By Hannaan Fuad
The world of anime is an enchanting and wondrous place to explore, where dreams shine the brightest and the door of imagination is left wide open. In this world, you can find a collection of films that captivate you and invite you to a whimsical journey of hope and excitement. These ten anime masterpieces will uplift your soul in times when your world feels bleak and in need of a magical escape, and you will be left with a sense of wonder that allows you to view the world more optimistically.
Disclaimer: This list is mainly aimed at those who are still unfamiliar with anime films as those who are already familiar might have already watched them.
#1 Spirited Away
Spirited Away tells the story of a young girl who suddenly found herself in a resort for spirits and other supernatural beings. She needs to work there while figuring out how to escape the place and save her parents who were turned into pigs.
While the synopsis doesn’t fully capture the whole essence of the movie of its wonder and enchanting world, the story is very beautifully portrayed and mature enough for audiences of all ages. Add that to the fact that the visuals in this film are absolutely stellar and mesmerizing, you are promised a whimsical journey through the lens of an inspiring protagonist.
Chihiro’s character development throughout the film was very inspiring to see. Early in the movie, Chihiro was portrayed as a scared and timid young girl (understandably) who dislikes change. However, we can gradually see her changing into a confident young girl who is unphased at any challenges thrown at her.
My favourite scene is definitely when she boards the train that crosses the ocean to go to Zenibaba’s home. The scene instills a sense of tranquillity and calmness, plus the bonus points when No Face expresses its desire to follow Chihiro even after being scolded by her prior to this.
#2 Howl’s Moving Castle
Sophie experiences a turn of events when she suddenly was turned into an old lady by a witch after an unexpected encounter. She then ran away from her home and ended up in a magical walking castle owned by a handsome young wizard named Howl. Sophie later found out that the witch who turned her old was Howl’s old nemesis. The story follows her adventure with Howl as she navigates her new life while finding ways to return to her old self.
This film scratches the childish part in our brain where we wonder what it would be like if our house had legs and could walk on its own. Just like any other film in this list, the scenery in this film is absolutely breathtaking and has viewers daydreaming about a magical, serene place.
My favourite thing about this film other than the scenery is Sophie’s characteristics. How she’s so calm dealing with difficult characters is amusing and inspiring. I especially like it when she treats the Witch of the Waste like any other old grandma that needs care and doesn’t leave her alone during disastrous events even though she is the one who put the curse on Sophie.
#3 My Neighbour Totoro
Satsuke and Mei, her younger sister, move into an old country house with their father while their mother is in the hospital in that area. The two sisters encounter strange yet cute and playful spirits in the area as they explore their new home. One of them was Totoro, a huge and cuddly creature whom I adore for its toothy grin.
The sisters’ relationship was heartwarming and realistic and as viewers, you want nothing but to see the two not get separated. The scene where Mei wants to give their mother corn touched my heart and reminds me of the pure innocence of childhood.
I was first introduced to this movie when I was in kindergarten, therefore this movie will always have a special place in my heart that brings me nostalgic memories.
#4 Kiki’s Delivery Service
Kiki is a 13 years-old witch who settled in a town near the ocean to live independently as per the tradition of witches of her village. She’s accompanied by her talking black cat Jiji. After settling in an attic offered by a family that runs a bakery, she sets up a delivery service utilizing her ability to fly on a broomstick. However, she soon starts to doubt her own ability, and as a result, her magic abilities start to fade out. To overcome this hurdle, she must find a way to get her self-esteem up again.
I love this movie for its ambience and the vibes it gives me. The scene where she’s searching for a suitable town to live independently made me smile and imagine myself in her place, flying around on a broomstick accompanied by a dear pet. Her choice of living in a seaside town made me smile as I have always wanted to live in a town like that. The ambience of the bakery was also comforting. All in all, this is a comforting film and one I would watch to get my spirits up again.
#5 Ponyo
Ponyo tells the story of a ‘goldfish’ princess who wants to become human after meeting a human boy named Sosuke. However, her staying on land brings about a tsunami that submerged the whole town, safe for Sosuke’s home on top of a hill. Ponyo’s father tries to bring Ponyo back to the ocean because her staying on land would bring world disaster.
This story is adorable and the characters are lovable too. I adore Sosuke, especially his relationship with his mother. The boy seemed mature for his age while still possessing a curious and imaginative mind of a child. A scene where little Ponyo sleeps on a jellyfish’s back captured my heart and made me dream of what it would be like to sleep on a jellyfish’s back under the water. The film takes you away to a cheerful and optimistic world where the problems don’t really feel like it’s going to end the world. That is if you ignore the adult’s hunch in you telling that this story symbolizes a quite darker theory.
#6 Your Name
Taki suddenly wakes up as a girl one day while Mitsuha wakes up as a boy. It turns out that they swap bodies every other time even though they have never met and are complete strangers to each other. When they decide to meet each other in person, things start to become more complicated.
I admit that I cried the first time watching this film. The scene of the two on the crater was breathtaking and beautifully sad. I can’t write much about what I love about this film without spoiling it. However, this film is an absolute masterpiece that is liked by all generations.
#7 Suzume
A fateful encounter between Suzume and Souta one day leads to a whole new world and adventure for Suzume, who lives with her aunt after the death of her mother. She finds out that Souta’s job is to close doors that lead to the Ever-After, where a humongous worm can escape from and cause natural disasters on Earth. She ends up assisting him when Souta was turned into a chair by Daijin.
Daijin was definitely the highlight of this film for me. The cheeky cat captured my heart even though it’s portrayed as an evil character initially. Daijin’s voice actor played an excellent job portraying the cat’s smug know-it-all attitude while still sounding cute. Souta turning into a chair was a turn of events that I didn’t expect to happen, but it adds flavour to the film and is the main driving factor for the plot to unravel.
#8 Wolf Children
After Hana’s husband who was a wolf man died, she moves to a countryside village to let her children grow up freely as wolf children. They start to have adventures and explore the intricate balance between being a human and a wolf. The two children later grow up, choosing their own paths to follow.
This film is a little bit different from the others in that it is less fairy-tale-like and much more realistic – save for the half-human half-wolf part. I cried buckets watching this film. This film for me feels like a love letter to parents all around the world, especially single parents who are wondering if they are raising their children correctly. The way the two children choose different paths might feel unfortunate for some and sad, but that is the reality of life, where at some point in life, we will find things that we want to do despite what other people around us say.
All of these films have in common the beautiful scenery that makes you feel like you’re transported to another world. You can literally screen capture every moment in these films to make it your desktop’s background picture. Other than that, the stellar soundtrack of each of these films also is guaranteed to enhance your viewing experience. I recommend you watch them in their original audio with subtitles instead of the dubbed version to fully appreciate the original version of these masterpieces, however, if you prefer the dubbed version, I will not shame you for it. Happy watching!
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