Princess Mononoke
One of the best ecological parables ever made and a beautifully animated film. It refuses to settle for an easy, cartoonish answer and instead examines why intelligent beings can be so self-destructive and violent.
Haibane Renmei
A great character drama and psychological examination of the mystery of death. Yoshitoshi ABe's art is great and the series was one of the first in the "healing" genre. It takes a few episodes to set up the world before the drama takes off in earnest.
Grave of the Fireflies
Haunting and moving film about two children trying to survive during WWII. A very believable and realistic portrayal of childish pride and suffering. One of Takahata's best.
Laputa
One of the best pure adventure films ever made. An example of nearly-perfect pacing and full to the brim with Miyazaki's inventive designs. Great soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi too, especially the extended international OST.
Spirited Away
A visually stunning film with multiple layers of depth and mythological underpinnings. Inventive designs and quirky animation breathe life into the various ghosts, spirits, and demons.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
One of the funniest, most charming, and most moving time travel movies ever made. Mamoru Hosoda demonstrates his ability to juggle humor, irony, and drama, and the animation is a joy to watch,
The Wings of Honneamise
Hard sci-fi movie about an alternate Earth's space race and the way it affects the people living on it. Gainax's most serious work.
Little Witch Academia
A charming and exquisitely animated short film by Yoh Yoshinori. Still the best thing Trigger has ever done.
Time of Eve
Asimov as anime. It examines what it would mean to have a society full of highly intelligent robots in a gentle and charming way.
My Neighbor Totoro
A really unique fantasy story about two young girls in the countryside and the magical creature they meet. Miyazaki's naturalistic style and flair for fantasy combine to great effect here.
The Vision of Escaflowne
One of the best fantasy series out there with knights, mecha, monsters, romance, and more. The increasingly outrageous plot is kept in check by the strong archetypal characters, and director Kazuki Akane demonstrates his mastery of dynamic, exciting action sequences.
Monster
Psychological thriller that examines what it means to be a monster. Features a great sense of atmosphere and an unusual setting for anime, along with a large cast of interesting, complex characters.
The Garden of Words
A beautifully drawn film about responding to the pressures of life and feet. Makoto Shinkai's strongest movie so far.
Whisper of the Heart
A coming-of-age story with wonderful animation and charm.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
One of the greatest space adventures in anime.
Flowers of Evil
The story of an introverted teen and how he deals or fails to deal with puberty and its extreme effects on his psyche. The rotoscoping takes some getting used to, especially in its cheaper moments, but Nagahama's ability to depict internal psychological states through external symbolism works wonderfully with Studio Pablo's stunning background art.
The Tatami Galaxy
A love comedy that explores the meaning behind the pursuit of romance. Masaaki Yuasa's fast-paced, unique visual style complements wonderfully the breakneck narration and chronologically confused story.
Fate/Zero
An incredibly well-done urban fantasy in the "Battle Royale" mode. A rather silly premise taken seriously, with the help of Ei Aoki's mature direction and Ufotable's strong production value.
Only Yesterday
An imaginative film that examines a young girl's childhood and the effects it's had on her as an adult. Takahata's ability to depict normal events in a magical way through the freedom of animation has never been more evident.
From the New World
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi series that deals with the malleable and manipulatable nature of the human mind. True speculative fiction in the sense that the story examines the natural consequences of humans gaining psychic powers. Despite some stumbles, Masashi Ishihama gives the series a sense of palpable, brooding horror and unease.
Colorful
A dead boy gets one more chance at life, but he has to solve the mystery of his sin while inhabiting the body of another boy who attempted suicide. The realism of the characters depicted can be crushing, but it's ultimately a hopeful story.
Gunslinger Girl
An action drama that deals with a fictional agency in Italy using pre-teen cyborg assassins and the toll the work takes on the girls and their handlers. Despite the inherent silliness of the premise, the series works hard to portray the characters believably and sympathetically.
Beautiful Dreamer
Mamoru Oshii at his best. A story about silly characters in a disturbing and mystical situation.
Angel's Egg
Mamoru Oshii at his most allegorical, in a slow-paced and deeply symbolic film featuring two characters in a lonely and deeply symbolic world. Features amazing art from Yoshitaka Amano.
Kino's Journey
An exploration of anthropologically-minded short stories. Ryuutarou Nakamura gives the series a consistent and even-handed tone as it explores the kinds of societies that humanity tends to build.
Macross Plus
A stunningly directed OVA series about a group of estranged friends, experimental mecha, and an insane A.I.
Summer Wars
An epically fun movie about family ties, the internet, and communication.
Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen
If you can get past the bad first episode and weird dolls, it's a surprisingly effective depiction of a psychologically damaged shut-in.
Space Dandy
An anthology of stand-alone short films built around the framing device of a bumbling alien hunter and his wacky sidekicks. From the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
Harmonie
A short film about communication and miscommunication.
Hyouka
One of the most richly animated TV series ever made, Hyouka is a surprisingly well-written school life anime focused on mundane mysteries and the people who solve them. What at first glance appear to be stock characters slowly reveal hidden layers and complicated, human motivations, presented with a deliberate pacing and engulfed in the series' lavish, melancholy atmosphere.
