Anime cinema does not live alone Studio Ghibli. Although his classics marked generations, there are equally powerful feature films that deserve a place at the forefront. These ten “10/10” films are a perfect gateway to expanding your horizon beyond Ghibli.
The Boy and the Beast: growing up is also finding a place
The movies of Mamoru Hosoda They usually touch on family, identity and maturity. In The Boy and the BeastRen, a boy who has just lost his mother, arrives by chance in the Kingdom of Beasts and becomes a disciple of the rude Kumatetsu. The film traces the relationship between the two—conflictive at the beginning, close over time—and combines adventure with a very earthly exploration of belonging.
Your Name: the romance that conquered the world
Your Name It is that phenomenon that, by sheer box office, surpasses many Ghibli films. Makoto Shinkai signs a love story with a supernatural twist: Mitsuha and Taki, teenagers from opposite worlds, begin to exchange bodies. The film is an emotional ups and downs with comedy, drama and twists that are supported by impeccable visuals and an unforgettable soundtrack.
A Silent Voice: a direct blow to the heart
Without supernatural elements, A Silent Voice It is a visually beautiful work and, at the same time, a human drama that is rarely seen in commercial fiction. Shoya Ishida was a childhood bully; Years later, burdened with guilt and isolation, he tries to reconcile with Shoko Nishimiya, a deaf girl. The film addresses bullying, depression, social exclusion and suicidal ideation honestly, but leaves room for kindness and hope.
In This Corner of the World: war from everyday life
not only Grave of the Fireflies talks about war. Also set in World War II, In This Corner of the World follows Suzu, a young woman from a coastal town near Hiroshima. With an almost traditional tone, it shows how conflict contaminates a quiet life with subtle and devastating blows at the same time, balancing pain and small gestures of humanity.
Maquia: motherhood in a fantasy world
The protagonist, Maquiabelongs to the Iorph, a long-lived race. After the attack that destroys her home, she finds an abandoned human baby, Ariel, and decides to raise him. Although the setting is fantastical, the film is an intimate portrait of motherhood: unbreakable love, the trials of survival, and the contrast between Maquia's longevity and Ariel's accelerated growth.
Colorful: a second chance in the face of guilt
Lesser known but deeply moving, Colorful It begins with a nameless soul that, about to leave, occupies the body of Makoto Kobayashi, a student who took his own life. In six months, he must discover what Makoto's “sin” was. The film enters squarely into depression and family pain with honesty, and yet proposes a bright exit.
Night Is Short, Walk on Girl: a night of absolute freedom
Whoever knows Masaaki Yuasa recognize your style instantly. This film follows a college girl's surreal night out in Kyoto: weird, comical, unpredictable and charming. It is an expressive and playful work that invites you to “let yourself go,” more interested in experience than in solemnity.
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas: much more than a peculiar title
Behind its misleading name is a sincere drama. An apathetic boy finds a diary in the hospital and meets its owner, Sakura Yamauchiwho confesses his terminal illness. She wants to complete a bucket list and he ends up accompanying her. It is a coming-of-age that does not disguise the tragedy, but hits with a powerful ending.
Look Back: the vertigo of creating
Released in 2024, Look Back It soon established itself as a modern jewel. Two friends—Fujino and Kyomoto—come together over their passion for drawing and dream of being mangakas. What is extraordinary is how the film conveys love for the act of creating, while also showing the setbacks, comparisons and grief that come with that life choice.
Perfect Blue & the work of Satoshi Kon: identity on a tightrope
Perfect Blue (1997) is the debut of Satoshi Kona psychological thriller about Mima, a former idol who changes careers and begins to lose her footing between reality and fiction. The theme—the identity that is blurred—runs through his entire filmography, from the dreamlike fantasy of Paprika to the hopeful meditation on the legacy in Millennium Actress. They are films that remain valid for their visual pulse and their reading of fame and perception.
To discuss: If you had to remove a movie from this list and replace it with another, which one would you take out and which one would you put in? Defend it with a specific scene.
