5 Best Anime Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movies to Watch

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1. Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, 2017

Fun and whimsical to its core, this animated film takes viewers on a visually captivating, surreal, and enchanting journey through a single night in Kyoto. The movie immerses you in an entertaining and eccentric world with its vibrant animation, characters, and offbeat humor following two unnamed characters only referred to as "The Girl with Black Hair" and "Senpai." The narrative weaves together various quirky encounters, love interests, and strange events, keeping you engaged and curious. Blending romance, comedy, and coming-of-age themes, Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a joyous celebration of youth, adventure, and the unpredictable nature of life's unexpected twists and turns.

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Actor: Ami Koshimizu, Aoi Yuki, Chikara Honda, Gen Hoshino, Hiroshi Kamiya, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Junichi Suwabe, Kana Hanazawa, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Kazuya Nakai, Masaaki Yuasa, Mugihito, Nobuyuki Hiyama, Ryuji Akiyama, Seiko Niizuma, Yuhko Kaida

Director: Masaaki Yuasa

Rating: PG-13

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2. Mars Express, 2023

The premise of Mars Express may not be novel, especially when films like Blade Runner have already gracefully explored the philosophical ramifications of the human-tech conflict. But the French animated movie’s richly built world, (digitally) hand-drawn characters, genuinely gripping action, and far-reaching ideas about space make it a refreshing watch. The plot is taut and tight, too, peppered with twists and grounded by character depth. It may look simple at first glance, predictable even, but by the end, you’ll be over the moon by the film’s imagination and ambition.Genre: Action, Animation, Mystery, Science Fiction
Actor: Daniel Njo Lobé, Emmanuel Bonami, Geneviève Doang, Léa Drucker, Marie Bouvet, Marie Chevalot, Marthe Keller, Martial Le Minoux, Mathieu Amalric, Sébastien Chassagne
Director: Jérémie Périn
Rating: NR

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3. The Gene of AI, 2023

In a world acclimated to the technological advancements and integration of AI, Sudo Hikaru offers illegal medical procedures in the hopes of finding the people behind his mother's stolen data. The Gene of AI takes an interestingly neutral tone towards the integration of humanoids among the population (akin to our current normal with social media and smartphones). Even as the question of ethics and legality weaves through everyday conversations, the idea of AI being inherently bad is never the conclusion. So far, the narrative follows a procedural format that feeds each new case/scenario back into Hikaru's search.

With a small primary cast and a heavy hand on CGI (which feels deliberate given how the show discusses the human-technology relationship), the show has the potential to deliver a memorable narrative in the transhumanism genre.

Genre: Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Mutsuki Iwanaka, Natsumi Takamori, Takeo Otsuka, Yume Miyamoto

Rating: TV-14

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4. Angel's Egg, 1985

A beautiful enigma from start to finish, Angel's Egg follows a young girl carrying a large egg through a desolate, post-apocalyptic world. She meets a young boy who helps her on her journey, and together they search for answers about the egg and the world they inhabit. Filled with religious symbolism, it teeters between a story about the creation of the universe and a meditation on the nature of faith and belief. From director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell), this largely wordless film relies on its surreal and enigmatic dark visuals and atmosphere to tell its story. Heavy with silence and shadows, this disturbingly stunning film is up for interpretation.

Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

Actor: Jinpachi Nezu, Keiichi Noda, Mako Hyodo, Mako Hyoudou

Director: Mamoru Oshii

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5. Reign of the Seven Spellblades, 2023

It's a new term at Kimberly Magic School, an academy with an 80% survival rate. Immediately we are introduced to the school's magical compound and our two main leads, Oliver Horn and Nanao Hibiya. Nanao, in particular, sticks out in her samurai garb and nonchalance toward danger (and most social cues), which is saying something since this is already an odd world filled with talking plants, magical creatures, and a busty, threatening headmistress. Because it chooses worldbuilding over backstories, the fantasy series doesn't seem as formulaic as it could be. But it does expertly set up the dangers the students will experience in the next seven years. It's also interesting that the magical students rely on swords instead of the usual wands; the possibility of even deadlier fights later in the series makes it an easy draw.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Atsushi Tamaru, Hitomi Ohwada, Misuzu Yamada, Riho Sugiyama, Yuka Nukui

Rating: TV-14

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