Rose Red's Beginner's Guide to Anime, Part Three

Woo! Welcome to the last and final part of my Beginner's Guide to Anime! Today, I'm talking about all of the anime movies I'd recommend for those who want to get into anime but don't know where to start. If you missed out on Parts One and Two of this Guide, you can find them here and here. I promise that I didn't just make a list of Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli films. Well, mostly. Let's talk about some anime movies, shall we?

your name. (2016)

Director: Makoto Shinkai

Studio: CoMix Wave Films

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with any Makoto Shinkai film but I can say that your name. was my favorite movie I saw in the theaters in 2017, hands down. It's the story about two high school students who swap bodies. It's a story about the differences of living in different places with one of the characters living in Tokyo and the other in rural Japan. Not only is the story engrossing and heartwretching, but the animation is absolutely gorgeous! It's seriously beautiful. According to The Hollywood Reported, it beat out Miyazaki's Spirited Away to become the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. So if you need another reason to go see it besides my opinion, you can't get better than that.

How to Watch:

 This one will be available to rent from Amazon (and I'm sure iTunes) after January 30th. It's not streamed anywhere yet since it's such a new one. You'll have to wait unless you can buy it or borrow it.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Studio: Studio Ghibli 

I seriously could list every Miyazaki film on this list and it wouldn't be wrong. His films are amazing! I highly recommend all of them! But I'm only going to discuss one of them and that would be my favorite, Howl’s Moving Castle. It's an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 novel and is a whimsical adventure of the timid Sophie who has beem cursed with the body of an old crone by a jealous witch. She is rescued by a charismatic wizard who lives in a gigantic walking castle and Howl is my favorite. The whole cast of characters are awesome, to be honest. This is the film that I always recommend people start with who have never watched a Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli film before.

 How to Watch:

Unfortunately, Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli films aren't streamed so you're going to have to borrow it or buy it.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

Studio: Kadokawa Herald Pictures

If you discovered you could travel backwards in time, would you us your ability to help others or use it to help yourself? I would like to think I'd help others but I'd probably help myself like Makoto Konno in this movie. And that is essentially the premise of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time with Makoto discovering that there are consequences from her escapades through time. It’s a beautiful film with terrific animation. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to watch it. It's sci-fi speculative wish fulfillment at it's best.

How to Watch:

You can watch this one on Funimation if you have a premium subscription. You can buy/rent it through iTunes or you can borrow it.

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Studio: Studio Ghibli

I'm going to be honest. I was kind of obsessed with Mary Norton’s The Borrowers as a kid and I've seen all of its many adaptations. My favorite version is definitely Studio Ghibli's version. Not surprising, right? We're all familiar with the plot of The Borrowers so what more can I say than go watch it?

How to Watch:

Again, Studio Ghibli films aren't streamed so you're going to have to borrow it or buy it.

5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

Director: Makoto Shinkai

Studio: CoMix Wave Films

 Before this last year, 5 Centimeters Per Second was Makoto Shinkai's most well-known film. As much as I love your name., this movie is probably the best one to be introduced to Shinkai's work. It's a slice-of-life movie that focuses on two childhood friends who pine for one another while the other circumstances in their lives are trying to pull them apart. It's a movie that touches on topics such as distance, relationships, and missed opportunities. The story is actually told as three short stories that follows the main character, Takaki Tono, through his childhood, teen years, and eventual adulthood. It's unique format complements the gorgeous animation beautifully. I love this move so much!

How to Watch:

Yay! One you can actually stream online! You can watch this on Crunchyroll with most of Shinkai's other films.

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Director: Yoshifumi Kondo

Studio: Studio Ghibli

I didn't mean to make this list 50% Studio Ghibli films but it happened anyway. Whisper of the Heart is one of Ghibli's underappreciated treasures. It is a heartwarming coming-of-age story with an adorably endearing a romance. It's the story of Shizuku, a precocious bookworm who falls for the violin-maker, Seiji Amasawa, after discovering he shares her love of literature. Instead of professing her feelings for him, she is inspired to pursue her own passion for writing as a way to deal with them. It sounds sad but it's really an amazing movie. We wouldn't expect anything less than that from a Studio Ghibli film, would we?

How to Watch:

Sorry! I hate that Studio Ghibli films aren't offered digitally or streamed! Unfortunately, if you want to watch it you're going to have to borrow or buy it. 

That wraps up the my Beginner's Guide to anime. Is there any anime movies that I missed that you'd recommend for a newbie?