The Best Anime Movie From Every Year of the 2010s, Ranked

While anime is more popular on TV, there are still influential and brilliant movies that come out every year with a big budget and massive production. This level of quality and creativity makes the medium that much better, with anime movies improving with every decade. The 2010s are the most recent decade to conclude, and therefore, it has produced some noteworthy films each year.

Fans could argue that the current level of quality started in 2010, and while it is definitely better, now, that decade did vastly improve the medium. Which is why this list will go through every year (2010-2019), identifying the best movies and ranking them from worst to best. It will rank the entries based on overall quality, writing, animation, impact/cultural significance, legacy, enjoyability, fan opinion, and critical acclaim.

10

‘K-On! The Movie’ (2011)

Directed by Naoko Yamada

Anime films from previous decades were very inconsistent. One year, there would be nothing good, and the next would consist of revolutionary titles. The 2010s offered a much more consistent pacing, with good movies every year, such as K-On! The Movie. With the members of the Light Music Club graduating soon, they plan to take a big farewell vacation to London.

While the movie is original anime content, fans view it as the definitive ending, and therefore, they must watch the previous seasons to truly appreciate this film. The anime is superior to the source material, and Kyoto Animation brilliantly brings the characters and setting to life, offering one last farewell tour. Fans will want to watch the series just to experience this beautiful final movie.

9

‘The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya’ (2010)

Directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto and Tatsuya Ishihara

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was one of the biggest anime series of the 2000s. However, its final anime arc ultimately ruined the series, causing a decline in popularity. Luckily, the studio released a final movie that gave fans a proper conclusion. Kyon finds that everyone is in a new reality, but only he knows it, and now he must decide whether to keep this life that he always wanted or find the truth.

Like K-On! The Movie, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya falls into a lower ranking because fans need, or should, be familiar with the events of the anime to appreciate this film. That being said, the film is the best of the franchise, utilizing the mystery, characters, and plot perfectly. It is a remarkable conclusion that uses monologues and plot twists to develop the characters and end satisfactorily.

8

‘Promare’ (2019)

Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi

Studio Trigger is one of the most renowned and innovative anime companies around, delivering series such as Dungeon Meshi and Kill la Kill. However, they also attempted to make a movie, Promare. In a world where fire creatures wreak havoc, Galo is a new recruit who hopes to help protect the world. But the rise of a new terrorist organization threatens that peace, but also exposes the truth.

Releasing in 2019, Promare is a grand send-off to this decade, doing so with flashy animation, vibrant colors, and epic action. While the movie has a predictable plot and straightforward story, it aims to deliver a visual feast, and that is precisely what it does. Promare is visually stunning, featuring striking visuals, gorgeous animation, a beautiful color palette, and over-the-top action that brings it all together.

7

‘Saint Young Men’ (2013)

Directed by Mamoru Kanbe and Noriko Takao

Religion is a sensitive topic, and many anime movies utilize it as a theme, message, inspiration, or imagery. However, Saint Young Men follows Jesus and Buddha as they enter the human world for some much-needed relaxation. They rent a small apartment in Tokyo and explore the city, trying to remain incognito and not blow their cover.

Saint Young Men is mellow and nonchalant compared to most movies here, which often feature renowned animation, storytelling, or themes. This movie doesn’t attempt to wow fans with profound messages or stellar animation, but instead aims to provide a good time. Saint Young Men is a mature spoof film that proves movies can be entertaining without any baggage, delivering a wholesome and fun experience that is one of the best of the decade.

6

‘The Boy and the Beast’ (2015)

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Mamoru Hosoda has a new film coming out, which should remind fans of his influence as a director, with multiple movies on this list, including the first, The Boy and the Beast. When a boy from Tokyo meets a beast from a different realm, they work together to help the other achieve their goals, but their journey proves more impactful than they initially thought.

The Boy and the Beast isn’t without its flaws, as it crams in too much for its runtime. However, aside from that, the movie is beautifully animated, featuring incredible settings and camera work. While aimed towards a younger audience, its themes of depression will resonate with everyone, creating a wholesome, tearjerking, and entertaining movie that is underrated among its decade.

5

‘I Want to Eat Your Pancreas’ (2018)

Directed by Shinichiro Ushijima

Isekai is an anime genre known for having odd naming conventions, and while I Want to Eat Your Pancreas isn’t an Isekai, it has a very misleading title. A self-isolated bookworm discovers a handwritten journal, only to learn it is by the popular girl in class who is living with a fatal illness. He decides to accompany her, but didn’t expect her to open up his heart and feelings.

The 2010s delivered some of the best anime romance movies, leaving fans in disbelief that a movie with this quality isn’t number one, but that shows the competition of this decade. Many fans claim I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is a generic tearjerker, but it does that well, leaving fans in the waterworks throughout the entire film. This anime movie is better than most Ghibli films, moving the audience with profound and relatable themes.

4

‘When Marnie Was There’ (2014)

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Speaking of Studio Ghibli films, When Marnie Was There is the only movie to represent the studio on this list, despite them having a great decade of movies, even if it wasn’t their best. Young Anna moves to a seaside town hoping to help her asthma issues, but her once-reclusive self goes out more and more after meeting Marnie.

When Marnie Was There has a different feel from most Studio Ghibli movies. It still provides a coming-of-age story with everyday wonders, but it has a more grounded tone. It is a must-watch for all ages, and its remarkable pacing blends friendship, mystery, and drama to create one of the most underrated films of the 2010s.

3

‘Wolf Children’ (2012)

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Wolf Children is Hosoda’s final film on this list, marking an excellent decade for the director, with fans hoping he’ll continue his success in the 2020s. When Hana falls in love with a werewolf, they begin their happy life and have children, only for her lover to perish. She must now raise two werewolf children on her own, struggling to understand this new world she found herself in.

While the key to a good anime isn’t to make the audience cry, most great ones accomplish this task, and Wolf Children does this spectacularly. It is a heartwarming story with plenty of ups and downs, leaving fans ugly crying by the end, but not without a fair share of wholesome smiles. Wolf Children is one of the best anime films of the decade, and is always available for when viewers need a good cry.

2

‘Night Is Short, Walk On Girl’ (2017)

Directed by Masaaki Yuasa

Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most influential anime directors known for his avant-garde style, and when he adapts something from Tomihiko Morimi, fans know they are in store for something good. Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a romance comedy that follows a college student trying to casually bump into his crush, but she is too focused on experiencing new things and letting fate decide her path.

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl brings viewers down the mystical streets of Kyoto and all it has to offer, creating a magically modern world that sucks in viewers with every new location. Through imaginative animation and an innovative story, this anime romance is unlike any other, which uses its peculiarities to make fans laugh and swoon over every little bit. Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a charming masterpiece and one of the best modern anime movies ever.

1

‘A Silent Voice’ (2016)

Directed by Naoko Yamada

Naoko Yamada returns for a second time on this list, but on the opposite spectrum, delivering this decade’s tenth and best movie. A Silent Voice is a romance drama film that follows two characters, Shouya and Shouko. As a child, Shouya bullied Shouko for being deaf, but now living with this regret, he aims to meet her again and redeem himself.

This was the toughest decision to make, as both A Silent Voice and Your Name came out in 2016 and are arguably the two best anime films of the decade. However, A Silent Voice is more profound, original, and moving than Your Name, earning it the title of the best anime film of the 2010s. Its story, characters, messages, and enjoyment are on another level, providing one of the most complete experiences that help make it one of the greatest anime movies of all time.

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