Staff Picks
Where to Start Your Anime Journey
- Bryan B.
- Saturday, May 01, 2021
Collection
Anime can be an overwhelming medium, especially for someone new. This collection of anime movies are a great starting point to begin your exploration of the medium. Works range from family friendly works by Hayao Miyazaki to the deep and psychological works of the late Satoshi Kon. Whichever you choose, you're bound to find a new world in anime.
Akira.
Published in 2013
Clandestine army activities threaten the war-torn city of Neo-Tokyo when a mysterious being with powerful psychic abilities escapes his prison and inadvertently draws a violent motorcycle gang into a heinous web of experimentation. As a result, a biker with a twisted mind embarks on a path of war, seeking revenge against a society that once called him weak.
Cowboy Bebop
The Movie.
Published in 2010
A terrorist bomb destroyed a tanker truck on Highway One on Mars, killing hundreds. The rewards for the bomber's capture is massive and the crew of the Bebop would love to get their hands on it. Rated R for violence.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
.
Published in 2016
After discovering she can leap through time, high school student Makoto Konno does what any teenager would do. She re-takes tests, corrects embarrassing situations, and sleeps in as late as she wants, never thinking that her carefree time traveling could have a negative effect on the people she cares about. By the time she realizes the damage she|s done, she|ll have to race against time to set things right.
Grave of the Fireflies.
Published in 2012
As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. They are forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth.
Howl's Moving Castle.
Published in 2006
Sophie, who helps out at her late father's hat shop, is transformed one day by a witch into an old woman. Sophie seeks out the help of the wizard Howl, who has an amazing moving castle which is fueled by a fire demon named Calcifer.
Kiki's Delivery Service.
Published in 2010
A young witch named Kiki and her chatty black cat Jiji befriend a bakery owner who helps Kiki start her own high-flying delivery service. Bonus features: Enter the Lands - meet the characters and hear the story of the movie; and Behind the Studio - featuring documentaries, interviews, and much more.
My Neighbor Totoro
Published in 2013
Two young sisters spend a summer in the Japanese countryside with their father. The children's strange new home turns out to be a wonderland filled with creatures and a trio of furry woodland sprites who can only be seen by children. Bonus features: Enter the Lands - meet the characters and hear the story of the movie; and Behind the Studio - featuring documentaries, interviews, and much more.
Ninja Scroll
The Motion Picture.
Published in 2015
Jubei Kibagami has always been the master dealer of death, but in rescuing a ninja woman from a monster he sets loose a chain of events that puts death in his own veins and sends them on a nightmarish odyssey through a surreal and devil infested ancient Japan. How do demonic possessions, an annihilated village, and a man Jubei thought safely buried in his past all connect? If Jubei can't piece the blood-soaked clues together, his only consolation will be that he won't live to regret it.
Paprika.
Published in 2007
A beautiful scientist turns into a dream warrior named Paprika at night in this psychedelic sci-fi anime adventure, and it will take both versions of the woman to save the world.
Perfect Blue
Published in 2019
Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren't ready to see her go. Encouraged by her managers, Mima takes on a recurring role on a popular TV show, when suddenly her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima's reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows.
A Silent Voice [COMBO Pack]
The Movie
Published in 2019
A deaf elementary school girl named Shoko Nishimiya transfers to a new school and meets a boy named Shoya Ishida. Shoya leads the school in bullying Shoko over her disability until she transfers to another school. Immediately, the class bullies Shoya for having bullied Shoko. Shoya loses contact with Shoko, and for years he suffers the consequences of his guilt. Upon entering high school, Shoya finally decides he must find Shoko, determined to make amends for what he did in elementary school.
Spirited Away
.
Published in 2015
Chihiro and her parents accidentally wander into another world ruled by witches and monsters. When her parents are captured by the ruler of the world, she tricks the witch into hiring her so she can figure out how to free them.
Tōkyō Goddofāzāzu =
Tokyo Godfathers
Published in 2003
From legendary director Satoshi Kon, the story of three homeless people who's lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve.
Weathering with You
Published in 2020
From Makoto Shinkai, the director of the global smash hit Your Name., comes a critically-acclaimed romantic drama set in the rain soaked streets of modern Tokyo. English voice cast includes Alison Brie, Lee Pace and Riz Ahmed.
Your Name
Published in 2017
Two strangers find themselves linked in a bizarre way. When a connection forms, will distance be the only thing to keep them apart?