Part1

Part2

Plot Summary: A mysterious group of ninjas makes a surprise attack on the Konohagakure, which takes great damage. The nightmare of another Shinobi World War could become a reality. Sasuke, who was still a missing nin from Konoha trying to kill his brother, Itachi, appears for the second time in front of Naruto at an unknown location to prevent it from happening.

A mysterious group of ninja called the Sora-nin from the Sky Country makes a surprise attack on Konoha. This is because Konoha nearly destroyed the Sky Country during the last Shinobi World War, yet they survived and now they’re after Konoha and the Fire Country for revenge.

Part1

Part2

Genres: action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy
Plot Summary: A spoiled prince from the Moon Country (which is located on Crescent Moon Island, on a southern sea) is traveling the world and is to be escorted back to his home island by Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura and Lee. The Prince ends up purchasing a circus and hilarity ensues, team Kakashi then has the duty of protecting both the Prince and his new purchase. All the while three mysterious ninja arrive to cause trouble.

Part 1: English Sub

Part 2: English Dub

Genres: action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, supernatural
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Plot Summary: Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura are executing their mission of delivering a lost pet to a certain village. However, right in the midst of things, troops led by the mysterious knight, Temujin, attack them. In the violent battle, the three become separated. Temujin challenges Naruto to a fight and at the end of the fierce battle, both fall together from a high cliff. Furthermore, Shikamaru, having been left behind, beholds a giant moving fortress as it appears before his very eyes. In order to get a grasp on the situation, he infiltrates the fortress by himself, however once there he witnesses a frightening sight.

Part 1: English Sub

Part 2: English Dub

Genres: action, adventure, comedy, drama, supernatural
Themes: Ninja
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Plot Summary: Kakashi orders Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to watch a movie before their next mission. Naruto is a big fan of the lead actress. After the movie, they see the heroine in person and being chased. They help her and Naruto asks for an autograph but she wouldn’t give him one. When the three returns, Kakashi tells them about their mission: to escort the actress to the Snow Country to film a new movie.

Part 1: English Subbed

Part 2: English Dub Part 1

Part 3: English Dub Part 2

An artifact known as the “King’s Seal” is stolen during transport from Soul Society by an unidentified Soul Reaper and two arrancar-resembling girls who control fire and lightning. During the attack, Tōshirō Hitsugaya corners and seems to recognize the Soul Reaper, who immediately stabs him in the stomach. In the middle of battle, Hitsugaya abandons his post to pursue him and leaves his squad behind to fend for themselves. After the battle, Seireitei suspects Hitsuguya of treason and orders his immediate capture. The whole 10th Division is then put on house arrest at which time they can surmise whether or not the division should be abolished.
With the whole of Soul Society looking for Hitsugaya, Ichigo accidentally stumbles upon Soifon as she is conducting an investigation of the transport site. Soifon informs him of the events happening in Seireitei and dispels the kido surrounding them. As Soifon disappears with her crew, Tōshirō makes his presence known and passes out in front of Ichigo. Awakening in the Kurosaki residence, Tōshirō refuses to explain what’s happening. In the midst of their discussion, Ichigo is attacked by the two arrancar before he can force the issue more. Tōshirō escapes, continues to avoid capture, and things only look worse when the Soul Reaper thief, identified as Sōjirō Kusaka uses Hyōrinmaru, a sword identical to Hitsugaya’s, to injure Shunsui Kyōraku. Tōshirō’s capture is then made top priority and his execution is approved.

Probably one of the most visually stunning animated movies (not just animes) to be released this decade, 5CM Per Second is comprised of three stories, which deal with love between people with a great distance between them. It’s not for everyone, especially young kids who won’t understand much of it, but the sheer beauty of the animation of Makoto Shinkai is some of the most artful visions you’ll ever see – both in animation and live action movies. Just search the title on Google Images and indulge yourself in a few frames.

Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers is, more than anything, a social comment on Tokyo and the minorities of one of the largest cities in the world. The story follows three homeless friends, a young girl, a homeless man and a transvestite who find a baby in a dumpster and embark on a journey to return it to its parents. Pitch that to Pixar.

Hayao Miyazaki, often referred to as the Walt Disney of Japan, has made plenty of genre defying anime movies (there are a few more on this list), and although he had done numerous movies before, Princess Mononoke was his breakthrough movie in the Western world. It was the highest earning movie at the Japanese box office before Titanic, which not only shows Japan’s love for anime, but just how popular the movie was in its home country.

A visual feat for the eyes, Paprika shows just what a storyteller with a vivid imagination can do. A “dream machine” – which allows doctors to see a patient’s dreams – is stolen by a thief who uses it to enter people’s dreams, and it’s up to Paprika and her team to find the reclaim the machine. The movie shifts between reality and dreamworld continuously, and it welcomes a second viewing to get all the details.

The second Miyazaki film on the list, Howl’s Moving Castle, developed from the book by Diana Wynne Jones, centers around a girl who is cast with a spell that makes her look old, her only hope of becoming young again is with a wizard and his giant, walking castle. It features all the Miyazaki trademarks, from stunning artwork to graceful animation, and is widely considered one of his best films to date.

It was one of the first films to popularize Cyberpunk as an art style and vision of the future. The movie has not only been a visual inspiration to countless Hollywood action movies over the years, but a direct influence to The Matrix. The Watchowski brothers reportedly showed Ghost in The Shell to producer Joel Silver and told him, “We wanna do that live action”. There are countless references to Ghost in The Shell in the Matrix, from the way they’re plugged into the Matrix to the virtual world itself. It’s a must see for any sci-fi fan, whether you’re into anime or not.

It was a movie that one can never imagine being made by Western animators or storytellers, Grave of The Fireflies was the film that made everyone realize, including the Japanese, that anime can be used to tell serious, heart felt stories. It centers on a boy and his young sister who struggle to survive in WW2 Japan when their mother dies during US firebombs of their city. Roger Ebert called it “the most powerful anti-war movie of all time”. And it’s just that.

With Akira, the West finally woke up to the power of the Japanese animes. It’s the movie that defined the whole genre, from its art style, to its realistic portrayal of violence, to its ability to tell several stories at once. The world of Neo Tokyo and it’s lawlessness, the motorcycle gangs and the technology introduced all contribute to making Akira the hallmark of anime for the past 20 years.

Miyazaki’s masterpiece, the story of a girl who ventures into the land where witches, Gods and spirits rule, where she has to fight to keep her spirit, and fight to release the spirits of the ones she loves. The film was hailed by critics all over the world, and won dozens of awards, including an Oscar for best animated feature. The movie even surpassed Titanic to become the highest grossing move of all time in Japan.

An animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human.