The creme de la creme of anime motion pictures, these titles wowed THEM members whether on the small screen or the big screen, and we highly recommend these movies.

10^th Place: Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, 1979. (31 points) Considered to this day perhaps the finest of the Lupin III series of films, this movie, directed by the famous Miyazaki Hayao, takes a less-lecherous-than-usual Arsene Lupin into a hair-raising adventure through an isolated European state, where he must get to the bottom of a counterfeiting scheme that could topple the world's economy. Showcasing animation and cinematography that are well ahead of their time, this movie holds up quite well even though it's older than most of the THEM reviewing crew!

9^th Place: Laputa Castle in the Sky, 1984. (33 points, one first-place vote) A swashbuckling, epic adventure film, Laputa is the second Miyazaki film on the Top 10 list. Notable for perhaps the most evil character in a Studio Ghibli feature to this date, Muska, as well as high-quality animation and remarkable storytelling. Unfortunately, problems with the name of the movie, in particular, the castle itself (which Miyazaki borrowed from Swift's Gulliver's Travels without realizing the satirical and offensive nature of the name) have delayed its release in the United States - let's hope this gets resolved soon!

8^th Place: Ghost in the Shell, 1994. (34 points, one first-place vote) A violent, frenetic trip through a dystopic future Tokyo, this movie diverged wildly from creator Otomo Katsuhiro's original vision, and is considered more of a product of its director, the acclaimed Oshii Mamoru, than a faithful adaptation of the manga. Even so, the visual and intellectual content of this piece is balanced by the slick, high-budget animation, which has earned this movie much attention outside the realm of anime fandom.

7^th Place: Grave of the Fireflies, 1988. (35 points, two first-place votes) Perhaps the most powerful of all the movies in the top 10 list, this Takahata Isao-directed Studio Ghibli movie is perhaps too heart-breaking to be a favorite title among THEM members. However, its humane, but honest portrayal of the lost children of World War II Japan earn it high praise, and to all who have see it, it remains a truly unforgettable experience.

6^th Place: Porco Rosso, 1992. (36 votes, one first-place vote) Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli appear on the list yet again, in this fanciful recreation of the skies over the Adriatic Sea between the two World Wars. The title character, a human pilot cursed to look like a pig, is torn between the pressures of an increasingly fascist Italy, rampant air piracy, and his competition with a hotshot American pilot for supremacy of the skies, and the love of a beautiful chanteuse. A labor of love, this movie is perhaps the one closest to Miyazaki's spirit, and it soars triumphantly indeed. Not yet available in the US, this movie truly deserves to see the light of day.

5^th Place: Perfect Blue, 1998. (44 points, three first-place votes) Forget Scream, and forget Blair Witch Project. This masterful suspense thriller, directed by Kon Satoshi, about an idol singer-turned-actress and the otaku who follow her every move, is creepy, breathless, and laden with surrealistic imagery and stifling paranoia. Perfect Blue again raises the bar of what animation really can do, but be sure you don't show this one to the kids!

4^th Place: Princess Mononoke, 1998. (51 points) At the time this was released, this was to be Miyazaki Hayao's final movie for Studio Ghibli. Princess Mononoke stormed Japanese theaters, breaking all box-office records, It has since been topped by only two movies as of this time: Titanic, and Miyazaki's heavily-anticipated newest fantasy Sen to Chihiro no Kamikushi (Sen and Chihiro's Hidden Gods). A historical epic set in the formative Muromachi Period, this movie combines breathtaking animation with compelling characters and a complex storyline that shares many themes with Miyazaki's previous work. Its American theatrical release exposed the animation of Studio Ghibli and its star director to new audiences, and though its American run was poorly planned and publicized, Princess Mononoke has garnered much critical acclaim worldwide.

3^rd Place: My Neighbor Totoro, 1988. (56 points) Miyazaki's gentle counterpoint to Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies (with which this was originally double-featured), Totoro is a light-hearted fantasy about two children who encounter, and play with spritely, benign forest spirits they call "Totoro". A joy to watch, this film harkens to an idyllic 1950s countryside that, though perhaps long-gone, holds a warm memory in the hearts of those who watch this film. And it proves decisively that you certainly don't need to pander to create a fine family film.

2^nd Place: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, 1984. (66 points, four first-place votes) Miyazaki Hayao condensed his classic manga epic to create this wonderful movie, which is quite possibly the best animated motion picture of its era. It is here that the aspects of his films, like environmentalist themes, strong female heroines, and adventuristic fantasy storylines, came into full flower. The production movie was the seed for what would become Studio Ghibli, and it is influential in style and content. And Nausicaa herself became the favorite character of an entire generation of anime fans, who to this day admire the strong-hearted, yet undeniably feminine heroine. Oddly ehough, though this movie received the highest number of first-place votes, it ended up second in the final point tally.

And finally,

1^st Place: Kiki's Delivery Service, 1989. (72 points) Perhaps not the best Studio Ghibli Miyazaki film ever made, but a favorite among a large proportion of THEM members. This film exhibits all the elements of a successful, enjoyable Ghibli movie, with a winsome lead in Kiki, a coming-of-age plot that is fine for all ages, and the trademark cinematography and animation that characterize Studio Ghibli as the most artistic animation studio in all Japan. But what rises Kiki over every other film in this list? Its accessibility - it was the first Disney-released Ghibli film, and though not yet available on DVD, it had a wide enough video release to get widespread national exposure. It's also a darn good movie suitable for anyone from 3 to 103.

And that concludes our Top 10 List of Anime Movies!

And now, return to the Millennial THEM Anime Awards home page!