Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Actor: Ai Kakuma, Aki Toyosaki, Atsumi Tanezaki, Kazuyuki Okitsu, Kengo Kawanishi, Maaya Sakamoto, Makoto Furukawa, Manaka Iwami, Megumi Han, Miyuki Sawashiro, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Reina Ueda, Rie Kugimiya, Satomi Sato, Takahiro Sakurai, Takuya Eguchi, Toshiyuki Morikawa, You Taichi, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuma Uchida, Yuuichirou Umehara
Watching A Silent Voice, sensitive viewers will likely feel repulsion toward the main character, Shoya Ishida — and maybe you should, for the awful things he did as a kid. You might even feel the urge to jump into your screen and protect Shouko Nishimiya, the deaf girl who is new at school. A beautifully crafted anime, the story captures a high-school bully’s remorse and despair as he tries to redeem himself from past wrongdoing, demonstrating that even the cruelest among us can become vulnerable to feelings of shame and regret. While it is heart wrenching, the story is also full of hope, showing how to ask for forgiveness, as well as how to give it. Beyond the great script, animation, colours, and scoring, each shot of A Silent Voice is a masterpiece in and of itself.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aoi Yuki, Kensho Ono, Mayu Matsuoka, Megumi Han, Miyu Irino, Naoko Yamada, Saori Hayami, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Yoshitoki Oima, Yui Ishikawa, Yuki Kaneko
Director: Naoko Yamada
Co-produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli and directed by Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit, The Red Turtle is a tale about a man shipwrecked on a desert island whose fate is changed upon meeting a giant turtle. Beautiful images are pulled together and combined with the film’s delicate symbolism about humanity and nature, in a story told with remarkable restraint. The only sound in the movie is that of nature and the film’s beautifully relaxing score. Using only simple ingredients, The Red Turtle is an enigmatic, captivating, and highly-recommended gem that, after all, encompasses life itself.
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Actor: Barbara Beretta, Emmanuel Garijo, Tom Hudson
Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue is a chilling psychological thriller and a fantastic next step for those looking to explore anime’s dark side. Kon animates with Hitchcockian flair and is so successful at memorable compositions that Darren Aronofsky even lifted a scene from this into Requiem for a Dream.
Mima is a pop idol who abandons her singing career to become an actress. Shaken by a series of murders, and a stalker who knows her every move, she begins to lose her grip on reality. The rest is a riveting ride into Mima’s unraveling psyche in the vein of Mulholland Drive or Black Swan. This 1996 film not only anticipates the reality busting thrillers of the early aughts but also presages the way our identities are splintered across the internet.
Genre: Animation, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Akio Suyama, Emi Motoi, Emi Shinohara, Emiko Furukawa, Hideyuki Hori, Jin Yamanoi, Junko Iwao, Kaori Minami, Kishō Taniyama, Kiyoyuki Yanada, Kōichi Tōchika, Makoto Kitano, Masaaki Okura, Masashi Ebara, Megumi Tano, Osamu Hosoi, Rica Matsumoto, Rofuto Purasu Wan Burazâzu, Shiho Niiyama, Shin-ichiro Miki, Shin'ichirō Miki, Shinpachi Tsuji, Shokkâ Ôno, Soichiro Hoshi, Takashi Nagasako, Teiya Ichiryusai, Tōru Furusawa, Yoku Shioya, Yosuke Akimoto, Yousuke Akimoto
Director: Kou Matsuo, Satoshi Kon
Mesmerizing as its idol, Oshi No Ko is a spellbinding adaptation of the original manga hit. Centered around an idol’s secret twin children, this binge-worthy anime brilliantly takes the reincarnation trope to tackle the Japanese entertainment industry. The premise alone is brilliant, but stunning animation and catchy tracks elevate the source material. The show isn’t afraid to go in-depth– as the twins progress through their careers, certain scenes effectively explain quirks in the industry that regular viewers wouldn’t know. However, the show remains mindful of its young characters, ensuring a careful discussion without going too far. Oshi No Ko uncovers what makes stars so captivating, without sacrificing the glitz and glamor in its explanation.
Genre: Animation, Drama
Actor: Kent Ito, Manaka Iwami, Megumi Han, Rie Takahashi, Rumi Okubo, Takeo Otsuka, Yumi Uchiyama, Yurie Igoma
With teenage insomnia rates increasing worldwide, it’s a wonder how a story like this hasn’t been made until now. Insomniacs After School takes a charming approach to this issue– viewing it not as a reason to shame the youth over but just as an unfortunate circumstance that requires support. In this case, it's heartwarming to see how support comes from the school community. While restarting the astronomy club may not be sound medical advice, it's clear how valuable the school observatory is as a safe space for Nakami and Magari. It's uplifting to see the school nurse, alumni, student council, and fellow classmates root for the club and their events. Most of all, it's comforting to see Nakami and Magari help each other with their insomnia. Their shared comfort and support, along with the backdrop of Japan's most photographable night skies, make this slow-burn romance anime incredible.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Actor: Gen Sato, Haruka Tomatsu, Konomi Tamura, Lynn, Mamiko Noto, Natsumi Fujiwara, Seiichiro Yamashita, Sho Karino, Sumire Morohoshi
From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke is a high school romance drama. It’s sweet, it’s wholesome, and it’s comfortingly familiar. It leans more on its romance than its comedy. It doesn’t have high stakes fantasy or action-packed battles, but it captures the high school experience in such a lovely way. Of course, the show would likely reach its romantic happy ending, but what makes the show compelling isn’t just the thrill of connecting with a crush– it’s the inspiration for Sawako to open up, and enable her to connect and have friends. The live action adaptation may not fully capture everything from the original and it speeds through the plot, but it retains the parts that make it work, even for viewers totally unfamiliar with the story.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Kaito Sakurai, Ouji Suzuka, Riho Nakamura, Rinka Kumada, Sara Minami
It comes on strong—as fantastical as a fantasy can get—but One Piece is a thoughtful and full-hearted adaptation that bides its time in building a big and bountiful world. The characters are bright and animated, easily matching the magical place they’re in. The action and adventure are thrilling, even though they’re occasionally hampered by some CGI snafus. And the story is epic; it stretches out to the ocean’s deepest depths, where we join Luffy in meeting all sorts of interesting characters. I admit, as a newcomer to One Piece, I did initially find the series a bit cartoonish for my taste, but I was eventually won over by its unapologetic epicness and theatrics. If I found it as delightful as it was, I’m sure fans will find even more to love.
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Emily Rudd, Iñaki Godoy, Jacob Gibson, Jeff Ward, Mackenyu, Morgan Davies, Taz Skylar, Vincent Regan
Prior to being defined by that fateful bombing in 1945, Hiroshima was like any other city outside of Tokyo; small but full, quiet but busy, and in the midst of a slow-but-sure journey to modernization. We experience the rich and intimate details of this life through the kind-hearted Suzu, who herself is stuck between the throes of old and new. She is an ambitious artist but also a dedicated wife; a war-wearied survivor and a hopeful cheerleader.
Set before, during, and after the Second World War, the film starts off charmingly mundane at first, but it quickly gives way to inevitable grief in the second half. One stark tragedy follows another as it becomes increasingly clear how much we lose our humanity in war.
In This Corner of the World is the rare film outside of the Hayao Miyazaki canon that captures the latter's heart for detail while still being graciously its own.
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family, History, Romance, War
Actor: Asuka Ohgame, Barbara Goodson, Christine Marie Cabanos, Daishi Kajita, Daisuke Ono, Hisako Kyoda, Kei Tomoe, Kenta Miyake, Kira Buckland, Kohei Kiyasu, Kosuke Sakaki, Manami Sugihira, Manami Tanaka, Mayumi Shintani, Megumi Han, Miki Hase, Minori Omi, Nanase Iwai, Natsuki Inaba, Non, Nozomu Sasaki, Rena Nōnen, Rio Kawakami, Risa Sakurana, Shigeru Ushiyama, Sunao Katabuchi, Tengai Shibuya III, Tomoko Shiota, Tsubasa Miyoshi, Tsuyoshi Koyama, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Yukitomo Tochino, Yuuki Hirose
Director: Sunao Katabuchi
It's chilly this summer with vengeful spirits, cursed hands and double pupils in the horror-comedy Dark Gathering. Keitarō Gentōga has always attracted ghosts, and despite his fear, he is ready to socialize again after two years. Unlucky for him, his first student as a tutor is Yayoi Hôzuki, his best friend's cousin obsessed with finding the ghost that stole her mother. Although Yayoi's obsession with using a reluctant Keitarō is played up for laughs, her moe appearance preserves a level of disturbing (thanks to her double pupils). By episode two, the story still feels shallow, but there's enough spook to carry you through the heat.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Actor: Kana Hanazawa, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Rina Kawaguchi, Yu Sasahara
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Dallas Liu, Daniel Dae Kim, Gordon Cormier, Ian Ousley, Kiawentiio