.

Weathering with You is available to stream on HBO Max.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)

The main cast of Evangelion on the beach in Thrice Upon a Time key art.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This one might come with a big asterisk for some, as while Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the biggest legacy anime IPs, it can be a bit convoluted to get into. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 is the fourth movie in the Rebuild of Evangelion collection of movies that retells the original TV anime series. The series begins 15 years after the Second Impact cataclysm, where mysterious beings known as Angels wreak havoc on Tokyo-3.

A shadowy military group called NERV deploys children in “Evangelion” mechs to combat the Angels, with the secrecy surrounding them, their motives, and their young cast of characters getting unraveled as the story goes on. Thrice Upon a Time concludes the story, and it was a long time coming. The anime suffered numerous heavy delays and was finally released last year, receiving critical acclaim in the process. It’s an enthralling sci-fi and psychological watch for those willing to take the plunge.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

One Piece Film: Z (2012)

The Straw Hats geared up in One Piece Film: Z key art.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of Shonen Jump Magazine’s original “Big Three” manga, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been a phenomenon for anime and the shonen genre. Most of the other manga/anime it shares its genre with feel stale in comparison, but this colorful globetrotting pirate odyssey has been going strong since the manga’s 1997 debut. It’s a sprawling journey filled with creative art and character designs, emotional story arcs, bombastic action, and impressive worldbuilding, but it can also be intimidating to get into for the uninitiated.

As of now, One Piece spans over 100 volumes and 1000 chapters in the manga, and over 1000 episodes in the TV series. However, the movies (while non-canon) can serve as great jumping-on points. One Piece Film: Z is arguably the strongest of the bunch, telling the story of Luffy and the Straw Hats’ battle against Zephyr: a man threatening the end of the pirate era.

One Piece Film: Z is available to stream on Netflix.

Editors' Recommendations

Guillermo Kurten
Freelance Writer, Entertainment
A University of Houston graduate in Print Media Journalism, Guillermo has covered sports entertainment and practically all…
The best TV fantasy anime to stream now
Griffith, Guts, Casca, and co. in Berserk: The Golden Age arc key art.

HBO and Prime Video are certainly leading the charge right now when it comes to live-action fantasy juggernauts, but the genre also has an impressive level of depth in the anime space. It's an incredibly versatile genre that can be tastefully meshed with other ones and unique settings, and that's led to some immersive worlds, stories, and characters.

Anime like Jujutsu Kaisen do a stylish job of weaving dark fantasy with a modern-day setting, but there's still something special about being transported into fantastical alternate histories. The likes of Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood both do excellent jobs of adapting different styles of European-inspired fantasy, while shounen juggernaut Demon Slayer sets Japan against a visually stunning backdrop.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Read more
Video games to play for fans of House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings
Demon's Souls key art featuring the protagonist facing the undead and the looming Boletaria gates.

It's arguably never been a better time to be a fantasy fan, with big-name series like Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, and more all in the limelight in some form or another. This year has been a massive one in particular with House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power airing at the same time, but thanks to the video game medium, there are plenty of other ways for genre enthusiasts to indulge themselves.

Several talented developer studios have crafted painstakingly detailed fantasy worlds worth getting invested in ranging a diverse catalog of franchises, with, unsurprisingly, the RPG genre lending itself best to this type of setting. And from the Middle-earth games to FromSoftware's recent collaboration with George R. R. Martin, there's an embarrassment of riches for fans of both The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon.
Elden Ring

Read more
Sex, feminism, and baseball: A League of Their Own is a revelatory movie of early ’90s culture
Tom Hanks and Geena Davis backward hats in ALOTO

Not surprisingly, Amazon’s new A League of Their Own series, based on Penny Marshall’s beloved 1992 movie about the WWII-era All American Girls Baseball League, goes further than the 30-year-old film in progressively engaging issues of gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Though the movie is feminist in advocating for gender equality and girl power, it was made within a Hollywood studio system that was unwilling to go near LGBTQ+ issues and representation, and which hardly employed women directors at all. Marshall, who had made the Oscar darling Awakenings a few years earlier, was one of the few with clout enough to make a sports movie about women. But even the rare film made by a woman still carried the male sensibilities that pervaded the movie business.
More than just an entertaining baseball picture and a pitch-perfect comedy, A League of Their Own is also a fascinating document epitomizing the early 1990s, a moment just before American culture began to change radically, ushering in the Clinton era and revolutions in politics, music (Nirvana changed everything), fashion, and independent cinema.
The stellar cast is so of its moment

A primary reason that A League of Their Own feels so specific to its time is the cast, a who's who of actors who were hot at the moment. Geena Davis, who plays Dottie Henson, the talented but reluctant star catcher of the Rockford Peaches, was at the height of her stardom in 1992, a year after her Oscar-nominated turn in Thelma and Louise, and a few years after winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Accidental Tourist.

Read more