If you have the anime bug, you may already be familiar with many of the most well-known and frequently suggested anime movies, including Studio Ghibli’s creations and Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Your Name, and others. However, despite being fantastic, several other movies haven’t exactly achieved the same fame. In comparison to the aforementioned giants of Japanese animation, they may not be forgotten as the most of them are well-known to enthusiasts, but they continue to be little-known. Therefore, we have highlighted seven underrated anime movies that are deserving of your attention and admiration.
Angel’s Egg (1985)
A brilliant early film by the legendary Mamoru Oshii is called Angel’s Egg. Even though Oshii would later get widespread praise for his 1995 masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, Angel’s Egg is still one of his greatest works. It can be difficult to approach because of the little speech and the fact that the plot is mainly communicated through symbols. It can be interpreted in a variety of ways: Some have used religious lenses to understand Angel’s Egg as a movie about faith, while others see innocence as its main theme (more on this from Tor). It resembles a visual poem more than a piece of narrative fiction, in a way. And that is heartbreakingly, eerie beauty. The movie’s mood can be appreciated without choosing to travel down the rabbit hole of interpretation.
Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
The movie Belladonna of Sadness is quite intriguing. It is a Japanese cartoon that hardly resembles the genre, is set in mediaeval France, and is so overtly sensual that it has occasionally been referred to as an adult picture. Don’t let this discourage you, though: A stunning arthouse journey, animated in a manner that hasn’t been matched, is Belladonna of Sadness. Although its interpretation of the Faustian mythology leaves something to be desired, when faced with such exquisite images, it is tough to criticise story beats.
Memories (1995)
Memories is an anthology film, which means that three directors collaborated to create three unique animated films for the project: Magnetic Rose, Stink Bomb, and Cannon Fodder. This makes Memories different from the other works on this list. You can see three different types of anime movies that were adapted from a manga collection and each have a loose connection to the general theme of memory (per Forbes). The best of the bunch is Magnetic Rose, with its rich visuals and poignant depiction of love and grief. Although extremely energetic and hyper-stylized, as we might anticipate from the author of Akira, Cannon Fodder is also a visual delight.
Millennium Actress (2001)
Millennium Actress is a fantastic film by the renowned Japanese director Satoshi Kon, while Perfect Blue and Paprika continue to be his best recognised works. It is pretended to be an interview with an ailing retired actress who was once a big star but quickly turns into a very reflective examination of memory, grief, and love. The movie makes it difficult to determine how real life and fiction vary from one another. Chiyoki Fujiwara, an actress, saw art and life as inextricably linked. Her memories don’t clearly distinguish between her “actual life” and her appearances in movies, so Millennium Actress veers erratically between the two. It is unlike any other movie in the world.
Mind Game (2004)
Japanese animation’s Mind Game by Masaaki Yuasa has gained cult status. It stands out largely for its aesthetic (we might more accurately say styles). Instead than sticking to one type of animation and art, the movie switches between them abruptly and without pausing to explain its transitions. Although its characters are weird and its plot convoluted, it is unquestionably a work of art visually. Variety is the utmost attribute for the amorphous Protean beast known as Mind Game.
Pom Poko (1994)
It may seem odd to place a Studio Ghibli movie on a list of overlooked anime movies as their productions are frequently enormous hits. However, Pom Poko has remained obscure since its debut in 1994. Pom Poko, a sometimes perplexing movie about talking raccoon dogs (also known as tanuki), is a charming comedic journey and a plea for change from environmentalists. Tanuki must band together against humanity in a fight for survival as their habitat is quickly being overtaken by suburban development. Despite all of its attractiveness, Pom Poko has a very real grief in it about Japan’s loss of its natural beauty.
Summer Wars (2009)
Summer Wars is a must-watch for fans of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (such as World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV). It applies virtual reality technology to video games and imagines a world in which we might find ourselves living, much to the anime series Sword Art Online. It’s also current because one of its main worries is the advancement of genuine artificial intelligence and the repercussions of a super-AI going rogue. One of the better anime movies of the 2000s, Summer Wars is stylish, action-packed, and intelligent.
