This weekly blog series, published each Friday evening, features five films from streaming services which you can access for free using your library card. The five selections this week are all anime films, meaning they are animated movies from Japan. Each story stands apart from the others, though they all have wonderful movement and beautiful design.
Children of the Sea
Available on Hoopla in English or Japanese
Ruka has always felt an affinity for aquariums. She meets two mysterious boys there, Umi and Sora, who claim to have been raised by dugongs. All three of them hear strange callings from the ocean that scientists can only guess at. Fish are disappearing across the world, and only Ruka, Umi, and Sora can get to the source of the trouble. Magnificent underwater sequences and reverence for nature make this an anime that has to be seen to be believed. Based on the manga of the same name, it is also noteworthy for having a Black protagonist.
Tokyo Godfathers
Available on Hoopla
A bickering homeless trio consisting of a gruff old man, a lively trans woman, and a rebellious teenage girl discover an abandoned baby on the wintry streets of Tokyo. Their journey to return the infant to its family will reconnect each would-be savior with someone from their past. The gradual reveal of each nuanced character's past combines with a sharp sense of humor to deliver an unforgettable Christmas adventure.
The Case of Hana & Alice
Available on Kanopy and Hoopla
When Alice moves to a new neighborhood with her divorced mom and starts at a new school, she does not count on uncovering a missing person mystery. She also does not count on befriending a reclusive girl, Hana, who has her own mysterious ties to the disappearance. Together, they spy on potential witnesses and uncover the unlikely chain of events that led to a missing classmate. This movie uses rotoscope animation, meaning the characters are illustrated over live-action footage played by actors.
Weathering With You
Available on Hoopla in English or Japanese
A teenage runaway looks for work in downtown Tokyo and meets a girl who seems to have some control over the weather. Their odd jobs bring them and her little brother closer together, but forces on Earth and beyond threaten to tear them apart. This is a deeply sentimental love story with a supernatural element that turns feelings into storms and sunshine. The extremely realistic portrayal of the Tokyo setting is impressive, and the tear-jerker of a soundtrack will stick with you.
Promare
Available on Hoopla in English or Japanese
"Look here already," you may be thinking. "These mysteries and slices of life and personal dramas are all well and good, but where's the action? Where are the giant robots? Where's the flashy, kinetic style that feels like cotton candy on the eyeballs?" Thanks for sticking around for Promare to bring the house down. The entire movie feels like a giant finale to your favorite action anime, complete with constantly moving cameras, bright transformation and powering up sequences, detailed particle and explosion effects everywhere, and superpowers that only scale up. There's a story involving pilots in robot suits fighting flame-based mutants, as well as the aforementioned explosions.
If this was purely a list of anime available for streaming, it would be about twenty items longer. There are plenty more anime to discover for free on Kanopy and Hoopla.
