Disney is forever synonymous with cartoons and animation, and while the recent Pixar films (Pixar is owned by Disney) have gathered critical acclaim, they’re still a far cry from some of the best Anime movies ever made. During the late 80s and the 90s, Anime went from a niche viewership that was rarely available in the Western world, to almost mainstream it is today, mainly because of a few films that changed the way the Western audience looked at animes. Here are ten anime movies that surpass virtually anything Disney has made, including the Pixar films.
10: 5CM Per Second (2007, IMDB link)
Probably one of the most visually stunning animated movies (not just animes) to be released this decade, 5CM Per Second is comprised of three stories, which deal with love between people with a great distance between them. It’s not for everyone, especially young kids who won’t understand much of it, but the sheer beauty of the animation of Makoto Shinkai is some of the most artful visions you’ll ever see — both in animation and live action movies. Just search the title on Google Images and indulge yourself in a few frames.
9: Cowboy Bebop (2001, IMDB link)
Based on the hit tv-series Cowboy Bebop, the movie continues the neo-noir, jazz infested action following the bounty hunters who get a job to track down a terrorists. Cowboy Bebop has had a cult following ever since it was first aired in Japan, then in the US, and the movie is a great introduction to newcomers to the franchise.
8: Tokyo GodFathers (2003, IMDB link)
Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers is, more than anything, a social comment on Tokyo and the minorities of one of the largest cities in the world. The story follows three homeless friends, a young girl, a homeless man and a transvestite who find a baby in a dumpster and embark on a journey to return it to its parents. Pitch that to Pixar.
7: Princess Mononoke (1997, IMDB link)
Hayao Miyazaki, often referred to as the Walt Disney of Japan, has made plenty of genre defying anime movies (there are a few more on this list), and although he had done numerous movies before, Princess Mononoke was his breakthrough movie in the Western world. It was the highest earning movie at the Japanese box office before Titanic, which not only shows Japan’s love for anime, but just how popular the movie was in its home country.
6: Paprika (2006, IMDB link)
A visual feat for the eyes, Paprika shows just what a storyteller with a vivid imagination can do. A “dream machine” — which allows doctors to see a patient’s dreams — is stolen by a thief who uses it to enter people’s dreams, and it’s up to Paprika and her team to find the reclaim the machine. The movie shifts between reality and dreamworld continuously, and it welcomes a second viewing to get all the details.
5: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004, IMDB link)
The second Miyazaki film on the list, Howl’s Moving Castle, developed from the book by Diana Wynne Jones, centers around a girl who is cast with a spell that makes her look old, her only hope of becoming young again is with a wizard and his giant, walking castle. It features all the Miyazaki trademarks, from stunning artwork to graceful animation, and is widely considered one of his best films to date.
4: Ghost in The Shell (1995, IMDB link)
It was one of the first films to popularize Cyberpunk as an art style and vision of the future. The movie has not only been a visual inspiration to countless Hollywood action movies over the years, but a direct influence to The Matrix. The Watchowski brothers reportedly showed Ghost in The Shell to producer Joel Silver and told him, “We wanna do that live action”. There are countless references to Ghost in The Shell in the Matrix, from the way they’re plugged into the Matrix to the virtual world itself. It’s a must see for any sci-fi fan, whether you’re into anime or not.
3: Grave of The Fireflies (1988, IMDB link)
It was a movie that one can never imagine being made by Western animators or storytellers, Grave of The Fireflies was the film that made everyone realize, including the Japanese, that anime can be used to tell serious, heart felt stories. It centers on a boy and his young sister who struggle to survive in WW2 Japan when their mother dies during US firebombs of their city. Roger Ebert called it “the most powerful anti-war movie of all time”. And it’s just that.
2: Akira (1988, IMDB link)
With Akira, the West finally woke up to the power of the Japanese animes. It’s the movie that defined the whole genre, from its art style, to its realistic portrayal of violence, to its ability to tell several stories at once. The world of Neo Tokyo and it’s lawlessness, the motorcycle gangs and the technology introduced all contribute to making Akira the hallmark of anime for the past 20 years.
1. Spirited Away (2001, IMDB link)
Miyazaki’s masterpiece, the story of a girl who ventures into the land where witches, Gods and spirits rule, where she has to fight to keep her spirit, and fight to release the spirits of the ones she loves. The film was hailed by critics all over the world, and won dozens of awards, including an Oscar for best animated feature. The movie even surpassed Titanic to become the highest grossing move of all time in Japan.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Steve Anderson said
September 5 2009 @ 7:46 pm
Geez…someone drank the Miyazaki Kool-Aid.
Ah well, that’s cool. Me, I’m not so fond of Miyazaki work, but it’s still a good article.
Eric Almendral said
September 5 2009 @ 9:08 pm
There’s going to be disagreement about any list like this, but you do have some of my favorite movies (animated or otherwise) on here.
My issue is with the claim that these are better than virtually anything Disney has made, including the Pixar films. First, Disney didn’t make any of the Pixar movies to date. Pixar was an independent studio which had a distribution deal with Disney until the two merged. Even the most recent Pixar film, “Up” (which is very good) was developed and produced for the most part before the merger. Pixar has in effect taken over Disney feature animation, which is going to be a good thing.
When you say “virtually any” Disney movie, I have to wonder how far back you’re going. It’s important to note that the audiences, intent and traditions behind these films are all quite different. Most of the anime you list are primarily aimed at adult audiences. Several are fairly action oriented and have heavy sci-fi or fantasy elements. It may just be a matter of taste, or age or aesthetics, but these have traditionally not been genres that Disney has dabbled in (excepting fairy tale adaptations, which is still different than fantasy in many ways).
I doubt very much that the creators of those anime would agree with your claim about Disney. Tezuka himself was heavily influenced by Disney—anime wouldn’t exist without it. Movies like “Dumbo” and “101 Dalmations” may seem antiquated and hokey now, but they were truly groundbreaking at the time and are sill pretty remarkable. Disney created the feature animation and developed many of the techniques and conventions that anime sprang from.
Kenna McHugh said
September 6 2009 @ 10:34 am
Nice list but doesn’t truly compare to Disney because Disney animation is completely different in form and communication.
Kikki’s Delivery Service — I would have added.
max said
September 6 2009 @ 12:12 pm
No I will admit that many of those films are animation classics, Akira and Princess Mononoke are two of my favourite films period, to say that they vastly outclass Pixar and Disney so entirely is a little overboard. Pixar for instance manages to establish in their films heavy subject matter like racism, death and abandonment ,too say a few, from a children’s perspective without alienating the adults. This is in stark opposition to most of the films on this list which are inaccessible to many ages. On top of that the story telling in Pixar films is some of the best in the industry world wide. Finally the quality of animation from Pixar is one of the finest. Now I’m not saying this because it is CGI, I say this because it because you can see the effort that went into making it, it’s lush, colourful, and always full of great tones and shapes. While Anime does have some masterpiece works as a genre, Pixar very rarely makes films that aren’t masterpieces (I can only think of one, Cars).
Lain said
September 6 2009 @ 2:47 pm
Would have to say for Satoshi Kon his best was Perfect Blue. Visually stunning and compelling story. Also Millennium Actress was an amazing film. Both of those I think beat out Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika. Plus where is Nausicaa? Though I agree Mononoke was Studio Ghibili’s breakthrough in the states Nausicaa is probably some of their best work. /troll
Animaranya said
September 6 2009 @ 3:05 pm
My list would have Akira number 1, but include The Wings of Honneamise, Gundam Char’s Counterattack, Monster City, Ninja Scroll, Nausicaä, Robot Carnival, and Macross.
Z. Brannigan said
September 6 2009 @ 3:06 pm
Pixar really is an amazing and visionary company. If you look at the technological innovation required to create Toy Story and the movies beyond, it’s mindblowing. I’m sure that Pixars achievements have affected animation the world over, but the same might be said of some other Japanese artists. That being said, all the movies above are not to be downplayed as they’re masterpieces as well. I haven’t seen Paprika so I think I’m going to check it out. Good deal.
Dan said
September 6 2009 @ 3:15 pm
Wow, the fact that Macross: Do You Remember Love is not on this list shows that this guy has only scratched the surface.
Itaintrite said
September 6 2009 @ 3:31 pm
You just can’t compare the two :/ Why not compare Japanese movies vs Hollywood movies?
Brandon said
September 6 2009 @ 3:37 pm
Don’t forget The Girl Who Leapt Through Time!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808506/
Binny said
September 6 2009 @ 3:58 pm
This is a great list. I see you have created some discussion over what is Disney, and that’s great.
Miyazaki is well represent (and for good reason) but one of my personal favorite of his is not on the list “My Neighbour Totoro”. But every one is different, and “Spirited Away” definitly deserves the top spot.
There are many films here that I consider as defining in any culture “Akira” was the film that opened my eyes to Anime and what was possible, and “Ghost in the Shell” still remains the standard for Sci-fi films in my opinion.
If anything Disney are finally seeing what these films mean to people, and are slowly starting to realise what it takes to make great animation in the 21st centry. Pixar has always had it.
anonymous coward said
September 6 2009 @ 4:07 pm
Have to agree with Brandon said. If you haven’t seen it the girl who leapt through time is an excellent movie.
sangjmoon said
September 6 2009 @ 4:08 pm
I would put Nausicaa before Mononoke in the list, Robot Carnival before Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky Laputa before Spirited Away, Appleseed would have to be a tie with Ghost in the Shell, Millenium Actress and Kiki’s Delivery Service would be a tie with Paprika. I would also put Nausicaa in the #1 spot. Grave of the Fireflies is a great movie, but its so sad, I can’t watch it more than once. In terms of rewatchability and the need for interesting special effects that only can be done in anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 is a better anti-war anime movie.
LJM said
September 6 2009 @ 4:16 pm
Coming up next, “8 Flavors of Ice Cream That Are Objectively Superior to Chocolate Chip.”
A nice list of movies, but a childish premise.
sangjmoon said
September 6 2009 @ 4:18 pm
Of course you are only concentrating on a small portion of the anime universe if you only look at movies. If compending a list of anime TV & OVAs series, I recommend the following top 10:
1. Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
2. Ouran High School Host Club
3. Tenchi Muyo OVAs
4. Fruits Basket
5. Irresponsible Captain Tylor
6. Fushigi Yuugi
7. Bubblegum Crisis
8. Maison Ikkoku
9. Ah! My Goddess
10. Marmalade Boy
John said
September 6 2009 @ 4:18 pm
You forgot Mewtwo strikes back. I didn’t see any battling electric mice in spirited away.
Tank said
September 6 2009 @ 4:31 pm
This list pretty much lost all credibility when it included Paprika, a movie that’s basically all eye candy and nothing else.
Martijn said
September 6 2009 @ 4:44 pm
Grave of the Fireflies is not the most powerful anti-war movie of all time, Barefoot Gen is. I cried my eyes out with that movie.
Top 10 Anime movies that surpass Disney by light years – Movies, Reviews and More. « Netcrema – creme de la social news via digg + delicious + stumpleupon + reddit said
September 6 2009 @ 4:46 pm
[...] Top 10 Anime movies that surpass Disney by light years – Movies, Reviews and More.screenhead.com [...]
Dingdong said
September 6 2009 @ 5:30 pm
I’d exchange the Howling Castle with Porco Rosso, imho the better movie…
rumblepup said
September 6 2009 @ 7:05 pm
Wrong premise, wrong conclusion. Great list though.
GeneralSkar said
September 6 2009 @ 8:12 pm
Fuck the naysayers, all of these films except for Cowboy Bebop are better than anything Disney’s done. Although, I can’t actually speak for Tokyo Godfathers. I have to cede that some Pixar films are better than some of the things on here. But Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies is better than any of those Pixar films.
SadistiX said
September 6 2009 @ 9:03 pm
Paprika, Ghost in the Shell and Akira can never be made by Disney cos they’re R-Rated. Disney only does wholesome movies. Putting them on the list is pointless. Sure, they’re good but they dont fit the list.
radzinsky said
September 6 2009 @ 9:33 pm
Paprika, Cowboy Bebop, and 5cm over Millennium Actress and Perfect Blue?
david k said
September 6 2009 @ 10:07 pm
This is a shitty list. I’ve seen all of these and Pixar still trumps them.
Joseph Godfrey said
September 6 2009 @ 10:24 pm
Probably important to remember that the Japanese animated industry were inspired by Disney and films like ‘Snow White’ & ‘Pinocchio’.
The problem with Disney (today) is that they lost the freedom of expression that Mr. Walt Disney had … period … Pixar is an example of creative freedom and the quality that comes from it. Now that Disney has replaced Pixar’s freedom with “Disney Management” it too will go downhill.
God bless ANIME … Keep setting the STANDARD and maybe Disney will catch up.
Basil said
September 6 2009 @ 10:26 pm
Grave of the Fireflies is the greatest movie ever made.
Solidad said
September 6 2009 @ 11:15 pm
@Basil
Damn yeah, Graveyard is the most depressing war film out there. I don’t want to watch it ever again.
@topic
The list is great, but it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Both have different approaches,styles and has different cultures, but falls on the same medium. I find it to biased towards Anime.
DeathToMoe~ said
September 7 2009 @ 12:36 am
Sangjmoon, that’s a horrible, horrible list. It’s horrifying. “Of course you are only concentrating on a small portion of the anime universe if you only look at movies.” And you’re just concentrating on the most disgusting mainstream anime ever. Fruits Basket? Marmalade Boy?? Ouran?! HARUHI?!
Jayson said
September 7 2009 @ 12:46 am
Worth pointing out that Disney is the only reason American viewers are seeing Miyazaki’s work at all?
Rob said
September 7 2009 @ 12:51 am
I feel that most anime-films are praised for their aesthetics alone, because everything else like the plot is jumbled as hell. It’s as if they conjure up a pretty bland idea ( i.e. girl needs to save parents from spirit/dream world ), and embellish it with anything considered remotely weird until its considered “so quirky, it’s good”. I am of course not speaking for all anime films, just the ones that I’ve seen, which includes your number 1.
Pixar goes through a similar process at first ( i.e. talking rat strives to become a chef … monsters training in monster academies to scare children ), but they always do one thing most Japanime films fail to tackle: conceptualize a plot that makes sense in the end.
Jenn said
September 7 2009 @ 1:29 am
Haha totally agree with DeathtoMoe, that is such a terrible list. Lol those anime series are all for idiots… (except ikkoku) ahhahahaha the fact that someone actually compiled such a list cracks me up. Oh man, Sangjmoon, I seriously hope you’re a 9 year old girl. Seriously.
De said
September 7 2009 @ 2:19 am
Personally I believe the writer and most of the people that are making comments are comparing these things the wrong way.
Anime as a whole has created thousands of films in their history with varying degrees of quality and lots of companies involved in making them. While Disney (or Pixar)is one company that makes animation in the West which also happens to the most well known. These are big differences so a more appropriate comparison would be Disney and Studio Ghibli, or Pixar and Production I.G.
The biggest factor would be how people interpret the films, being a person that is in between both cultures the stories of both Western and Eastern films does relate with me, while some friends question what the film is all about.
All in all I found anime is another way to express their movie ideas which can be kids films, horror, drama, action and romance with an Asian influence on things that can transcend language and culture. So the debate whether Western or Eastern animation is better is flawed because it is all animation and loved by kids and adults alike around the world.
Soldarius said
September 7 2009 @ 2:27 am
No one’s opinion will be the same. They may be similar but never the same. Everyone likes something and everyone doesn’t. Disney/Pixar majority targets the kid audience. Some of the movies stated are for the adults to understand.
The only reason why kids watch something is because it’s colorful and it catches their attention. Or, it’s been beat into their heads by their parents that they should watch the crap they watch.
I haven’t really liked a Pixar movie since Monsters Inc. In my opinion, I probably wouldn’t watch or sit through it again. On the other hand, movies like Princess Mononoke, Akira, and Cowboy Bebop. I could watch over and over again, because I like the story, animation and action. I could see myself watching Spirited Away/Howl’s Moving Castle every once in awhile because of it’s story. I wouldn’t mind seeing Steamboy again either.
As I said, everyone has their preferences weither you like them or not. You can’t change them. Would you want someone to come in and say “Hey, you can’t like this, you have to like this. Your freedom of choice no long applies.”?
He/She could have chosen different ones but these are the popular one’s that are more mainstream.
coreeye said
September 7 2009 @ 2:50 am
here you go:
Ah! My Goddess
Barefoot Gen
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Laputa Castle in The Sky
My Neighbour Totoro
5CM Per Second
Princess Mononoke
Howl’s Moving Castle
Grave of The Fireflies
Spirited Away
Nausicaa
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Whisper of the Heart
DiggComment said
September 7 2009 @ 2:51 am
Ghost in the Shell – “It was one of the first films to popularize Cyberpunk as an art style and vision of the future.”
Blade Runner was released in 1982. And Neuromancer was written in 1984. I enjoyed Ghost in the Shell, but give credit where credit is due.
gk said
September 7 2009 @ 2:59 am
Japan’s not actually a single “light year” away.
Surpassed in terms of actual years? Perhaps.
One day the common usage of “light year” will be meaningful. I’m not holding my breath.
Screenhead.com has compiled an excellent list titled “Top 10 Anime Movies That Surpass Disney By Light Years” | The Anime Blogger said
September 7 2009 @ 4:06 am
[...] Screenhead.com has compiled an excellent list titled “Top 10 Anime Movies That Surpass Disney By Light Years.” Now I normally do not talk about other sites lists, but this one had me intrigued. Of the 10 films listed, I have seen all but one, Paprika. I have it on my list of must sees, but have yet to sit down and watch it. I must say that I am really pleased by this article. I have always found anime in general to surpass most movies and TV shows currently released in the states. Below are my thoughts alongside each item on this list… [...]
HORE said
September 7 2009 @ 6:34 am
hah, thiis test shit list
alrayyes said
September 7 2009 @ 6:38 am
I agree with @sangjmoon. Some series that should be on the list (in random order):
- Berserk
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
- Welcome To The NHK
- Ghost in the Shell
- Serial Experiments Lain
The prime difference here is that (some) anime handles adult themes in an adult manner. Also a lot of the really good anime is really dense and doesn’t have a mainstream western audience. It is a shame though, a lot of people don’t know what they’re missing.
Underscore_Hero said
September 7 2009 @ 6:42 am
Disney may be the juggernaut in the animated film industry, but Anime has an extremely huge following. Anime also isn’t just for the typical teen, they have a wide range of audiences. I see the appeal of Disney/Pixar, and I do enjoy their storytelling, but I feel it’s way too pandering and watered down. I do agree their latest 3D films used technology to create amazing visuals, but story has taken a back seat to render farms. Anime has the deep storytelling that rivals novels and some movies. I prefer Anime art styles over Disney/Pixar, especially when drawing highly stylized characters and environments. I just watched Ponyo, and I felt it wasn’t as great as Miyazaki’s previous films. I felt it was his way of widening the US audience, which “kind of” worked. I hope this trend won’t continue, and I’m wishing for another anime classic.
Six said
September 7 2009 @ 7:15 am
While the animation is incredible, the character interaction is so odd and unbelievable, I gave up on Anime.
Shiriru said
September 7 2009 @ 7:27 am
Could add Jin-Ro at last… http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0193253/
Michelle said
September 7 2009 @ 7:31 am
Karas the prophecy and Karas Revelations, should be on your list they ROCK,Plus the full metal alchemist movies beats disney hands down….any day
Dnenis McDonald said
September 7 2009 @ 7:38 am
It’s silly to continuously denigrate Disney – that studio has done some wonderful work recently too. Check out Lilo and Stitch, for example. And to lum Pixar iun with Disney is, well, rather shallow. But what the heck – you’ve listed some great films.
(I would have included Wings of Honneamise but I admit I love airplanes.)
YousuckIhopeyoudiewithinthenext50minutes said
September 7 2009 @ 8:11 am
I think Pixar has not only been great at the animation as an art form AND medium, they also have a wicked sense of humor. And certainly not a far cry. Good list, except Howl’s Moving Castle was probably weaker than other miyazaki films you COULD’VE picked instead.
And think of all what Disney has done before this? Pinocchio? Snow White? Fantasia? I think you didn’t need to say the movies on this list were better than Disney. Unnecessary.
Chaibynight said
September 7 2009 @ 8:14 am
For what it’s worth, there really cannot be a top 10 anime list released for American audiences to judge because the opinions and interpretations of animation conflict so vastly. A majority of the people who would vote Akira higher on the list are the same people who put Dragonball Z at number one for anime series. It doesn’t make them wrong (because that is how they feel) but it’s definitely a different list than I would submit.
Example, I would not have put Spirited Away as number one (though I don’t know what I would) and I would have added The Place We Were Promised In Our Younger Days and Dead Leaves on my personal list. Though 5cm Per Second looks and sounds interesting, thanks for a psuedo recommendation!
Sad News For Your Labor Day: ADV Dead - Movies, Reviews and More. said
September 7 2009 @ 10:10 am
[...] folks…stick a fork in one of the best anime companies in the United States, because ADV is not only dead, but its corpse has been picked [...]
Sephi said
September 7 2009 @ 10:19 am
I think whoever made the list was also trying to show that Anime covers all kinds of topics, from childish romance to deeper, darker messages about society’s outcasts and the devastation of war. This differs greatly from Disney and Pixar’s creations that have only targeted children of a certain age, and as a result, are lacking the depth that can be found in Anime.
John said
September 7 2009 @ 1:02 pm
How this list did not mention Ninja Scroll, I have NO idea.
That being said though, As much as I love Anime, there is not a single movie here, including Miyawaki’s work, that can equal classic Disney films like Aladdin and The Lion King.
Disney is synonymous with animation. Anime has it’s candidates, like Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the shell, Akira etc but that puts it at the same level, but surpassing? Lightyears ahead? No way
John said
September 7 2009 @ 1:03 pm
Edie : Miyazaki I meant lol
Karen said
September 7 2009 @ 1:10 pm
I think to call Disneys ENTIRE enimated output a “far cry” from these anime is to sell short what disney can do and has been doing for over 70 years.
I am an anime fan. I have heard of all the movies on this list, seen 8 of them and seen other works by the makers of the remaining two. They are all great films. But arguing they are better than Disney *objectively* is like saying the Godfather is better than West Side Story, or Silence of the Lambs is better than the Wizard of Oz.
Spirited away is a marvelous film. But you know what film I think can go toe to toe with it, on every level? Pinocchio. Both are about the personal growth of a naive and perhaps spoiled child and how they grow through their own selfless actions. Both are beautifully animated and evoke a fantastical world. Both will stand the test of time.
Sure anime covers a broader range of genres. That’s fine. but Disney isn’t TRYING to cover all those other genres, so it;s not really fair to attack it for that. If you are going to take “All Animation From Japan” as one side of the fictitious battle you have created, at least allow the western side to include The Triplets of Belville, Waltz with Bashir and Presepolis.
DAVco said
September 7 2009 @ 2:34 pm
Can anyone tell me where I can get a larger version of that Cowboy Bebop image?
Thanks
Brian said
September 7 2009 @ 2:35 pm
What, No Star Blazers?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Blazers
Is everybody on the internet barely out of diapers?
Anonymous said
September 7 2009 @ 3:02 pm
@Sephi
To claim that pixar targets children is simply wrong.
Today on Screenhead - Movies, Reviews and More. said
September 7 2009 @ 7:33 pm
[...] Yorn and Johansson Behind the Scenes — Clash of the Titans Rambo V – Sci-Fi Plot and Poster Top 10 Anime movies that surpass Disney by light years ‘Destination’ and ‘Steve’ Close Tie Friday [...]
links for 2009-09-07 « Mandarine said
September 7 2009 @ 11:07 pm
[...] Top 10 Anime movies that surpass Disney by light years (tags: movies animation list) [...]
Adelaide DJ said
September 8 2009 @ 12:17 am
i love japanese anime not only because of the cartoons but also the characters and the stories and yes it’s much better than disney by far, although it’s not on the list ninja scroll is my favourite “but you’re going the wrong way, the way to hell is here!” bahahaha
twitter(at)locspoc
Better than Disney… « Later On said
September 8 2009 @ 11:52 am
[...] Posted in Daily life, Movies at 9:52 am by LeisureGuy Ten anime movies that put Disney in the shade. [...]
Jaz said
September 8 2009 @ 6:48 pm
Anybody know the name of the original Cowboy Bebop image?
www.thingsweloveothate.com said
September 8 2009 @ 8:04 pm
This is a cool list. I totally agree with your top 1 choice and am a big fan of Miyazaki anime.
There are several I’ve never heard of though: Paprika, Grave of the Fireflies, Tokyo Godfathers.
I’ve only seen the trailer of 5cm and it’s an eye candy. I’ll be sure to watch it soon!
Thanks for the reminder and the recommendations!
The Princess And The Frog Official Trailer - Movies, Reviews and More. said
September 9 2009 @ 12:54 am
[...] impressive Disney trailer for The Princess and the Frog brilliantly shineson the return to hand drawn animation from the team of John Musker and Ron Clements with [...]
jojo said
September 9 2009 @ 4:58 am
I’ve seen a lot of these anime movies in the past. As far as animation goes nothing surpasses the golden era of Disney that being Snow White, Cinderella, Bambi, Pinocchio, Fantasia. Anime is still a niche market for the rest of the world. My Neighbour Totoro is the best animated non-Disney film though and I love that film.
John said
September 9 2009 @ 2:16 pm
f*ck anime
BiLLiE said
September 9 2009 @ 7:28 pm
Comments need to be more positive, not lack direction.
For one thing, films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell were the defining moment in American cinema where audiences truly accepted anime into their lives and welcomed it into their hearts (myself included, saw Akira in grade 9 and the world was suddenly a different place). Tell me this: what was your first taste of ice cream like? Who was the first person you ever kissed? — Now, what was your first anime? For a lot of people, these movies, even the newer (and some of the superficial) ones have opened the floodgates for newly converted anime fans (I know several young family members who saw Howl’s and became insatiable anime addicts as a result). To discredit them as ‘not as good as ____’ is to completely miss the point, and push an arrogant and dangerously unqualified opinion around, giving anime fans a bad name.
Why don’t some of you do what sangjmoon, coreeye, alrayyes, and others are doing and post your faves, or better yet /recommend/ good anime and even promote the exploration of certain directors so that everyone with a lesser knowledge of this beautiful art can enjoy it as much as you do? Otherwise you’re poisoning us all with your elitist “I know more than you do” snobbery. If you want to hide it so you can tout it in some powertrip then you need to get out more, people won’t think it’s not worth seeing. Think about THAT for a moment, you’re trying to lower the fanbase and expansion of cutting-edge anime. I loved anime for a long time, but didn’t keep up with it because most anime lovers are huge tools that all but scream at you if you didn’t see some obscure anime they’ve seen. It really grinds the gears to hear more self-righteous prickery coming from the mouth of the loathsome anime hermit once again. You f*cking weeaboos need to shut up about how ‘trivial’ the anime mentioned in this list is, and start thinking about what anime impacted your life when you first started watching it. Did you see DBZ and go “Awesome!! I’ll explore this genre more!” or did you immediately see only the quality anime like DeathNote and gloat on high from your ivory anime tower? Time to start teaching these young bucks what you see as anime greatness and not kicking sand in their faces because they haven’t seen 5-10 quality feature-length epics.
Totally agree Disney is a simplistic comparison for this article, but a decent starter list for newbies.
Loved Berserk, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Battle Angel, Kiki, Millenium and countless others (I’m more into the action oriented animes like Gundam and Neon Genesis myself). Find what you like, love what you watch. Love to all the incredible, hardcore fans and anime supporters out there!
Goofball Jones said
September 10 2009 @ 10:02 pm
Meh…he threw in the Pixar diss because it’s controversial. He knows he’ll get people talking about it on here and other places which drums up traffic to the site which in turn gets more page hits so he can charge more for his advertisers.
Why do you think Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern get so much money? Because they say outrageous and controversial things. This guy is just taking his ques from them. I have to assume he threw all that in there on purpose because for being a site about movies, it’s pretty unbelievable that he didn’t know Pixar was it’s own separate entity that only use another company (Disney) to distribute the films. None of them were “Disney” movies at all and I have to think this guy knew it. If he didn’t know that, then what the hell is he even writing ANYTHING about movies?
I always hate stories that start off like this anyway. Why can’t Anime movies exist alongside Disney movies? Why the “surpass anything by Disney by lightyears” bullshit?
Is this Highlander or something? “There can be only one!” or Thunderdome “two movie styles enter! one movie style leaves!”. I mean, come on. Why do people insist “this is better than that” comparisons when it comes to art in all it’s forms? Why can’t we just appreciate both Disney, Pixar and the Anime movies all together?
Resumen semanal – semana del 7/9 « El blog de Fleko said
September 13 2009 @ 1:39 pm
[...] Una selección de 10 películas de animación japonesa que son superiores a cualquiera de las de Disney, si les gusta la animación tradicional denle una oportunidad a cualquiera de las 10, que seguramente les haga ver las otras 9. Link. [...]
Disney Doofus said
September 15 2009 @ 3:40 am
Howl’s Moving Castle looks awesome – I might have to check that one out.
carlos said
September 15 2009 @ 1:14 pm
I think that anime movies and series can impact to much in kids as in adults, this is because of the topics, they are so variable and there are a lot of stuffs that you can see in anime that is more that what you can see in Pixar, what’s good, but for me, not enought to entretain me, I prefer anime, specially InuYasha.
You're John Teshing Me said
September 15 2009 @ 10:12 pm
I love anime as much as the next person, but, I would have to say that Disney-Pixar’s movie, UP, simply stole my heart away.
It’s like one commenter said, “It’s like comparing apples to oranges.”
Both have different cultural influences and many other things that comes into play. Hell, lets just say they both have their ups and downs. Nothing is going to be perfect, especially when we have nothing “perfect” to compare it to.
picorix said
September 16 2009 @ 7:19 am
I agree with most of this list. Cowboy bebop movie was boring, in my opinion. Not much different to the series – not that that’s bad, I just don’t feel it belongs in this list.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, however, should have been considered more (or at all?). If you haven’t seen it, I suggest you do, it’s great.
Those who disagree with 5cm per second: Watch it. It may not be the kind of thing you like, but the visuals and animation are brilliant, and the story is told in such a way that it’s probably one of my favourite movies. Simply because it’s a romance that hasn’t been done in the typical “comedy” style we so often see. And it didn’t have over the top drama either. It’s real, that’s why I enjoyed it so much.
And another note, at sangjmoon: I highly disagree with every series in your list. Nothing personal, I just found most of those anime to be extremely overrated. The Melancholy of Haruhi is nothing but a schoolgirl harem with a twist. An interesting twist to some – but it’s nothing to win first place over. Not even close.
Either way, great list. Again, I agree with most of it, impossible to agree fully. And I also deny the claim that they beat Pixar, I love pixar films
and they aren’t disney, they are just owned by disney – much like Studio Ghibli is (in the US)
So perhaps you could take off all the studio ghibli films too, since according to your rules they count as disney?
Smelly Cat » TOP 10 animes melhores do que qualquer coisa que a Disney já tenha feito. Será? said
September 16 2009 @ 12:18 pm
[...] pessoal do Screenhead fez uma lista polêmica. Segundo eles, é o TOP 10 animes que são superiores a qualquer coisa que a Disney já [...]
www.anime143.com said
September 17 2009 @ 1:30 am
very nice anime.
You can watch more anime episodes and movies here:
http://www.anime143.com – Anime Lovers Online Community
Sxilderik said
September 19 2009 @ 3:09 am
The Cow-Boy Bebop image is a (nice) take of one the masterpieces of the very famous US painter, Edward Hopper. The painting is called “Nighthawks”.
Goodday to those who are about to discover that wonderful artist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hopper
(See also : Winslow Homer (Sailing the Catboat, Hunter in the Adirondacks, The End of the End), Andrew Wyeth (Christina’s World), etc.)
Sxilderik said
September 19 2009 @ 3:10 am
Edit: the name of the Homer’s painting is “The End of the Hunt”. Sorry.
BeatPunchbeef said
September 22 2009 @ 10:19 am
@John “That being said though, As much as I love Anime, there is not a single movie here, including Miyawaki’s work, that can equal classic Disney films like Aladdin and The Lion King.”
The Lion King??? That is a very funny statement. Thank you for the laugh. Oh, and if you were serious, please note that Disney stole that entire story from an older, very popular and award winning “Kimba the White Lion” made by none other than Tezuka studios in 1966.
Other than that glaring fact, I would say every animation studio has different qualities and blemishes that make them unique. Though they may be in the same ballpark genre, its still apples to oranges. e.g. Urotsukidoji is inherently incomparable to, say, Snow White or Paprika or BeBop. The audiences and cultures sort of dictate that.
Anonymous said
September 25 2009 @ 9:32 am
Miyazaki rules. Love his movies.
What was up with the UP hype? In my opinion, any of the Miyazaki storylines can trump that one.
My opinion. I’m Asian-American. I’m curious to other people’s responses.
Teng said
September 25 2009 @ 4:26 pm
You can’t just claim that anime movies ’surpass disney by lightyears’.If you mean graphics, no, it doesn’t. Pixar’s movies are stunning and are beautiful. Anime has kept its 2d ground but with glorious colors. It really depends in what you’re into. I personally prefer Pixar but anime movies are nice to watch whenever the opportunity comes. Most of the movies from or associated with Disney, I absolutely love. There is rarely any I can ever get tired of watching.
Ryan Hatch said
September 27 2009 @ 12:19 am
I love anime but I dont think any of these are better as far as skill in animation techniques and skill Disney is a far superior machine when it comes to making real animation, anime is like moving pictures, dont get me wrong I have seen 8 of the ten movies on the list and love akira to death but I cant see how you are comparing adult anime to kids animation
skyjedi said
September 29 2009 @ 3:56 pm
The funny thing about Akira is that without Carl macek the west would probably never have seen the film. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg people who emraced the foreign films of Akira Kurosawa said it was incomprehensible and unreleasable, kind of like that studio said when they first saw Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.
I had figured at least lucas a fan of japan cinema with no subtitles or dubs and the director of THX 1138 would have at least understood Akira.
How can any literate person today not know what cyberpunk is, been around for ages until the matrix made it popular.
JA said
October 10 2009 @ 7:08 pm
I’m not a Pixar/Disney fanboy, nor have I seen most of the movies on the list, but…
re:Tokyo Godfathers’ “Pitch that to Pixar.” Someone did, it’s called Ice Age.
Cole said
October 10 2009 @ 10:41 pm
you forgot to add the Pokemon movies!
kip goodrich said
October 12 2009 @ 11:35 pm
Anime always has and always will be for faggy little emo kids who don’t have any friends.
SuperSparky said
October 14 2009 @ 5:44 pm
It’s like comparing Rap to Heavy Metal, or apples to oranges.
Disney is its own genre of animation. Classic Warner Brothers cartoon (Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies) were their own genres of animation. Hanna Barbara in the 60’s and 70’s was its own genre as well. To compare one against the other is stupid and shows a complete lack of understanding.
Anime, in all of its variant (and deviant) aspects, is nothing like the above either. The culture where it originates is also vastly different. It comes from a culture where the hero must die at the end, the “strong” characters are very feminine looking males with long flowing hair and swords the size of a Chevy station wagon. The Women are mousy, subservient, and have decalcifyingly squeeky voices, UNLESS she is a heroine, then she wears ridiculously tiny, revealing, and ineffective armor that enhance the breasts (which have physics violating bounce) and bottoms that enhance camel-toe. Then there’s the connection to Asian mythology and frank perversion of the “cat women” and implied pedophilia.
If you enjoy having regular “WTF?!” moments watching animation, then anime is your best choice.
However, comparing one genre to another is just stupid.
bill said
November 10 2009 @ 11:47 pm
this is a real BAD top ten….. sorry but… come on….. where is vampire hunter D. or Doomed Megalopolis, wicked city, battle angel, ninja scroll i mean come on i can go on all night with better movies than the ones you posted.
Ashn said
November 15 2009 @ 2:52 am
PIxar fails to integrate reality and focuses on more fantasy stuff .. pixaz is for kids and an adult wont like to watch it again … Anime on the other hand focuises on a number of topics including history, family ,fantasy ,gore, sci-fi.
TopAnimes.Net said
November 16 2009 @ 11:17 am
Sure your top anime disney are one of the greats! I like these movies!
1. spirited away
2.howls moving castle
3.princess mononoke
on your list; but i also still have another miyazaki works I love here it is;
1. Nausicaa of the valley of the wind
2. castle in the sky
3. kiki’s delivery service
4. my neighbor totoro
5. whisper of the heart (my very favorite studio ghibli film)
you should try them, i’m they’re all great works of Miyazaki-dono’s works. xD!
Betere animatiefilms dan Disney | Computertaal said
November 22 2009 @ 2:04 am
[...] die ofwel een heel pak mooier zijn, ofwel een heel pak spannender worden. Niet altijd voor kinderen. En daarbij hebben we het niet over schaars geklede mensen, maar wel over de inhoud die vooral [...]
Berkrim said
November 26 2009 @ 4:07 am
There is no, and will never be, an anime that can stand up to The Incredibles, Cars, Toy Story 1 and 2, and Monster’s Incorporated. Why? Anime shows things that “family cartoons” won’t show – so what? It isn’t the absence of desires so much as the contents of the story that matters. Within the works of many American animations, from Disney to Dreamworks and more, there are feelings – and I’m not talking about emotion – that go with the happenings of the plot, as well as moving with the scenes. The submarine moving underwater in “Atlantis” had the feeling of greatness moving through the vastness of the ocean. The actions of Sinbad implore adventure and style. The anger of Bob Parr, aka Mister Incredible, implies a deep suffering for his family and his failure to save them.
I have seen little, if any, of these feelings in anime. Frankly, anyone who thinks anime is better because anime shows things that American animation doesn’t show (in the majority of its works) must be very numb indeed.
Roy1138 said
December 2 2009 @ 5:05 pm
I believe this is like comparing apples to oranges. But those who prefer anime need to keep a few things in mind. Miramax, a Disney owned company, was responsible for the American distribution of Princess Mononoke. Walt Disney Pictures was behind the American theatrical release of Spirited Away. Disney companies were also behind the theatrical and DVD release of Howl’s Moving Castle. So while you may not appreciate the Disney genre of animated film, you can at least appreciate that Disney’s commercial success is the only thing that enables them to bring these other fine films to America.
TOP 10 Animes | re'cordis said
December 4 2009 @ 1:20 pm
[...] do blog! Demorei meses para poder escrever, mas finalmente posso dar a minha resposta a um post do blog screenhead que causou polêmica entre os fãs de animes, animações, desenhos e Disney. O [...]
KiyokoJordie said
December 22 2009 @ 6:26 am
This isnt a bad list. If you’re looking for the most heart-touching films then yes, most of the anime on this list deserve to be there.
5cm really grabed at me, it wasn’t your typical love story, and in the end what you expected to happen didn’t. Grave of the Fireflies was one of the first films where I just couldn’t stop crying, it really made me think for days. Spirited away was astonishing, and in my opinion it deserves to be up there.
The people who are saying this list is crap are missing the point, most of Disneys and Pixars films are heart touching, a lot like the list up there. Vampire Hunter D and all them were good movies but they’re not really…happy ending, make you think kind of movies.
Theres no point in comparing Pixar to Anime, like other people have said, comparing apples to oranges.
Fromeister said
December 24 2009 @ 5:45 pm
You are all wrong. Cowboy Bebop kicked the most ass ever. Actually, I was a small bit dissapointed they didn’t capture Vincent, but still great plot. The show is even better. Did you hear there coming out with a feature movie featuring Keanu Reeves as Spike? I’ll be the first in line!
NoobleGranBahumatEsper said
December 25 2009 @ 10:13 am
I want what he’s smoking.
Halfkroabandj said
December 31 2009 @ 2:18 pm
To the author:
love all the things on this list, but if it were extended to include more movies, what would you add? I’m looking for more great movies to see and this list is the one I’ve found that best summarizes my taste. I know an love anything miyazaki as well as the rest of what you’ve mentioned here and am looking for more. I guess anyone else can respond too.
Halfkroabandj said
January 3 2010 @ 2:11 am
Anyone?
Lol said
January 8 2010 @ 7:56 pm
Fags
ddrt said
January 25 2010 @ 5:04 pm
Disney underestimates the intelligence of their audience. All of the above films do not.