As with animation in the U.S., Japanese animation is found in movie theaters as well as on television. Some anime series find their way to the silver screen in movie format, often expanding the series or retelling it. There are also many anime that are movie-only, and like Disney films, some do very big business. In fact, Studio Ghibli films, some of which you’ll see below, are big motion picture events, with a good number among the largest grossing films in Japanese cinematic history. A number of anime films also receive a select release in North America.
Below are our staff’s selections for anime movies that we recommend to Christian viewers. The list is ever-growing, and we invite you to give your own recommendations in the comment section below.
Colorful (Colorful)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyuubin)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä)
Patema Inverted (Sakasama no Patema)
Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime)
Time of Eve (Eve no Jikan)
Tokyo Godfathers (Tokyo Godfathers)
Colorful
Colorful
A film which went under most people’s radars, Colorful is about the soul of a boy who is given the opportunity to reincarnate as someone else. It’s a rather serious film that portrays the difficulties of adolescent teenagers in Japan as the protagonist finds out about the former life of his new body who committed suicide. Simultaneously, he is tasked to remember the greatest sin he committed in his own past life. The character must come to terms with the reality of the situation and what to make of the seemingly broken relationships with those around him.
(2010 ~ Sunrise)
Watch if you:
(+) Like stories about interpersonal relationships
(+) Enjoy slow-paced shows with mostly talking
(+) Want some character drama
Skip if you:
(-) Need action in your films
(-) Don’t want something serious
Biblical Themes:
(+) Learning to love others and yourself
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Heavy use of Eastern reincarnation themes
(-) Topic of suicide
(-) Reference to prostitution
Available for purchase on Amazon
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Majo no Takkyuubin
At a young age, little witches are expected to move out of the house and discover the world for themselves. Having found a quaint town by the sea, this is exactly what Kiki does. With almost nothing to her name, she manages, through hardship, to make some lasting friendships and even begin her own business! Kiki’s Delivery Service is perhaps one of the most famous animated films in Japan, even more than in the West, where it has gained modest notoriety. As a foundational piece of anime history, Kiki’s Delivery Service tells a classic coming-of-age story with a focus on the importance of relationships, tenacity, and a good work ethic.
(1989 ~ Studio Ghibli)
Watch if you:
(+) Want a film suitable for the entire family
(+) Like slow-paced, relaxing films
(+) Appreciate masterful art and sound design
Skip if you:
(-) Are easily bored
Biblical Themes:
(+) Whatever you’re doing, do your best!
(+) The importance of relationships and relational sacrifice
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Superficial use of witchcraft, though the concept is not deeply explored
Available for purchase on Amazon
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä
More than 1,000 years after the world has effectively ended, mankind is limited to isolated cities and villages surrounded by poisonous forests inhabited by giant hostile insects. Even in this state, man finds ways to destroy itself, as is his nature, and the young Nausicaä must find a way to prevent humanity from repeating its dreadful mistakes. While the director, Miyazaki Hayao, is well-known for his environmentalist themes, this movie demonstrates significant spiritual development not often seen in its peers.
(1984 ~ Studio Ghibli)
Watch if you:
(+) Like family Disney films with a deeper spin
(+) Enjoy sci-fi, post-apocalyptic action
(+) Want to see where Studio Ghibli got its theatrical start
Skip if you:
(-) Dislike old anime
(-) Hate bugs
Biblical Themes:
(+) Extended Christ allegory
(+) Sacrificial love
(+) Stewardship of the earth
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Cartoon violence
Read articles about Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind / Available for purchase on Amazon
Patema Inverted
Sakasama no Patema
From the director of Time of Eve (see below) comes a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure. After a disaster born of scientists’ research into generating energy from gravity, much of humanity perished by “falling” into the sky. Of these “cursed” humans, a minority managed to survive by digging deep underground, but they are hated and hunted by those humans who avoided the situation entirely and have been able to live above unaffected. With contact broken for years, suddenly a young boy from above and a young girl from below meet and are sprung into an unforeseen adventure (well, unforeseen for them, anyway). Patema Inverted does not attempt to break new ground with its writing, but it does convey numerous important themes, and the Disney-style adventure’s twists and turns (both literally and figuratively) will leave the viewer surprised. For those interested in the twists and moral narrative, and don’t mind a super cliché villain, you can’t go wrong here.
(2013 ~ Studio Rikka)
Watch if you:
(+) Like Disney-style adventures
(+) Enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction
Skip if you:
(-) Only like movies with a high degree of rewatchability
(-) Can’t ignore cliché writing
Biblical Themes:
(+) Sacrificial love
(+) Equality of humankind across race
(+) Hypocrisy of “holier-than-thou” attitudes
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Cartoon violence
(-) Abduction and intense villain perhaps unsuitable for small children
Read articles about Patema Inverted / Available for purchase on Amazon
Princess Mononoke
Mononoke Hime
Princess Mononoke was one of late 90s anime pieces that kickstarted the Western explosion in anime popularity. Americans found its mature themes, coupled with a depth of storytelling otherwise not found in the animated medium, to be captivating, compelling more and more people to seek out its familiars. As perhaps the most mature of Miyazaki Hayao’s works, Princess Mononoke does not hold back from presenting grotesque and confusing scenes (although at the PG-13 level). While steeped in Japanese spiritual mythology and lore, the smart and selective viewer will discover that there is much more than meets the eye.
(1997 ~ Studio Ghibli)
Watch if you:
(+) Enjoy films about caring and respecting nature
(+) Like exciting, action-filled films
(+) Want to see one of the more mature Ghibli films
Skip if you:
(-) Can’t deal with violence
(-) Want something soothing
(-) Dislike portrayals of other gods
Biblical Themes:
(+) Struggling with “justified” hatred
(+) Accepting that your desires aren’t always what’s best
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Gruesome violence (more so than any other Ghibli film)
(-) Inclusion of “gods” as influenced by Shinto
Read articles about Princess Mononoke / Available for purchase on Amazon
Time of Eve (Movie)
Eve no Jikan
Originally adapted from an ONA series (available on Crunchyroll here), Time of Eve is the definitive anime AI philosophy study written in a peaceful time period (think iRobot, but replace Will Smith with a high school boy, and all of the mind-numbing action with discussions at a coffee shop). Based on Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, Time of Eve works to provide an intelligent, but entertaining look at how human computers can be, and what that means for the human race in the future. Although, as mentioned before, Time of Eve is available in its original form for free streaming (as linked above), the movie is the definitive format of the work, as it ties all the ONA episodes together into one seamless story with additional scenes and content (as well as a new theme song).
(2010 ~ Studio Rikka)
Watch if you:
(+) Like philosophical quandaries
(+) Are intrigued by near future science fiction
(+) Value a small, but well-developed cast of characters
(+) Like dry humor
Skip if you:
(-) Get bored easily
(-) Prefer action sci-fi
Biblical Themes:
(+) The aspects of a person that make him human (the primary discussion of the film)
(+) Sacrificial love
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Suggestive themes and apparel
(-) Implied sexual themes
(-) Mild language
Available for purchase on Amazon
Tokyo Godfathers
Tokyo Godfathers
It’s Christmastime in Tokyo, but the most wonderful time of the year is anything but that for some of the city’s homeless, including Gin, an alcoholic; Hana, a drag queen; and Miyuki, a teen runaway. But when the trio find an abandoned baby girl in the trash, they put away their difficulties to find the girl’s mother. As they traverse the city, their journey demonstrates the harshness that might be all too common for the homeless, but it also provides hope, as the three experience miracles of their own as they seek to reunite mother and child in this harsh and vibrant film.
(2009 ~ Madhouse)
Watch if you:
(+) Enjoy gritty films
(+) Like protagonists that are antiheroes
(+) Don’t mind some surrealistic or fantastical aspects in an otherwise realistic movie
(+) Prefer a heavy dose of comedy in your drama
Skip if you:
(-) Are sensitive to violence, cursing, and sexual content
(-) Have difficulty with homosexual and transgender content
Biblical Themes:
(+) Sin, forgiveness, and grace
(+) Underlying Christmas references
(+) Prodigal Son allusions
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Brief nudity (bare breasts in the context of breastfeeding)
(-) Violence
(-) Homosexual themes
(-) Crossdressing
(-) Coarse language
Read articles about Tokyo Godfathers / Available for purchase on Amazon
Yes, Time of Eve. Oh how I love that movie let me count the ways.
Time of Eve is SO amazing.
Tokyo Godfathers doesn’t feature a drag queen. The character is a trans woman.
Isn’t she both? I’m a novice when it comes to LGBT terminology, but aren’t drag queens associated with performance or really overtly demonstrating femininity? I think Hana qualifies as such. If not, please enlighten me – I need all the education on this topic that I can get.
What about the film Patema Inverted? I found it to be a fantastic story with biblical elements such as sacrifice, the story of the good Samaritan, understanding, compassion, and love. It’s a kids’ film too, so there is not really any suggestive content in it.
I am a big fan of that movie, myself! Unfortunately, as is the problem with our anime recommendations page, we simply cannot add EVERY anime out there worth watching. There’s always a chance it might make an appearance in the future, though! Especially since I like it, heh 😛
Awesome! It just came to mind while I was reading this list. I hope you guys add it. It’s a great film!
For more recent recommendations, I loved “A Silent Voice”, and definitely feels like it belongs on this list!
UUUURUGH, you recommended Princess Mononoke??? *wince* I’ve been trying to forget that one ever since I saw it! Although I will give you this; you did at least *mention* the horrific violence (and the Shinto-influenced gods, although that doesn’t really disturb me in Ghibli films – as evidenced by my intense love of Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro).
I also second J’s recommendation of “A Silent Voice”. It definitely belongs on this list – I have never seen a more Christian anime. But Mononoke… no. No. Definitely not. If you REALLY want something that has horrific violence in it (WHY????) but is still worth watching for everything else, go for Grave of the Fireflies. It will tear your heart out and BURN it. I managed to get through it exactly once, and I will never put myself through it again, but I’m kind of glad I made it through that one time. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.