Anime

The Best Movies & TV of 2009: Anime

A new high-definition edition of Katsuhiro Otomo's landmark Akira tops our list of the best anime of 2009. See more faves in our Best Movies & TV of 2009 Store.

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Popular Anime Pre-orders

See our list of hot anime titles that you can pre-order now. We'll ship them to you as soon as they arrive.

Essentials by Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Master anime director Hayao Miyazaki uses his films to showcase his passions and obsessions, such as the freedom of flight, our relationship to nature, and the urgency of pacifism. More often than not, Miyazki’s epics feature a young heroine who must overcome daunting odds. My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away are bonafide children’s classics, while Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind and Princess Mononoke remain as some of the most politically charged anime ever created. Yet for all his profound themes, Miyazaki’s work remains consistently accessible, making his gorgeously animated films a delight for both kids and adults.

›Essentials by Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Essential Anime

As animation in Japan is not bound by the restrictions U.S. audiences have set, Japanese filmmakers regularly create features that are more dramatic, broadly comic, poetic, and exciting than American animation. Viewers unfamiliar with the directorial visions of the great Japanese directors will discover that animation is a far more flexible art form than they ever dreamed. See our Essential Anime Films, including:

• Akira
• Spirited Away
• Appleseed Ex Machina

›Essential Anime Films