Japanese animation or 'Anime'/'Manga' are terms to represent animated productions that are either hand drawn or computer animations turned into film. Some of the greatest and award winning animation productions have come from Japan and have been so successful because of their vibrant, inventive and unique story lines, interesting characters and fantastic themes. There are over 430 mainstream animation studios within the industry including major name Studio Ghibli who produced the Hayao Miyazaki collection. Other well known companies are Production I.G., Madhouse and Tokyo Movie Shinsha, but to name a few!
A little bit on Hayao Miyazaki though; "Not a day goes by that I do not utilise the tools learned from studying Miyazaki's films" - John Lasseter, writer and director of "Toy Story 1 & 2" and "A Bug's Life".
I personally love Anime/Manga films and have quite a collection. After finally watching Akira (1988) recently of which was mesmerising , I decided to create a list of the seven best Japanese animation films of all time (well my opinion anyway) ...
#7
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
This production by Sunrise, Bones and Bandai Visual is a feature-length animation classic that derives from the Cowboy Bebop television cartoon series. The movie is set on Mars in 2071 and is about a group of bounty hunters who end up having to save Alba City, a vast area, which is rife with violence and crime.
The film starts with a terrorist truck explosion. Attracted by a huge reward for finding the one responsible, Cowboy Bebop's main character and former police officer, Spike along with his comrades decide to investigate.
The film's score is one of classic and jazz, which really creates a futuristic gangster feel to it and along with its coarse language and quick wit, it truly is one to watch. 7.4/10.
#6
Pom Poko (1994)
This is the first film on this list which is written by the genius Hayao Miyazaki and from the Studio Ghibli collection. Its plot is one of nature vs man in relation to man wanting to invade the way of life of the teddy-bear-raccoon-like creatures known as the Tanuki.
This characters are very soft and appealing for a family night in, but its message is clear of how modern day construction has affected the way of life for all animals through deforestation.
What distinguishes this from all other Studio Ghibli productions is its vast amount of humour and diverse character's attributes. The most enjoyable aspect of Pom Poko is it's a film that does not take itself too seriously, but it is still incredibly imaginative and splendorous to watch. 7.6/10.
#5
Metropolis (2001)
To start with, Metropolis is a visual masterpiece. Its setting is within a smoggy and mysterious city, which is overpopulated by humans and robots. Metropolis's incredible themes and music make it a captivating piece of cinematography that draws the viewer in immediately.
As well as its incredible themes, its characters are strongly rounded by their distinctive features. The story itself is of Kenichi and his uncle Shunsaku Ban, who come across a young robot girl named Tima and it's their mission to help her discover where she came from.
Metropolis gives a futuristic animated feel that can be compared to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. What this film does right is it pays attention to the little details, an ingredient all Japanese Anime should do. 7.8/10.
#4
Akira (1988)
Upon its production, Akira was the most expensive film ever made in Japan. It was, and arguably still is the most impressive.
It is set in an explicitly violent post-war "Neo-Tokyo", which is under a military regime. Akira's main character Kaneda is the leader of a motorcycle gang, who race through the city jousting with other gangs and cyberpunks. The story really escalates when Kaneda's emotional friend, Tetsuo is captured by military personnel for experimental reasons.
Akira's visual brilliance can be compared to Metropolis's because of the exceptional attention to detail that is paid to Neo-Tokyo. The bike scenes can be described as "Tron"-like, but be warned, Akira has some graphic and bloody showdowns throughout.
The futuristic animation and imagination is second to none, considering this film was made in the 1980s. 8.1/10.
#3
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Princess Mononoke is the first film on this list to be both directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki. When it was released in Japan, its box office success in 1997 was only outdone by "Titanic", which states this film's landmark feat as one of the true greats because of its phenomenal popularity then and now.
This spiritually wondrous film features gods, demons and much like "Pom Poko" concentrates its story on deforestation elements. The music score supplied by Joe Hisaishi gives Princess Mononoke a majestic grace, which allows the audience to feel as though they are transported to the film's vast spiritual forestry surrounding.
There is one particular scene where the main character, Prince Ashitaka walks through a forest opening and the ground below his feet begins to spring to life - a comparison to this can be seen in "Avatar (2009) where the ground glows as the Na'vi step or "connect" to Pandora.
The plot is of man vs beast, but one that is set in such a magical fashion and will remain timeless. 8.4/10.
#2
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
"The first truly adult animation film to reach levels of literary and visual excellence... An important visionary work" - James Cameron director of Terminator 1 & 2 and Aliens.
Ghost in the Shell is a manga feature set in a futuristic time where cyborgs and humans co-exist. However, this mixture of artificial beings and human beings has created a time when some who were once human have piece-by-piece become something mechanical. This transformation has happened to Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg, who is tackling cyberspace criminal activity through plugging herself into the 'data-sea'.
The film's central theme is one that can be seen when the cyborgs and humans walk from place to place in the nameless city hypnotised by advertisements which raises the profound question, 'what separates the emotionless humans from the cyborgs?' A question that can be used to describe our own computer-aged 21st Century life... 8.8/10.
#1
Spirited Away (2001)
Hayao Miyazaki's greatest masterpiece and Academy Award winning Spirited Away is rightfully at the number 1 spot and is still Japan's highest grossing animation feature.
The film's story centres around Chihiro, a young girl who, by accident, ends up in what seems to be an abandoned oriental theme park. As the evening light darkens, the theme park becomes a bathhouse for the gods and as Chirhiro gets separated from her parents she begins her journey.
Spirited Away really shows Miyazaki's vision and understanding of the childhood mind and psychology, something that can only be compared to the genius of Walt Disney. The main theme is of separation, fear, independence and the discovery of identity, which all entwine with the stunning visual surroundings of the boiler room, bathhouses and the vast beautiful stretches of oceans and land.
The characters are simply amazing and come straight from the imagination of the Studio Ghibli production team. Spirited Away will leave the viewer feeling they have just been taken on a journey into another time and space filled with beauty, terror and wonder. 9.1/10.
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